Install the app
How to install the app on iOS

Follow along with the video below to see how to install our site as a web app on your home screen.

Note: This feature may not be available in some browsers.

  • Don't miss out on all the fun! Register on our forums to post and have added features! Membership levels include a FREE membership tier.

Irwin report

Thread Rating
5.00 star(s)
12/23

Well, we got about another 6"-12" of very light fresh snow.
The wind was really howling and blowing the new fallen snow around a lot.
Cloud level was low, and foggy.

I recruited some local labor to help clear out our front porch. (pics below)

;-)

MD.

hjb_irwin.jpg hjb_irwin2.jpg
 
Last edited:
Pardon me if I missed a post but, is Irwin Lodge now open again to the public? Restaurant, bar, lodge rooms avail. for nightly rental etc???

Thanks for all of your updates. I drool nightly at all the snow!!!!!!!!!!!!!:D Hope to be there mid Jan.
 
Lodge Info

qreiff -

Irwin Lodge has been closed for several years. If I recall the history correctly.. "The Group of 10" was the last group to operate it and closed it in about 2002 while loosing money, customers and had gained a reputation for ill repute within. A wealthy fellow bought it with big plans to renovate it, (renamed it Irwin Mountain Lodge) but due to health and life changes didn't execute on his plans - he did however gut it in preparation for renovation. Lots of work was done to address septic, wells and generators. Here is the architecture he had planed: http://www.centresky.com/pages/irwin_lodge.html

It was sold again about a year ago, to a group out of Florida who has chosen to be very hush-hush (super-secret plans. LOL.) - and they have focused on getting the Snowcat skiing permits re-activated and renovating the Disney Cabin (jumped over in SledNecks 47, chapter 23) as a ski hut. They've put an amazing amount of work and $$$ into that little building. It would seem reasonable that after they get the ski permits again, they would re-double efforts and focus on the Lodge, or a similar type of facility. As far as the Lodge - the building is stable (more or less), but is deteriorating and empty. Several buildings around it are not so fortunate to have survived last year's epic snowfall (1000").

Today it would cost a small fortune and probably be an environmental coup to heat it, provide 24x7 electrical power, etc. So, word is that they may consider creating one or several smaller more efficient buildings - again the cloak of secrecy oddly runs deep with today's owners and their confidants. Irwin is running one snowcat three times/week as a haul cat to keep the construction efforts going throughout the winter.

We've asked about plans for a restaurant/bar, etc.. but there's no story to tell yet. The current owners have managed to win over most of the local environmental protest groups in their favor which is a coup in itself. Although the cast skiing may re-start in a season or two, my guess is that the lodge will change hands again before it re-opens based on what we've seen from how these owners and their consultants operate.

It's an incredible opportunity, but a very difficult business to make successful. If you pockets are deep, and your horizons are far enough out, it could be done - but the up front costs are steep. I do wish them well, as they will certainly create a number of good jobs and a nice amenity for Crested Butte.

I sure hope some pulls it off soon!

precipice.jpg


irwin3.jpg


precipice2.jpg


winter.jpg


schema1.jpg


MD.

BTW - The one that is quietly making substantial progress is Floresta - see pics above. They've done a tremendous amount of work on the 1650 acre property (just west of the Y of Kebler & Ohio Pass) buit a lodge, barn and have 47 35ac parcels. It may not be open to the public, nor offer cat skiing - but sitting at the base of the Anthracite Range it is specactular!
 
Last edited:
Wow.. Had a coldie at the lodge on a night run from Gunni in the late 90's. Was told that it would be the brightest moon for hundreds of years to come.. 20-30 sleds out front.. That night was clear and by far the most fun I had in a long time.. You could almost see better than a clear sunny day... It was awesome.. :beer;



BTW pics no werkie for me MD... Nevermind... puter musta been goofed up...
 
Last edited:
Thank you Mtn Doo for the 411 on the lodge. It was about the winter of 2000 when I was there last and yes, I too had a good time and wonderful memories. Sad to see that place just rotting!

Wish I had the $$............and lots of it. Great lodge and one of Colorado's finest areas IMO.

Regards,

Quinton
 
We were up there this past weekend and spoke to the guy working on the cabin and said they are planning on opening it. They are putting a ton of money in the cabin was surprised to see someone. They have some snow fence up to help keep people out. He said they bought 160 acres. The guy was nice about it but told us to leave due to liability. lol. hey Mtn DOO do you know if the hills directly north of the lodge are accessible? There is a sick side hill back there we love mark up. I don’t know if that is a part of the parcel or not.
 
skidworth - they have purchased now nearly 200ac in and around the lodge including the initial buy. However...and this is a big however....they need USFS permit for use of PUBLIC lands to make the Snowcat skiing operation viable. They also need access across another owner's private land to reach the southeast ski slopes. So far, their efforts for both have been met with trepidation. After the lodge demanded a perit with little or no review, it is my understanding that the USFS politely declined their permit application draft and suggested that they provide more information for review and public comment. An aggressive approach with other land owners and the local snowmobile club have yielded nothing but frustrated neighbors - it's truly an unbecoming approach for a new operation. Ironically, when they purchased the lodge and land, they closed 200yards of groomed trail that allowed us to groom the loop to the rolling hills below Ruby mountain - they wouldn't even entertain letting us groom it this season - and they want our support to help them close PUBLIC land to snowmobiling in the proposed permit area for the sole purpose of snowcat skiing - dream on fellers! Better come back to the bargaining table with something if you want our support.

They managed to roll over the local enviro-portest group (hccaonline.org) by hiring their landlord - Crested Butte Mayor Skier-Dude Environmentalists, and his bestest drinking buddy town-council-dude burrito eater all in one fell swoop. These new hires are the same folks that have so far successfully held down the local existing ski area (www.skicb.com) expansion in our area due to "environmental concerns" and an extensive mis-information campaign. (snodgrassfacts.com)

So - back to your question: Yes - USFS lands next to the mining claims owned by the lodge are indeed accessible and for now and open to the public. If the USFS eventually issues a permit for those areas, they may restrict motorized or even "public" use during the permit period.

I'll try to find a good map of the area for you. You just don't want to enter that portion of USFS land through the private land owned by Scarps Ridge, LLC (Irwin Lodge) - you probably want to enter it from the Copley Lake/Irwin Townsite side and have a map/GPS avail. The Lodge owners need to prove to their insurance carrier that they can control access to their land. I think Irwin Lodge has some responsibility to mark their claims so that if they don't want outside users crossing their land, it's obvious where their boundaries lie - there's probably no legal basis for that though.

Ok - attached is a parcel map. Above the lake, slightly to the west is the Irwin Lodge owned parcels (right under the road labeled "unknown"). The large clearing to the right (east) is the area I'm addressing in my comments above - that is currently open to riding. Hope this helps!!

I'd be up for a little adventure up that way any time.
Just PM me.

Sorry to deliver the goofy color-commentary on the lodge.

Rgds,

MtnDoo

irwin_parcels.jpg
 
Last edited:
Back to observations:

Back to observations:

Up to 33" of new snow predicted over the next 48hrs!

Stay off of the hills over 30deg as the Natural Avalanche cycle is about to begin again around here with several suspect layers below, and more snow loading coming! Retro-meadow carving contests are cool again. Highmarking = a free body bag and toboggan ride out.

Be smart, be prepared, be equipped; have fun.(and stay alive!)

MtnDoo


****************NOAA**********************
Overnight: Snow and areas of blowing snow. Low around 15. West southwest wind between 10 and 15 mph. Chance of precipitation is 80%. Total nighttime snow accumulation of 3 to 5 inches possible.

Christmas Day: Snow and widespread blowing snow. High near 25. Breezy, with a south southwest wind between 15 and 25 mph, with gusts as high as 40 mph. Chance of precipitation is 100%. New snow accumulation of 5 to 9 inches possible.

Thursday Night: Snow and widespread blowing snow. Low around 15. Breezy, with a southwest wind around 25 mph, with gusts as high as 45 mph. Chance of precipitation is 100%. New snow accumulation of 6 to 10 inches possible.

Friday: Snow and widespread blowing snow. High near 17. Breezy, with a west southwest wind between 20 and 25 mph, with gusts as high as 50 mph. Chance of precipitation is 100%. New snow accumulation of 5 to 9 inches possible.

Friday Night: Snow likely. Cloudy, with a low around -9. North northwest wind between 10 and 15 mph becoming calm. Chance of precipitation is 60%.
 
Last edited:
Down in Crested Butte, we got about a foot and a half.
I suspect there is twice that much up above.

Tons of wind and wind-loading.

Please check cbavalanchecenter.org before traveling in the backcountry.

Be careful & Enjoy.

MtnDoo

Pics tomorrow.
 
Going to Irwin

MD,

We already have reservations that can't be cancelled at Steamboat lake for the 27th - 30th but we are going to race down there early on the 30th!
and check out an area that sounds amazing and that I've always wanted to ride. Have skied the Butte a number of times and always had a great time.

Can't believe how much snow you guys have gotten!
 
Facts about Irwin Lodge

Sounds like the typical rant and rave of someone completely mis-informed about Irwin and it's counterparts - once again. Why is it that everyone wants something for free when it comes to Irwin Lodge? Basically it's why it has always been run at a loss for it's existence.

The mayor is hardly a trustafarian, and I'd personally be happy if he were on my team. No one is as dedicated or knowledgeable about snow, and he's an asset to a business rather than a liability.

The terrain above the lodge is indeed FS - and game for anyone, but you can't just roost through private property to get there. How would you like people roosting through your front yard? It's amazing the stories and freebies everyone wants when it comes to Irwin Lodge.

The "cloak of secrecy" is perhaps the first time this proposed operation may stand on it's own feet. What is there to announce to the public without a business plan. What point is a business plan until the owners know they have a CAT skiing permit. There is no cloak of secrecy - there is no plan in place it seems.

Personally, I hope this operation does indeed take off - Crested Butte is in need. What Irwin does not need is the old guard, the old baggage and attitude it seems displayed here by Mtn doo.
 
Facts? You don't offer any..

i.e. Irwin Lodge was indeed profitable for years, had a great book of repeat business and was "The best kept secret in the Rocky Mountains."
Not sure why the owner kept it a secret, but he did for a while - worked for him. The last group of owner/operators " The Group of 10" are the ones that ran it into the ground.


To address your concerns with my post:

Not a typical rant, not mis-informed.
Rather, a well informed member of the public and the community watching the BS unfold.

No other major development in CB's recent history has held it's cards so close to their vest and bought off political and environmental bodies as effectively.

I encourage Scarp's Ridge LLC(current owners of Irwin Lodge) to:

(1) Disclose who they are
(2) Disclose their full development plans (kind of like a Mine or ski area has to; if over $10m then County 1041 regs apply)
(3) Disclose which public lands they are asking USFS to close to snowmobiles to support their private, paid cat skiing operation.
(4) Live by the same environmental standards that said Mayor has imposed on town developments and county schools. (LEED!)

What freebies are you talking about? Who asked for anything for free from Scarp's Ridge, LLC? LOL.

No one wants anything for free - I paid quite a bit to feed and house my family members and friends when the lodge was up and running years ago - no complaints there.

The CB mayor and his cronies are of one mind, and have drove Crested Butte's economy into the ground well beyond the national recession in the name of preservation and environmentalism. He is indeed an experienced backcountry guide and his contributions with the CB Avalanche reports are noted. But an unemployed backcountry guide living in a million dollar house with no job choosing "The right kind of people" to live in CB, now recusing himself from a council resolution and letter to the USFS that supports opening a new ski area in pristine backcountry lands for which he will be employed? Wow - what a guy.

There are lots of ways to access FS land in and around the Lodge if you like, hence the map I provided. If Scarp's Ridge doesn't want the occasional errant tracks, then they should put up a few hundred dollars worth of signs, not simply make threats. Their footprint on Scarp's is actually fairly small vs the riding area.

3 Million to buy the lodge and land, 150k to re-develop a 400sq/ft hut, 3m for CB Club downtown - and you say there is no business plan? You're dreaming. People don't make that kind of investment without well formed intentions. Look at Floresta - 47 tracts, Private Lodge - no skiing or diesel cats running between private homes every 3 hrs to pick up tourists. Scarp's Ridge is all about subverting the process that others have to live by and they've been very effective with their pocketbook.

I likewise hope they're successful in some form - but I don't see them getting there with the approach that their local matron has taken so far.

If Crested Butte, it's Mayor and Town Council were serious about addressing CB's need for business development, they would support the Existing ski area's expansion onto Snodgrass, support the Mine, nix horizontal zoning, incent business to fill the 12 open retail spaces on Elk Ave, not have taken 10 drafts to approve a simple time-share ordinance and fast track 6th Street Station and Foothills development approvals. But that's not CB Town Council - they'd rather endlessly regulate noise, snowbanks, real estate offices, chicken coops and newspaper boxes.

But, Irwin Lodge is not about Crested Butte. 25 Cat Skiers/day in Irwin are not going to fix Crested Butte's economy. It is about planed real estate development and Tourism in Irwin, tourists paying $600/day to ski in "exclusive fashion" , and in the very short term: CB's Mayor having something do do other than spreading lies about the Moly Mine with his lawyer friend and obstructing the local economy.

Yikes!

If you want to debate this further, either PM me, or I'll start another thread so we can keep this thread focused on snow conditions and helping snowmobilers visit and enjoy the area.

Great first post!

MtnDoo
 
Last edited:
wow some one woke up on the wrong side of the bed :eek:
ive never been there thinking about taking a trip there in a few weeks...is there quite a bit of trails? or make your own :D
 
Pro-xr434 - this happens. Sorry to let loose here a bit; wrong venue.

We(Turbo, Phil, Greg, myslef) groom the main routes Wednesday, Friday and Sunday. (Ericcson Springs run is on Wednesdays)
Here's the Big Map of Our Groomed Routes.
Most of the groomers are for access to off-trail areas as you can exhaust the trail riding in a day or so by itself.
PM'd ya too.

Not a cloud in the sky - should be a good ride today!

L8R

;-)

MtnDoo
 
Last edited:
'Sorry to spew' - it's your life

Look who's the "trusta" - where you getting all the time to figure all your 'facts'. The facts are this, your another voice commenting on what everyone else is doing wrong, and what YOU think is right. Everyone has so much to say about how to do it - but no one does it - they just make nasty comments.

What the hell does your challenge entail? Who the hell are you to be challenged?

You're just another nagging voice at the trailhead.

I'm done making comments on this forum too - I only signed up and made these comments b/c your banter is annoying.
 
Pro - xr434 - sorry your question wasn't answered. Mtn Doo was too excited to defend his solution for Irwin's problems and got right at his own commentary.

There are some groomed trails, by a local snowmobile club, but mainly the main arteries. There are pow fields to play in as far as the eye can see, and it is indeed a paradise for snowmobiling. We've had mad snow, and safety is a concern, but there are also so many low angle fields, meadows, beaver ponds, etc to carve to your heart's delight. There are also many dangers, but if you come a day after the pounding snow, and there's just one bluebird day - you will see from the other tracks out there where to go.

It's deep, it's cold, and it's heaven. Hope you get to enjoy.
 
Well, clearly you bring no substance.
Did you even read my response?

Do you not read the local papers or talk to folks?

What nagging voice at the trailhead?
What the hell are you talking about?

If you're hearing voices, that should be looked into a bit deeper.
Carefully now, put the lighter down....step away from the bong.

L8R.
 
Last edited:
Premium Features



Back
Top