Ice Castles ‘coming to life’ again in Colorado

COLORADO SPRINGS, Colo. — An icy wonderland is rising in the hills west of Colorado Springs.

Recent nights of frigid temperatures have benefited Ice Castles, the complex of frozen walls, arches, tunnels and slides returning for a second winter in Cripple Creek.

“This beloved winter attraction is coming to life, one glistening icicle at a time,” read a news release Wednesday.

The release said artisans were “hard at work growing, harvesting and placing up to 10,000 icicles each day.” With cold enough temperatures, water is sprayed on the icicles — serving as “glue” for the Ice Castles to stack and soar up to 20 feet.

The ice is embedded with multicolored LED lights, capping the experience that was said to provide an unprecedented boost in winter tourism to the remote, historic town of the Pikes Peak gold rush. Cripple Creek reported more than 100,000 people flocked to see the Ice Castles’ debut in town.

The hilltop attraction last year opened Dec. 19 — earlier than expected by the company with other locations nationwide. The recent news release indicated late December is the hope this year, “depending on weather conditions.”