ARAPAHOE BASIN - The Wednesday afternoon snow slushed delectably around the Summit County side of the Continental Divide as people crowded the slopes of Arapahoe Basin for KSMT Local's Appreciation Day. Rail jammers raged and live music blazed the base of the mountain all afternoon.

People sat out on the beach near the parking lot's front row. Kids, parents, partners and singles sported retro styles, while others just came as they have all season: Dressed in whatever it takes to love the life they are living among and above the clouds in ski and snowboard country.

"The sun is shining. The weather is sweet, my friend," said John Pallaoro. "This is A-Basin, dude. How can you go wrong?"

Pallaoro and his crew of friends sat on the beach satisfied at the end of another day in the life.

"This is life here under the sun, under the mountains. That's why I'm livin' here, man," said Pallaoro, who stooped down to flip a couple of burgers on a grill he and his buddies built. They dug a hole in the snow, lined it with foil and charcoal, and slapped a metal grate on top. "As long as I clean up the foil and such, it'll be all right. Gotta keep the Basin clean, dude. Got to."

When asked how he would compare this year's local's celebration to those of years past, Pallaoro replied: "Spring is always good at the Basin. How can you compare? They're all one in the same ... I mean each year it's everything, different. Know what I mean?"

Jim and Tom "Birdman" Burnett showed up for the party - Birdman coming all the way from Montana to catch turns and sun.

As of the middle of the afternoon, Birdman - who was born on Thanksgiving, hence the nickname - and Jim had not ruled out the hot tub simmering near the restaurant, as they had plans to meet up with some women after skiing.

Jenn St. Pierre came all the way up from Wintergreen, Va., and managed to slip away with a second-place finish in the Frozen T-Shirt Contest, snagging $70 toward tanning-salon delights.

"I didn't think I was going to win anything at all; not even place," said St. Pierre. "This is beautiful. It brings so many good people out to have a good time."

St. Pierre was among the few contestants to sprint for the hot tub after the contest began and soak the frozen shirts - the shirts all came folded and frozen hard like cutting boards - so she was able to unfold the garment faster than the majority, who spent their contest trying to beat the ice out of the fabric on anything that would take the abuse.

However, most people wore more smiles than clothes.

"I always look for this. It's a great time," said Breckenridge resident Vince King. "Maybe I missed it (Local's Day) once in 10 years, I don't know.

"I won a pair of skis (snowblades) here about five or six years ago. There's good music, great weather. It's like the hat says (pointing to his ball cap): 'Life is good.'"