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Summit County weekend roundup: Warm weather, St. Paddy’s Day and window shopping

From left, Kelly Gerken, Catherine Wolfe, Ali Drake and Cynthia Wolfe aren't going anywhere without each other as they head out the March 2017 second annual Frisco Brewski, a happy-hour ski tour at the Frisco Adventure Park and Frisco Nordic Center.
Summit Daily file

With highs hovering in the low to mid-50s, meteorologists are predicting a beautiful weekend across Summit County. However, judging by all of the people out and about the last few days, they aren’t telling us anything we don’t already know.

It’s been a while since we’ve seen a stretch this pleasant — dare I say, even springy — and people all over the county are shedding heavy winter coats as the mercury rises in favor of lighter attire. Some are even breaking out the shorts, but that’s just crazy talk for the second week of March at 9,000 feet, right? As it turns out, maybe not.

At this point, the shifting weather patterns are evident, and we’re moving into the green season. The sub-zero winter is giving way to a much nicer March and April, which even though they are typically the snowiest months of the year — so we’re not out of the woods yet — it has been nothing short of welcoming so far this year.



I don’t know what the rest of March or April might have in store, but thus far, we can easily say it’s been a welcome respite from a cold winter. It’s not necessarily good for the snowpack, but recent warm weather has certainly put a pep in a lot of people’s steps around town.

While their time may be waning, the winter warriors are far from done, and this in between time, where we get beautiful days but the ski season remains alive and well, might just be the best of both words.



However, with spring break in full swing, we can expect crowded lift lines under mostly sunny skies this weekend. It’s not a bad way to celebrate the conclusion of a successful workweek, but we’re going to take a look at some other weekend offerings.

St. Paddy’s Day

There’s a lot going on for the Irish-inspired festivities. Great craft breweries exist in Dillon, Breckenridge and Frisco, and the Dillon Dam Brewery, Broken Compass Brewing, Backcountry Brewery and the new Outer Range Brewery are all worth a stop this weekend.

For me personally, I’m still trying to figure out which brewer I like best, and I’m going to need to do some more research before coming to a conclusion on that one. Regardless, all are solid plays for toasting a good weekend.

I’d also be remiss if I didn’t mention a Saturday Whiskey tasting event at Keystone’s Warren Station or the Friday drink specials and giveaways at Murphy’s in Silverthorne.

Still, we already covered all this in-depth this week, so let’s move on.

Go for a gallery stroll

At least for me, warm weather means an increased ability to wander and window-shop. In Colorado ski-town art galleries, it’s all stuff I can’t afford, but getting lost in downtown Breckenridge or Keystone, going from one open art gallery to another, is like experiencing a mini-art museum in itself.

I’m no artist, but I appreciate the work. At no cost, a good gallery stroll can be hours of informative fun for me. Most gallery owners and workers seem happy to share their knowledge about their featured artists, and while I can’t imagine they think I can afford something that costs thousands of dollars, they never seem to want to throw me out.

Fencing anyone?

It’s an oldie, but instruction in the sport of fencing is available with an adult-junior drop-in class for $5 for anyone 8 or older at the Breckenridge Recreation Center. The class will teach participants the basics and fundamentals of fencing. People are responsible for securing their own equipment, which could be prohibitive, but they also have drop-in cycling classes, yoga and a whole host of other things so it’s certainly worth checking out.

For more info, call 970-547-4321. Drop-in classes are 6:15-8:15 p.m. on Fridays and 1-3 p.m. on Sundays at the Breckenridge Recreation Center. In addition to the calendar on our website, SummitDaily.com, another great resource for local athletic programming is the Silverthorne Recreation Center. Reach them at 970-262-7370 or go to Silverthorne.org for scheduling and event information.

Tubing made easy

Snapping photos from the Frisco Brewski last weekend, I couldn’t help but check out something across the way that’s been piquing my curiosity since I got into town almost two months ago. It’s where some amazing tubing courses beckon travelers to stop by. There are trails at the Nordic center for cross-country skiing, and they are impressive. Still, for youngsters who might want to rely more on gravity than their own power, there are great opportunities at a relatively low cost about 50 yards away from the start of the trails. They have bumps and small jumps and inflatable balls. The kids who were there last weekend loved it, and one group — including some individuals from Las Vegas — who gave it rave reviews.

Eli Pace is the arts and entertainment editor for the Summit Daily News. He writes a weekly column that appears in the newspaper every Friday and highlights some of his top picks for a fun weekend.


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