Here are the 5 best Fall foliage drives near Crested Butte by TravelCrestedButte.com:
https://travelcrestedbutte.com/5-best-fall-foliage-drives-near-crested-butte
Tag: Crested Butte
There’s a New Girl in Town and Her Name is Janet
We have done it again, with two new additions to our fleet this year. Meet Janet, our newest and nicest Jeep yet. She has a 2” lift, Rubicon shocks, BF Goodrich T/A 33” tires, leather heated seats and an Alpine stereo and speakers all around. Making her one incredible ride to get you to the high country. May you access amazing views, wildflowers, hiking trials, fishing holes or just Jeep’n around one of the most beautiful places in the world.
Paradise Divide and Emerald Lake are Open
The views from Paradise Divide Pass are some of the best in all of Colorado. Located at the end of the valley, this glacial zone is expansive, as seen in the panoramic photo. Which encompasses the short version of our go to loop. After explore here, we recommend our customers go check out Emerald Lake, located past the townsite of Gothic. These are hands down my two favorite spots in the Crested Butte zone and in all of the Gunnison National Forest.
The Gothic Road to Emerald Lake Adventure
Taking Gothic Road outside of the Town of Crested Butte will lead you up to the ski area or Mt. Crested Butte. From here you’ll continue through Mt. CB to the old town site of Gothic. Gothic has a unique vibe with the Rocky Mountain Biological Institute, which has been established since the late 1920’s, and conducts a slew of scientific studies on the bio-diversity which makes this area special and world famous for the abundancy of wildflowers.
As you pass through Gothic the road becomes more rough, muddy and tight in some places. Go past the Rustler’s Gulch trail, which is another great option, until you reach the snow pile. There is an area just before Emerald lake where two avalanche paths meet and usually piles up with snow and debris. Due to having a big snow year last season, this area is still not safe to pass on top of with a Jeep. Therefore we recommend parking the vehicle and walking the less then a mile to the lake.
Let the Summer Finally Begin!
Today, May 24th marks the beginning of our summer season and we couldn’t be happier! Last winter was well above average with snowfall and will did get much more than usual in May. But things are starting to really warm up and melt out fast. I even saw flowers poking out of the snow on my last adventure. So if you’re planning a trip to the Crested Butte and/or Gunnison area book your ride to the high country and go in style in a lifted Jeep.
We Deliver Right to Your Doorstep or Private Airplane
Often times, especially in the winter months, we deliver customers a nice specialized Jeep right to their doorstep. Usually dropping the Jeep off at the customers hotel or the FBO at the Gunnison Airport, allows for a very smooth and quick transaction. Many of our customers arrive here and find that they want to also adventure to the surrounding resorts and/or hot springs. However, many just need a vehicle to safely traverse the piles of snow and ice in town. Yes there is free public transportation, but having your own lifted Jeep allows you the freedom to run errands or transport your group to another magical spot in the Rocky Mountains of Colorado.
Gothic and Schofield Pass
Schofield Pass sits within the Sawatch Range of the Elk Mountains between Crested Butte and Aspen. The pass tops out at an elevation of 10,707 between the town sites of Gothic and Marble. Once the snow melts, many of our renters travel what we call the big loop which encompasses Slate River Road, Paradise Divide, Paradise Basin, Schofield Pass and ending with the town site of Gothic before heading back to Crested Butte. Timing wise this usually puts you back in town for a late lunch or to re-supply before heading back out for more off-road adventures.
Schofield Pass continues beyond the point imaged in the photo, where a large sign warns drivers of the ensuing danger of The Devil’s Punchbowl. For safety purposes our vehicles do Not go beyond this point.
This area is world renowned for its wildflowers and there is a reason why we have an entire festival dedicated to the flowers. If you’ve ever dreamed of being surrounded by wildflowers in a high alpine meadow, like in the movie ‘Sound of Music,’ then this is your spot! Hikers have many options to choose from as well, if it’s the infamous 401 trail, hiking to Judd Falls, the 403 trail, Rustlers Gulch, Deer Creek, Copper Trail, the many offerings in the Snodgrass area or even the West Maroon Creek Trail to Aspen.
Cement Creek Road to Reno Divide
Roughly six miles south out of Crested Butte is Cement Creek Road, which accesses Crested Butte South. Cement Creek is a dirt road, providing miles of fun Jeeping, especially this time of year when we are waiting for the snow to fully melt. I enjoyed a quick adventure up the road yesterday, easily making it to the beaver pond meadow. The road becomes very narrow (as seen in the photo below) so you’ll want to go slow as there are many blind corners and oncoming traffic.
This route also accesses the Reno Divide Pass trail, which is a common route for those on multi-day rentals. Customers are more and more renting for their entire trip length and as we have multiple zones of adventure we can keep them busy the entire time during the summer and fall. In May we are still poking around, but there is a lot of fun to be had in paradise any time of year.
The Fall Foliage Season has Arrived!
Customer’s often ask when will the leaves turn or be at their peak and I usually say the climax is around September 25th to the 27th. However, not this year! With cooling temps and the added moisture that the Fall brings, this year it’s already happening. The leaves are turning, the landscape/view is turning surreal and there’s a certain chill to the air. Personally I love wearing sweaters in the morning, but not for long as the powerful sun clears out the valley floor and brings warmth to us all. If fewer crowds and epic views are what you yearn for, then we surely have your fix.
It’s True, Dogs Love Jeeps Too!
I have many clients who enjoy year after year renting my jeeps with the companionship of their four legged friend. Personally I love dogs and boy do dogs love an adventure! Here are a few photos from one of my clients; you can see the dog is clearly smiling awaiting the fun. Jeeps also provide you with the added off-road access, so one of the fun things to do is bring your dog up to the snow and see them play. I’ll never forget how happy my first dog was when I brought him to snow in August. He totally freaked out and rolled in it for what seemed to be endlessly.