|
|
CRESTED BUTTE, COLORADO - USA
Often called The Last Great Colorado Ski Town, Crested Butte is a small
resort town located in Gunnison County, Colorado. A former coal mining hub,
Crested Butte is now a destination for skiing, mountain biking, and a
variety of other outdoor activities. The Colorado Legislature has designated
Crested Butte the Wildflower Capital of Colorado.
Geography
Crested Butte is located at 38°52'10" North, 106°59'1" West (38.869409,
-106.983645).
According to the United States Census Bureau,
the town has a total area of 1.8 km˛ (0.7 mi˛). 1.8 km˛ (0.7 mi˛) of it is
land and none of it is covered by water.
The town of Crested Butte lies at an elevation of 8,885 feet (2,700 m) above
sea level.
Demographics
As of the census of 2000, there are 1,529 people, 692 households, and 253
families residing in the town. The population density is 843.4/km˛ (2,183.1/mi˛).
There are 930 housing units at an average density of 513.0/km˛ (1,327.9/mi˛).
The racial makeup of the town is 97.19% White, 0.26% African American, 0.92%
Native American, 0.72% Asian, 0.00% Pacific Islander, 0.46% from other races,
and 0.46% from two or more races. 2.75% of the population are Hispanic or
Latino of any race.
There are 692 households out of which 19.1% have children under the age of
18 living with them, 28.9% are married couples living together, 5.1% have a
female householder with no husband present, and 63.3% are non-families.
28.3% of all households are made up of individuals and 1.4% have someone
living alone who is 65 years of age or older. The average household size is
2.21 and the average family size is 2.69.
In the town the population is spread out with 13.5% under the age of 18,
11.5% from 18 to 24, 55.6% from 25 to 44, 17.5% from 45 to 64, and 1.9% who
are 65 years of age or older. The median age is 31 years. For every 100
females there are 124.5 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there
are 131.9 males.
The median income for a household in the town is $41,250, and the median
income for a family is $49,118. Males have a median income of $27,386 versus
$23,073 for females. The per capita income for the town is $26,789. 11.4% of
the population and 2.7% of families are below the poverty line. Out of the
total people living in poverty, 3.5% are under the age of 18 and 0.0% are 65
or older.
History
The East River Valley where Crested Butte is located was once used as a
summer residence by Ute Native Americans. However, they were quickly
displaced when white explorers first entered the area. The first Caucasians
to explore the valley were beaver trappers, followed by surveyers. Captain
John Gunnison, after whom Gunnison County is named was one of the early
explorers to enter the area.
In the 1860s and 1870s coal and silver mines began to open in the
surrounding area and many little mining towns formed. However, when silver
mining hit on hard times, many of these towns failed. Crested Butte was in a
better position to survive because it served as a supply town to the
surrounding area.
The other industry that supported Crested Butte was ranching.
When the coal mines closed, the town began to shrink, and eventually the
local high school was closed. Students had to travel to Gunnison to go to
high school. The town did not revive until a ski area was built on Crested
Butte Mountain in the 1960s.
In 1993 the Crested Butte Academy opened in Crested Butte, bringing a
private high school into town. In 1997, the Crested Butte Community School
was opened, and Crested Butte finally had a public high school again.
Cyprus Amax Minerals Co. owns mining rights for molybdenum on Mount Emmons
near Crested Butte and as molybdenum prices rise, the town is fighting to
prevent a molybdenum mine from being opened.
In 2004 Crested Butte Mountain Resort was sold and the locals are hoping the
new owners will invest more in the ski area than the previous ones.
Winter activities
The primary winter activity in Crested Butte is skiing or snowboarding at
nearby Crested Butte Mountain Resort in Mount Crested Butte, Colorado. Mount
Crested Butte rises to 12,162 feet (3,700 m) above sea level. The ski area
base is at 9,375 feet (2,860 m). 14 lifts serve 1,058 acres (4.2 km˛) of
terrain. 448 acres (1.8 km˛) of the terrain are double black runs. The large
amount of extreme skiing terrain at Crested Butte has attracted the US
Extreme Skiing Championships and the X Games. The longest run on Mount
Crested Butte is 2.6 miles (4.2 km) long.
The town of Crested Butte itself has a Nordic Center which has an ice
skating rink as well as miles (km) of groomed cross country skiing trails.
Summer activities
Crested Butte is one of the locations where mountain biking is claimed to
have started and in fact, the Mountain Bike Hall of Fame is located in
Crested Butte.
Other popular summer activities in Crested Butte include hiking, camping,
whitewater rafting, and fishing.
Crested Butte hosts a number of summer festivals, including an Arts
Festival, a Wildflower Festival, and a Rubber Ducky Race.
|
|
