Nordic Prime

Elkton Huts
If you are fit and up for a longer haul, you can set as your goal the Elkton Huts, about six miles from the trailhead and at an elevation of 10,700 feet. A local outfitter and guide service, Adventures to the Edge, leads overnight tours to the huts and also handles bookings for those who would like to travel independently to spend the night there. If you want to continue on your own, and if the slide hazard is reported to be low, the road contours first around Gothic Mountain and then around Elkton Ridge. You will drop into a deep ravine at about 3.5 miles, and you need also to factor in two fairly steep ascents when assessing your fitness for this route. The first steep comes at about three miles from the trail, and the second is just before the Elkton Hut, when people are tired from a long tour, which is one reason why they are popular for overnights (booking through Adventures to the Edge, see below).

Cement Creek
If you are driving up Colorado 135 from Gunnison and simply can't wait to get on your boards, detour to Cement Creek, from a turnoff 20 miles north of Gunnison and seven miles south of Crested Butte. Turn east at the Cement Creek Road (also Gunnison County Road/Forest Service Road 740 in Gunnison National Forest), which is a left turn from Crested Butte and a right turn from Gunnison. At the fork in the Crested Butte South subdivision, go straight onto the unpaved road. Continue four miles from the highway to the end of the plowed section at 8,960 feet and begin skiing up the road. Snowmobiles are permitted, which results in a packed trail and smoothes the way so it is possible for a fit skier to extend his or her range. The first 6.5 miles, to the junction with Italian Creek Road, makes a fine ski outing with varied and splendid scenery. That's a healthy distance, which is just as well because after that, avalanche activity becomes a potential problem.

The route starts out spectacularly as both the creek and the road thread through a narrow canyon with high rock cliffs on both sides. The canyon is gorgeous and the ascent is steady. After about 0.6 mile, the canyon narrows still more and the creek courses down a rock-strewn ditch just at the edge of the road, as the cliffs press closer. It is a dramatic little cleft between the rock walls.

At the top of the steepest section, about a mile from the winter trailhead, the rock walls suddenly part to reveal a picture-postcard scene of the creek flowing past Cement Creek Ranch against a wonderful mountain backdrop in the distance. The hillside to the left of the road is blanketed with aspens, while the broad valley stretches ahead and to the right is a prototypical Western scene. Continue along the road, being mindful of private property alongside.

After about half a mile, you will notice a break in the aspen forestation on the right. This is the only avalanche path along this portion of the road. If avalanche hazard is reported substantial, do not cross below this path. Even with lesser danger, cross below it one person at a time or turn back just after the ranch. Italian Creek Road, merging in from the right about 6.5 miles from the trailhead, should be your turn-around point, because slide hazard becomes substantial after that. Return the way you came.

If you have more stamina, this unpaved road reaches some nine miles to the northeast, along the north side of Cement Creek, petering out above the timberline to a mine on the side of Mt. Tilton. This is far more than the vast majority of recreational skiers would be willing or able to go (and much farther than is prudent), but if you want to continue beyond Italian Creek, only do so late in season when the snowpack is reported to have stabilized.

Ditch Road
Ditch Road is another exceptionally easy route. Take Colorado 135 south from Crested Butte and turn left at the Crested Butte Country Club sign onto Brush Creek Road. Continue straight onto the unpaved section instead of turning toward the country club. This is Forest Road 738 (in Gunnison National Forest), which you will find on the Gunnison National Forest Service maps, but is currently not signed. It bends to the left (east). Park in the plowed lot to the left, about 3.5 miles from the highway, as directed by the "Trailhead Parking - No Parking Beyond This Point" sign. The trailhead is at the north end of the parking area.

Go north along the Ditch Road, which is flat and gentle, paralleling a fence line that marks a private-property boundary. On your left is the bottom of the massif on which the Crested Butte ski area is located, and up and out of sight is the summit of signature Mt. Crested Butte itself. But your eyes will instead be drawn to the beautiful valley to your right to a Marlboro Country setting of achingly picturesque ranch buildings, snow-covered pastures through which the East River gracefully flows, and grazing cattle.

The Ditch Road has the gentlest grade between the aspen-covered hillside and the beautiful valley. After about 0.75 mile, you will pass through a fence and climb slightly into mixed woods of aspen, brush and conifers alternating with small clearings. You might have to find a snowbridge in order to cross the small stream flowing down from the left. Soon the road bends to the right, crosses a foot bridge and peters out in a meadow of breathtaking vastness, with the Teocalli Mountain, its slopes horizontally striped in the gray and white that characterizes the Maroon Bells range, as the dramatic backstop. Return the way you came.

West Brush Creek Road
West Brush Creek Road provides more challenge. Follow the directions to the parking lot for the Ditch Road trailhead (above), but return on foot to the vehicle road and begin walking or skiing 0.7 mile east past the Cold Spring Ranch to the end of the plowed section. Respect private property on both sides of the road. The route is also used by snowmobiles and even winter horseback riding, so you might even consider snowshoes for this choppy snow surface.

At the ranch, bear left (north) to stay on West Brush Creek Road (the continuation of Forest Road 738 in Gunnison National Forest), which is an easy route along the valley floor. You can ski for some 1.7 miles, crossing the stream after which the entire gorgeous valley was named to the Brush Creek Cow Camp. The view of Teocalli Mountain—13,208 feet in the Maroon Bells-Snowmass Wilderness—gets better with every step. The cow camp makes a good turn-around point if you want scenery without any real workout. After that, the road begins to climb very gradually. After about a mile, you will come to a fork with Middle Brush Creek Road, a second good turn-around point. Whichever way you choose and however far you go, retrace your tracks on the way back.

To continue, you can either bear left at the fork to continue along West Brush Creek Road (this part is Forest Road 738-2A) or right for Middle Brush Creek Road (Forest Service Road 738). The former follows the West Brush Creek streambed, with Teocalli Ridge rising to your right (east). Turn around at the junction with Forest Service Road 528 on the left, because after that, potential avalanche activity increases. The latter follows East Brush Creek into a tighter, more slide-prone valley.

To Learn More
Many locals like to ski to the old town of Gothic, at the edge of the wilderness north of Crested Butte Mountain Resort. However, this route presents problems. Private property issues abound, and avalanche hazards are not trivial. It is better to stick to some of the other routes recommended here, or to take a tour with Adventures to the Edge, a backcountry guide service run by Jean Pavillard, an internationally certified and licensed Swiss mountain guide, and his wife Mary Pavillard-Cain.

If you're so taken by the backcountry that you want to enhance your outdoor skills, check out their specialty courses that include avalanche training, winter mountaineering or even guide training among the best and most respected in the West. But Adventures to the Edge features a gentler side, with customized half- and full-day ski excursions and overnight tours for all levels. They have access to a private backcountry A-frame and a yurt, and they guide hut-to-hut trips for the hardcore. They also have experience in helping people with mobility impairments enjoy the winter outdoors.