Gunnison Valley boasts the only local avalanche center in the entire state.

The Colorado snowpack is notoriously fickle. It can be the difference between a good day and a tragic one. The Crested Butte Avalanche Center (CBAC) has worked for decades to make that understanding accessible to everyone through local forecasting, education and persistent community outreach.

“You’re only as strong as your weakest link in the backcountry,” said CBAC Development Director Karen Williams. “The more people who can know what’s going on and what they’re doing with their skills, the better off we all are. That’s our goal always.”

That underpins CBAC’s outreach programs like the annual Beacon Brush Up, trailhead days and fireside chats. These efforts reinforce skills, demystify avalanche forecasts and keep people engaged with current conditions throughout the winter.

“We’ve all seen this area get more popular,” Executive Director Than Acuff said. “I want to make sure that more people know that they could use our forecasts and our information. Ultimately, we want to give them the tools to make the right decisions, so they come home safe.”

People’s snow science knowledge runs the gamut in Gunnison Valley. Some recreators check the CBAC avalanche forecast every morning. Some recreators have been getting into the winter backcountry for decades. Others visit not even knowing avalanche forecasts are a thing.

That reality helped inspire CBAC’s avalanche danger sign at the entrance to town, modeled after wildfire danger signage.

“The goal with that sign is it’s not for the locals necessarily,” Williams explained. “But to maybe trigger some people who are from the Front Range or you know, coming from other places like, ‘oh, what is the CBAC? Let me let me look them up.’”

Outreach also plays a critical role in reminding people avalanche danger isn’t limited to expert terrain or far-off peaks. Avalanche terrain exists along roads and in town, as well as along popular snowshoeing and Nordic skiing trails. Everyone benefits from avalanche awareness—whether they are out walking their dog or ski touring to Aspen.

Events with the Gunnison Senior Center and Crested Butte Community School help spread the word—and are simply fun too.

“The kids are just mesmerized,” Acuff said.

While CBAC embraces a quirky, community-driven style—evident at events like Avalanche Night—the mission behind the outreach is deeply serious. The organization’s long-term vision is zero avalanche deaths in its forecast area.

“It’s all fun and games, what we’re doing, right?” Williams said. “The reality is people die in avalanches and we’re doing everything we can to prevent that from happening.  That is our ultimate goal.”