Get hot for Breck Spring Fever

You might think that the season is winding down this time of year, and while it’s true that we are in the final weeks of skiing and riding, these sunny days in Breck are more action-packed than any other time of year.

Spring Fever around here doesn’t necessarily mean that temperatures are high. Sure, it might be T-shirt weather on the après patio one day, but it could dump a foot of fresh snow the next. With the glorious surprise of either powder or sun and slush awaiting you on the mountain, here are a few sure things to expect for Spring Fever:

Happy hours on Fridays at 5

On Peak 8, Chair 5 will be running until 5 p.m. every Friday through the end of the season, serving the terrain park where skiers and riders can partake in a jam contest beginning at 2 p.m., complete with live DJ and hot dogs on the grill. The gondola will also be running late to serve park goers and après revelers.

Unusual athletic feats

Commemorating the fact that Breckenridge was Colorado’s first major resort to allow snowboarding in 1984, The Mountain Dew Throwback Throwdown on March 29 features pro snowboarders – including Olympians and former Olympians – competing in halfpipe contests in both the Freeway Terrain Park’s modern and massive superpipe with 22-foot walls as well as a throwback-to-the-eighties minipipe with 5-foot walls. Expect some retro tricks. No spins beyond 540 degrees are allowed.

Get one, two or three of your friends to team up with you for the EpicMix Scavenger Hunt  from 9 a.m. to 2 p.m. on April 5 to find 10 locations around the mountain and upload a fun photo of yourselves there. It’s free, with awesome prizes at stake, but there’s only room for 100 teams – so get registered now.

Wildly hilarious for children and admittedly entertaining for one and all, Ripperoo’s Mascot Winter Olympics at 9:30 a.m. on April 6 pits Breck’s own costumed doggie against his rooster, hedgehog and giant teddy bear friends in a series of snow sport contests at the base of Peak 8. See which big fuzzy head claims gold.

The fourth annual fundraiser for the Dwight Brill Celebration of Life fund, the Fever Battle Charity Hockey Game at 5:30 p.m. on April 7 brings an intense rivalry and surprisingly high-level of hockey to the Breckenridge Ice Arena as ski school and ski patrol go head-to-head. Heckling is welcome, beer is cheap and entry is $5.

Those who are as strong if not stronger at going uphill rather than downhill can try their speed in the final Breck Ascent Series race of the season at 5:30 p.m. on April 9. Possibly the toughest route of the bunch, the finale ascent takes competitors (skiers with skins or snowshoers with snowboards in tow) from the base of Peak 7 to the top of Peak 6, with an after party at the T-Bar Grill. Registration is $17 in advance or $22 day of.

As if going up the mountain with skis and board wasn’t enough, the 23^rd annual Imperial Challenge at 10 a.m. on April 12 throws wheels into the mix. Before even strapping on your board, you race six miles from the Breckenridge Recreation Center to the base of Peak 8 on your bike before heading up with skins or snowshoes to either the top of the T-Bar or the top of Imperial ridge, then downhill your way back to the base. It’s the ultimate test of lungs and stamina. Sign up at mavsports.com

Free live music

This ain’t no hillbilly strumming a banjo, people. The A-list lineup of free music for The Bud Light Concert Series at 2 p.m. at the base of Peak 8 includes Big Bad Voodoo Daddy on April 12, Gin Blossoms on April 13, Yonder Mountain String Band on April 18 and Blues Traveler on April 19.

Easter

There’s no shortage of celebration for spring’s token holiday, beginning with a free town Easter Egg hunt at 4 p.m. on April 19 at Blue River Plaza. Eggs are hidden throughout the town of Breck and the Easter Bunny will be on hand for photos. On Sunday April 20, early risers can participate in the most beautiful Sunrise Easter Services of their lives at 6 a.m. on the mountain at TenMile Station. The Quicksilver lift at Peak 9 will run early for service goers free of charge, but no ski equipment is allowed. The free Egg Hunt on the Mountain on April 20 kicks off at 8:30 a.m. Hundreds of non-toxic, environmentally friendly eggs will be strewn all over the mountain, containing coupons to be exchanged for candy, baked goods and special prizes.

Extended season

Many of you are aware of Mother Nature’s cheeky habit of unloading several feet of snow on Colorado’s mountains the minute the ski areas close, but the joke isn’t going to be on Breck this year. Originally slated to close on April 20, Breckenridge’s Peaks 6, 7 and 8 will stay opened for skiing and riding until April 27.

– Shauna Farnell