Logan Pehota and Cal Hill Shred Crested Butte

Looking for Colorado ski videos? This one from Crested Butte will certainly scratch your itch. Watch veteran pro skier Logan Pehota and newcomer Cal Hill huck cliffs and throw backflips all over Crested Butte Mountain Resort’s back bowls. This new short ski film by Matchstick Productions highlights the best of Crested Butte, through the eyes of a young gun and a seasoned pro.

Summary of the film

The film opens with shots of a student working at a laptop. It’s Cal Hill, a junior at Western Colorado University in Gunnison. In addition to being a student, Cal is a really good skier. When he’s not doing schoolwork, he and the rest of the Mountain Sports freeride ski team grab their gear and shred Crested Butte Mountain Resort.

We follow Cal as he transitions from a student to an athlete. He heads to the slopes of Crested Butte, where he meets up with freeskiing legend Logan Pehota. As a longtime pro athlete, Logan Pehota has seen many up-and-comers. But even he is impressed by Cal’s skills—and guts.

“Kids these days!” said Logan, after watching Cal smoothly stomp back-to-back drops. “That was insane!”

On the lift, Cal shows Logan all his favorite places on the trail map. “This is just, like, all the gnar,” says Cal, gesturing to the North Face extreme terrain.

Logan and Cal jump off boulders on the Headwall and hit pillow lines through the trees off the North Face Lift. As if dropping cliffs weren’t enough, they add grabs and spins to up their style points. They find one of Crested Butte ski patrol’s famous signs at the top of Highlife. These two certainly aren’t afraid of backflips—it’s almost like they’re trying to out-do each other. None of Crested Butte’s notorious extreme terrain is off-limits to these shredders. Plus, it’s a pow day!

The film concludes by following Cal back to the halls of Western, where he returns to being a student—for now.

Who is Logan Pehota?

Originally from Pemberton, British Columbia, Logan Pehota is a professional big mountain skier and snowmobiler. He has appeared in several ski films, including Return to Send’er, Anywhere from Here, and Numinous. He follows in the footsteps of his father Eric, who is also a pro skier. Follow Logan on Instagram @loganpehota.

Who is Cal Hill?

Cal Hill is a Western Colorado University undergraduate student and an up-and-coming talent on the big mountain skiing scene. He made a splash in the 2022 Freeride World Qualifier event at Crested Butte, landing a cork 720 in just his second freeride competition ever. Follow Cal on Instagram @_calhill_.

Crested Butte Mountain Resort’s extreme terrain

Crested Butte Mountain Resort is home to some of the steepest, most technical in-bounds ski terrain in the world. Check out a few of our favorite double-black ski runs at Crested Butte. There are two T-bar surface lifts at Crested Butte—the High Lift and the North Face Lift. These T-bars access the extreme terrain. From the High Lift, ski the exhilarating open face of the Headwall, or cruise through the trees in Teocalli Bowl. The North Face serves an even larger area, including the North Face Glades, Phoenix Bowl, Spellbound Bowl and Third Bowl.

History of freeskiing at Crested Butte

Crested Butte Mountain Resort served as a venue for the early pioneers of big-mountain extreme skiing because it had in-bounds terrain that was much steeper and more technical than almost any other resort at the time. Crested Butte was one of the first hosts of the new U.S. Extreme Skiing Championships in the 1990s. Its chutes and cliffs are still used in freeskiing competitions and events, including Red Bull’s Natural Selection and the Freeride World Tour Qualifier.

Green and blue runs at Crested Butte

Don’t worry—there’s plenty of intermediate and beginner terrain at Crested Butte, too! Skiers and snowboarders who prefer to stick to greens and blues will enjoy exploring the terrain off Paradise Express Lift, Red Lady Lift and Teocalli Lift.

Where is Crested Butte Mountain Resort?

Crested Butte Mountain Resort is located in Mt. Crested Butte, Colorado, just minutes from the beloved old-school ski town of Crested Butte. This area is deep in the heart of the Rocky Mountains, just west of the Continental Divide. The Gunnison Valley is known for its high elevation and cold temperatures that preserve the quality of the snow.

What is Western Colorado University like?

Western Colorado University is a public university in Gunnison, Colorado. About 3,000 students attend this tight-knit school. Students are drawn to Western by small class sizes and hands-on learning opportunities. A growing number of students attend the Paul M. Rady School of Computer Science and Engineering, which offers the first-ever Outdoor Industry Engineering program. Over 100 areas of academic study are offered at Western.

What is there to do at Western Colorado University?

Western students also participate in the outdoor sports for which the area is famous. Campus is conveniently located just minutes from mountain biking trails at Signal Peak and Hartman Rocks. After class or on the weekends, many students head north on the free public bus to go shred Crested Butte. The ski slopes of Crested Butte Mountain Resort are less than 30 miles away via Highway 135. Cross-country skiing, climbing and trail running are also popular pursuits. Students looking to compete in these adventure sports can participate in Western’s unique Mountain Sports program, which allows students to hone their skills in a team environment.

What is Gunnison like?

Gunnison, Colorado is a laid-back college town on the Western Slope. Gunnison lies about halfway between Salida and Montrose on Highway 50. About 7,000 year-round residents live here. Originally, the industries that drove Gunnison’s economy were cattle ranching and granite mining. These days, mountain bikers, hikers and off-road enthusiasts flock to Gunnison for the abundant trails and scenic public lands surrounding the town.

What is Crested Butte like?

Crested Butte, Colorado lies at the feet of the West Elk Mountains at 8,890 feet in elevation. It’s located at the end of Highway 135, about 28 miles north of Gunnison. As the crow flies, it’s just 13 miles south of Aspen. Originally a mining town, Crested Butte’s picturesque historic downtown district now enchants visitors from all over the world. Outdoor recreation in both winter and summer attracts visitors and locals alike. In the snowy months, the most popular activity is to shred Crested Butte Mountain Resort, but there is also abundant and easily accessible Nordic skiing all over the Gunnison Valley. Summer and fall are excellent times to ride a bike in any form, whether it’s on singletrack or a gravel road. There are 1,200 miles of hiking trails here, too.

Matchstick Productions

Matchstick Productions has been making ski films since 1992. Based in Crested Butte, MSP Films has released dozens of ski movies featuring such juggernauts as Shane McConkey, Ingrid Backstrom, Cody Townsend, Seth Morrison and Angel Collinson.

Planning a Crested Butte ski trip

Looking to shred Crested Butte for yourself this winter? Check out this guide to visiting the Gunnison Valley.