Welcome to Alpenglow Rentals, Your Ride to the High Country!
Here you can see the vehicles
we have available.
The Crystal Mill Jeep Adventure
Heading to Crystal
Almost weekly we have customers travel to the famous Crystal Mill from Crested Butte. Providing our customers with maps and local information allows us to safely access the Mill from the Western side. Starting with a nice scenic tour to the town of Marble, the fun quickly bumps up right outside of Town. For this rocky and tight Jeep trail follows the Crystal Creek up to the Mill and Ghost Town. Visitors enjoy this famous landmark, which is ranked as one of the most photographed landscape in all of Colorado. In this photo you can see it was a muddy day, but as usually our Jeeps are well equipped to handle the trail which additional clearance is needed to safely navigate. After stretching the legs and walking around Town, most people head back down to the Town of Marble for some of the best BBQ in Colorado. Slow Grooving BBQ is one of my favorite restaurants in Western Colorado. On the way back to CB, it is advised to drive slow on Kebler Pass as the wildlife are very active this time of evening, making for an opportunity to see a variety of wildlife before entering back into Crested Butte.
Washington Gulch Road to Paradise Divide
Every year I make the trip up Washington Gulch Rd. located in between the Town of Crested Butte and Mt. CB. This mellow road turns into more of a trail just prior to entering the town site of Elkton. Wandering up this jeep trail gives you a quick gain in elevation making for a steep section with switchback turns leading to the ridge line. Many stop here to hike the trail up Mt. Baldy, but with a lifted Jeep is where it starts to get a little “sporty.” Continue on and the road verges into Slate River Rd. (734) traveling through a drop off section to Paradise Divide or where the trail tops out at. This beautiful and amazingly scenic viewing point of the Paradise Mountain Range, Slate River Valley, Paradise Basin and so much more is one of my favorites in the world.
Paradise is Open for Business!
Well it has surely been a wet and wacky spring up here in the high country. Luckily warm weather and plenty of sunshine, just what we’re used to this time of year, has arrived. Access too many of the amazing hiking and mtn. biking trails is open and specifically access to the Paradise Divide and Schofield Pass is open on the Crested Butte side to Jeeps. Oh yeah and the wildflowers have just starting to pop, making our little piece of paradise open for business.
Kebler and Cottonwood Passes Open Today
According to the Crested Butte Chamber of Commerce and the Gunnison County Public Works, as long as “everything holds (today) and we do not have any more issues due to saturated soils we will open Kebler at 4:00 PM. Cottonwood will open at 4:00 PM as well.” McClure Pass will be closed today between 11:30am and 3:00 pm. Which means the fast and easy route to Aspen is open and the short cut to Denver is a go!
Opening Day 2015
We are opening on May 22nd here in Crested Butte. Please stay tuned for more info on the new location in Snowmass Village, Colorado
What it’s like Snowmobiling in Paradise!
I’ll never forget the first time I heard of this magical place they call ‘Paradise’ I had just finished my freshmen year of College in Vermont and was ready to move to Colorado and continue my skiing/education. Fortunately I meet this guy, a typical ski bum type living both in Crested Butte and Vermont, who helped guide me with my decision between Western in Gunnison/skiing in Crested Butte and Fort Lewis in Durango. Well his stories of this mystical place where it snowed twice as much in the backcountry then at the resort lured me in. This place literally is called ‘Paradise,’ part of the West Elk Range, and at Irwin Lodge snows more per year then Alta, UT and Jackson Hole, WY.
.
Well through a snowmobile into the mix and instantly I was hooked! Initially to gain access to this magically place for skiing but quickly turned into a pure addiction. Growing up in Vermont gave me a love for the winter and skiing, but riding at and around Crested Butte gave me the skills to reach these places. Places with names like the ‘Playground’ where you’ll find both natural and manmade kickers throughout the area. This makes for an extremely diverse area offering many options of an assortment of terrain for all skill levels. The trails are some of the best you can find, as not only does the main trail (Kebler Pass Road) get groomed daily, but usually twice a day. Meaning it’s typically smooth both on the way out and way back, making the trail riding much more enjoyable!
.
Making this THE perfect location to rent high end snowmobiles, so next time you’re in Crested Butte choose us to be you’re ride to ‘Paradise!’
.
Crested Butte: The Wildflower Capitol of Colorado
Crested Butte is called the Wildflower Capitol of Colorado. There are hundreds of different kinds of wildflowers in Crested Butte and the surrounding areas. Wildflower season runs June to September and is ever-changing from spring to summer to early fall flowers.
.
Crested Butte Mountain Resort offers daily guided peak hikes for $45 per person. Washington Gulch Road, Paradise Basin, and Schofield Pass Road are popular spots to see the wildflowers. The short drive to Gothic is doable in most cars. But you do want a high profile vehicle for Paradise Basin and Schofield Pass Road. You can rent a high profile vehicle from Aplenglow Rentals in Crested Butte.
.
Mark your calendar for the week long Crested Butte Wildflower Festival. The annual festival is in early to mid July. There are additional events starting in late June and running through mid-August.
.
Want help identifying wildflowers? Download the Crested Butte Wildflower Guide and Alpine Wildflower Guide.
.
View the video here.
http://kdvr.com/2014/08/14/explore-colorado-crested-butte-wildflowers/
Crested Butte Wildflower Festival Wildflower Guide
Crested Butte Wildflower Festival Alpine Wildflower Guide
Crested Butte Wildflower Festival
.
Welcome to Alpenglow
Welcome to Alpenglow, located in Crested Butte Colorado and servicing the locations of Gunnison, Lake City, Aspen and everything in-between. We are your full service rental outfit.
.
.