Santa is spending some time on the slopes at Sunlight Mountain Resort outside of Glenwood Springs. The elves have been building skis and snowboards and you can demo them with Santa, Dec. 17-18. That isn’t all, says Jennie Spillane with the resort. “Santa will also be here to take pictures with the kids as well as ski with them.”

Santa leads the ski school kids down the slopes. Photo courtesy Sunlight Mountain Resort.

Sunlight opened this month with happy locals enjoying 100 percent of green runs, 80 percent of blue, and about five percent of black runs available. Spillane says it made opening day a success: “We saw mostly season pass holders, but are seeing many more single day ticket purchases. The weather was beautiful and is even prettier now.” She adds that snowmaking continues but they’re hoping for more natural snow.

Sunday, Dec. 11, is the Day of Infamy Snowshoe Race. The event starts at 10 a.m. It’s the 20^th year for the race which was started to honor the servicemen who lost their lives in Pearl Harbor on Dec. 7, 1941. It is now held as a benefit race for the animal shelters around Garfield and Pitkin Counties. Last year the race had 200 participants and raised $3,000 which was divided between Colorado Animal Rescue, Rifle Dog Pound, Animal Rescue Foundation, and Mid-Valley Animal Rescue.

Snowshoers enjoy the slopes of Sunlight. Photo courtesy Sunlight Mountain Resort.

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Sunlight Mountain Resort