The whole point of going to Crested Butte is to freeride, and the best place for an adrenaline fix is the North Face, where the U.S. ski and board extremes are held. Immediately below the poma are the heavily wooded glades of Powder Rock and Pinball . The North Face has some huge, stepped-cliff jumps, which suit skiers as they can arrest on the snow pillows halfway down the rocks.
Boarders have to go really big and take their chances on a soft landing at the bottom.
The open front face can suffer from mogul invasions but there are rad steep chutes in the trees at the top. Spellbound , Phoenix , and Third . Banana Funnel glitters temptingly on a clear day. The lower slopes and glades can be accessed from the Silver Queen Quad via a traverse to skier's left. Freestylers Crested Butte's new Terrain Park opened on January 11, 2001.