Crested Butte is another mountain town founded on mining and cattle. Due to its high elevation and beautiful surroundings, it has successfully transitioned to a tourist town with winter and summer sports. It has retained its quaint style and seems genuinely friendly. We walked the streets and talked to those who I think can best give you a feel for a place- the clerks in the various stores. We enjoyed a good lunch and then headed even higher up the mountain slopes to explore some hiking areas. The small old mining town of Gothic is on a dirt road above 10000 feet and has been taken over by college biological studies.
Still farther up the slopes, we found some trails designed for heavy duty 4 wheeler activities and the hardy hikers. We enjoyed the views of the national forest and waterfalls. We headed up one of the trails and I do mean UP! We stuck it out until we reached an area where there was serious concern of repeating the injuries incurred in Big Bend National Park, where we reversed course and returned to the car and headed home.
This area is well healed and even a very old and small home in the historic downtown runs around half a million and the houses up on the slopes go as high as 4.5 million. Nice place to visit but that is a lot of money for a place where the nearest decent grocery store or medical help is 25 miles away.
http://www.visitcrestedbutte.com/
No comments:
Post a Comment