Mountain Almanac for the Week of February 6

Tuesday, Feb. 6

The Woodland Park Downtown Development Authority will meet at 7:30 a.m. in the WP Council Chambers at 7:30 a.m. The meeting will be available in-person and on Zoom.

The Green Mountain Falls Board of Trustees will meet on Feb. 6 at 7 p.m. in the GMF Town Hall.

Wednesday, Feb. 7

Wellness Walk. Scheduled for Feb. 7 at the Garden of the Gods Visitor Center at 9 a.m. Meet at the upper level and choose a one, two or three-mile hike. Maps are available. Healthy living tips and mindfulness exercises to enhance your walk. Dress for the weather, wear comfortable shoes and bring plenty of water. Free admission

Ice Castles Is Open! This iconic, fantasy-like, attraction, capped by LED embedded ice walls, tunnels and slides, is now open for visitors in Cripple Creek.  Ice Castles will be open daily through the winter months.  Great deals are available for locals on special days, especially on Wednesday for southern Teller residents.  See related story and Ice Castles updates at www.mountainjackpot.com. or on our Facebook Page. The Cripple Creek Ice Castles location is one of only a handful in the nation. For ticket information, visit, icecastles.com/Colorado, or visit the city of Cripple Creek’s tourism website, which also has details on Ice Castles parking and transportation and ticket availability.

The Cripple Creek City Council will meet on Feb. 7 at 5:30 p.m. in the council chambers at city hall. The meeting is available in-person and on Zoom.

Thursday, Feb. 8

TOPS. Takes Off Pounds Sensibly.  Meets every Thursday morning at 9 a.m. in the basement of Church in the Wildwood (10585 Ute Pass Ave.) Green Mountain Falls, CO 80819. Affordable, effective weight-loss.

The Woodland Park Planning Commission will meet on Feb. 8 at 6:30 p.m. in the WP Council Chambers, next to city hall.

Saturday, Feb. 10

New Casino and Hotel. Chamonix Casino and Hotel, Cripple Creek’s new mega addition, which features about 300 rooms, and a spree resort-like amenities, such as a rooftop pool and spa, is now open for business in the initial stage. The Chamonix, part of Bronco Billy’s, features about 250 slots and table games. Check out the games and amazing lobby and the Chamonix Bistro.  This is the first stage of a $300 million development, the largest project ever undertaken in Cripple Creek. It will encompass a 500,000-plus square-foot area, when fully completed. For more details, see related story on the TMJ website and on Facebook.

New Local Cannabis Shop. Teller County’s first medical and recreational marijuana dispensary, High Stakes Leafery, located in Cripple Creek, at 324 Hwy. 67 South, just one block off the main drag on Second Street, is now open for business. See related story on the TMJ website and on our Facebook page.

Sunday, Feb. 11

Super Bowl Sunday.   The grandest sports spectacle of the year, promising endless entertainment, and great commercials, if anything else is slated for this Sunday, Feb. 11. Super Bowl LVII, featuring a great showdown between the San Francisco 49ers and the Kansas City Chiefs, will hit center stage in Las Vegas, with kick-off scheduled for late afternoon. Great opportunities abound, as a number of local establishments are hosting special Super Bowl parties and gatherings. Check out the action at Over Ice (the pub at the Country Lodge), McGinty’s Wood Oven Pub in Divide, the Blue Moose in Green Mountain Falls, the pool hall in Woodland Park, Peak View BBQ, The Creek, just to  name a few.  Nothing like giving your friends and enemies a little trash talk for their opposing pigskin views. More importantly, don’t miss TMJ’s special Super Bowl issue this week, as we feature the top picks and scores from Teller celebrities and experts and out-of-state wizards.

 

Upcoming

Best of the Teller High County.  Don’t forget to vote in the 35th annual Best Of contest, sponsored by TMJ, featuring more than 70 categories in local and area-wide competition.  To vote, visit the link on TMJ’s website at www.mountainjacpot.com.  Results will be announced in mid-March. Voting continues throughout February.

Cripple Creek Ice Fest. The organizers of the Cripple Creek Ice Festival are excited to announce that planning is underway for the 2024 Cripple Creek Ice Festival, which will be held February 17-25.  The head-to-head carving challenges will also be returning to the event on Saturdays at 12:00, 1:30 and 3:00.  Carvers will compete in a stadium setting for a $1,000 cash prize each weekend.  Carving teams will also be doing their best to win the People’s Choice Award for a huge cash prize.  Plan your visit and cast your vote for the most impressive carving. We are excited to have some of the top carving teams in the country participating in this event including SNICE Carving, Cool Hand Ice, The Bear Spot, The Ice Farm, and Ice Castles.  Come and see their imaginations come alive in ice. As always, this event is free and open to the general public.  Carvers will be working throughout the event on their sculptures.  Activities, vendors, and head-to-head carving competitions will only take place on the weekends (Feb 17-19 and Feb 24&25) including President’s Day.  Interested in sponsoring or participating more in the event? Reach out to jmosher@cripple-creek.co.us for more information!

 Student Art Show. The Mountain Artists of Teller County are getting ready for the annual Student Art Show that will be hanging in the Galleria of the Woodland Park Public Library from April 13 through May 1, 2024. This show is open to all middle school, high school, private schools and home-schooled students in all of Teller County. And, for the first time, the Lake George Charter School will be included! The show has been a showcase for our highly talented young people and the public has expressed great surprise and appreciation for it for many years now. Everyone is encouraged to come see the art during the three weeks it will be on display. Students in the area wishing to enter the Student Art Show must go online to www.themountainartists.org and print out the application (at the bottom of the page) and bring the filled-out application to the Woodland Park Library by Friday, April 12 between 3:00pm and 5:30pm.Awards will be presented on Saturday, April 20, starting at 2pm at the Library (downstairs). Winners must be present to receive monetary Awards (or have a parent or teacher present to accept).

 

Building  Ute Pass Community. Local volunteers are forming a new nonprofit, Building Ute Pass Community, which will support Bronc Day            festivals and other future events in the Ute Pass area. The purpose of the new nonprofit is to unite the Ute Pass Community by providing meaningful cultural, social, and historical events. The team is excited about this venture and have many ideas of ways to strengthen the communities of Cascade, Chipita Park, and GMF.  For more information or to volunteer, contact: Lisa Bonwell, Chair of the Annual 86th Bronc Day Festival, lisabonwell@gmail.com.