Annual Dillon Ice Melt contest kicked off over weekend

So it's that time of year again: On Saturday, the Summit Rotary Club delivered a big red device to the middle of Lake Dillon via hovercraft and start taking bets on when it will drop into the watery depths.If you didn't make it to the Dillon Marina Saturday morning, you...

By Eric Peterson

April 13, 2010

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So it's that time of year again: On Saturday, the Summit Rotary Club delivered a big red device to the middle of Lake Dillon via hovercraft and start taking bets on when it will drop into the watery depths.

If you didn't make it to the Dillon Marina Saturday morning, you can register for the contest from the comfort of your pajamas here. For $10, you get five guesses at when it will sink -- down to the second -- and a chance at a grand prize of $2,000. Proceeds go to a local scholarship fund.

The Summit Rotarians have actually been taking bets since February, but it seems like your odds go up if you have current weather news in hand. You can enter the contest until April 25 or the device sinks, whichever happens first.

For the record, the earliest in the spring that the thing has dropped since the contest began in 1986 was April 28, 2002. The longest it's lasted: May 26, 1995. I'd imagine this year will land on the earlier side of the spectrum.

My best guess: 1:26:00 a.m. on April 30.

Dillon Ice Melt

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