Spring Fever Spikes in Colorado Ski Country USA and our Colorado Mountain Towns
SNOW!!! That beautiful four letter word and we have been seeing a lot of it lately. Colorado Ski Country USA (CSCUSA) resorts and our Colorado Mountain Towns are kicking off spring ski season with the fluffy white stuff and cost saving specials as well as a multitude of options for entertainment.
To entice skiers and snowboarders to take advantage of the spring snow conditions, calendars are filled with activities including free live music concerts (Crested Butte pictured above), invitations to a pop-up bar, scavenger hunts, beach parties, and a St. Patrick’s Retro Day.
Aspen~Snowmass Popup Bar:
Mother Nature has rewarded Colorado with several large storms recently, with more yet to come. Snow conditions are excelling across much of Ski Country, and Colorado’s snowiest month is still ahead. March typically brings robust snow storms, creating powdery playgrounds for spring break revelers. Bountiful storms in March are part of the reason Colorado’s ski season stretches well into May, June, and sometimes July.
Below is a calendar of highlighted events offered throughout Colorado Ski Country this spring, and further below are highlighted resort spring deals.
Arapahoe Basin Easter Egg Hunt:
Events
Today
The Little Nell is taking the “pop-up” trend to a whole new level this spring – roughly 11,000 feet – as the resort opened “The Oasis” on Aspen Mountain on February 17, with a Veuve Clicquot branded POP-Up Champagne Bar. Celebrating Veuve Clicquot’s annual celebration of winter, Clicquot in the Snow, The Oasis hosts guests après ski for flutes of champagne and spectacular views of Aspen Mountain.
The stylish POP-up bar is adorned in the champagne house’s iconic yellow color. It is the world’s only ski-in ski-out champagne bar and the highest champagne bar on the planet. The bar features umbrellas, lounge chairs, solar-powered sound system, flags and other eye-catching features. For more information on The Little Nell call (970) 920-4600.
March 2
From March 2 –4, Winter Park is hosting the 37th Annual Wells Fargo Cup. This event brings together world-class disabled ski racers, Denver celebrities, Broncos alumni along with amateur skiers and snowboarders of all abilities for a weekend of activities to benefit the National Sports Center for the Disabled (NSCD).
Competitors in the Governor’s Cup, a Pro Am race, assemble a team of five friends, family members or co-workers to compete for cash prizes and bragging rights. The highlight of the weekend is the World Disabled Invitational, when disabled skiers compete head-to-head on parallel courses. The Celebrity Challenge is one of the most entertaining events of the weekend as celebrities and former football stars make their way down a race course. Shoppers can also enjoy a giant silent auction. For more information on this event, visit http://www.winterparkresort.com/events.
March 3
Powderhorn is offering a one day downhill extravaganza, Telefest, which features guest clinicians, equipment demos, fun events and an Apres-Nord Party with a live band on the Sunset Deck. The lift ticket and clinic is $60.00, clinics are $25.00, the party is $10.00 and a t-shirt is $15.00. For more information, visit http://www.powderhorn.com/6th-annual-telefest.
March 10
Bud Light Rocks the Boat Free Concert Series kicks off on March 10 in Steamboat for the 13th season, and offers a great mixture of various musical genres. All concerts start at 3 p.m. on the Steamboat Stage in Gondola Square, except for closing day, April 15, when there will be two bands and the concert will begin at 2:30 p.m.
2012 Music Line-up:
Saturday, March 10th – Band of Heathens
Saturday, March 17th – See-I
Saturday, March 24th – ALO
Saturday, March 31st – New Monsoon
Saturday, April 7th – Keller Williams
Sunday, April 15th – TBD @ 2:30pm & JJ Grey & Mofro @ 4pm
For more information visit www.steamboat.com/concerts.
March 11
Butterfly Roundup is one of the feature events at Monarch this year. Teams of two hunt around the mountain collecting colored butterfly stickers worth various points, and the top three teams win prize packages. There are extra points awarded for costumes, and the event is open to all ages. The cost is $10 per team. For more information, call (719) 530-5081.
March 17
Crested Butte Mountain Resort is once again hosting FestEVOL on March 17 and 18, bringing the unique lifestyle experience that combines mountain sports, live music, innovative natural brands and a sustainably focused “eco-village.” The headline bands for 2012 include Barenaked Ladies on Saturday, March 17, and Guster/Big Head Todd and the Monsters on Sunday, March 18. More info can be found on http://www.skicb.com/cbmr/info/things-to-do/festevol.aspx.
Additional musical artists playing at FestEVOL will be announced soon. Tickets and ticket packages are on sale at www.festevol.com and on each of the host mountain resort websites.
Also on March 17, Purgatory at Durango Mountain Resort is featuring the annual Steamworks Brewing Company Clambake on Purgatory Beach. Guests can enjoy a delicious bowl of steamed clams, corn on the cob and potatoes and pair it with Steamworks’ award winning beers. A portion of the proceeds benefit La Plata County Search and Rescue. Clam-tastic tunes round out this fun après ski event, which runs from 2 – 4 p.m. For more information, visit www.durangolatenight.com.
In celebration of St. Patrick’s Day, Eldora Mountain Resort is hosting its Retro Day, where guest can dig out their favorite retro ski gear and party all day on the mountain. There will be live music, costume party, prizes and drink specials throughout the day. For more information, contact the mountain at (303) 440-8700.
Copper Mountain presents O’Fuego by Sprint, for a St. Patrick’s Day family fete. Guests are invited to celebrate St. Paddy’s Day Copper Style, where En Fuego meets the luck of the Irish. This year’s O’Fuego will feature DJ Leprechaun Landry, fire pits, green beer and green fireworks over West Lake at 7pm. It’s a free street party the whole family can enjoy.
March 19
Sol Vista Basin will hold a Beach Bash and invites guests to chill out. The resort will serve island drinks from a tiki snow bar and play reggae music. There will be fun for the whole family with snow games, an outdoor BBQ, an all-natural log jam, and night skiing and tubing from 5 – 8 p.m. For more information please call 1.888.850.4615 or visit www.GranbyRanch.com.
March 31
New Belgium is back with their infamous on-mountain Scavenger Hunt at Loveland Ski Resort. This is a day for guests to don their best costume, chase chickens, search for Bigfoot and answer ridiculous riddles all while skiing, raising money for The Alliance For Sustainable Colorado, and bonding with friends. Guests are invited to grab a buddy or four, bring $10 per person and a lift ticket or season pass, and join the fleet of New Belgium characters on the slopes of Loveland Ski Area for a Scavenger Hunt. For more information, visit http://www.skiloveland.com/events/March.aspx.
Echo Mountain is calling all cowboys and cowgirls as that resort hosts the Echo Mountain Round Up, Echo’s version of the Wild West. Guests are invited to don boots, hats and western garb as Denver’s closest ski and snowboard area transforms into the ‘Ol West with Lil’ Wranglers (ages 12 & under) Rail Jam for kids (skiers and snowboarders), evening adult racing, costume contests, BBQ, Rocky Mountain Chili Bowl snowboard giveaway, eating competition, stick horse races, prizes and much more. For more details please visit www.echomt.com/calendar.
April 8
The Beach’N Egg Hunt is on once again this year at Arapahoe Basin. The Easter Bunny and Chicken visit A-Basin for an Easter Egg Hunt on skis. Both skiing and non-skiing children can participate. The Easter Bunny arrives at noon – just outside the Snowsports Center. The free egg hunts take place on Molly Hogan for guests who do not ski and on Wrangler for those that do ski. Full details about this event can be found at www.arapahoebasin.com/events.
Deals
Sunlight
This spring, Sunlight invites skiers and riders to “Learn to Shine” with a three day lesson, rental and lift ticket package. Skiers and snowboarders that participate in the “Learn to Shine” program are matched with top instructors from Sunlight Mountain Resort. The three lessons can be taken on the dates of the student’s choice and participants get a free 5-Day ski pass to practice upon completion of the lessons. Skiers can take advantage of this package for $280 and snowboarders for $295. For details please visit www.sunlightmtn.com/snow-school.
Telluride
Kids ski free, rent free and eat free with Telluride Resort Lodging. When guests book five nights of lodging and a four day lift ticket and ski rental package with Telluride Resort Lodging, they receive one comparable child lift ticket per adult lift ticket purchase and one child equipment rental per adult equipment rental. Guests will also receive a $50 Mountain Dining Card to put towards lunch at one of their resort’s on-mountain restaurants. Call 1-800-778-8581 for more information.
Ski Cooper
Launched on February 22, skiers and riders can bring a season pass from any ski area in Colorado and buy two full day adult lift tickets for the price of one. This offer runs through March 6. No more than one transaction per season pass holder per day can be used, the deal is not valid with any other offers and has no cash value. More information can be found at www.SkiCooper.com.
Wolf Creek
On March 25 and again on March 31, Wolf Creek is offering lift ticket specials for college students. On these two days, students can purchase a ticket for $33.00 with a current student photo ID. On March 28, locals can take advantage of Locals Appreciation Day to hit the slopes for only $33.00 adult lift tickets, and $19.00 senior and child lift tickets. No ID is required. For more information call (970) 264-5639.
