Why We Ski: Elk Avenue

What would skiing be without ski towns? Our favorites are historic, and often center around a main drag like Crested Butte’s Elk Avenue. When the lifts close, visitors congregate along this street, which beats with the pulse of a town whose 125-year history has volleyed from mining to ranching to skiing. Shops and restaurants, illuminated by quaint street lights, line the path through century-old Victorian buildings that fairly demand you look inside. The fact that Crested Butte is a National Historic District helps keep the charm intact. It’s skiing’s own Brigadoon.