Teddy's Winter Trail
A short groomed loop through Snodgrass aspens above Crested Butte, built for fat bikes and snowshoes.
About Teddy's Winter Trail
Teddy's Winter Trail is a groomed winter singletrack loop of about a mile in the Snodgrass Mountain area above Mt. Crested Butte. Its summer counterpart is the popular Teddy's Trail. To reach it, head up Snodgrass Road from the Gothic Road side, and the trail turns off to the right just before the road steepens. The loop rolls up and down through aspen groves at roughly 9,700 to 9,800 feet.
The Crested Butte Mountain Bike Association grooms it as part of the valley's winter fat-bike network. Trailforks also lists it for snowshoeing. The Crested Butte Land Trust, the Town of Mt. Crested Butte and other partners helped make the trail available. A connector links it toward North Village, and you can combine it with Snodgrass and Gothic roads for a longer outing.
It's short, but the setting carries it. In winter you get bare white aspen trunks and soft snow, and on clear days you can see the surrounding Elk Mountains.
Part of the groomed singletrack network up at the Snodgrass/Gothic trailhead, built by the CB Land Trust, the Town of Mt. Crested Butte, and Colorado Open Space. It's a mile-long loop through aspens with some genuinely fun terrain — connect it with North Village or add in Gothic and Snodgrass roads if you want to turn a short loop into real mileage, and the aspen trunks here make a strong graphic subject even in flat winter light.
History
Teddy's sits on Snodgrass Mountain in the upper East River valley. The Ute people once used this valley as a summer home before Euro-American settlers displaced them. The nearby town of Crested Butte was incorporated in 1880 and grew on coal and silver mining. After the mines closed, it reinvented itself around skiing, and the resort on Crested Butte Mountain was built in the 1960s.
The valley later became a cradle of mountain biking, and the Mountain Bike Hall of Fame was based in Crested Butte until 2014. Groomed winter singletrack like Teddy's continues that tradition. The Colorado General Assembly named Crested Butte the state's Wildflower Capital in 1990, a reason to come back to the summer trail.
Photographing Teddy's Winter Trail
Best light: Late afternoon is ideal. The low winter sun rakes through the aspens and throws long blue shadows across the groomed track. On bluebird mornings after fresh snow, the trunks and flocked branches look their cleanest. In fall, come back for the summer Teddy's Trail, when its aspens turn gold, usually around late September.
Shots to look for
- With a 70-200mm lens, compress rows of white aspen trunks into an abstract pattern against fresh snow.
- Place a fat-biker or snowshoer small in the frame on the curving groomed track to show scale and the trail's line.
- Shoot low and backlit into the sun through the aspens, so long shadows run across the snow toward the lens.
- Look for openings in the trees that frame the surrounding Elk Mountains, and keep the grove in the foreground.
- Try close-up detail shots of aspen bark, frost and fat-tire tracks on corduroy.
Photo tips
- Check the CBMBA grooming report before you go. Conditions change daily with snow and temperature.
- Don't posthole on groomed singletrack. Wear snowshoes, and stay off the track when it's too soft.
- Snow reflects heavily, so dial in +1 to +2 stops of exposure compensation to keep it white.
- Batteries drain fast in the cold at 9,700 feet. Keep spares in an inside pocket.
- Ride or walk the loop both ways once, because each direction shows different views.
Know before you go
- This is groomed singletrack. Follow CBMBA winter-trail etiquette and stay off it when conditions are too soft.
- The loop is short but rolling, with real climbs at about 9,700 feet. Pace yourself if you've just arrived from lower elevation.
- Trail access is possible thanks to land partners including the Crested Butte Land Trust. Respect closures and private property.
- Check current dog rules and grooming status with CBMBA before heading out.
Frequently asked questions
How long is Teddy's Winter Trail?
It's a groomed loop of about a mile. You can extend it by adding Snodgrass and Gothic roads or the connector toward North Village.
Can you snowshoe Teddy's Winter Trail?
Trailforks lists snowshoeing as an allowed use. Stay off the track when it's soft, so you don't damage the grooming.
Is Teddy's Winter Trail the same as Teddy's Trail?
They share an area and a name. Teddy's Trail is the summer loop off Snodgrass, about 1.9 miles with the road, while the winter trail is a separately groomed loop.
Featured in: Winter Photography Spots in Colorado
Combine it with
Gothic · Crested Butte · Ohio Pass (The Castles Overlook) · Horse Ranch Park (Kebler Pass Road)
More Colorado spots
Sources & further reading: crestedbuttemountainbike.com · trailforks.com · travelcrestedbutte.com · en.wikipedia.org. Conditions, fees and rules change; check with the managing agency before you go.