A Brief History of Crested Butte Colorado
A former coal mining town now called The Last Great Colorado Ski Town, Crested Butte was named because in 1873 a geologist named Ferdinand Hayden was on expedition surveying the Elk Mountains and from the top of what is today known as Teocalli Peak referred to present day Crested Butte Mountain and Gothic Mountain as “the crested buttes.”  Howard F. Smith, considered the founding father of Crested Butte, laid out the Town by 1878.  While Smith was originally attracted to the area because of the extensive coal deposits, he first built a smelter and saw mill to service the hard rock mining camps located in the surrounding areas.  This established Crested Butte as a major supply center prior to becoming a long-term coal producer. Crested Butte sits at an elevation of 8,885 feet and is located 28 miles north of the City of Gunnison in the County of Gunnison.

The East River Valley where Crested Butte is located was once used as a summer residence by Ute Native Americans. However, they were quickly displaced when white explorers first entered the area. The first people to explore the valley were beaver trappers, followed by surveyors. Captain John Gunnison, after whom Gunnison County is named, was one of the early explorers to enter the area.

In addition, around 1000 miners resided in the surrounding areas.  Smith served as the first mayor of Crested Butte and sold half of his interest in the Town and 1000 acres of coal land to the owner of the Denver & Rio Grande Railroad in an effort to persuade the extension of the railroad from Gunnison to Crested Butte.  Smith’s tactics proved successful and the railroad arrived in Crested Butte on November 21, 1881.  The arrival of the railroad ended Crested Butte’s isolation and facilitated the expansion of the coal industry and the simultaneous expansion of the Town.  By 1882 Crested Butte was home to 1000 people and had five hotels, a bank, several saloons and restaurants, three livery stables, sawmills, doctors, lawyers and the Union Congregational Church, which still stands today and is Crested Butte’s oldest building.  Residents got their water from a two-million gallon reservoir located above the Town and in 1882 a telephone line connected Crested Butte and Gunnison.  In the early 1880’s Smith sold 320 acres of his coal land to Colorado Coal and Iron, which later became Colorado Fuel and Iron (CF&I), and by the mid-1880’s he departed.

Coal mining emerged in earnest in Crested Butte during the 1880’s and 1890’s.  The early coal miners, and the majority of Crested Butte residents preceding 1895, were Anglo-Saxon from Wales, Scotland, Germany, Ireland and Cornwall.  These immigrants were followed by Greeks, Italians and Southern Europeans from Slavic countries.  By 1893 all of the silver mines in the area closed and while many other communities failed, Crested Butte survived because of coal mining and coke production.  CF&I owned the Town’s coke ovens, where coal was burned to remove impurities producing a product called coke.  The coke was shipped to Pueblo, Colorado where it was used in steel production. Crested Butte was a company town through and through, with CF&I as the Town’s largest employer and providing company housing.

The most significant mine in the 1880’s was called the Jokerville Mine.  The CF&I owned Jokerville mine contained bituminous coal and directly below the mine lay coke ovens.  On January 24, 1884 an explosion at the Jokerville mine occurred and the mine never re-opened.  Some accounts say that 59 miners were killed in the Jokerville Mine disaster, while others say that 69 miners were killed.  Later that same year, CF&I opened the Big Mine and by 1902 it was the third largest coal mine in Colorado and produced the highest quality coal in the state.  Four hundred miners produced 1000 tons of coal daily.  With improved machinery and electrification, production increased after 1930.  The Big Mine operated for 58 years and not surprisingly, Crested Butte relied heavily on the Big Mine as a source of income.  Other mines operated on and off in the surrounding areas, including Buckley, Robinson, Pueblo, Horace, Pershing and Peanut.

As is often the case in a company town, tension existed between the often-exploited miners and the Town’s employer.  In 1891 the first major strike occurred over a cut in wages.  A second major strike began in 1913 and lasted for 18 months, causing the mines to close until 1915.  This strike finely ended, but with few concessions made to the miners.  The final major strike occurred in 1927 over a 20% pay reduction.  Again, this strike ended without the miners achieving their demands.  With the closing of the Big Mine in 1952 the era of coal came to an end in Crested Butte.  Three major factors contributed to the closing of the Big Mine: Railroads were converting to diesel fuel; the CF&I steel mills in Pueblo found a closer and thus less expensive source of coke; and coal began being replaced by gas and electricity.

In 1955 the Denver & Rio Grande Railroad removed their tracks and Crested Butte’s population and economy declined.

Then, in 1960 Dick Eflin and Fred Rick from Kansas purchased a ranch northeast of the Town of Crested Butte and by the winter of 1962-63 had opened a ski area on Crested Butte Mountain with Colorado’s first gondola.  This area grew into the present day resort town of Mt. Crested Butte, home to the Crested Butte Mountain Resort.

Wintertime in Crested Butte Colorado

Crested Butte has received some very nice attention from the popular media in recent weeks. If anything, its fun to read how the rest of the world perceives our community and our lifestyle.

Enjoy.

MySanAntonio.com published this article about Crested Butte’s lifestyle and the winter recreation scene. View Article

The Glenwood Springs Post Independent just ran a piece about the 20-year dream of Hjalmar “Hal” Sundin. His dream finally came true with the publication of his first (and probably only) book, “Law and Disorder in Crested Butte.” View Article

The Chicago Tribune published a recent article about Crested Butte that began with the following: “If long lift lines, copycat resort villages and spiking prices have muted the joy of your recent ski trips, the ski doctor prescribes a few days in Crested Butte to refresh your senses.” View Article

MSN.com published a piece titled the The West’s Top 10 Dream Towns. Crested Butte ranked 3rd. View Article

SkiMag.com seems to be in love with Crested Butte. “Crested Butte rubs off on you. The same way you pick up a drawl after spending time with Southerners, you can’t help but take on a CB affect, with endless gratitude and perhaps a dash of smug satisfaction for having been lucky and/or smart enough to land here.” View Article

The Houston Chronicle recently dubbed Crested Butte, “….close to perfection….A tidy clump of picturesque Victorian blocks laid out beneath Mount Crested Butte – the 12,000-foot mass of craggy rock and pine that engulfs the horizon – the town is equal parts cushy ski resort and ecofriendly hippie haven.” View Article

Channing Boucher
View the Crested Butte Real Estate Guide

Summer Tourism Stronger
The Town of Crested Butte reports a notable increase in June and July sales tax revenues. Tax revenues from local restaurants, bars, grocery, retailers and lodging were up as much as 10% compared to 2010.

$60 Million and 136 Home and Condo Sales Year to Date
I reported in my last newsletter that our local real estate market was demonstrating signs of improvement this year, reaching a 100 home and condo sales from Crested Butte South to Mt. Crested Butte by mid-July. The sales trend continues. By Labor Day, our year-to-date transactions topped 136 homes and condos and $60 million in sales. The all-cash buying trend has also continued with 81 of this year’s 136 sales closing as “all-cash” transactions versus just 52 properties purchased with conventional home loans.

Notable Commercial Real Estate Sales
The 8881 sft. Crested Butte International Hostel and public laundry building located at 615 Teocalli just sold for $1.4 million.

Fall Colors. Crested Butte’s Third Season
Crested Butte is known worldwide for it’s amazing wildflower color spectacle that occurs every July. This year we were treated to a wildflower season that extended clear into August. But, some folks around here think September is the best time of year to be in Crested Butte and take in our amazing Fall color show. This time of year, the summer crowds are gone, the nights are cooler, the days are still sunny and warm for biking and trail hiking and the wildflower rich hillsides give way to the amazing array of brilliant color change with our Aspen and Cottonwood forests. Here is a helpful article on how to best take advantage of the changing leaves in and around Crested Butte.

Upcoming Events in September – September 24th – Vinotok Fall Celebration

Mumming by Cast and Crew

5:30 p.m. – 7:30 p.m. – Location: Elk Avenue and adjoining Restaurants and Pubs
Cast and Crew of Vinotok produces a mini-theatre inside Elk Avenue Restaurants to invite people to the performance of the trial.

Trial of the Grump

7:30 p.m. – Location: Elk Avenue in front of the Eldo

The community puts the Grump on trial with harvest maiden dances, and a play of the Harvest Mother, Dragon, Knight and Green Man. The performance is amplified and lit so the community can hear and see the tale on the temporary stage.

Procession to the 4-way and Bonfire

8:30 p.m. – Location: Elk Avenue to the 4-way

The cast and crew lead the community down Elk Avenue to the 4-way stop, Grump in tow, to meet his demise. The bonfire and burning of the Grump will begin at approximately 8:30 p.m. and put out by 10.

Thanks for reading today! We hope to see you in Crested Butte very soon!

Channing Boucher
Broker Associate
Benson Sotheby’s International Realty

Contact Channing at 970-596-3228 or via his website.
Channing’s Blog: The Crested Butte Real Estate Letter

433 Sixth Street | Crested Butte | CO | 81224

Visit Channing’s Featured Listings:
Homes and Condos for Sale | Land for Sale | Ranches for Sale | Commercial for Sale

Borrowed from Kate Siber and Budget Travel article about Crested Butte.
See complete article at their website  here.

Cruising Through The Colorado Rockies

You won’t get shot if you order an appletini at Kochevar’s, but you won’t make many friends, either.
Kochevar’s is a hardscrabble beer-and-whiskey joint in Crested Butte, Colo., and it has been since it opened in 1886 (127 
Elk Ave., 970/349-6745, shot of Jim Beam $2).

Back then, the saloon served mostly outlaws, cowboys, and miners (more than a few minors, too). Today, the customers belly up to that same (now antique) bar, underneath the original tin ceilings and the occasional stuffed bison head. Some of the old-timers still sport handlebar mustaches and sip their hooch out of plain glass tumblers. Tony, one of the regulars, claims he’s witnessed barroom fights here since the 1970s. “The skewed boy-girl ratio here brings out a lot of innovation,” he says. “Always has.” With a smirk, he nods toward a large group of young guys who walk in the door wearing 1980s prom attire, trailing a couple of wary women. This is the kind of dive bar where everyone winds up at the end of the night, to gawk at-and drink with-the ghosts of the past. In the corner, a three-piece, classic rock band plays on.

For Sale: 115 Whiterock Avenue

Local Home and Condo Sales Activity Up 30%

Read The Crested Butte Real Estate Adviser Issue #7

For example, if you were waiting to buy that special luxury home on Butte Avenue west of Coal Creek, you may have missed the boat. After the sale of 6 Ruth’s Road early this month for $1,320,000, three more luxury homes located in the same neighborhood have gone under contract. These homes are listed between $1.7 million and $2.5 million. Also, a $2.5 million home located nearby at the west end of Teocalli Avenue is also under contract.  In April, a vacant parcel on Butte Avenue sold for $820,000. Wow.

Who Owns North America’s Ski Resorts?

It may be news to you, but Crested Butte Mountain Resort’s owner, CNL Lifestyle Properties is North America’s 800-lb gorilla resort owner. CNL owns 150 properties across the United States and is by far the largest owner of ski areas and resorts in North America, with ownership of 14 ski areas and numerous lodging and retail properties located in or near ski resorts.  With ski related properties making up the majority of the company’s holdings, CNL actively seeks new opportunities for investment within the ski industry and recently purchased many of Intrawest’s “Village” developments. Read about the industry at this recent Mountain Rider Alliance’s blog.

Senate Recommends Ski Resort Bill to Boost Summer Business

The Senate Energy and Natural Resources Committee voted unanimously to recommend passage of the Ski Area Recreation Opportunity Enhancement Act of 2011, which would expand the activities allowed on ski area lands leased from the U.S. Forest Service. The bill would amend the National Forest Ski Area Permit Act of 1986. Read more here.

Skier and Snowboarder Participation To Grow 50% in 50 Years?

Recent research done by the U.S. Forest Service and the University of Georgia demonstrates skier and snowboarder traffic at resorts and in the backcountry could increase by 50 percent by 2060. Unfortunately, even as skier populations may increase, snowfall is predicted to get scarcer, and running lifts and lighting condo chimneys at resorts isn’t going to help reverse that trend. …The surge in demand for skiing could have huge implications for Forest Service land managers when they update forest plans. Meeting the new demand could require allocating new parcels of national forest system lands for ski area expansions, or even the development of new areas near communities where such plans are already controversial.
Read more at Summit County Citizen’s Voice

Thanks for reading today! We hope to see you in Crested Butte very soon!

Channing Boucher
Broker Associate
Benson Sotheby’s International Realty

Borrowed from Allen Best of the Durango Telegraph

TELLURIDE – Is living at higher elevations actually healthier? A new study suggests that’s the case.

The study found that 16 of the 20 counties with the highest life expectancy were in Colorado and Utah, at a mean elevation of just under 6,000 feet. Compared with those living near sea level, men lived 1.2 to 3.6 years longer. Women lived 0.5 to 2.5 more years than their sea-level counterparts.

The study was conducted by the University of Colorado School of Medicine and Harvard School of Global Health. Researchers analyzed death certificates from every county in the United States over the course of four years.

Taken alone, said Dr. Peter Hackett, executive director of the Institute for Altitude Medicine, living at higher elevations is no panacea. “You can’t smoke and not exercise and come here to live longer,” he told The Telluride Watch.

A study of this sort needs to account for variables among those living at altitude. For example, do they smoke less than their counterparts at sea level? Are they less obese? For the most part, the researchers were able to deliver apples-to-apples comparisons.

“It’s not a perfect study, but they collected as much data as they could,” said Hackett, who has climbed Mt. Everest twice and spent many seasons ministering to climbers on Denali, North America’s highest peak. “As it turns out, there is something about the lack of oxygen at high altitude that is actually good for the heart.”

What’s going on? “Lower oxygen levels turn on certain genes, and we think those genes may change the way heart muscles function,” said Benjamin Honigman, professor of emergency medicine at the University of Colorado. “They may also produce new blood vessels that create new highways for blood flow into the heart.”

Hackett said that studies show that South Americans living at 14,000 feet have more blood vessels in their hearts than those living at low elevations. When the heart has more blood vessels, he said, blood is able to flow into the heart more effectively, especially if there is a clot.

“This wasn’t done at 8,000 feet. It was done at 14,000 feet, but there is no reason to think that people living at 8,000 feet wouldn’t have some of that,” Hackett toldThe Watch.

One thing the study did not sort out is how long someone must live in thinner-aired elevations for the benefits to the heart to accrue. Hackett said he believes somebody born and reared at high altitude has an advantage over someone who moved to a place like Telluride, which is just below 9,000 feet in elevation, at the age of 60.

The study also found that living at elevations of more than 4,900 feet has adverse effects on those with compromised lungs, including those with emphysema and chronic bronchitis.

Crested Butte Mountain Resort ranked 6th in the State of Colorado, earning an A in “protecting and preserving watersheds” and “water conservation”.  The resort received a “B” grade for “habitat restoration.

View Crested Butte Mountain Resort’s Report Card Here

“Though there are some outliers, as a whole we’re happy to see that resorts appear to be taking their environmental performance and practices more seriously,” said Norma Ryan of Ski Area Citizens. “Of 82 ski areas evaluated, only Taos New Mexico made an environmental face plant, and 26 areas received an overall grade of “B” or better. That speaks well for future of the industry.”

The Ski Area Citizens Coalition is comprised of conservation groups around the west, including Colorado Wild and the Sierra Nevada Alliance. The Full Report Card for all 82 resorts and more details can be found at www.skiareacitizens.com.  

The Ski Area Citizens Coalition (SACC) has been publishing the Ski Area Report Card for the past 10 years. The Report Card evaluates the environmental policies and practices of ski areas based on a system of 40 criteria.  The criteria to evaluate performance includes grading ski areas on their preservation of sensitive lands within the ski resort areas and their actions related to water conservation and quality, and commitment to green programs such as recycling and energy efficiency.

Snow Cat Skiing, Food & Drink, Locally-Crafted Skis & More Terrain.  There’s already plenty happening in Gunnison-Crested Butte, Colo., but its always refreshing to announce new happenings that involve snow cats, great food and brew, locally-made skis and new runs to ski and ride.

Snow Cat Skiing & Randonnee Race at Irwin is officially up and running full-speed for this winter. CS Irwin is bringing snow cat skiing back to Irwin, located 12 miles from Crested Butte. CS Irwin operates two custom snow cats to transport 10 guests a day in comfort and style. Participants meet at the company’s Belleview Avenue location in Crested Butte for a light breakfast and fitting of custom Wagner skis before boarding the “Tucker” at 7:45 a.m. for the 40-minute ride to Irwin made ultra-comfortable with leather seats, large picture windows, a large flat-screen TV and a surround-sound stereo system. 

“No other snow cat or heli-skiing guests have the luxury of being picked up in a first-class snowcat and returned to the town where they are staying,” says Director of Operations Alan Bernholtz, former mayor of Crested Butte. “Last winter, Irwin received more than 525 inches of snow, beating every ski resort in the state by more than 90 inches.” 

Upon reaching the restored Movie Cabin in Irwin (built in 1979 for the filming of “Mountain Family Robinson”) and receiving a safety overview, guests transfer into an equally luxurious high-speed Prinoth Bison cat with custom cabin that takes them on eight to 12 runs from 9 a.m. – 4 p.m. CS Irwin’s terrain spans more than 1,000 acres of private property and Gunnison National Forest and can accommodate anyone who can ski or ride at least an intermediate slope. A gourmet lunch is served midday in the Movie Cabin. 

The first Tuesday of every month, CS Irwin features cat skiing with freeskiing legend Wendy Fisher. The season will run from Dec. 15, 2010 – April 30, 2011. Call 1.866.IRWIN.77 or visit www.csirwin.com for details. 

The first-ever CS Irwin Randonnee Race, part of the COSMIC (Colorado Ski Mountaineering Cup) series, will be held on Dec. 11 at 10 a.m. The course will include 5,000 vertical feet of climbing in the race class and less in the recreational class, with divisions for men and women.

Registration costs $50 (includes pizza and beer at the Brick Oven) and is limited to 50 racers for this first year. Racers must get to Irwin on their own by snowmobile, skis or snow cat (a $40 round-trip ride is available to the first 23 who request it). Register at www.csirwin.zapevent.com and call (970) 209-5803 for information. 
New Options for Eating, Drinking & Buying Skis 
Marchitelli’s Firehouse Grill, located in the Plaza Condominiums just a short walk from the slopes in Mt. Crested Butte, has been launched by well-known Crested Butte restaurateur Mike Marchitelli, proprietor of Marchitelli’s Gourmet Noodle. Enjoy the relaxing atmosphere and tasty wings, sandwiches, hand-tossed pizza or the signature chicken parmesan and marsala. Open daily at 4 p.m. Call (970) 349-4666. 

Sherpa Café, a cozy space at 313 3rd St. just off Crested Butte’s Elk Avenue, will warm you up with tasty foods from Nepal, India and Tibet. The restaurant serves lunch and dinner, seven days a week. Call 970-349-0443. 

Tequila’s Mexican Grill serves authentic Mexican food from Crested Butte’s historic powerhouse at 120 Elk Avenue. This large location in the bustling downtown district is great for groups or a table for two during lunch or dinner, seven days a week. Call (970) 349-0414. 

While the Crested Butte Brewing Company label has been known for some time-producing beers such as Red Lady Ale, White Buffalo Ale, Rodeo Stout Oatmeal, Paradise Crisp Golden Ale and Jokerville IPA-its new 12,000-square-foot brew house and tap room and adjoining patio in Gunnison opened in June. The tap room also features food and wine, special food nights and live music. Crested Butte Brewing Company hosted an Oktoberfest celebration and is holding its first-ever Home Brewer’s Festival in November, inviting home brewers from around the region to submit their best beers. The winner’s recipe will be brewed on the brewery’s 10-barrel system and offered in the taproom. Visit www.cbbrewingco.com or call (970) 641-4487. 

Brothers Caleb and Morgan Weinberg grew up freekskiing and ski racing in New Hampshire and moved to Crested Butte in the 1990s. They have launched ROMP Skis, offering six shapes to choose from with a variety of widths underfoot and at the tip and tail. There also will be a selection of graphic designs to choose from, or for an extra cost request a custom look. Most importantly, the Weinbergs will work with each buyer to pick the right shape, stiffness and camber to suit his or her needs. Visit www.rompskis.com or call (970) 349-5353. 

Ski Area Improvements 
Crested Butte Mountain Resort is introducing the new Gold Link Terrain Park and Superpipe for the 2010-2011 season. By relocating the resort’s largest park and pipe from the Paradise Bowl, crews have created a complete freestyle park pod off the Painter Boy and Goldlink lifts. This translates to a literal playground for park enthusiasts, who can progress from one park and one feature size to the next. Not only does this move create an additional intermediate run under the Paradise lift, crews have gladed Horseshoe Springs to add even more intermediate terrain to the resort’s tally. 

Also, the new NASTAR race arena is located on the Canaan trail just above the Paradise Warming House, and the Trailhead Children’s Discovery Museum has relocated to the Outpost Building near the Adventure Center and is now open year-round. 

New for the season are a Military Appreciation Week and a College Week in January, plus the Matthew Shepard Gay Ski Week in March. There also will be activities celebrating 50 Years of Skiing in Crested Butte, celebrating the opening of the ski area 50 years ago. In connection with the Matthew Shepard Gay Ski Week, Crested Butte Mountain Theatre and Western State College in Gunnison are collaborating on a staged production of “The Laramie Project,” which is about reactions to the 1998 murder of Matthew Shepard. For information about CBMR, go to www.skicb.com.