Brrrr….OTHS Debuts Icebox Cold Plunge
We know it’s all the rage and now it’s here. Thanks to a generous donor, Old Town Hot Springs now offers a cold plunge with its new Ice Box. Located next to its hot pools, the try-not-to-shiver soak follows the cold-water immersion trend popular with today’s wellness routines. Kept at 55 degrees it’s proven to offer pain relief, muscle recovery and reduction of inflammation and swelling, while also improving circulation, metabolism, and mental and emotional well-being.
Still not sure? Take inspiration from author Wim Hof (AKA “The Iceman”), who has mastered the art of cold-water immersion through three key pillars: controlled exposure to cold, commitment, and specialized breathing techniques. Still sounds freezing to us.
Outdoor Skating!
Want your winter evening to resemble a quintessential Christmas scene from “It’s a Wonderful Life”? Grab your skates and head to one of two outdoor skating rinks in town. Howelsen: Once again, staff from Howelsen Ice Arena will do their best, weather permitting, to open the outdoor rink by the rodeo grounds by the holidays. This year’s plan, says the rink’s Nick Carelli, is to create one sheet of ice, with maintenance workers clearing it after big storms but skaters also asked to shovel. Bonus: Borrow skates for free from Howelsen’s “skate library.” Base Area: Go straight from your ski boots to your ice skates at Steamboat Ski Resort’s Skeeter’s Ice Rink at the base of the mountain in Steamboat Square. The rink is free to the public with their own skates, with skate rentals also available. Bonus: head over to The Range to warm-up with a hot toddy.
Get Your Costume On
Like any ol’ excuse to ski or ride in a costume? Put the following days on your radar and you won’t feel out of place in the lift line.
St. Patty’s Day: While this used to be celebrated in fine, cliff-hucking fashion at the Chute One Bumpoff (unceremoniously disavowed by the ski area), it’s still a great day to get your green on, ski green runs, and drink green beer. Aye it is, laddies.
Fat Tuesday: Margi Gras is also reason to let your hair out on the slopes, or at least wear beads (and give them to lifties). Frenchfor “Fat Tuesday”, it’s technically the last night of consuming rich, fatty foods in preparation for the Christian fasting and teetotaling season of Lent. Get your bead on this year on March 4.
Cougar Day: Believe it or not, there is such a thing, and it doesn’t involve felines. Rather, people dress up like MILFS, SILFS, GILFS and more, celebrating this preying-upon-young-males icon of ski resorts far and wide. Keep your ear to the ground, much like a real cougar’s nose, to sniff out the date. Can you say Grrrrrr?
Gaper Day: Yes, this homage to Jerry of the Day still goes off large time every April 1, when locals (and visitors in the know) don everything from dresses and tutus to gorilla suits to hit the slopes. Go ahead and dress as gapery as you want; you won’t be ridiculed. Just ski or ride in control.
Spring Splash/Cardboard Classic: Steamboat’s Cardboard Classic will be held April 12 this season, so even if you’re not entering join the fun by dressing up. Awards are given out for Most Creative, Best Costume and Crowd Favorite, so you’ll blend right in. The Splashdown Pond Skimming Championships is set for April 13, when you’ll see skiers and riders of all striped bathing suits donning everything from bikinis to Superman outfits as they schuss across a bone-chilling, appendage-shrinking pond at the base.The caveats:costumes are mandatory and private body parts must be fully and securely covered.
Closing Day: Barring a way above-average snow year, Steamboat’s closing day this season is slated for April 14, which means break out those duck suits, Spiderman outfits and other zany attire leftover from Halloween. Just remember you still have to move around enough to ski.
