Category: Regular Blog

The snow is falling here in Crested Butte and with a plentiful 65 inches falling on us so far this season, this year is shaping up to be one of the snowier Santa Ski’s in recent history! With over a foot of the good stuff coming in the last week, everyone up here is getting their fill and looking down the barrel of a great year! Perhaps an influx of Christmas spirit will coax out some more fresh snow!

Besides the snow, there is much more to be excited about! This year’s Santa Ski will convene and depart from a new location. Santas will meet at the Umbrella Bar at Ten Peaks (at the top of the Painter Boy chairlift). From there, the red swarm will take to the slopes and head towards Butte 66 Bar & Grill to begin the Crawl!

Lift tickets at the Crested Butte Mountain Resort are comparable in price to those of other resorts in the area, and typically sell for around $100. There are occasional discounts at different times and for some special events. Whatever the reason, a $40 lift ticket is a real deal, and you can ski Crested Butte for $40 on December 15 of this year (2018). There are several conditions attached, but there are always strings attached to particularly good deals.

What You Need to Do

To qualify for this great discount, you have to show up in a Santa suit. Just wearing a Santa hat won’t cut it. You have to be dressed in red from head to toe. You need to have a Santa beard as well, which can be purchased, rented, or your own. Santa just doesn’t look like Santa without the white beard, and you don’t want to look like just another guy or gal in a red suit. You are allowed to remove the beard when skiing, but you are encouraged to wear it if you can. That’s a total of four things to remember to wear to get your discount – hat, top, bottom, and beard.

There are two things you need to be aware of. First of all, there is not an unlimited supply of Santa suits available. The organizing committee is hoping for at least a thousand entries this year, and hopefully has made arrangements for about that number of suits, but to be extra safe you might want to bring your own if you happen to have one lying around.

The Dangers of Early Partying

The second note of caution is this. The downhill event starts at the Umbrella Bar at Ten Peaks halfway up the mountain at 3:30 in the afternoon. If you pay $25, you get a free Santa suit and 5 free drinks. That means if you, and several hundred others meet at the Umbrella Bar an hour or so before the downhill event is scheduled to begin, a party could easily get started. This has apparently not been a problem in the past, but if you have several hundred people going down the same slope at the same time and a hundred or so of them are three sheets to the wind, there could be some problems.

The sobriety committee has apparently thought this through and dictated that drinks at the Umbrella Bar will not be served until 2:30 PM. It isn’t impossible to go through five drinks in an hours’ time, but skiing down the slope is a lot more fun than sliding down or somehow getting lost. Save the drinks, or at least four of them, for later in the day. The downhill run is a blast, and something you will want to experience to the fullest.

The best skiing events often coincide with major festivals, such as the Vail Film Festival every March or events at Aspen, Breckenridge, or Steamboat Springs. Crested Butte is a little more out of the way than some of these more well known resort areas, but it more than holds its own insofar as major ski events are concerned. Maybe it’s just that people in a close-knit community like Crested Butte enjoy life a little more, and have a bit more fun. Having fun can be contagious as anyone who has participated in a Crested Butte Santa Ski & Pub Crawl will tell you.

Many of, and perhaps the best, or at least the best-known skiing events take place in the spring. Ski season in some Colorado resorts often extends into April and many of the top events in the state take place in March. The one exception of course is the winter festivals that usually coincide with the holidays.

One of the better attended events is the Annual Bud Light Spring Jam held at Aspen/Snowmass during the latter part of March. Major happenings during recent Spring Jams included the NASTAR Championships, where skiers from almost every state in the Union converged to compete for a number of national skiing titles. Even without the NASTAR events, the Bud Light Spring Jam is well attended and worth attending.

Loveland has several events in late March and early April featuring everything from scavenger hunts on skis, the Loveland Derby, which is the longest running amateur ski race in America, and Skiing Magazine’s Don’t Stop Skiing Day, which may or may not be an annual event at Loveland every year.

Arapahoe Basin has an annual Easter Egg Hunt on the beginner’s slopes (adults need not apply), and the Annual Grind, where contestants are not required to purchase a lift ticket, the reason being they have to climb up the slope on skins, a popular method back when rope tows were first coming into prominence.

You could take a ski vacation in Crested Butte and participate in the Santa Ski & Pub Crawl, one of the major events in which you’re not merely a spectator, and then hit another resort in the spring. Or, you could make a return trip to Crested Butte where the fun has not really stopped. This time, the main event is not a combination Santa Group Ski and Pub Crawl, but a combination of downhill skiing and pond crossing. If you choose to participate, your goal is to gain enough speed, and have good enough balance, to make it all of the way across a 50-foot pond of water at the bottom of the slope. This is your chance to see yourself on YouTube, and cap your ski season with a mild case of hypothermia. In the meantime, everyone else at the event is having fun watching.

There are of course many other events as well. What many of these events have in common is that they are conceived and sponsored by people who think outside of the box, or those who having watched someone on water skis, figure it’s no big deal to cross a large body of  water on a pair of downhill skis or a snowboard, but probably not on cross-country skis.

The countdown has begun! In many stores it began well before the leaves began to turn. The early appearance of Christmas cards and decorations in the stores doesn’t mean you have to begin your shopping now, although the retailers might think otherwise. What it does mean is this; if you are thinking about a holiday vacation, it’s probably high time to get started. You’ll need to plan where to go, how to get there, where to stay, and what to do.

You can do all that now, and in the comfort of your own home, as those who advertise online like to point out. A ski vacation in itself can be a great way to spend the holidays. If you like to be home for Christmas, you can take your vacation during the time between Thanksgiving and Christmas, a time when most ski resorts will be opening or have already opened. Most of the western states plus several of those in New England have great places to ski, but for some, Colorado tops the list, and one of the best places in Colorado you can put on a pair of skis is at Crested Butte Mountain Resort. The town itself is a fun place to spend a few days, but the action you’re looking for will mostly be at the resort.

Mark Your Calendar

The 15th of December is situated roughly mid-way between Thanksgiving and Christmas, so you might start by circling that date on your calendar and then planning around it. Why the 15th? It just so happens that is when one of the premier events of the year is held in Gunnison – Crested Butte, the getting-more-fun-and-famous-by-the-year Santa Ski & Pub Crawl. This event is fun to watch, but you really need to participate to make your vacation one you’ll long remember. To kick off the holidays right, pencil in the 15th now, and begin your real planning tomorrow, if not later in the day today.

You’ll need to make travel arrangements, find lodging, register for the event, purchase a red Santa suit, and then just show up. The Santa Crawl features two main events; the Santa Group Ski and the Pub Crawl that follows. The Group Ski is open to anyone who can ski, or at least thinks they can, but you have to wear a Santa suit, complete with white beard, in order to participate. The Pub Crawl is limited to those who are of legal age (bring your ID) which is 21 in Colorado. Keep your Santa suit on.

What better way to spend part of your holiday vacation than skiing down the slope in the company of several hundred other men, women, and children dressed in Santa suits? The event’s sponsors are hoping a thousand will participate this year. It’s an absolute blast. Be sure to choose one of your family or a friend as your designated photographer as both the Santa Ski and the Pub Crawl are events you’ll want to capture on camera or video.

When your vacation comes to a close, the first thing you’ll want to do is to kick off next year’s holiday season right, which means finding out the date for the 2019 Santa Ski & Pub Crawl and penciling it into next year’s calendar.

Christmas traditions vary around the world, but not as much as you might think. Each country has its special traditions, but most have more in common than there are differences. Here is a sampling of how the holidays are celebrated in several far-flung places.

• Germany – FroheWeihnachten! – Christmas in Germany is quite special, especially the time leading up to the holidays when the Christmas markets – Christkindl Markt – are in full swing. While they are usually open all of December, a visit to one is not the same as shopping at home in stores that decorate for Christmas in October! A Christkindl Markt is special. Sankt Nikolaus visits children on December 6th. Many households have Advent wreaths as well as Christmas trees, and many Germans attend church services on Christmas Eve.
• Great Britain – Happy Christmas! – The British celebrate Christmas on Christmas Day. Christmas on that side of the pond is not terribly different than in North America. Children have Christmas stockings and open their gifts on Christmas morning. Christmas trees will be found in most homes and streets and stores are usually decorated. Santa Clause, also called Father Christmas, rides in a sleigh pulled by eight reindeer – probably the same one we see. Christmas Day is a time for family, a good meal, and a church service.
• Italy – BuonNatale! Italian holiday traditions include festivities that date back to Roman times and feature a blend of Christian and pagan traditions. Then there’s the lady in black who rides on a broomstick. The Italians don’t have their holidays mixed up! The lady in question is La Befana, a kindly old witch who brings presents to children. She is dressed in black because she’s covered with soot from going down chimneys. Makes you wonder how Santa keeps his suit so clean.
• Africa – KuwanaKrismasinjema! (Swahili) – GesëendeKersfees! (Afrikans) Africa is a large continent with many countries. Christmas traditions there closely follow Western traditions in large part due to European colonization. Christmas carols are sung, Christians attend church services, special meals are prepared on Christmas Day and many homes decorate Christmas trees (in West and Central Africa a species of palm tree is often the tree of choice).
• Russia – S Rozdhestvom! Christmas, once frowned upon along with most other religious celebrations during the days of the Soviet Union, is making a comeback in Russia. It is celebrated on January 7th since the Russian Orthodox Church still uses the Julian calendar. Russians eat a traditional meal on Christmas Eve, one that usually features large helpings of sauerkraut, and church services are attended later on in the evening. Presents, brought to the children not by Santa but by "Father Frost" are opened on New Year’s Eve following a traditional dance around the Christmas tree.
• Antarctica – Brrrr! Christmas is a busy time in Antarctica. After all, summer has just begun and the people living there – mostly scientists – are outside working to take advantage of the not-quite-so-terribly-cold weather, plus the sun is out. There are no street decorations, no TV specials, and no shopping, so most ‘Antarcticans’ celebrate the day having a special meal. The food and drink served usually varies according to nationality. Photos showing penguins wearing red Santa hats are believed to have been altered.

Pick a favorite and go visiting, or stay home and make the most of the holidays by going on a ski vacation instead.

No matter what time of the year you first visit Crested Butte and the surrounding area, you’ll find it’s flat-out beautiful – a nice place to work, play, or stay, by any measure. If you are in town for the opening day of ski season, for the Santa Ski & Pub Crawl just after Thanksgiving, or at any other time during the winter season you’ll likely be spending most of your time at the ski resort or in town. During the summer, you can take somewhat longer excursions as the Rocky Mountains are at your disposal.

No Shortage of Lodging

Although Crested Butte and Gunnison are not large towns, they are large enough to feature a good number of bars and dining establishments. You’ll have a good choice of lodging as well, including resort condominiums, vacation rentals, hotels, and bed & breakfasts, as Crested Butte is a tourist destination, but one that is rarely over-crowded. If your visit is during the summer, a stay at a nearby guest ranch might be to your liking.

Most of the places you might want to visit in Crested Butte are within easy walking distance and the best way to get to and from the ski area is a short shuttle-bus ride away, and the ride is free. You’ll find many of the accommodations are only a short distance from the ski lifts and are places to stay where you can ski in and ski out.

Plan Your Trip around a Festival and Check for Specials

If you plan to take part in one of the many festivals that are held in Crested Butte every year, the Santa Ski & Pub Crawl is but one of them and may be the most fun of all, it would make sense to make any necessary reservations in advance. One thing that many if not most first timers are not aware of is the travel packages that are available at various times during the year. It is often possible to get travel and/or lodging discounts if a festival or some other event is taking place during your visit. Something else worth looking into is to see if any of the hotels offer ski lift ticket discounts as part of a package. Some offer discounted tickets and one or two offer a free day of skiing if you stay with them. Rates can vary during the season as well, both for air travel and for lodging, making it advisable to do a little comparison shopping when planning your visit.

One thing you needn’t be concerned about is the reception you’ll receive. Crested Butte is not only a charming place to visit, but you’ll find it a friendly place to visit as well.

The Santa suit is so traditional it’s hard to change too much and still call it a Santa suit, but there are nevertheless a number of possibilities.

The hat style can make quite a difference however. You can stick to the traditional suit if you don’t feel like making too many changes, but you’ll stick out from the crowd with a radically different hat style. Whatever style you choose, keep it red, preferably a red that matches the suit. Here are five ideas:

• Cowboy Hat – Choose a style that best fits your personality and dye it red. Consider the Rancher Style, the "Gus" style like Robert Duvall wore in ‘Lonesome Dove", or the Bull-riding style. The latter can be black instead of red. It makes a statement.
• Baseball Cap – A red baseball cap will definitely set you apart, although if you take part in a Santa Group Ski bring along a pair of earmuffs. If you can find a red cap with a Holiday logo, so much the better.
• Elmer Fudd Hunting Hat – These hats are traditionally red with a black pattern, the earflaps can be worn up or down, and they are especially cool looking with a Santa suit if you’re wearing sunglasses. If you take part in the Pub Crawl after the Santa Group Ski you can relate your adventures chasing after "that Wascally Wabbit" to others at the bar.
• Fedora – You’ll also look pretty sharp wearing a red fedora, although it may make you look a bit narcissistic. The Elmer Fudd hat is more down to earth and it makes you look a little dumb, hence more lovable.
• Plush Animal Hat – If you can find one with antlers, you’ll be easy to pick out should a video of the Santa Group Ski show up on YouTube.

The Rest of the Outfit

• Long Underwear – Long johns would be perfectly acceptable although they should definitely be red. Since you will be skiing in them, and doing a bit of pub-crawling later, it would be advisable to wear a second pair underneath. It’s called dressing in layers, and you can always put a parka on later. If you’re on the heavy side however, long underwear might not be the best choice.
• The Suspenders – Santa wears suspenders while working in his shop, so you can too. If you wear regulation Santa trousers but no top, you can wear red or black suspenders and red or white long underwear.
• The Boots – Fortunately, most ski boots go well with a red suit, and with red underwear too for that matter.
• The Jacket – There are all sorts of possibilities here. Red is still the color of choice, but you may have other ideas. A red bowling shirt with the name of your team on the back is always a classy choice. Another thought might be a red blazer with a white or black bow tie, or a turtleneck. Don’t wear a turtleneck with a bowling shirt however. They clash.
• The Ladies – Most of the above ideas are offered with men in mind, but most can apply equally to women as well, long johns being a possible exception. Women look particularly sexy when wearing cowgirl hats, as well as baseball caps when wearing ponytails. Sequins and costume jewelry open up a world of possibilities.

The truth is, most women don’t need a list like the above because most of them are much more creative than men are. When it comes to Santa suit ideas, men don’t like to push the envelope too far.

While eagerly awaiting Christmas, and begging for and half expecting to receive, a Red Ryder BB gun, Ralphie learned a few lessons about life. For a young kid, he was quite observant, yet things did not always turn out the way he expected them to. That was one of the lessons in life; life is full of surprises.

One lesson dealt with a neighborhood bully named Scut Farkus. Scut was bigger than Ralphie and bigger than most of the kids he picked on, a common trait among bullies. After living in fear day after day that Scut would pop out from behind the fence along Ralphie’s path to school, the day came when Ralphie had enough. He lit into Scut with such ferocity that Ralphie’s mother, hearing the commotion, had to pull Ralphie away. Life lesson: If you don’t stand up to a bully, he will torment you forever.

Lessons Learned

Ralphie learned a great deal from his father about what a grown up man should be like. Ralphie was proud of his dad, ‘an Oldsmobile man’ who used profanity a lot and whose chief nemesis in life seemed to be the furnace downstairs. While he may not have been the greatest role model at times, he was a very good father.

Ralphie could be forgiven if he came to believe that adults could not be trusted. Even when they could, they often had their own agenda. In this respect, one lesson that Ralphie learned about was how a kid could be fooled by commercialism. A highlight of the movie was when the long awaited Captain Midnight secret decoder arrived in the mail. At the end of each radio adventure, sponsored by Ovaltine, a secret message was transmitted, letter by letter. If you didn’t have a decoder, you’d never know what it said. Ralphie had his decoder; the message came over the air – "Drink your Ovaltine." Ralphie had just learned a lesson about crass commercialism.

Ralphie learned that department store Santas aren’t always that jolly, especially towards the end of the day. When he asked Santa for a Red Ryder BB gun the response was, "You’ll shoot your eye out, kid!"

Ralphie got his RedRyder BB gun after all, and nearly shot his own eye out, his eye being saved by his glasses. Maybe adults weren’t so mean and uncaring after all, and maybe there is more to Christmas than the commercialism that goes with it.

One message from the movie might be to be careful what you wish for. That’s a piece of advice that a kid Ralphie’s age isn’t likely to understand. It’s something that often has to be learned. Another message from the movie might be we learn a great deal from experience, and not just from what others tell us. We learn how to handle a bully by confronting him, we learn that those who advertise or promote things sometimes have a hidden agenda. We learn not to do stupid things like daring a classmate to touch his tongue to a steel flagpole in the middle of winter, because we see what can happen. We also learn that Christmas is a wonderful time of the year.

If the Pub Crawl at this year’s Santa Ski festivities will be your first one, you’ll no doubt want to be making a few preparations ahead of time to not only make certain you survive, but that you get the most out of the experience as well.

Look to the Experts

You can of course look to anyone who has participated in pub crawls before for guidance, and if you come across someone who has made it safely through a major St. Patrick’s Day event, you’ve probably hit the jackpot as far as getting some good tips are concerned. The larger St. Patrick’s Day events usually take place in the cities, however, and there seldom is six feet of powder to contend with or get lost in should you wander off course. You will of course be either escorted by or escorting other Santas, so help should always be nearby.

Bear in mind that most Pub Crawls have certain rules, although those rules are usually in place to make the Crawl as much fun as possible. The bars or pubs you will visit are often kept secret as well, although in a town the size of Crested Butte, most people probably know which bars will participate. It’s hard to keep things secret in small, closely-knit communities.

• St. Patrick’s Day Tip Number One – Always carry cash. This tip can probably be dispensed with. If you’ve been registered for the Crested Butte Santa Crawl you will have your Santa suit, a lift ticket, and tickets for five free drinks.
• Tip Number Two – Don’t wear high heels. Who wears high heels out of doors in Gunnison and Crested Butte in December anyway? The experts recommend wearing flip flops instead, definitely don’t wear those either.
• Tip Number Three – Eat first. That makes good sense. Do so before the Santa Group Ski, however, as the Pub Crawl begins immediately afterward. A hearty lunch between 1 and 2 PM should help you keep your balance through at least the first half of the Crawl.
• Tip Number Four – Have a glass of water at every bar. That makes sense too. Don’t substitute a carbonated beverage for water, however; carbonated beverages can make 5 drinks feel like 10.
• Tip Number Five – Focus on keeping track of your partner (unless you’re on the lookout for a new one). This is important because if you’ve had a little too much to drink and everyone is dressed like Santa, it’s hard to keep track of someone.

Better Yet, Look to another Santa for Advice

The best tip of all would be to talk to someone who has been through a Pub Crawl at Crested Butte Mountain Resort before, especially one that was part of a previous Santa Crawl. Rules will be posted, and those may be all the tips you’ll ever need. Pace yourself, and have a good time. Take pictures of others too, and threaten to post them on Facebook.

Finally! It’s time for the long-awaited Pub Crawl to commence. The start is at the Ice Bar. That everyone knew. The other stops have been a secret, but now they are revealed, and this group of Santas is on its way. One stop is a bit of a puzzle. It’s the Secret Stash. Is this something to search for? Does the person or persons who find the Secret Stash get a prize?

If you’ve been in town for any length of time, you already know the answer. It’s not something that’s hidden away. It’s not even a secret. There is a prize, however, and that prize is the best pizza west of the Mississippi, or at least in the Crested Butte area. The wings are pretty good too.

There are other stops of course, each one with something special to offer. You’re not just going from one bar to the next bar, which looks like the first bar. The Secret Stash for one thing is large, it’s colorful, it’s friendly, and as those who frequent it will tell you, it’s unlike any pizza place you’ve ever seen. You’ll literally start thinking about coming back once you’ve stepped inside the door. It’s inviting.

The Secret Stash

Best bar, best pizza, unusual decorations, upstairs, downstairs, red gallery, Asian seating (and regular seating as well) – you name it, you’ll probably find it here. Trip Advisor gives it high ratings for food, value, service, and atmosphere; a hard-to-beat combination. It’s not uncommon for a waiting line to be outside the door, and it makes you wonder just how several hundred Santas will be accommodated during a Pub Crawl. Hopefully, someone has a plan.

You can order a large pizza, or order several small ones, each of a different type if you’re with a group. You’ll discover some very interesting combinations on the menu. For the ultimate in coziness, visit the Red Room. It features a bar and a pool table, but it’s the bar’s design, the seating arrangements, and the overall décor that make this part of the Secret Stash a fun place for food and drink.

Speaking of food and drink –it’s not just pizza and beer (the local Colorado beers are very good by the way). You can have your choice of steaks, seafood, and delicious desserts as well. Numerous events are held here and menus can be custom designed to suit each and every one, but the standard menu features enough variety for most visitors.

It’s unspoken, but it’s obvious. This is not your typical more-interesting-than-most dining establishment. You can practically see the tender, loving care that has been put into it oozing out of the woodwork. The Secret Stash is more than a stop on a Pub Crawl. It’s a place that belongs on every person’s bucket list, and given the long lines that are waiting to get in at times, maybe it is. It’s definitely the worst kept secret in Crested Butte.

In a place like Crested Butte it truly does take a village to create an event as big and fun as the Santa Ski & Pub Crawl.

One of our favorite photos from 2013 (and the main image on this website) was shot by Chris Kopf, of Bighorn Realty.  He graciously let us use it for free, and even blogged about the event.  If you are looking for honesty and someone that understands the Crested Butte community, give Chris a call.

You can learn more at: Crested Butte CO real estate

Mt. Crested Butte is in the Rocky Mountains – quite a ways back in the Rockies for that matter. It lies 231 miles to the southwest of Denver. The nearest larger town is Gunnison, 28 miles away. Gunnison and Mt. Crested Butte have a lot in common and work together on a number of events, including the Santa Crawl.  That means winter sports and summer outings galore. The town itself is a great place to visit, with more than enough to do for everyone at any time of the year.

Fall is a particularly good time to visit, unless your only goal in life is skiing. There’s mountain biking, mountain climbing (mountaineering if you prefer), hiking, fishing, and you can try your hand at kayaking and river rafting as well. The area is also famous for its wildflowers, and if you come mainly for the scenery, you won’t go away disappointed. Snow comes early however, since Mt. Crested Butte sits over 9,000 feet above sea level. The ski resort usually opens just before Thanksgiving and ski season runs well into April most years.

Just down the Road sits the historic downtown of Crested Butte.  Would you like to see what downtown looks like at this time of the year? The CantinaCam gives you a great shot down Elk Avenue. If you can’t see the far end, it means there will be great skiing tomorrow!

What goes on besides opening day at the ski resort and the Santa Crawl; two highly popular events. There is also a Nordic ski area, a Nordic ski opening day, and an annual Nordic ski marathon, theAlley Loop, which is held at the highest elevation in the United States – if you want to participate, come early and get acclimatized! Another event is Big Air. This takes place annually on Elk Avenue, where a portion of the street is blocked off and a ski jump is put in place.

Mt. Crested Butte is also a place for the arts and for music.  In the summer check out one of the numerous art, music or beer festivals.  It would seem that the locals never run out of ideas, and never stop having a good time.

The visitor center is not hard to find and is a great source of local information. When youarrive at the base of the ski area, look for the Transit center at the bus stop. That’s where you’ll find it.

Children love Santa Claus. Most children love to ski. Children also enjoy spending time with one another, and with their friends and classmates.

Definitely a Family Affair

The Wirsing family, who hail from Crested Butte, made a day of it during last year’s Santa Ski. One lesson they taught us is that the event is truly a family affair. The son, Connor, who is 12, and daughters Cassidy, 9 and Tessa, 6 enjoyed wearing Santa suits and taking part in the group ski. They certainly weren’t too small or too young so as to be shuttled off to the side while the parents took part in the day’s events. There is plenty to do for everyone at a Santa Ski and it makes for a great family outing.

The Fun Lasts for More than a Day

The Wirsing kids did have somewhat of an advantage over kids coming from out of town in that many of their friends and schoolmates were there as well. All of them talked about the event days before it happened and talked about the good times they had for days afterward. They were able to ski on their own in the late morning, and then join everyone else for the Santa Group Ski early in the afternoon.

Children who are ages 12, 9, and 6 aren’t apt to play together all that much, in part because they have different interests at those ages. The Santa Ski made a difference. Connor, Cassidy, and Tessa not only skied together and with friends, but participated in many of the other happenings, listened to the live music, and drank hot chocolate.

The message here is that if you’re coming to the Santa Ski from out of town, you don’t need to leave the rest of the family behind. Even if the kids are in school, the event is on a weekend and you could probably take them out of school for a day or two if needed and make a long weekend out of it.

Lasting Memories

Part of the fun of course is dressing up in Santa suits, and part of it is also zooming down the slopes along with a few hundred other Santas, plus the fact that the photos and videos you take will provide lasting memories. Something that makes the day even more special is that the whole town of Crested Butte likes to dress up and have a good time. This doesn’t just happen on the day of the Santa Ski either. Crested Butte is a fun place to visit, and you will enjoy your stay.

There is also the chance that enough would-be Santas will show up that the event will set a World Record for having the most people dressed up like Santa participating in a group ski. It’s an opportunity for the whole family to be a part of history! If you can’t make it this year, shoot for next year. The Santa Ski is an annual event, and it is one of the premier winter events in Colorado.

You want to take part in the Crested Butte Santa Ski Crawl, but you can’t ski, which means you won’t be a participant in the Santa Group Ski, or at least not one of those heading down the slope. If you don’t drink, the Pub Crawl might not seem all that interesting, although it is a great deal of fun and you don’t have to have alcohol to enjoy it.

You can always be a spectator, and if you dress up in a Santa suit, you’ll definitely feel you belong, and you can always volunteer. It doesn’t matter if you’re a regular at Crested Butte, reside in the Gunnison area, or are on vacation, since in an event that can involve up to a thousand people, with each one resembling to one degree or another the real Santa Claus, there is always a spot for another volunteer.

The world is full of secret Santa’s, those who give gifts to others, usually people who are more unfortunate than they are, and the world is also full of volunteers, which makes it a better world for everyone concerned. You won’t get your name in the paper, although that is a possibility, or on a plaque, but you will certainly get a well-deserved and hearty Thank You! –probably from one or more others who will also be dressed up in Santa suits. Not matter what task you are assigned, you should definitely feel a part of all that is going on, and you’ll be doing your part to make those who most likely already are very happy, a little bit happier.

Becoming a volunteer isn’t all that difficult since there is almost always a need, so have no fear of being turned down. Have no fear of what you will be assigned to do either, especially since you’ll most likely be working with others. Signing up will likely be the easiest part since all you really have to do is find someone who is helping to organize the event, which you will be able to do online; and offering your services.

When the event is over, you will probably get a token of appreciation of some sort; maybe you’ll get cookies and a beverage or get to keep your Santa hat or ID badge, but nothing too great. Secret Santa’s like to remain anonymous, and get a good feeling for doing so, and they never get lumps of coal in their stockings, nor will you.

All Volunteers will get a FREE Santa Suit and a FREE pub crawl ticket.  Sign up HERE

Join the fun at the annual Santa Ski Crawl at the Crested Butte Mountain resort and you could become a part of history. There are three things you need to do to help become part of history and set the world record. 

First of all you need to register for the event. This is something you can do on Ski Crawl day or online.

Second, you need to put on a Santa suit. Wearing a beard will add to the overall effect. Wearing a beard is required to purchase a lift ticket at a discount, but is not mandatory on the slopes, and you may choose to defer if it interferes with your skiing ability.

The third thing you need to do is bring along your skis, snowboard or rent some. The goal is to be the largest group ski in history where all the participants are wearing Santa suits. If you choose not to hot the slops you will not become a part of history, although you can still have lots of fun, Santa suit or not, as there is more to the Santa Ski Crawl than the downhill run.

Other Santa-Related Records

The Gunnison-Crested Butte Resort features a number of events, both summer and winter. The Ski Crawl will happen in the midst of the featured winter events and is scheduled for December 13 in 2014. Crested Butte is not the only resort to hold a ski crawl of this type, but it is bound and determined to show the rest of the skiing world what a truly large, world-record, Santa-suit ski crawl looks like. Take a peek at a previous event on YouTube (type in Crested Butte Ski Crawl) and you’ll see how impressive moving red suits against a white backdrop can look.

Guiness lists a number of world records for Santa-suit events. Several years ago, 10,001 (give or take a couple) dressed in Santa suits in Derry, UK, or that was the goal, but they still set the record at that time for the largest gathering of its kind (the Australians apparently set a new record of over 14,000 a few years later). 10,001 skiers (give or take a couple) would make the Crested Butte resort owners happy but would result in unpleasantly long lift lines, and photographing the downhill run could present some challenges. In another event in the UK, 142 ice skaters dressed as Santa set a record for the longest line of people wearing Santa suits while skating on ice.

Earlier this year, Los Angeles Angels baseball fans set a record for the largest gathering of people wearing Santa hats. Had they all been wearing Santa suits to the game it would have been more impressive however.The Ice Bar by the way is the first stop on the Pub Crawl so feel free to have your first drink there if you wish. The Pub Crawl continues once you’ve reached the bottom.

If you don’t plan to ski, you can purchase a Santa suit for $20, or bring or rent your own.

It’s not all that clear just how many have to show up at Crested Butte on the 13th of December to set a world record. If the number of participants is high enough, there will be good cause to celebrate during the pub crawl later in the day. If the record is not broken, there may be some tears shed in some beers, but planning for next year’s Santa Crawl will probably be underway before the festivities are over.

Did you celebrate the holidays last year and the year before at home, or out of town with family members? There’s nothing wrong with that of course. In fact, that’s how most people like to spend the holidays most of the time.

You could do things a little differently this year and head for a ski resort, a nice idea although not all that original and certainly not unique. You could of course spend your time at the Crested Butte Ski Resort. Others will have the same idea, but Crested Butte is not crowded and the town itself has much to offer, so your idea does at least have a certain amount of originality to it.

Skiing down a slope with a group of people, mostly strangers, isn’t all that unique either. When you visit a crowded ski resort, you may find yourself doing just that all day long. On the other hand, what if everyone who was skiing down the slope was dressed in red? You might think you’re in the midst of a group of vacationing Nebraska or Oklahoma football fans.

It Doesn’t Have to Be a Dream

What’s really happening, and what is so unique, is you’ll be dressed in red as well, from head to toe, complete with a red hat and a white beard. You’re not dreaming; you’re celebrating the holidays by participating in one of thecountry’s, and perhaps one of the world’s, premier Santa Crawl events, the Santa Group Ski.

This will be a way to celebrate the holidays that you’ll long remember, and one you will more than likely want to repeat. The event at the Crested Butte Ski Resort is a big one, and it’s getting bigger every year. The sponsors have the World Record for this type of a gathering in their sights, and 2014 might just be the year it happens. If you can participate, you might end up being a World Record holder.  You can say – I was there, I did that.

Time to Get Started

The event will be held on December 13th (in 2014) and since you’ll most likely want to spend several days at the resort and in the surrounding area, it would be in your best interest to book ahead. This is a family event and the littlest ones will be well looked after, so no one needs to be left behind. If your children are looking forward to meeting Santa Claus, this is their chance to meet a group of them, or a herd, or whatever a few hundred Santas in one place are called.

You, your wife, and perhaps the older children in your family will want to start looking for the right costume to wear (they can be purchased at the event), and you can either register at the resort, in Crested Butte or nearby Gunnison, or online.

AndJust What Did You Do?

When you get back home and a friend or neighbor asks you what you did to celebrate the holidays, you can show them the video of the Santa Group Ski and/or the Pub Crawl – or post it on YouTube or Facebook – and then ask your friend or neighbor what he or she did. It’s the height of one-upmanship.

Children love Santa Claus. Grownups do also, although not all of them will admit it. We, who belong to an older generation, know that Santa isn’t real, or at least don’t admit to the possibility, although a letter written to a girl named Virginia many years ago seems to suggest otherwise.

One of the highlights of a young child’s life is sitting on the knee of a department store Santa, although really young children will at times act as though they would rather be elsewhere. A photo taken of your youngster on Santa’s knee or lap certainly does make a lasting memory.

If One Santa is Good – More Must Be Better

An even greater memory for a child, and one that is apt to carry over well into the next holiday season and beyond is to see hundreds of Santa’s skiing down a hill in a group. If seeing one Santa is exciting enough, imagine how much more exciting it will be to a child seeing a few hundred of them in one place. It almost answers the question as to how Santa is able to visit so many homes every Christmas Eve.

Adults are of course encouraged to don Santa suits and participate in this Santa Crawl, one of the greatest crawls of this type. The message is this: the Santa Crawl the Crested Butte resort holds every December is truly for kids of all ages. It is a family affair.

The event is a great one for kids to witness because everyone seems to have such a great time. Your son or daughter can even play ‘Where’s Waldo’ by trying to pick out Mom or Dad or a family friend in the midst of several hundred other Santa’s careening down the hill.

Definitely a Family Affair – Except Perhaps for the Pub Crawl

Crested Butte resort caters to children. Children’s group ski lessons are available, and for those who are just a little too young for that sort of thing, a nursery is available where infants and toddlers will be looked after on a full- or half-day basis. No one will be left out, and everyone will be attended to in this family-friendly resort. You can bring children of all ages along and still participate in the Santa Crawl without having to worry about their whereabouts, especially during the Pub Crawl where only those of legal age can participate.

Older kids (not adult older kids, but older children) can participate in the Santa Group Ski as well. There is no age limit, even though there is an age limit for the Pub Crawl. Any family member who does not wish to participate in the group ski can always serve as the official family photographer to capture a video that can be shared with friends and family alike on Facebook or YouTube.

Mark the date on your calendar (in 2014, it’s December 13th), dig out your old Santa suit, if it still fits, or get a new one at the resort, and make plans for family fun at this year’s Santa Crawl, where you may become a part of history!

You will Save a Ton of Money on Lift Tickets

Reason Number 1: Save Money

Lift tickets tend to be expensive no matter where you ski, and anytime you can get a lift ticket at a substantial discount you’ll have just that much extra money for other things. Does saving $81 on a lift ticket sound good to you?Does saving $162 if there are two of you sound OK? If you plan to participate in the Santa Ski Crawl, you can save that much. There are of course strings attached, but aren’t there always?

Actually, there’s only one string attached, one string per person that is. You have to be dressed like Santa to get the discount. Presumably, that’s why you’re there in the first place, to get in some skiing, take part in the Santa Group Ski, and participate in the Pub Crawl later on. You could cheat, go back to your car or hotel room and take your Santa suit off after purchasing the ticket, but that would make little sense, and would set you apart from the several hundred other skiers on the slope who are dressed like Santa.

Reason Number 2: Save More Money

Sometimes it takes money to save money. You’ve shelled out $22 for a lift ticket, definitely a bargain, and now you’re asked to spend another $25 to register for the Ski Crawl. That’s a total of $47, but you’re still money ahead. But wait, there’s more. For your $25, you get a free Santa suit, plus you get 5free drinks when you participate in the pub crawl. A suit, 5 drinks, and a $103 lift ticket for $47 isn’t a bad day’s work.

Reason Number 3: You Won’t Be an Outsider

Picture yourself mingling with 500 or 600 skiers all dressed up like Santa Claus, and there you are in your bright orange parka and flowery ski pants. It would be enough to make you self-conscious. Actually, reason number threeis about having fun as a group, where you ski together, drink together, and dress alike, or nearly so.

Reason Number 4: Memories

Bring your digital camera and/or camcorder. The Group Ski is something to behold. If you’re part of it, find someone else to take a picture or video of you skiing down the hill, if that person can pick you out. Take a peekat the happenings on YouTube and you’ll see why you’ll want to bring your camera. You can also take pictures during the Pub Crawl – more pleasant memories.

Reason Number 5: Crested Butte

Crested Butte is a super place to ski and the town is a super place to spend a ski vacation. Reason 5 is reason enough, but try to schedule your vacation to coincide with the Santa Ski Crawl; you’ll be glad you did.

There are actually two Crested Butte opening days that are particularly noteworthy, the one that takes place the day before Thanksgiving (in 2014), when the ski resort opens up this year’s ski season, and an opening day 10 days earlier at the Nordic Center.

Skiing on opening day is just part of the fun although it’s admittedly a great feeling to stick out your hand and be given a free lift ticket. You may experience deep powder on this first day of the season or you may not, but the skiing is almost always great in late November. What makes the day even better, besides the usually excellent skiing conditions and the precious free lift ticket, is that all of Crested Butte seems to get into the action. Crested Butte is a tight-knit community that participates hand-in-glove with many of the events and activities at the ski resort.

If you visit the resort on opening day this year you might be able to take a try at Teo 2 but only if you consider yourself to be an advanced skier. Teo 2 is a 40-acre expansion that has just opened up at the top of the high lift. It runs through what is called steep-and-deep terrain, which says a lot about what you’ll experience. This is the first of several expansions planned on the back side of the mountain, with intermediate runs yet to come.  No word yet on weather Teo 2 will be open on day one, put the snow is pilling up out there and we are hopeful!

If you can’t make Teo 2, don’t fret. You’ll probably rather take part in the opening day festivities anyway, which have a circus carnival theme this year with plenty of live music through the afternoon. If the early arrival of winter in 2014 means anything, and in the high mountains it usually does, opening-day skiing could be exceptional. It’s not too late to book room reservations and make travel arrangements – just remember that all of this happens the day before Thanksgiving so you may wish to arrive a day or two early and leave a day or two late if you want to avoid long lines at the airport.