February At Colorado Ski Resor...

February arrives with a familiar rhythm in Colorado Ski Country USA. By now, the season feels settled in. Favorite runs have been rediscovered, layers are dialed, and the mountains feel less like a destination and more like a second home. It's the heart of winter, and it invites you to slow down and savor it… linger on a sunny deck, take one more lap, or stay a little later for après.

February is also a month built around connection. On the slopes, that can look like skiing side by side, striking up a conversation on a chairlift, or realizing you've taken three runs in a row with someone you just met. Whether you're flirting, friending, or forever-ing, there's a chairlift with your name on it this February.

Love Is in the Lift Line

On February 14, several resorts are leaning into the social side of skiing and riding. At Echo Mountain, Chairlift Speed Dating brings a playful structure to night skiing, creating space to meet new people between runs. At Sunlight Mountain Resort, Palentine's Day Chair Speed Friending focuses on connection and community, welcoming anyone looking to expand their ski circle. And at Loveland Ski Area, the 35th Annual Mountaintop Matrimony continues a long-standing Valentine's tradition, with couples exchanging vows high in the Rockies.

Each event reflects a different side of February on the slopes, from playful to communal to deeply meaningful, and all of them tap into what skiing and riding already do well: bringing people together in a shared place, at a shared pace.

February, in Full Swing

Valentine's Day is part of the February calendar, but at Colorado Ski Country USA resorts, the month is shaped just as much by long-running traditions and community on snow.

Early February kicks off with the 113th Winter Carnival at Steamboat Resort (February 3-8), a long-running tradition that blends ski history, community pride, and on-snow spectacle. A few days later, Arapahoe Basin hosts VNTRbirds Galentine's Day on February 13, creating space for friendship, laps, and après with a like-minded crew.

Mid-month brings a mix of celebration and reflection. Snowmass hosts its Mardi Gras celebration on February 17, while Ski Cooper honors mountain history and service during the Rucksack Challenge on February 18 and 10th Mountain Day on February 27, both paying tribute to the legacy of the 10th Mountain Division.

Later in the month, energy stays high with Copper Subaru Winterfest at Copper Mountain (February 20-22), the kickoff of the Rail Rodeo Series at Granby Ranch on February 21, and the start of Telluride Gay Ski Week at Telluride Ski Resort (February 28-March 7), one of the longest-running LGBTQ+ ski weeks in the country.

It's what winter looks like in the high country: a full calendar and a strong sense of belonging.

Après, Naturally

Après starts when skis come off, gloves get stuffed into pockets, and someone asks what everyone's doing next. Plans are loose. Groups overlap. A quick stop turns into something longer.

That stretch of time after skiing has its own rhythm. Long lunches that drift into the afternoon. A shared table that makes room for one more chair. Conversations that pick up where they left off on the lift or trail. It's where the day has space to breathe, and where connections that started on snow have time to take shape.

If you're looking for ideas, we've rounded up ideas that keep things easy and social, from budget-friendly après spots to mid-range options that are comfortable without feeling overdone. Both are built around the same idea: good food, good company, and no rush to head out the door.

A Valentine's Gift That Gets Used

If Valentine's Day gifting is on your mind, ski gear is an easy place to start. It's something that goes straight into rotation on the mountain and often stays in use for the rest of the season, and for seasons of skiing together to come. Right now, Christy Sports is running a sale, making it a good moment to pick up essentials or replace gear that's seen a few winters.

Helmets, goggles, gloves, and layers are part of every ski day. They get used, relied on, and folded into the rhythm of the season in a way that lasts well beyond Valentine's Day.

The Heart of the Season

February brings people onto the mountain in all kinds of ways. Events put dates on the calendar, ski days stretch a little longer, and time together continues after the lifts stop turning. Valentine's Day falls right in the middle of it, another moment in a month that's already busy with time on snow.