western state is sick.
i went to CU for 3 years and definately got tired of the commute after a while. Not to mention most people choose to get really drunk on the weekends (not a bad thing) which can be a pain in the ass when depending on others for rides. otherwise its super fun (maybe too much).
as far as Western state goes, its small (about 2500), 30 minutes from Crested Butte, there are tons of kids who are REALLY stoked on skiing, and they have a good business program. They have a really cool program that organizes outdoor adventures nearly every weekend called Wilderness Pursuits, you can get credits for taking avy classes, and there is a lot better sense of community. If your looking for a typical college town/city feel it might not be for you but if your looking for quality skiing and a decent school its worth looking into. however there are not nearly as many options for majors. crested butte has the best backcountry access in colorado except for maybe the san juans. if you like mtn biking, watersports (we have the largest lake in CO), cliff jumping, climbing etc in the off season this place is a mecca.
i couldnt be happier with my decision to transfer from CU to Western State, both from a skier standpoint and an academic one. i got tired of the scene in summit county and was tired of skiing thru hoards of retarded weekend warriors from the front range on shitty terrain (excluding the parks).
oh yeah, ive also skied every month but september when i was just too busy.
hope that helps