Funded Projects2024 Funded Project: Crested Butte Avalanche Center

July 24, 2025

Reducing Avalanche Impacts

For 25 years, the Crested Butte Avalanche Center (CBAC) has remained committed to reducing the impacts of avalanches in the Gunnison Valley. Through special partnerships, education efforts, and community outreach initiatives, the organization aims to prevent loss of life, limb, and property in Crested Butte and the surrounding backcountry. By disseminating valuable information via email, website updates, social media posts, and radio and newspaper announcements, CBAC provides a necessary service to residents, visitors, and recreationalists. As part of their education efforts, the organization issues daily avalanche advisories, including mountain weather forecasts, avalanche danger ratings, expected avalanche problems, travel advice, and a forecast discussion throughout the winter season.

Expanding Educational Outreach

While avalanches are unavoidable, the organization has one primary goal—zero fatalities in the area. This past year, CBAC has expanded its outreach efforts to distribute avalanche information to all user groups. Some of its most notable highlights from the season include:

Awareness Night
The Center’s kick-off event, hosted at the Center for the Arts, featured talks by several forecasters and avalanche industry professionals, gear expos, raffles, and an opportunity for backcountry users to come together.

Beacon Brush-Up  
Staff and local guides hosted a free rescue clinic, drawing around 50 participants with all experience levels. The event offered a progression through five stations focusing on transceiver searches, strategic shoveling, evacuation techniques, rescue scenarios, and more.

Beacon Park
Two years ago, the organization launched a community Beacon Park, which it continues to maintain and troubleshoot as equipment issues arise. The Beacon Park, located behind the community school in Crested Butte, provides an accessible practice venue for all users.

Fireside Chats 
Fireside Chats are one of the CBAC’s flagship events, featuring four in-person events with featured speakers: mountaineer George Lowe, snow safety director Krista Hildebrandt, snowmobiler Kain Leonard, and past Grand Traverse snow safety directors. The free, hour-long sessions, presented by CBAC staff, included a snowpack synopsis and provided a fun venue for community members to connect with their peers.

Trailhead Days
This past year, CBAC staff hosted seven trailhead days and connected with hundreds of backcountry travelers, providing information and engaging with different user groups spanning all levels of avalanche awareness and demographics.

Protecting Residents and Visitors

To honor Chris’ adventurous spirit, passion for travel, and love of people, the Chris Mikesell Foundation aims to support opportunities for young people to experience nature. In 2024, the organization awarded a $3,000 grant to the Crested Butte Avalanche Center to help purchase a new high-power mountain snowmobile, enabling forecasters to travel farther into the backcountry to conduct field days that assist in compiling daily avalanche forecasts.

“We have been working with the Chris Mikesell Foundation for many years. The Foundation has helped CBAC with everything from operating expenses to purchasing critical infrastructure, enabling the forecasters to conduct field days. We are very grateful to have their support and are honored to carry on Chris’ legacy in the Crested Butte area.”

—Karen Williams
Crested Butte Avalanche Center