Crystal City
We ran this trail immediately after running Lead King Basin. We had hoped to run Schofield Pass on the way out to get to Crested Butte but it was still covered in way too much snow and it was too dangerous. That meant we got to run the entirety of the Crystal City trail this time, and it was beautiful.
We didn't stop in Crystal City itself this time, though a few people in the group went back to the store there for some books on the history of Crystal City. The majority of the group spent their time at the Powerhouse.
The weather was nice but it wasn't very sunny when we were at the Powerhouse. A lot of people climbed down to the two sections next to the Crystal River where you could get a better look at the Powerhouse and the river itself.
When you're standing on the road at the overlook, climb down on the left to see the area right next to the Powerhouse, including the waterfall and the gorgeous green water. This hike down is easier than the one to the right of the overlook, though the view of the Powerhouse and waterfall from that section is more complete.
We took lots of pictures and watched Don successfully cross the river twice on a small log. Dave B.'s dog, Buddy, was doing his best climbing the rocks.
We continued on down the trail and back toward Marble, enjoying the scenery. You follow the Crystal River and it is beautiful the whole way down. There is one section of rocky trail that is on a shelf, but it isn't too high above the river.
When we finished, we aired up at Beaver Lake and got back on the highway. We took Kebler Pass (and easy and smooth dirt road) as a shortcut to Crested Butte. Then we checked into hotels and had a nice dinner. We even got eight hours of sleep that night! It was a great first day on our Labor Day trip to the area.
Reports from Other Days: 2
Use the arrows or dots to flip through the previews of the other reports for Crystal City. Click one of them to read more and see all of the photos from that day.
