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.