As the month of March gets going, we are all reminded of two things. First, the most obvious, are all the visitors who choose this beautiful area to explore with their families. The second most prevalent thought in our heads is the upcoming off season and the closing of the ski area. Flauschink is only a couple of weeks away, at which point we spend some time with George Sibley and Duane Vandenbusche remembering the humble beginnings of the Crested Butte Ski Area, along with celebrating the “Has-Been’s,” while crowning new royalty.
When the community gets together and begins to reminisce, there is this notion of a “quiet” period in the history of this area. Often it gets repeated that only 250 people lived here year round after 1952 when the Big Mine closed, which alludes to the notorious idea that Crested Butte was a ghost town until recently.
No Ghost Town
