distance from denver: AROUND 4 HOURS
Gearing Up for My First Alpine Touring Adventure
I recently went on my first alpine-touring adventure at Crested Butte Mountain Resort! While I had previously skied St. Mary’s Glacier (a few times) and terrain off Berthoud Pass (once), this was different. During those earlier outings, I hiked up in hiking boots for St. Mary’s and ski boots at Berthoud Pass, so using a full touring setup was a completely new experience.
Jon got a touring setup last year and has done a few backcountry excursions. More recently, he started skinning at the resorts. After completing his first resort tour at Eldora, he enthusiastically told me I would love it. I was immediately interested.
🎿 Skinning refers to climbing uphill with “skins”—strips that stick to the bottom of your skis for traction.
Leading up to our recent trip to Crested Butte, Jon mentioned he wanted to do some sunset alpine touring at the resort. I was drawn in right away and called a ski shop in the area to inquire about renting a setup.
Touring setups differ from traditional ski setups in a few key ways, including the type of bindings and boots. A touring setup also includes skins. I was able to get a great deal at The Alpineer in town
Prepping for My First Tour
After checking into our hotel, we headed to the mountain, remembering to grab our headlamps. CB’s uphill policy allows skiers to skin up and ski in designated areas between 4:30 pm and 8:45 am. (Uphill access can vary by resort. Winter Park, for example, allows uphill access while the lifts are running.)
I got my boots on, ensured they were in walk mode, stuck the skins on my skis, and clipped into the skis. Jon helped me get the hang of my setup and clip in. With touring bindings, your heel is free during uphill ski mode, allowing you to climb more easily. There are also risers you can put down to raise your heels when climbing steeper hills.
Uphill Access: More Than Expected
We embarked on our sunset tour at 5:30 pm, climbing on the designated route as music was thumping from the base. We saw some others uphilling as well. Jon initially believed this would be a quick lap, as it didn’t seem we could go very far up. He even thought we might have time for two laps. Soon, however, we realized we could go much further than we initially thought.
Learning the Rhythm of Alpine Touring
Going uphill on skis is a very interesting experience. Jon advised me to slide the skis up rather than lift them off the ground. It definitely got my heart rate up, and it took some time to figure out, but it was really fun! Once I started to get more comfortable, I was feeling it. 😎
We climbed for a bit before Jon told me we had gained about 300 feet of elevation. I was having fun and feeling proud, but hearing we’d only ascended 300 feet bummed me out a little. Thankfully, time started to move faster as we climbed higher, and I couldn’t believe how quickly we gained elevation.
A Stunning Scene
The sun was setting, and the scene was beautiful. A hazy glow enveloped the mountains while orange crept into the sky. I couldn’t stop looking around and commenting on how cool this was. I must’ve said wow and oh my god a zillion times.
It was also pretty peaceful. Yes, there were other skiers out and about (but way fewer than during lift operations), and there were sometimes noises of snowcats, but it was still so calm and magical.
There’s something special about climbing up a mountain with skis on. I couldn’t help but think of when Jon talks about “earning your turns” while mountain biking.
🏔️ Fun Fact
The phrase “earn your turns” was coined in the 1970s by backcountry skiers who hiked up mountains to enjoy their hard-earned descents.
I love how touring uniquely combines hiking and skiing and adds a new twist to the resort experience. I felt very accomplished and happy as we continued our ascent. I excitedly mentioned that I could see myself getting into this. Jon knew I would feel this way.
From Skinning to Skiing
We finally reached the top of the uphill access, which is 1,661 feet of gain. This climb took us a total of 1 hour and 26 minutes–not bad! (See stats in the gallery below.)
It was time to transition. Of course, I had to snap some more pics before we did. I was starting to get chillier around this time. I had worn base layers, my melly, and my bib, with my gloves around my wrist. I felt pretty warm during the climb—almost too warm—but once we reached the top, I got cold, especially in my hands. Transitioning to downhill mode involved taking off my skis to remove the skins and then adjusting the bindings. The whole process took us about fifteen minutes (including taking our pictures).
We started the downhill portion of our adventure. I instantly felt super awkward. Since I wasn’t used to the bindings, I was a little shaky. The snow was also a bit crusty, in my opinion (it’s been a weird season). But I took it slow and steady, and I eventually felt more comfortable.
From ‘Wow’ to ‘Oops’
We skied and skied down pretty low-key terrain in the dwindling daylight. This is just so cool, I thought. The high didn’t last forever, though. Following the path down should’ve been easy, but we quickly got confused about the correct route and went the wrong way. We found ourselves at the bottom of the East River Express lift, and ropes were blocking the way down. Big yikes. So, after we had been skiing for 16 minutes, we had to skin a second time to get up and out of where we ended up.
I had been so blissful and excited when we were skiing. Unfortunately, our mistake made the whole thing take much longer than planned. I begrudgingly transitioned to uphill mode once more. At least it was more practice (I guess!). Exhaustion and frustration hit me hard.
An Extra Hour of Skinning (And a Mental Battle)
We had to skin for about another hour. Jon kept giving me progress updates, hoping to reassure me that we were almost there. All I heard was, “We still have to go up more”. My emotions were a little scattered. As the sky turned dark, sprinkled with stars, and the nearly full moon shone, I was caught between annoyance that we were still out at this hour and appreciation for how cool this was.
I decided we would need some beer when we were done, even though it was a Wednesday. We also realized that during our first downhill round, I completely forgot to switch my boots to ski mode, which could have certainly been another contributing factor to how awkward it felt.
At Last—The End of the Climb
Finally, after what felt like ten thousand years, we made it to the top of the Painter Boy lift, where a sign noted the way down to the base. When we got there, we began transitioning for the final time. This time, I made sure to flip my boots into ski mode.
A Run-In with the Snowcat Operator
We ran into a snowcat operator, who said we were not supposed to be there. We explained that we had made a mistake and expressed how sorry we were, and he was understanding. He even said he’d had to tell other skiers they were in the wrong place, so we weren’t the only ones. He wished us well and went on with his job.
The Final Descent—For Real This Time
We made our way down and back to the base. Thankfully, this took less than ten minutes. Boy, was I relieved to be off the mountain.
From Grumpy to Grateful
The whole activity ended up being 2,723 feet of elevation gain (remember when we thought it would be a short excursion?). It took us about 3.5 hours, meaning we didn’t return to the bottom until 9 pm. Phew!
We took off our gear and began walking back to the hotel, feeling so accomplished and breathing sighs of relief. Jon mentioned it was probably good for me to get that extra practice. He had also snapped some amazing photos of the starry night on the hill. Gotta find the silver lining! And what doesn’t kill you makes you stronger or whatever. Yes, I was a grumpy girl for a minute there, but it was an experience I will never forget.
A Bartender Saves the Day & Hotel TV
We had to figure out a dinner plan. Since it was past 9 pm in a small mountain town, most restaurants or bar kitchens had already closed. Luckily, a lovely bartender made an exception and allowed us to place a food order to-go. An angel in the flesh! She was so sweet (and she got a good tip). We enjoyed hazy beers while waiting for our food, which we brought to the hotel and ate in the common area.
Though it was late and we were exhausted, we still had to shower. Once we were cozy in our PJs, it was time for our favorite–hotel TV! We landed on House Hunters, a classic. Eventually, we switched the channel to Magnolia Network, where we enjoyed some Fixer Upper: Welcome Home. Despite being so tired, I was pretty invested in the outcome. We didn’t go to bed until around 2 am. It sure was a long day!
New Hobby Unlocked
So, would I go alpine touring again? You bet! I want to get a touring setup and do this more often. Before the chaos, I was really into it. Even during the chaos, I had moments of wonder. You live, and you learn!
As a newbie, I especially enjoyed being at the resort. I want to try backcountry trips at some point, but there’s a lot more risk involved. Resort uphilling feels a lot more accessible and safe. Plus, it was a fun new way to experience the resort. I look forward to getting more into uphill skiing and continuing to try ~all the things~ this side of the country has to offer!
Make sure you have a solid understanding of maps and where you can go! I definitely wouldn’t recommend going off-course. You are not allowed to, for one. We found the joy in the journey, but you kind of have to in these times. So if you’re going to be inspired, be inspired by trying new things and finding beauty in struggles, not in doing things you are not supposed to.
