Winter Events You Don’t Want to Miss
January 11, 2023From biking on snow to Nordic skiing to ice fishing and cheering ski joring, you’ll find fantastic winter events in Leadville, Colorado. Mark your 2023 calendar for these winter favorites! 📸: Mark LaRowe Photography
Leadville Ski Joring & Winter Sports
Leadville Ski Joring and Crystal Carnival Weekend
March 3-5, 2023
Downtown Leadville
Cost: Free to watch Leadville Ski Joring; registration for some additional events
Cheer horses and skiers at the 75th Annual Leadville Ski Joring event! Experts pack Leadville’s main street with snow and build ski jumps. Then teams of horses and riders pull skiers over the jumps at speeds of up to 35 mph. This exciting event will be free to watch and fun for the whole family. See what the New York Times had to say about this thrilling event in “The Wild West, On Skis.”
This action-packed weekend is also full of winter events—a nighttime winter mountain bike ride, Nordic ski sprints on Harrison Avenue, a paintball biathlon, and much more. Spirits in the Shaft, a wine, beer, and whiskey tasting at the National Mining Hall of Fame and Museum, kicks off the weekend on Friday night!
Also on tap are live music, a market street of local vendors, delicious food, and a beer garden. See the weekend’s schedule, and giddy up to Leadville!
📸: Mark LaRowe Photography
Fatbiking
Leadville Winter Mountain Bike Series
Join one or all of these fatbike rides in and near Leadville! Check out night rides through the forest, daytime events with stunning above-treeline views, and challenging climbs in the hills. All cyclists can join, regardless of skill level or experience. You’ll have memories to treasure!
Plus, your participation supports local cycling! All proceeds go to the non-profit Cloud City Wheelers, which builds and maintains local year ’round trails.
Cost: $25 per ride, or $100 for the full series. Register today!
📸: @justintalbot
Tennessee Pass Night Jam
Saturday, February 4, 2023, 6:15 p.m.
Grab your headlamp and join the fun at the Tennessee Pass Night Jam Winter Mountain Bike Series. This event takes place at The Tennessee Pass Nordic Center. Real climbs, real descents, real fun!
Mineral Belt Mayhem
Saturday, March 4, 2023, 6:15 p.m.
Start and finish on Harrison Ave. in front of Cycles of Life. Participants will travel clockwise around the 11.6 mile Mineral Belt Trail with a little singletrack thrown in for giggles.
Fatty Patty 50K
Saturday, March 18, 2023, 8 a.m. Teams, 9 a.m. Singles
Starting at the Colorado Mountain College, participants will wind up to the Mineral Belt Trail, then up to the Historic East Side. Once topping out, you’ll enjoy a long downhill back to the start so you can go do it again! Race as a team with another registered racer.
East Side Epic
Saturday, April 8, 2023, 9 a.m.
It could be raining, snowing, or dirt, but this race is guaranteed to be epic. This course is a locals’ favorite with all its climbing and descending.
Nordic Skiing
Leadville Loppet
Saturday, Feb. 25, 2023
Start times are staggered from 8:15 a.m. – 12:30 p.m.
Colorado Mountain College, 901 South Hwy. 24, Leadville
Cost: $15 – $70
Register today!
Enjoy classic or freestyle Nordic skiing on Leadville’s iconic Mineral Belt Trail, which is groomed all winter long. Ski through evergreen forests and past original silver mining equipment from the 1880s. Take in majestic views of the surrounding peaks. Whether you’re new to the sport or an experienced skier, you’ll love the Leadville Loppet!
Choose from a 1K Kids Funski, 5K (costume ski), 10K, 22K (Birkebeiner qualifier), or 44K race (Birkebeiner qualifier). Afterwards, gather with other participants and savor the legendary post-race potluck.
Your registration fees give back! All proceeds support maintenance for the Mineral Belt Trail, a 12-mile all-season, non-motorized, ADA-accessible loop. Ski the Loppet, then return to bike or hike the trail this summer
Equinox 24-Hour Ultra XC-Ski 2022
March 18 – 19, 2023
10 a.m. Saturday – 11 a.m. Sunday
Mt. Massive Golf Course Ski and Snowshoe Trails
Cost: RSVP to 970-640-4811, and please donate at the race
Celebrate spring at the fourth annual 24-hour cross-country ski. Ski as much as you like from 10 a.m. to 11 a.m. Take a break in our clubhouse next to the fire and freshen up your equipment with our wax bench and tools. You can enter to win from $1,000 of cash prizes!
Colorado’s highest peaks surround this mostly flat course in the Arkansas River valley. Glide along these trails smoothed by professional snowcat grooming and regrooming. Revel in the best views under the sun and the almost-full moon!
Ice Fishing
Twin Lakes Ice Fishing Derby
Feb. 11-12, 2023
6 a.m. Saturday – Noon Sunday
Twin Lakes
Catch the fish you wish at this fun event with the Leadville Rod and Gun Club! The 2023 charity is Parker’s Platoon. Catch the largest trout, and you’ll win a $1,000 prize!
