JANUARY
CLIMB THE ICE
The spectacular frozen waterfalls at Ouray’s Uncompahgre Gorge form the country’s finest place to learn to ice climb. And there’s never a better time to do so than at Ice Festival time. Come for climbs, clinics, costume parties, and a peek at the world’s best climbers scampering up the cascade at the Elite Mixed Climbing Competition. January 19 to 22; free admission; check the website for clinic times and rates
ICE FISH AT THE 3 LAKES
Anglers know frosty toes are a small price to pay for the chance to hook brag-worthy fish. With reliably thick coverage on Grand Lake, Lake Granby, and Shadow Mountain Reservoir, plus hungry trout that haven’t recently seen lures, early season ice fishing could be your new obsession. “January might not always be the best weather, but it’s great fishing,” says Dan Shannon, a guide for Granby-based Fishing with Bernie. “It’s a good time for trophy fish and numbers.” Feeling lucky? Compete for the biggest catch during the 3 Lakes Ice Fishing Contest, held January 27 to 29.
RACE ON A FROZEN RIVER
“It’s a novel thing for a river to freeze so solidly that you’re able to run on it,” says John Reesor, race director for Alamosa Parks and Recreation’s annual Rio Frio 5K on the ice-covered Rio Grande. “So why not do something fun with it?” Step into your Microspikes and join 150-some other runners for a laid-back trot: “No one’s trying to PR on this racecourse,” Reesor says. The 5K is the centerpiece of the Rio Frio Ice Fest, a three-day extravaganza (January 27 to 29) with ice sculpting, a pub crawl, and an icy bonfire. The race takes place on January 28; $25
WANDER THE TROPICS
Had enough of ice? The equatorial climate in the Wings of the Tropics exhibit at Westminster’s Butterfly Pavilion means temps hover in the 80s, keeping its 1,600-plus butterflies happy as they flit freely among the greenhouse’s blooms. $14.50 per adult; $9.50 per child
FEBRUARY
SAY “I (STILL) DO”
Is there a better way to spend Valentine’s Day than joining in a mass wedding-slash-vow-renewal
