By: Karolyn Castaldo
That’s right. This year, we are celebrating the Fourth of July in a way that has not
been done in many years. Due to the crazy amounts of snow that fell last season, resorts
such as Alpine Meadows, Sugar Bowl, Snowbird, Kirkwood, Squaw Valley, Mammoth
and Arapahoe Basin are all reopening for a special salute to the good old USA! But
before you pack up your gear and head for the hills, there are a few events and deals
going on at a few of the resorts that you should know about.
Those of you who choose to spend your Fourth of July at Alpine Meadows will
come home with a commemorative T-shirt and plenty more memories of skiing in July.
Sugar Bowl pass holders can enjoy a day of grilled food and drinks as they ski. Snowbird
will be holding an all-you-can-eat pancake breakfast to celebrate while skiers can relax
and listen to a live band at the base. Kirkwood will not be open on the 4th but will be
open the weekend before Independence Day.
Squaw Valley will be hosting the 21st Annual Lake Cushing Crossing. However,
this is the first of Squaw’s prestigious pond skims to take place in the summer time!
Squaw prides themselves on their pond skim because it takes place on a real lake rather
than a man-made body of water or a kiddie pool like other mountains. There are five
divisions in which one can compete: men’s skiing or snowboarding, women’s skiing or
snowboarding, and unlimited, which can be anything from a lawn chair to an engine-less
snowmobile. The event will begin at 2pm and prizes will be given to the winner of each
division.
Worried about missing the usual Fourth of July festivities? Mammoth is the place
to be! With plenty of activities for people of all ages, Mammoth has turned this weekend
into an Independence Day paradise, with concerts and barbecues galore, and of course
plenty of skiing and snowboarding to be done. Certainly, it would not be the Fourth of
July without fireworks, so they are providing more than one fireworks show over the
course of the weekend. It is sure to be a party!
Skiing in July has not occurred in Colorado since 1997, but this year, Arapahoe
Basin is proud to say they will be running lifts for July 4th. If you are simply looking for
a place to get a lot of great skiing in, this is the place to go. Arapahoe has been open
every weekend in April, May and June this season. However, they announced that July
4th will be the last day of the 2010/2011 season, so get your last official day in!
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