Our Crested Butte Christmas Tree
Christmas in Crested Butte is Special. This is a great time of the year to be in Crested Butte. 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, it is a fun and festive time. As a family we enjoy cutting down our Crested Butte Christmas tree, and this may make it onto you your list of things to do as well… be prepared! 🙂
There are lots of things to do – and the Crested Butte Mountain Resort CBMR Calendar, the Gunnison Crested Butte Tourism Association Calendar or Travel Crested Butte Calendar all have great calendars of events.
The Annual Santa Ski & Pub Crawl was last weekend, but since many here in Crested Butte are apt to dress up – you are likely to see Santa skiing any day!
Another great event not to miss is the Torchlight Parade on Christmas Eve and on New Years eve (along with fireworks).
Our Crested Butte Christmas Tree
One thing you won’t find on the calendar that we have enjoyed doing is cutting down our Crested Butte Christmas tree. It has been and adventure, and mostly a very fun family event for many years here in Crested Butte. Finding the “best” tree is quite funny. As the man with the saw, I am always ready to cut down the tree, but with my wife Francene and three daughters the selection process is akin to rearranging 
furniture in the living room… not a straightforward decision.
The best tree is usually uphill. Far UPHIL! And when you get to it, you will hear: “no, not good it has big gaps,”, or “it is too tall”, or “too short” or “too skinny”, or you likely will discover the perfect Crested Butte Christmas tree is really two trees that are squished together, and neither are acceptable. So you continue to hunt…
Be Prepared When Cutting Down Your Crested Butte Christmas Tree
I was a Boy Scout and so frequently put a first aid kit in my pack for a short hike… this might be good, but necesary items include a bow saw, a small axe if you have one, gloves for everyone, a rope, and lots of patience.
What not to do when going out to chop down your Christmas Tree.
Never look for or fall in love with 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 is 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 will take the top of the tree,I have to pee, Dad, you got this!”
I would also suggest restrict the youth from bringing their phones, and to go deep and far into the forest where you have no cellular coverage because this alone is a huge distraction from the task at hand: “…just a second I have a text message”, “Gosh! I need to add this to my Snapchat story”. One of the youth to the other: “Hey, why did you take a picture of me falling down!? – let me see your phone… NO! Delete that photo, NOW! it is terrible of me! arguments ensue… lots of words, the serenity of the snowfallen forest is broken… This is a great “Selfies” moment for the youth. The parents will be instructed to step-aside as they are not cool. You can jump in the backgrond or stick your head in from the side – you may make it into just one photo…
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.
If you have 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.
Chris Kopf,
Previews® Property Specialist
Coldwell Banker Bighorn Realty
970-209-5405
chriskopf@bighornrealty.com
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