Jesse Swift managed to maintain the lead eventually winning the 2013 Evergreen Winter Festival Ice Bike Race

As kids growing up just down the hill from Evergreen (CO) we had no problem entertaining our selves around the neighborhood even during winter months. Our “playground” consisted of a frozen irrigation ditch for pond hockey, snow-packed cul-de-sacs or dead-end streets for a shoe version of pond hockey.

We had nearby awesomely steep, teeth-rattling hills for our platoon of tobogans and Flexible Flyers. And when we got a little older, a little braver but none-the-less crazy, we started “hooky-bobbin”. A sport defined as, ” one or two individuals on skis being towed by lengthy ropes behind an automobile or snowmobile, depending on the surface of snow, (snow-packed road or horse pasture) with the intent of jumping off a snow-covered ramp, flying through the air and  (hopefully) landing in the upright postion.

I for one have many fond memories and a few concussions from those fine winter days.

Because of the obvious, folks today have had to resort to somewhat safer, organized sports in the winter around these parts.

My home town of Evergreen just held its second annual Winter Festival  at the lake. The event, in my opinion, is kind of a throw back to my youth with some new “tricked-out” modern fun added in.

Mountain bike racers make the transition from the lake to icy and snow-packed hillsides.

The fun-packed day starts out with the Ice Bike Race. Mountain bikers of all skill levels trade out their summer tires for beefier studded or spiked tires to maneuver the snow-packed lake and nearby hills. Last year bikers were challenged  by heavy snow and a snow-banked course. With this season’s milder temperatures, athletes had to use their talents handling hard packed ice covered in snow and ice patches transitioning to loose dirt,rocks and gravel. It appeared to be a test even with less snow.

Not far from the bike course,  fifty eight fishermen tested their patience and skill coaxing trout in the Tightline Ice Fishing Derby.

Later in the day the festival’s marquee event, the Ski and Snowboard Rail Jam, always pulls in the big crowds who also get a chance to mingle amongst open fire pits, concessionaires and a Snow Castle play area.

Snowboarder Wes McClain working a rail at the 2012 Winterfest at Evergreen Lake.

An event goer enjoys the heat from an open fire pit at the Evergreen Lake Winter Festival.

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