Intermediate and Advanced Crested Butte Skiing from Paradise Express Lift

Some of the best intermediate and advanced Crested Butte skiing is off the Paradise Express Lift. Paradise Express, one of the longest lifts at Crested Butte, offers a wide range of terrain options for groups with multiple ability levels. Paradise provides access to wide-open groomers, challenging glades and powder-filled bowls, all with breathtaking alpine views. Paradise Express is a high-speed lift that seats four per chair and unloads at the top of Paradise Bowl. Terrain openings depend on snow, but Paradise Express generally starts spinning early in the season.

What is the skiing off Paradise Express like?

The Paradise area contains a mixture of groomed and ungroomed runs. A few runs with moguls and glades offer added technicality. Skiers ready for a challenge can also access advanced and expert terrain from Paradise lift. Paradise Express is centrally located at Crested Butte Mountain Resort between the front side and the extremes. It provides easy access to East River, the North Face lift and the Teocalli lift.

How to get to the Paradise Express Lift

The bottom of Paradise Express is at the Paradise Warming House. You can get to the bottom of Paradise Express from the base area via Red Lady Lift. From the top of Red Lady, head straight towards Lower Ruby Chief. Follow this run into the lift line to get to intermediate and advanced Crested Butte skiing from Paradise Express.

You can also get to Paradise Bowl from the Sliver Queen Lift. When you get off Silver Queen, keep right to take the cat track down to the top of Paradise Lift and Paradise Bowl. There are a few runs that go to the bottom of Paradise Express if you want to stay in this area.

Other lifts near Paradise Express

Because of its central location, it’s easy to get to other areas of the mountain from Paradise. From Paradise Bowl, follow Lower Treasury down to the East River Express lift, which accesses advanced and intermediate terrain. The Teocalli lift is just past the bottom of Paradise Express down a run called Upper Conundrum. Teocalli unloads at the top of the Red Lady lift, where there are multiple trails back to the base area. Get to expert terrain from Paradise Express by riding the lift and unloading left towards the North Face Lift.

Where is the Paradise area?

Paradise Bowl isn’t visible from the base area. Paradise Bowl and the top of Paradise Express are tucked into the southern side of Crested Butte Mountain Resort, just below the ridgeline of the mountain. This area sits at 10,000 feet in elevation. The view from the top of Paradise Express is one of the best on the mountain. Take in the stunning scene of the Elk Mountains before hitting a run.

Paradise Warming House

Need a break or a bit to eat? Gather the group together at Paradise Warming House, located at the base of the Paradise Express Lift. The Paradise deck is a great place to sip a beer and have a snack on sunny bluebird days. Find a full bar, cafeteria-style restaurant and warm drinks inside. The Warming House also has a water fountain and bathrooms.

Intermediate Runs off Paradise Express

The blue runs off Paradise Express tend to be a little steeper than blues in other areas of the mountain. This area is great for intermediate skiers trying to progress to more challenging skiing.

Paradise Bowl

This wide-open bowl has a pitch that is great for intermediate skiers who like to go fast. Take wide turns and enjoy a little speed on the consistent and smooth fall line. The bowl is groomed in the center, with bumps forming on the ungroomed edges. Paradise Bowl connects to Lower Ruby Chief, Upper and Lower Forest Queen, Upper Canaan, and Lower Bear to get back to Paradise Express.

Paradise Bowl also connects to the East River Express lift. Take Upper Canaan from Paradise Bowl to Upper Treasury or Upper Gallowich, both intermediate. From there, connect to Lower Treasury or Middle Gallowich to Lower Gallowich to get to the bottom of the East River Express lift.

Upper Forest Queen

Upper Forest Queen is more difficult than Lower Forest Queen. The trail starts with a steep drop and is often lined with moguls. The slope mellows out gradually into a tree-lined section. Upper Forest Queen connects with Forest Queen for a mellow finish back to Paradise Express.

Lower Forest Queen

Lower Forest Queen is a groomed intermediate trail. Cruise down the moderate pitch for a relaxed descent. Dip into the tree-lined sections to get in some glade skiing. Upper Forest Queen is an advanced run with moguls.

Avoid Upper Forest Queen by unloading left off Paradise Lift. Ski down Paradise Bowl and cut left to Upper Canaan to connect to Lower Forest Queen.

Ruby Chief

Upper Ruby Chief is a mogul on skier’s left in Paradise Bowl. The bumps on this run tend to be smaller than in other places at Crested Butte, making this run a great place to start for skiers aspiring to venture into moguls. The beginning section of Upper Ruby Chief is open and narrows towards the bottom.

This trail is long and winding, with rolling terrain and beautiful views. The pitch is moderate and wide. Dip in and out of the trees on the edge of Ruby Chief. Continue onto Lower Ruby Chief or take Forest Queen back to Paradise Express.

Advanced Runs off Paradise Express

Horseshoe

Get to Horseshoe from Upper Ruby Chief. This steep, short run is a fun challenge for advanced skiers. The open, rocky face is best skied with liberal snow coverage.

Horseshoe Springs

Horseshoe Springs is an advanced run with a small, non-mandatory cliff drop called Mineshaft. Ski tight trees and big moguls on this short, steep run.

Robel’s

Unload Paradise Express to the right onto Ruby Road. Robel’s is a short, tight and steep tree run that funnels into Ruby Chief.

Keystone Ridge

Unload right off Paradise Express and take Ruby Road to get to Keystone Ridge. This is a steep, short tree run. It usually holds snow throughout the day and is easy to bail out of if you need to. It connects to Upper Ruby Chief.

Keystone

Keystone is also off Ruby Road. Keystone is one of the only black groomed runs at Crested Butte. Keystone offers a step up to intermediate skiers interested in progressing into black diamond terrain.

Peoria

Peoria is a black mogul run to skier’s right of Upper Park. This short run connects to Roller Coaster, which can be taken back to Red Lady Lift or Silver Queen at the base area.

Expert Terrain off Paradise Express

The Tower 11 Chutes are the only double-black terrain directly accessible from Paradise. Enter the chutes on skier’s right of Paradise Bowl, below Rachel’s. These rocky, technical chutes weave through tightly spaced trees and end up intersecting with Canaan.

Other zones in Crested Butte Mountain Resort

Skiers who aren’t quite ready for Paradise Express still have plenty of terrain to explore. Find fun beginner runs to explore on our beginner ski guide.

Learn more about Crested Butte’s famous extreme terrain in our articles about the North Face and High Lift.

Find out more about skiing in other areas of the mountain (and other places to ski in the Gunnison Valley) in our skiing and snowboarding guide.