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Grand County Winter Sports Carnival Ends February 11, 2012

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-- Six-week celebration marking 100-year anniversary of first winter carnival in western United States comes to drawing to a close --

NEWS RELEASE

Contact: Gaylene Ore, Ore Communications, gaylene@orecommunications.com, 970-887-2536

Grand County Winter Sports Carnival Ends February 11, 2012

-- Six-week celebration marking 100-year anniversary of first winter carnival in western United States comes to drawing to a close --

Granby, Colo. – The Grand Winter Sports Carnival, the largest and longest winter carnival in the Rockies, ends Feb. 11 with a bang.

The festival marks the 100th anniversary of the first winter carnival west of the Mississippi. The six-week celebration, which started Dec. 30 and ends Feb. 11, highlights historic and modern winter sports. Presented by the Grand County Historical Association, the festival celebrates the prominent role of Grand County in the heritage of Colorado skiing. The final Winter Carnival events will take place throughout Grand County, centering in Hot Sulphur Springs and Sol Vista Basin on Feb. 11th.

Saturday, Feb.11

  • Mailbag Trek -Coulter to Hot Sulphur Springs over Cottonwood Pass (9 a.m. –1 p.m.):The Grand Nordic Club and Headwaters Trails Alliance will be the host for this eight-mile trek available for all ages and abilities. Men must carry a 15 pound pack and women a 10 pound pack. Prizes will be given for best costumes. Individuals finishing before 1 p.m.can participant in the Horrace Button parade.
  • Snowshoe in the Kawuneeche - Rocky Mountain National Park (9 a.m. and 1 p.m.): Reservations required at 970-627-3471 or visit www.nps.gov for more information.
  • Pioneer Village Museum - Hot Sulphur Springs (10 a.m. – 4 p.m.): Free admission to the museum including the special winter carnival exhibit.  
  • Historic Sites Tour at Pioneer Village Museum – Hot Sulphur Springs (11 a.m.): a local historian will provide information and a map of actual locations of the original winter carnival events as well as other historic sites.
  • Hot Sulphur Springs - Parshall Fire Protection District Lunch (12 p.m.): Hot lunch and tasty treat will be available for the trekkers and anyone else. Donation requested.  
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  • Button (as in Horace) Parade (1:30 p.m.): A celebration of Ski Hall of Fame inductee Horace Button.
  • Grand County Town Challenge Snowshoe Softball Tournament (2 p.m.) Softball fields, Hot Sulphur Springs.
  • 3-Legged Ski Race (2 p.m.) Softball fields, Hot Sulphur Springs.
  • Hot Sulphur Springs Snow Sculpture Contest Judging.        
  • Grand Snow Ball - Sol Vista Base Camp Lodge at Granby Ranch (6 p.m.-9 p.m.): Finish the six-week event in style with dinner, dancing and live entertainment.  For reservations or information call Kristi at 970-726-5488.
  • Night Skiing/Tubing at SolVista Basin - Granby Ranch (5 p.m.-8 p.m.)

For details on all events, see www.grandwintercarnival.com.

Winter Carnival History

In the Grand County of 1911, skiing was a necessary mode of transportation rather than a sport or leisure activity. Mail carriers, loggers and others used “Norwegian snowshoes” to do their jobs in long, snowy winters. Gradually, citizens began adapting snowshoes and skis to race down the slopes for fun. In part due to the example of Norwegian Carl Howelsen, Grand County became one of the first areas in Colorado to adopt sport skiing.

In December 1911 Hot Sulphur Springs – the oldest town in Grand County – hosted Colorado’s first winter carnival, which historians consider the birth of the ski industry in the American west. The original carnival featured ice skating, togogganing, cross-county skiing and the newly invested sport of ski jumping – complete with a ski jump exhibition by Howelson. The enthusiasm for the event spurred organizers to host the first Annual Hot Sulphur Springs Winter Carnival six weeks later, in February 1912.

Grand County, Colo. (www.grand-county.com)

Located 67 miles west of Denver, Grand County is home to wide-open spaces, breathtaking mountain scenery and authentic old-west towns. Outdoor recreational activities include golf, boating, fishing, biking, hiking, fishing, hunting and horseback riding.

The area features more than 600 miles of mapped and marked trails, one national park, two national forests, two wilderness areas, two national scenic byways, two major ski resorts, five world-class dude ranches and four mountain golf courses. Grand County’s extensive water network includes Colorado’s largest natural lake, 1,000 miles of streams, 1,000 acres of high-mountain lakes and 11,000 acres of reservoirs.

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Located 67 miles west of Denver, Grand County is home to wide-open spaces, breathtaking mountain scenery and authentic old-west towns. Outdoor recreational activities include golf, boating, fishing, biking, hiking, fishing, hunting and horseback riding.

The area features more than 600 miles of mapped and marked trails, one national park, two national forests, two wilderness areas, two national scenic byways, two major ski resorts, five world-class dude ranches and four mountain golf courses. Grand County’s extensive water network includes Colorado’s largest natural lake, 1,000 miles of streams, 1,000 acres of high-mountain lakes and 11,000 acres of reservoirs.