Corn Harvest Benefit at Loveland.
Spring has officially arrived at Colorado Ski Country USA (CSCUSA) ski areas and resorts with longer and warmer days and spring skiing conditions. In addition to great events for the whole family, guests should check the weather report and the Colorado Ski Country snow report for a chance to ski late season powder. Below is a roundup of springtime celebrations happening at CSCUSA ski areas through the end of the 2016-17 ski season.
A full list of expected closing dates is at the bottom of this post.
Arapahoe Basins Enduro is a full day of fun both on and off the hill to benefit a member of the local community. Spectators can cheer on teams of two as they lap the Pallavicini Lift and terrain for 10 hours to see which team can complete the most laps. Teams of two can also enter the Enduro Light, an all-mountain ski tour in the spirit of the Enduro all to benefit longtime A-Basin employees Devon and Becky Haire, whose daughter Amelia was born in early March with an abdominal condition that requires multiple surgeries. All are welcome at the ski areas aprs party, a huge silent auction and an Italian dinner.
Join A-Basin for a family-friendly egg hunt for children of all ages. Search for 5,000 candy filled eggs on the mountain, as well as two golden eggs with prizes like a childrens 2017-18 season pass. The egg hunt for those on foot will begin at 10:30 am at the Molly Hogan Learning Area and the egg hunt for those on skis/snowboards starts at 11:30 am on the beginner trail, Wrangler.
For more information and complete list of spring activities visitwww.arapahoebasin.com.
Buttermilk is excited to host the Aspen Ascent Festival the weekend after the lifts close for the season. The City of Aspen, in partnership with Aspen Skiing Company and The North Face is sponsoring this flagship uphill event to further uphill economic development in Aspen. The lifts wont be running, but 70 percent of the terrain will be groomed. For more information, visitwww.AspenSpecialEvents.com/Aspen-Ascent-Weekend.
Taking place April 9 at the bottom of Aspen Highlands, the ninth annual Schneetag (pronounced Sch-knee Tog) invites teams of four to create a craft they will pilot down a slope and attempt to float across a 40 by 20 foot pond. Schneetag is the German word for “snow day.” Put simply, it translates to “daredevils willing to propel themselves down a hill, over a jump and across a pond on a craft they built themselves.” Each team will present a theme and perform a skit before they descend. Visithttp://www.aspensnowmass.comto register now.
Guests visiting Cooper from April 3 to April 9 can purchase lift tickets for only $25. Cooper will also host an Easter egg hunt on April 8 starting at 9 am. For more information visithttp://skicooper.com/.
Copper is proud to host the United States of America Snowboard and Freeski Associations National Championship. 2,000 top athletes will compete in events including slopestyle, boarder/ski cross and halfpipe. These amateur athletes are future Olympians and World Champions.
Coppers annual closing weekend celebration, Sunsation, is back for another year on April 15-16. Close out another awesome winter season with live music, the RedBull Slopesoakers, the High Fives Shred-a-thon and the World Largest Easter Egg Hunt.
For a full schedule of spring events, check outCopperColorado.com.
Crested Butte Mountain Resort brings back the Winter Chainless Downhill bike race this year during the first weekend of April. Spectators are encouraged to watch at the finish in the base area as participants tackle the final descent on Warming House Hill. The entry fee of $10 gives each competitor a chance to win the grand prize- a free summer season pass for the upcoming summer season. Winners and raffle prizes will be announced after the race at Butte 66 during the CB Unplugged Show featuring Grammy nominee Hayes Carll.
Now in its third year, the base area rail jam brings park competitors to the center of the action on closing weekend. The end of ski season is another excuse to celebrate, dress up in silly costumes and have wacky events, like the LandShark Pond Skim, where contestants skim across water on their skis and snowboards. The main event starts at 2 pm on warming house hill with live music from Colorados award winning bluegrass band Trout Steak Revival at Butte 66 from 4 to 6 pm.
Visithttp://www.skicb.com/for more information.
Eldora Mountain Resort will host the inaugural Ditchslap Banked Slalom Presented by 10 Barrel Brewing Co. on Saturday April 1 from 10 am to 3 pm. Snowboarders are invited to compete in one of four different competitive divisions for a share of the $10,000 prize purse. The Ditchslap Banked Slalom features a luge-like course with gates flanked by high berms, allowing riders to slingshot from one edge of their board to the other as they gain momentum and speed. Competitors receive two timed runs and the fastest combined time will determine the winner.
To register and more information, visitwww.Ditchslap10.com.
To celebrate the last turns of the ski season, Granby Ranch will host its annual pond skim with a live DJ and the final Meltdown race of the season. Special pass pricing for summer and winter of the 2017-18 season will be available, but you must be present to purchase. For more information visithttp://www.granbyranch.com/.
Hesperus will be open Friday through Sunday, 4 to 9 pm, starting March 24, as conditions permit.On Friday nights, enjoy bonfires and free smores. Visithttps://www.ski-hesperus.com/for more information including up-to-date operating dates.
Monarch Mountain will host its signature spring event featuring kayaks racing head-to-head down a course of berms, banks and bumps that ends in an icy pond. To register or for more information visitwww.skimonarch.com.
Celebrate the end of the ski season and beginning of whitewater season with Monarchs annual parking lot cook-off and tailgate party. Guests are encouraged to whip up their best eats, competing for a 2017-18 season pass, among other goodies. For more information, please visitwww.skimonarch.com.
Join Loveland Ski Area to celebrate spring skiing and support the CAIC, an invaluable source of information for backcountry travelers, and the Colorado Department of Transportation at the 16thAnnual Corn Harvest. Guests don their best Hawaiian shirts and Loveland provides the leis as participating skiers and snowboarders raise funds and tour Loveland with local experts, enjoy live music on the basin patio and win great prizes in a raffle stocked with skis, beacons, packs, outerwear, and more. Packages are available for the event and include a lift ticket, lunch, New Belgium beer and a raffle ticket. For more information, visitwww.skiloveland.com.
Powderhorn will host a Kid Olympics day on Saturday, March 25thwith kids and their family members competing on an obstacle course. After the Kid Olympics wraps up, join over 100 competitors dressed in their best beach attire for the annual pond skim. Visithttp://www.powderhorn.com/for more information.
With 20 feet of snow already this winter, Purgatory Resort is extending its ski season through April. Purgatory is open daily through April 2, then the ski resort will be open Fridays through Sundays, April 7-9 and 14-16 and Saturday-Sunday April 22-23 and 29-30, 10 am to 5 pm.
Purgatory is bringing back a favorite classic event and will once again host a pond skimming contest on April 2 from 1 to 3 pm on the ski beach with Ska Brewing, Red Bull and a live DJ.Participate and skim across the pond in the base area or watch the action from an Adirondack chair on Purgatory Beach. Its only $5 to enter. For a complete list of exciting events and great spring lodging deals, visithttps://www.purgatoryresort.com/.
Photo by Larry Pierce courtesy of Steamboat.
This year, Steamboat is offering its Springalicious pass, which includes three days of skiing during the month of April for $129. To purchase and for more information visitwww.steamboat.com.
The Steamboat Ski Area will be rocking during the spring with the Rocks the Boat Free Concert Series offering a great mixture of various musical genres. The Rocks the ‘Boat series has brought together everything from bluegrass and New Orleans style rhythm & blues to a traditional Irish sound to flat out rock and roll. The spring lineup includes: Flow Tribe, Con Brio, Anderson East and the Wailers. For more information and full list of spring events, visitSteamboat.com/events.
Telluride Ski Resort will mark the end of the winter season with a free concert with G. Love and Special Sauce. The concert will kick off at Mountain Village Core at 3 pm after the annual pond skim competition and dance party at Gorrono Ranch. For more information atwww.tellurideskiresort.com.
April will be packed with live music during the month long Springtopia at Winter Park. The final concert will feature Michael Franti & Spearhead on Saturday, April 22. The next day, Winter Park will say goodbye to the 2016-17 season with the annual pond skim. Discounted lift tickets and passes will be available throughout the month of April as well. For more information visitwww.winterparkresort.com.
Closing weekend festivities begin Saturday, April 1 with a College Day. College students with a valid college photo I.D. and printed, current class schedule can purchase a $44 lift ticket. The Howlin Wolf Super-G Race will be Saturday, April 1 and Sunday, April 2. This true Downhill Super G will be from the top to the bottom of Wolf Creek and benefit the Wolf Creek Ski Team and begins at 9:30 am. The special rates continue closing day, with a Local Appreciation Day. Skiers and riders can purchase lift tickets at the special rate of $44 for adults, $27 for seniors and $24 for children; no I.D. required.
Wolf Creek will open for bonus weekends in April based on weather and storm cycles. For more information and to check for late season weekend openings, visitwww.wolfcreekski.com.
Expected closing dates, which are subject to change and could be extended:
