Cut Down Your Crested Butte Christmas Tree

Cutting Down Your Crested Butte Christmas Tree is Special.  People ask me often what are some of the special things about Crested Butte? I love the holidays, and getting to cut down our Christmas Tree.

In this article and video I will show you where and how you can Cut Down Your Crested Butte Christmas Tree. And how to haul it out, and how to build a special tree stand so it does not fall over (yes this happened to me!)

Whether you are gathering with your family to celebrate Christmas in your Crested Butte Home, or visiting for vacation after Christmas and through New Years, being in Crested Butte is a fun and festive time. As a family we enjoy cutting down our Crested Butte Christmas tree. This year none of our daughters were in town to help get the tree but Francene and I got a great tree. This may make it onto you your list of things to do as well… be prepared!  🙂

The Video Adventure: Cut Down Your Crested Butte Christmas Tree

Cutting down your Crested Butte Christmas tree is an adventure. And mostly a very fun family event for you here in Crested Butte. Finding the “best” tree is hard – but don’t pass up a good one because hiking farther means you have to haul it out farther too! Getting the “best” tree is not easy… Best if everyone agrees on the tree for two reasons.

1) Family fun is funner if everyone is happy.

2) You want everyone’s help to haul the tree out. If they think it is “your tree” or not “their tree” then “they” may not be so happy to help (learned from experience).

The best tree is usually uphill. Far UPHIL! And when you get to it, you will hear: “nope, that one is no good.”  “It has big gaps,”, or “it is too tall”, or “too short” or “too skinny”. It is common to see the best tree, only to trudge through the deep snow to discover the perfect Crested Butte Christmas tree is really two trees that are squished together, and neither are acceptable. So, you continue to hunt…

What You Need to Know to Cut Down Your Crested Butte Christmas Tree

Where – We like to go up the Snodgrass trail, or out Gothic Road (if it is still open), but this requires a bit of a hike in. The farther you hike it, the farther you will be hauling the tree out. As you will see in the video, we got a big tree and I hauled it out myself with a strap (or you can use a rope). The tree slides pretty well on the packed down trail…

Plan for a couple of hours – or longer. Go during the day, don’t go alone. Don’t wear a new puffy coat – it could get ripped. Probably will get ripped.

Bring a saw. Don’t cut yourself – I used cardboard and duct tape to create a sheath for the saw. Bring gloves (work gloves if you have them), bring a rope or straps. You can hike up Snodgrass with snowshoes (without snowshoes if the snow is packed-down and cold in the morning – people frown on people who post-hole in the ski tracks). Bring your Forest Service Christmas Tree permit ($9) – you can get a permit from the Forest Service office in Gunnison:

Gunnison Ranger District Office  – 216 N. Colorado, Gunnison, CO 81230
(970) 641-0471

What not to do when going out to chop down your Christmas Tree

Don’t pass up a good tree – even if it is the first good tree you see. Maybe check out a couple others farther away -but if they are significantly better, go back to tree #1 that is closer.   Never look for a tree that is downhill.  Ever. We did this once. It was not very far downhill so I thought okay this will be fine… It was not.

Dragging a large tree uphill with little or no support from the women was not easy. The excuses are very creative… “It is too heavy, there is no room for me, WHAT do you want me to do?, the needles are sharp, OUCH!, I think I cut myself. I am cold, Okay!… I have to pee,  Dad, you got this!”

Hauling Your Crested Butte Christmas Tree out

This is not so hard. Trees are not that heavy and if you have two people you can have one person on each end and carry the tree. Hauling the tree requires a bit more work especially if you are dragging the tree through deep snow. You may rig a single rope for one person – or a big rope for multiple people (think mule train).

How to Put Your Crested Butte Christmas Tree Up

Okay – this may sound like the easy part – but not really. You see when you cut down your Crested Butte Christmas tree your eyes will be bigger than your stomach (or your room)… and so you have probably brought home a monster of a tree. Tall. Tall trees tip over.

So I created these diagrams and materials list just for you – so you can see how I put together my tree stand.

You cannot use a wimpy tree stand . Okay – you will need to construct your very own tree stand are to the right and below – see the diagrams and the materials list. Everything you will need! (You can get your materials at the Crested Butte Ace Hardware – or at Alpine Lumber

Materials List to Put Up Your Crested Butte Christmas Tree

People often ask me “What makes Crested Butte special?” It is hard to put into words, but the family time searching, cutting down, and decorating Your Crested Butte Christmas Tree might just be one of the best…

If you are coming to Crested Butte for Christmas enjoy you time with family and friends, and whether on the chairlift, a barstool, or a bench on Elk Avenue put down your phone, tell someone else Merry Christmas and enjoy this special time in this special place.

How Can I help You ?

If you have enjoyed this article “Cut Down Your Crested Butte Christmas Tree” and the level of detail – this is representative of what you can expect as one of my real estate clients!

If you hav an interest in Crested Butte Real Estate and would like to start a conversation about homes, condos or land in the Crested Butte area, call me.

Have a Very Merry Christmas and Happy Safe Holidays!

Chris Kopf,
Broker / Owner
Global Luxury Property Specialist
Coldwell Banker Mountain Properties
970-209-5405
Chris.Kopf@CBMP.com