Name:
Aaron Blunck
Age:
20
Hometown:
Crested Butte, Colorado
Sponsors:
Crested Butte Mountain Resort, Eleven Experience, HEAD,
Paul Mitchell, POC, Rockstar Energy, The North Face
In this installment of Local Beta, recent X Games champion Aaron Blunck dishes out a plethora of insider information on his hometown: Crested Butte. The 20-year-old pipe skiing master was fortunate enough to grow up there, where he’s been able to ski wild lines, consume massive burritos and partake in all sorts of other fun activities that make him a true expert on the area. Next time you visit the Southern Colorado skiing destination, skip the visitor center and use the tips, below, as your guide.
Best place to catch the sunrise:
On top of the Paradise Divide; it overlooks the whole valley of Crested Butte and the views really do not get much better.
Best inbounds line:
There are so many good lines but I’d have to say my favorite one would be starting at the top of the Headwall and ending at the bottom of the East River Lift. It’s a great way to start your day. You start on a difficult run that is packed with moguls that get your blood going and then you either hit the groomers and find a bunch of fun little jumps, or you can get into more steeps, depending on what you are feeling. It’s a long run with all sorts of different terrain, so it really gets you going.
Best lift to lap after a storm:
Definitely Silver Queen. It’s one of the main lifts that can get you to almost every part of the mountain. From the top, you can access intermediate groomers, high-speed groomers and expert terrain. There are so many runs that connect off that lift that it’s easily the best one after a storm. With all of the terrain it offers, Silver Queen is a great one because no matter where you go, your crew can spread out and all meet down at the bottom without losing anyone.
Best glades:
Anywhere off the East River lift. The trees are spread out and you can lap there all day without any crowds.
Best place to scare yourself:
Crested Butte is loaded with places to scare yourself, so it’s hard to choose one, but my favorite is in Spellbound/Phoenix bowl. There are so many cliffs and gnarly lines back there that you can ski it all day and never run out of ways to scare yourself.
Best coffee shop in town:
Camp 4 Coffee. It’s a well-known place that has amazing breakfast burritos, and the coffee is to die for.
Best breakfast spot in town:
Paradise Cafe, without a doubt. Everything on the menu is good, so you can really never go wrong by eating there.
Best lunch spot in town:
Teocalli Tamale. Mike’s Mexolina burrito with queso and verde salsa is the way to go; anyone who’s been to Crested Butte would agree.
Best dinner spot in town:
Thats a hard one, but either Lil’s Sushi, or The Last Steep. Lil’s has the best sushi I have ever had… If you go to The Last Steep, you have to order the Ryder Burger; it’s the best burger you’ll ever have.
Best après spot at the mountain:
The Brown Lab Bakery—$1 slices after 3:00 o’clock. The Avalanche also has a great happy hour menu—pub fare, beer and more.
Best place for an afternoon drink in town:
Well, I’m not 21 quite yet… But, the most local spot is definitely Kochevar’s; my godfather is the manager and he has some great stories to tell.
Best nightlife spot:
All of my friends always end up at either Kochevar’s or Talk of the Town… So I’d say those are the best ones.
Best ski shop:
Definitely Butte & Co. It’s the last family-owned ski shop in Crested Butte and the employees are all there for the very same reason: They love to ski.
Best hot tub to poach:
I’ve been poaching hot tubs for years, and I found the best ones happen to be where I live now: in the Evergreen building.
Best place to catch the sunset:
Right downtown at the town park, with a view of all of the mountains that surround Crested Butte. Can’t beat it.
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