SHOT 1/10/09 5:21:14 PM - A wreath and Tibetan prayer flags adorn an entryway and a door of a home in Crested Butte, Co. Crested Butte is a Home Rule Municipality in Gunnison County, Colorado, United States. A former coal mining town now called &quot;the last great Colorado ski town&quot;, Crested Butte is a destination for skiing, mountain biking, and a variety of other outdoor activities. The population was 1,529 at the 2000 census. The Colorado General Assembly has designated Crested Butte the wildflower capital of Colorado. The primary winter activity in Crested Butte is skiing or snowboarding at nearby Crested Butte Mountain Resort in Mount Crested Butte, Colorado. Backcountry skiing in the surrounding mountains is some of the best in Colorado. The mountain, Crested Butte, rises to 12,162 feet (3,700 m) above sea level. Prayer flags are colorful panels or rectangular cloths often found strung along mountain ridges and peaks high in the Himalayas to bless the surrounding countryside or for other purposes. Unknown in other branches of Buddhism, prayer flags are believed to have originated with B&ouml;n, which predated Buddhism in Tibet. Traditionally they are woodblock-printed with texts and images..(Photo by Marc Piscotty / &copy; 2009)