Cold-weather fun takes on a competitive edge in Colorado’s favorite hot springs town. Through early March, elite and fun races dominate the winter sports calendar in Glenwood Springs.
The race is on in and around Glenwood Springs, a hub for winter sports. When prizes are on the line, everyone from the world’s top athletes to weekend warriors wants to be in on the action. You can be a spectator at a televised and world-renowned sports competition or a contender in a less extreme contest. Either way, you score big when it comes to winter fun and games in the hot springs town.
2023 X Games, Jan. 27 – 29
Watch the top athletes from around the globe compete for glory on the slopes of Buttermilk in Aspen. Participants vie for gold, silver and bronze medals, as well as cash prizes. The free, three-day winter action sports event features a mountain festival experience in addition to snowboarding and skiing competitions. If you go, dress in layers for warmth; and, instead of driving, take the bus or shuttle to the mountain venue. For overnight accommodations, Glenwood Springs hotels offer winning deals, especially when compared to lodging prices in Aspen.
Ski Spree Mountain Treasure Hunt, Feb. 4
Sunlight Mountain Resort located just minutes from downtown Glenwood Springs has a knack for keeping winter doldrums at bay. The annual resort festival is all about generating smiles and having a great time. During Ski Spree, one and all are invited to sleuth out oversized dollar bills hidden all over the mountain and turn them into guest services to claim actual loot!
Heathen Challenge SkiMo Race Feb. 5th
The longest continuously run Colorado ski mountaineering race is back for 2023! The race takes place at the beautiful Sunlight Mountain Resort. In Olympic years, it’s a qualifying event to make the US olympic uphill team, and is Sunlight Mountain’s largest ski race of the season with about 150 competitors. The Heathen strives to incorporate as much backcountry skiing and skinning as possible. Whether you are a seasoned race veteran or a newcomer to the sport we promise that the Heathen will not disappoint. Come out to test your skills in skinning, transitions and ripping downhill on skinny ski’s!
Ski for Sisu, Feb. 4 – 12
This fundraiser for Spring Gulch Nordic Trails attracts a community of hearty folks who love to skinny ski. The race costs $30 for adults to enter, but enthusiasts also can collect pledges per mile to increase donations. Entrants have nine days to traverse various loop courses and log their distance, which is based on the honor system. Courses at Spring Gulch are short, medium and long— 3.5, 10 or 12.5 kilometers. Schuss them once or multiple times over the course of the event. Prizes are awarded for most kilometers skied and most pledges collected.
Defiance Challenge, March 3
Another winning event that takes place at Sunlight Mountain, the Defiance Challenge is a competition that tests the skill and endurance of participants. The event is open to teams of two, and the challenge is to ski or ride all 40 of the resort’s most difficult black and double-black diamond runs in 10 hours or less!
Rat Bike Face, March 5
Fat-tire fanatics are no longer limited to warm-weather riding. Snow biking, also known as fat biking, has expanded the cycling season to include winter. With the sport gaining traction, races are cropping up at ski resorts. Sunlight’s Rat Bike Face invites riders to race in the morning, then ski the day away with the reward of a ridiculously cheap lift ticket.
For a winning vacation, the race is on. Ready … set … go to Glenwood Springs this winter! Learn more and make plans to visit today.
Download the official Glenwood Springs Travel Guide
