BLOG Storm Chasin’ USA 3 – Road Trip

February 15th, 2011


Road Trip!

Words & Images | Tess Cook

Next time someone asks me where they should take their next snow trip, I’m going to answer, without hesitation, go to Crested Butte and Telluride.

There’s a million and one reasons, the top ones:

  • These places are the new frontier. I love and adore the ‘old faithfuls’ Aspen, Whistler, Vail, but if you want to try something new Crested Butte and Telluride are the way to go.
  • the two resorts make a perfect compliment. they’re an easy three hour drive apart and a week in each would make for an ideal ski trip. No visit to the USA is complete without a Road Trip (yep, in capitals) and the cross-Colorado drive between the two resorts is wicked. Tip – stop in Montrose to eat at Denny’s, real American experience.
  • It’s now super easy to fly into either, with a plethora of new flight options. The best news is QANTAS flying direct Sydney to Dallas (Texas), from there it’s just one connection on to the local airports for both resorts. There’s also direct flights from LAX and now we have V Australia and Delta flying the Australia – USA direct route it’s just a matter of picking your airline and off you go.
  • Their vibe is unique, very wild west mining town, their terrain is incredible, extreme as it comes tempered with plenty of friendly groomers; something for everyone and both towns are a perfect size, very accessible and lots of ski-in-out but still lively (as we discovered, more on that later…)
  • They both have handy backcounty adventures. In Crested Butte you can spend the day with cat ski company CS Irwin and have your mind blown by their ENORMOUS annual snowfall and super deluxe outfit (no jolting cats and the pervasive smell of diesel here). CS Irwin can also arrange skinning tours and pretty much anything you want. In Telluride you can get your heli ski on with HeliTrax (more on that later too), go out for a day of four to six drops and you’ll get not only some pristine turns but a birds-eye view of the incredible San Juan mountain range.

Did I mention the skiing is incredible? and the towns super fun? Perhaps I’ll say it one more time.


On our last day we hung out in the Crested Butte terrain park. Though it’s big mountain notorious, the Crested Butte guys put a lot of effort into their terrain park


Terrain park paparazzi?


No road trip is complete without a trip to Walmart to buy things you can’t get back home and don’t need, cause they’re just soooo cheap


The Peak overlooking Crested Butte is an unusual shape


Good all-American dinner


The roadside photo op, another road trip prerequisite