It’s hard to believe that a year ago the world changed. We were hunkering in place. Checking the news obsessively. Wondering anxiously about what COVID-19 was, if we had it, how long it would last. The epidemic became a pandemic.
But the world kept turning.
We emerged from a chaotic spring into a slightly hopeful summer. We dined outside. We grew our collection of masks. We got used to this “new normal,” but still we wondered: what would the winter bring? Would there be another surge? Would we have to shelter in place again? Would people travel? Would we even be allowed to travel?
Uncertainty defined the last year.
And.
There was joy. Laughter. Hope. Snow angels.
Frost-rimed aspens. Silence in the pines. The swishing of skis in the tracks. The sparkling glitter of snow in the early morning sun. Skiing under the full moon, chasing your moonshadows.
Friendship. Discovery. Adventure.
Winter did what it does. And we did what we do.
We created ways for you to get outside, get exercise, get centered, and get connected.
Amid the uncertainty, CB Nordic found a way through. Over the summer, we examined our mission. We examined our organization. We examined the processes we’d used for years, new weaknesses now revealed by the way our lives had been transformed. We spent the summer processing the regulations outlined in Gunnison County’s coronameter and conspiring together to come up with innovative, safe ways to do business.
Before we knew it, fall was here! Season passes went on sale. Junior Team Programs sold out in a day. The K Club doubled in size. The season—despite all our trepidation and the lingering questions—was off to a roaring start. And, honestly, it hasn’t let up.
We have skied with more new folks than ever before. We’ve had more adults in our Masters Community, more kids on our Junior Team, and more season passholders than any other year in our history.
But how did we do it? How did we come to the rescue, saving winter from despair and loneliness, offering instead fun, community, joy, and time in nature?
The people.
The people made it happen.
You made it happen.
Your hard work, dedication, creativity, and heart made this winter a success. Fueled by your enthusiasm, our incredible team of staff and volunteers put on their capes and donned their masks to save winter.
We hated hiding our smiles behind masks this year, so for this spring newsletter, we hope you enjoy these lovely faces.
Let us introduce to you:
the Unmasked Heroes of Winter!
The Mastermind
Christie Hicks, Executive Director
Super Power: Psychic - she sees "the beyond" to know what’s needed and accurately predicts changes that are coming.
My job has always been about facilitating the many facets of the organization and steering CB Nordic into the future. This year, this role was even more dramatic. I sat on hours upon hours of phone calls with leaders in the cross-country ski industry, trying to predict and prepare for this winter. Interestingly, most of them were looking to us because we had kept trails open during the first lockdown. So we kept leading the industry. We devised ways to keep our core services—grooming and rentals—going, even during a complete shut-down. From there, we worked our way up, creating plans for every potential situation for each program. I worked with each department head to ensure that no matter what came, we’d be able to keep serving the community. And it worked! We made it through one of our biggest seasons ever with flying colors (and with no illnesses or closures).
The Invisible Woman
Brittany Perkins, Programs Director
Super Power: Invisibility (Duh.) - you never see her, but she’s everywhere, making everything work!
I oversee all of our programs and the front desk, so my departments required a ton of innovation this year. For the front desk operations, I got a new rental system going, moved all of our inventory online, set up a new point-of-sale system, created procedures for doing business outside, hired twice as many people, trained staff, and educated customers about the new ways we were doing business. To make things even more complicated, the early-season snow meant in-town trails were already open in November! Usually, we get a slow week at the start to train everyone. This year, we hit the ground running on day one and it never slowed down. We ended the season having doubled our rentals and trail passes. It was a whirlwind, but all of our innovations worked!
The Contortionist
Andrew Arell, Events Director
Super Power: Super Elasticity - he can adapt himself and his work to suit an ever-changing environment
With the restrictions on gatherings, I immediately knew our events would have to change. All around us other races were throwing in the towel, some even cancelled all of their 2021 races way back in June of 2020, but we really wanted to host in-person events so the community would have something to look forward to. Our first big test was the Summer GT. The big question was, how do you eliminate close crowds of people? We had to figure out bib pick-up, awards, start lines, racer briefings, aid stations . . . literally every single aspect of the race. Thankfully, the Summer Grand Traverse was a success, so then we were able to use some of these tools to modify the coming races. That said, the Alley Loop is so different from the GT. We really had to re-invent every aspect of every race every single time.
Jedi Master
Molly Susla, CB Nordic Team Head Coach
Super Power: Time Travel - somehow she managed to be in multiple places at once, managing all the programs, coaching the comp team, fundraising for the team, and racing!
I’ll admit, there were times this season when I felt pretty frazzled. With all the COVID regulations, we had to completely restructure our after-school programs. I had to figure out a more complicated schedule using multiple practice locations and limiting group numbers while trying to accommodate higher rates of participation. Plus, we were scrambling to get help with the comp team at the same time. For the comp team, racing was completely up in the air, and had many new rules we all had to learn. I’m incredibly grateful we were able to have a race season and a ski season at all. Despite everything, it was so cool to see our kids progress, have fun, and continue to develop a love for skiing!
The Builder
Kevin Koval, Ski School Coordinator
Super Power: Magnetism - attracting people with his positive personality and programming - “If you build it, they will come.”
Eight years ago, I tried to learn how to skate ski by watching YouTube and World Cup videos. Without a clear path or a person to lead me through those first steps, it was incredibly frustrating. The CBNC junior programs helped young skiers improve while having fun; why not do the same for adults? Because of my own experience, I wanted the Masters Community program to be accessible to all skiers, whatever their ability or goals. Our team just finished up our third season of the Masters Community program with over 250 skiers. The physical, mental, and social benefits of learning in a group setting outdoors during COVID helped keep us all sane! Seeing hundreds of beginner skiers exploring and enjoying our trails with confidence has made me incredibly proud of what our team has created.
The Engineer
Doug Conant, Groomer
Super Power: Night Vision - he can see in the dark to make the most perfect corduroy!
Grooming this year was a lot like grooming any other year. Our job is to lay down the most perfect, beautiful track we can. And that’s what we did! It was gorgeous. I skied our trails a bunch—it makes for better groomers—and I also really loved when I got the opportunity to race groom for events. I missed the camaraderie of hanging out in the Nordic Center, but I have to say I saw more people on the trails than ever before. And they were all so smiley and happy! Nordic skiing saved my sanity this winter, that’s for sure. So I was super proud to be able to be one of the people that creates the trails for other people to enjoy, too. That said, I can’t wait to get back to normal!
The Juggler
Monica Purdy, Front Desk Manager
Super Power: Multilocation - ability to be in multiple places at once, this year she juggled so many tasks at once!
This is my third season at the Nordic Center and my first time experiencing a major shift in customer service. It was difficult trying to navigate the set up of the front desk in the beginning of the season since we had to do everything outside (transactions, ski/boot/pole fittings, rentals). We went through hours of meetings followed by trials and errors. But we made it happen. And that’s what I’ve always appreciated about this place. No matter what, we make things happen. Whether it be for a customer, employee, or a tricky situation. Which is why I knew in the back of my mind, that whatever we did would work. And it would be appreciated. I’m so proud of what we all did as a team this season and I’m forever grateful for this amazing Nordic community!
The Guardian
Beth Carter, Instructor & Trail Host Coordinator
Super Power: X-Ray Vision - she always has her eyes on the trails and knows everything that’s going on out there!
The trail use this year was nuts. With the low snow at the start of the season, and everyone going every which-way, I almost lost my mind cleaning up dog poop and putting up signs and redirecting lost walkers. But for every person who was a bit lost, we had a dozen people who were out having such a good time. I saw so many new skiers. So many kids. So many happy skiers. That’s what makes it worth it. I know for me, I can’t imagine winter without being able to get out and ski. This place keeps me sane. So I was so happy to be able to help maintain the trails so other people could experience them, too. I also want to express my amazement at the care and the cooperation among the staff toward one another and the guests. In particular, my amazing Trail Host Crew provided a memorable experience for our season passholders and guests.
The Flash
Cam Smith, Masters & CB Nordic Team Coach - Explorers
Super Power: Super Speed (Have you seen him race??)
I just love being on skis as many hours as possible. Getting to share that love with middle schoolers and high schoolers gives me so much joy. I get to take them out for some rugged off-trail skiing, teach them about avalanche safety, play games, and generally just get into all kinds of fun. Nordic racing isn’t for everyone. So the Explorers program is cool because it’s still a healthy, educational outlet for these kids that might have quit skiing otherwise. I thought COVID would be hard on them this year, but those afternoons, running around with them on snow, it’s like everything’s totally normal. It’s been a gift to me to help me get through winter.
Powder Ranger
Hil Lassek, Tour Guide
Super Power: Teleportation - he can get anywhere with anyone!
This is by far the most rewarding job I have ever had. Knowing my passion for adventure and love for the beautiful mountains, it is no wonder I found my way here. Being able to share this experience with others makes it all the better. When people arrive with a sense of adventure in their hearts and sign up for a tour, I get to show them sights they have never seen, teach them the importance of backcountry safety, and see the smiles on their faces when they say they never thought they could do what they just did. That is where the reward is . . . I get to fill their day with quality memories that last a lifetime. It does not get any better than that.
The Linguist
Jerry Deverell, Volunteer, Community Outreach Programs
Super Power: Aligist - ability to speak all languages.
The Community Outreach programs are so wonderful because they get our immigrant community out enjoying this beautiful place that we all call home. I’ve spent some time traveling in Mexico. I love the Mexican culture, the Mexican pride of family and the joy and spirit of having lots of fun together. The turn out for nordic skiing, twice in Gunnison and twice in CB, was rewarding and many improvements by the group were noticed by me, Hurricane and Scotty G. Plus, my miserable Spanish has also improved. Our gang of skiers were always up for anywhere we took them and never dropped out or complained. Truly wonderful to be a part of this "reach out" Gunnison program, sharing cultures and sharing our big outdoors.
Pied Piper
Alex Riedman, CB Nordic Team Coach - Mini-Striders, Gliders, Striders, Challengers/Explorers Hybrid
Super Power: Working with children; this is in fact a super power. Ask any parent.
Coaching for the Crested Butte Junior Nordic Team is a great way to share my love of winter with the kiddos! This year we launched new programs for pre-school and homeschool/online school children during the daytime. This was an awesome way to bring nordic skiing to all of the children in our community, no matter where they are completing their schooling. It was awesome to see so many kids attend! As head coach for our youngest nordic team members, I am so proud of all that they accomplished this season. We are also very grateful for the parent volunteers that helped every week this year. We faced the challenges head-on of operating during this era of COVID-19. Our participants never cared if they had to wear a mask, they were simply happy to engage with their teammates outdoors and ski tons of new trails!
The Sage
Joellen Fonken, Instructor
Super Power: telekinesis - using just her mind, she can move matter (i.e. her students) into better skiing!
We had more students in our Ski School than ever before. Of course, there was the booming Masters Community, but we also taught so many private lessons. I had the pleasure of getting to teach a wide variety of kids and adults. I taught families that were visiting CB and seeing snow for the first time, and I taught adults that had lived in the Gunnison Valley for over a decade. I taught a lot of classic lessons, since it is such a versatile and accessible way for people to get around in winter, but also my fair share of skate. To me, it didn’t matter the level of the skier or the discipline. Simply teaching or sharing the feeling of gliding for the first time was a highlight. Everyone should feel that wonderful freedom.
Incognito
Paul Maude
Super Power: Shape shifter - ready to take whatever shape he needed to help out; perhaps an eagle.
This is my first winter at the Nordic Center, so I don’t have anything to compare it to, but we were kept pretty busy with rentals and ski service. We did quite a lot of volume. Nordic gave people something to do to get them outside and keep them sane. You could gauge how many people were getting into by how there was always stuff going on—skis coming in or going out, customers picking up trail passes, that kind of thing. Our job wasn’t super glamorous, but the best part was the people. They made it a really fun place to work.
Super Dog
Copper, Official Greeter
Super Power: Making people smile
I sit outside in the snow. The people come. It’s awesome. I run to them. They scratch my ears. I wag my tail. They pet me. I wag my tail. They throw snowballs for me. I run. It’s awesome. Then they pet me some more. I run. It’s awesome. Sometimes my mom makes me come inside and lie down. It’s not awesome. But then the staff scratch my ears. That’s awesome. And then I sneak out the door when mom’s hands are full. I run to the people. They pet me. It’s awesome. It’s the best life. Everyone should come to the Nordic Center. Then they can pet me.
The Engine
Gunnison County Metropolitan Recreation District
Super Power: Power-Up, expanding and enhancing others' super powers
Every good idea requires a good support network, and this year Met Rec provided that and more. They established the coalition of CB Nordic, Gunnison Nordic, and the City of Gunnison, who worked together to create after school ski programs for youth in Gunnison. They supported our well-established Outreach programs so we could continue offering Nordic skiing to underserved populations, even during (especially during!) a pandemic. They established a Winter Recreation Initiative to provide the funding to make it all possible. They engaged other partners, like the Town of Crested Butte, to further leverage this funding. These funds helped us upgrade our rental systems to accommodate pandemic restrictions, so we were ready to handle the hoards of new skiers that we faced this fall. They also provided funds to keep Town Ranch groomed daily and keep the poop stations well stocked. Met Rec made it possible for hundreds of kids and adults to access nordic ski programming in new ways, and we literally could not have done it without them!
The biggest hero of all?
You!
Super Power: Super Strength - you can lift anything, carry anything, throw anything, move anything - when you come together, you are unstoppable.
CB Nordic doesn't exist without you. We are your community Nordic Center. We own no land and no buildings. All we are is a collection of people who value nordic skiing, snowshoeing, and winter trails in our community. None of our trails and programs could exist if you didn't use them; our equipment, our staff, our Junior Team, our Masters Community, our lessons, our Alley Loop, our Grand Traverse—all of it exists because you continue to show up and say "Yes! Let's do this!"
This past year you showed up stronger and spoke louder than ever before. You supported us in the spring of 2020 when we needed you most. Then this fall, you came out in droves, purchasing record numbers of season passes. This winter, record numbers of you joined our lessons, tours, Team, and Masters. You made it so that we didn't just survive this winter, but came out stronger.
You are the wind beneath our capes, so that we can take off into the unknown, confident and strong for whatever the future holds.
Thank you!
For every hero highlighted here, there were a half-dozen more staff and volunteers that we didn't get to mention. We are so grateful to each and every one of you for making CB Nordic such a fun, safe, welcoming, and joyful community.
We also have incredible partners in the business community, other nonprofits, the Town of Crested Butte, the Town of Mt. Crested Butte, the Crested Butte Land Trust, and the many landowners who allow our trails to exist. Thank you for giving of your time, your energy, your money, and your brilliance to make this winter a success.
Because there was just too much goodness to stop there . . .
K Club Heroes
Business Heroes
Staff Heroes
Board of Directors Heroes
Fin.