Ride: Hartman Rocks
Ferdinand Hayden roamed the Gunnison area in the 1873-74, wandering up the Gunnison River and East River basins. Whilst climbing Teocalli Peal, 13,320 feet, Hayden saw two mountain tops in the distance that resembled the crests of helmets. The “Crested Buttes” were Gothic Peak and Crested Butte. It was in 1878 that Howard F. Smith of Leadville wandered up the East River and found coal deposits in the Crested Butte area. His base of operations was the confluence of the Slate River and Coal Creek. Smith built a sawmill and smelter to service the mining camps in the area, and on July 3, 1880, Crested Butte was incorporated, with a population of about 400. The economic base in the beginning of Crested Butte was as a service center for the surrounding mining camps of Gothic, Irwin, Pittsburgh, Crystal, and Schofield. Smith quickly sold half his interest in the town to William Jackson Palmer of the Denver & Rio Grande Railroad. Palmer brought the line up from Gunnison in 1881, giving Crested Butte land transportation to assist in supplying goods and services for the local mining interests. Within a short time, Crested Butte’s population had mushroomed to 1,000, with five hotels, three livery stables, a dozen restaurants and saloons, sawmills, doctors, lawyers, and a church. With Smith’s sale of his coal land to the precursor of the Colorado Fuel and Iron Company it was a short while and coal became king in the upper valley. Both the hard anthracite and soft coal were found in abundance in Crested Butte.
The Big Mine provided an economic base when silver collapsed in 1893, producing 1,000 tons of coal per day by 1902. The Big Mine became the third largest mine in Colorado, with the high grade anthracite of any mine here in Colorado. The Big Mine finally closed in 1952, when CF & I found less expensive coal in Fremont County near its steel mills in Pueblo.
Crested Butte today is known for it’s laid back attitude in town and a trendy ski resort up on Mount Crested Butte. Dick Eflin and Fred Rice purchased the Malensek Ranch north of Crested Butte in 1960. Their first season of 1962-63 Crested Butte Ski Area had the first Ski Gondola in Colorado with ski trails coming off the northern slope of Mount Crested Butte (12,162 feet). Their project was short lived and in bankruptcy by mid decade. In 1970, Howard Bo Calloway purchased the resort, pouring $20 million into his investment. With Calloway’s investment, Mount Crested Butte has not looked back to the days of Eflin and Rice. Later becoming an incorporated town, Mount Crested Butte has become one of the largest ski resorts here in Colorado.
1961- Ski Area
1974- Crested Butte on the National Register of Historic Places.
1974- Mt Crested Butte incorporates as a separate community.
CB Visitors Center: 601 Elk Avenue
CB Heritage Museum: 331 Elk Avenue
Wildflower Capitol of Colorado
Climb 14er: Elk Mountains
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The Sangre de Christo Mountains (Blood of Christ) are located east of the continental divide , running from central Colorado to north central New Mexico. These mountains at sunrise or sunset have an occasional red hue with snow coverage, hence the name Sangre de Christo.
Blanca Peak: 14,345 Feet High
Crestone Peak: 14,294 Feet High
Crestone Needle: 14,197 Feet High
Kit Carson Peak: 14,165 Feet High
Challenger Point: 14,081 Feet High
Humboldt Peak: 14,064 Feet High
Culebra Peak: 14,047 Feet High
Mount Lindsey: 14,042 Feet High
Ellingwood Point: 14,042 Feet High
Little Bear Peak: 14,037 Feet High
Thirteeners:
The Prow: 13,980 Feet High
Kitty Kat Carson: 13,980 Feet High
Columbia Point: 13,980 Feet High
Mount Adams A: 13,931 Feet High
Red Mountain A: 13,908 Feet High
California Peak: 13,849 Feet High
Huerfano Peak: 13,828 Feet High
Obstruction Peak: 13,799 Feet High
Rio Alto Peak: 13,794 Feet High
Vermejo Peak: 13,723 Feet High
Purgatorie Peak: 13,676 Feet High
Unnamed 13660 A: 13,660 Feet High
Hamilton Peak: 13,658 Feet High
West Spanish Peak: 13,626 Feet High
Pico Aislado: 13,611 Feet High
Tijeras Peak: 13,610 Feet High
Electric Peak: 13,598 Feet High
Cottonwood Peak A: 13,588 Feet High
Unnamed 13580 A: 13,580 Feet High
Twin Peaks A: 13,580 Feet High
Unnamed 13577: 13,577 Feet High
Broken Hand Peak: 13,573 Feet High
Unnamed 13565: 13,565 Feet High
Unnamed 13555: 13,555 Feet High
Fluted Peak: 13,554 Feet High
Gibbs Peak A: 13,553 Feet High
Unnamed 13546: 13,546 Feet High
Unnamed 13541: 13,541 Feet High
Twin Peaks A South: 13,534 Feet High
Unnamed 13524: 13,524 Feet High
Milwaukee Peak: 13,522 Feet High
Unnamed 13517 B: 13,517 Feet High
Trinchera Peak: 13, 517 Feet High
Unnamed 13513: 13,513 Feet High
Eureka Mountain A: 13,507 Feet High
Iron Nipple: 13,500 Feet High
Mount March: 13,490 Feet High
Unnamed 13,490: 13,490 Feet High
Cuatro Peak: 13,487 Feet High
Miranda Peak: 13,468 Feet High
Alamosito: 13,466 Feet High
Horn Peak: 13,450 Feet High
Spread Eagle Peak: 13,423 Feet High
Cleveland Peak: 13,414 Feet High
Mariquita Peak: 13,405 Feet High
Unnamed 13401: 13,401 Feet High
Unnamed 13384: 13,384 Feet High
Music Mountain: 13,380 Feet High
Lakes Peak: 13,375 Feet High
De Anza Peak A: 13,362 Feet High
Hermit Peak A: 13,350 Feet High
Mount Owen A: 13,340 Feet High
Mount Herard: 13,340 Feet High
Mount Maxwell: 13,335 Feet High
Venable Peak: 13,334 Feet High
De Anza Peak B: 13,333 Feet High
Comanche Peak A: 13,277 Feet High
Crestolita: 13,270 Feet High
Spring Mountain: 13,244 Feet High
Unnamed 13229: 13,229 Feet High
Thirsty Peak: 13,213 Feet High
Eagle Peak A: 13,205 Feet High
Beaubien Peak: 13,184 Feet High
Mendano Peak: 13,153 Feet High
Unnamed 13153: 13,153 Feet High
Little Horn Peak: 13,143 Feet High
Francisco Peak: 13,135 Feet High
Lomo Liso Mountain: 13,128 Feet High
Unnamed 13123 B: 13,123 Feet High
Unnamed 13122: 13,122 Feet High
Bushnell Peak: 13,105 Feet High
Unnamed 13100 C: 13,100 Feet High
Leaning South Peak: 13,100 Feet High
Huerfanito: 13,081 Feet High
Hunts Peak: 13,071 Feet High
Unnamed 13062 A: 13,062 Feet High
Unnamed 13060 A: 13,060 Feet High
Unnamed 13054: 13,054 Feet High
Dead Man Peak: 13,050 Feet High
Unnamed 13028: 13,028 Feet High
Unnamed 13020 A: 13,020 Feet High
Twin Sisters North: 13,012 Feet High
Pike and San Isabel National Forests, Cimarron and Comanche National Graslands
2840 Kachina Drive
Pueblo, CO 81008
(719) 553-1400
Salida Ranger District
5575 Cleora Raod
Salida, CO (917) 539-3591
Spanish Peaks Wilderness
