The last place Brad Harrison and his family wanted to spend their Monday was inside a mall — a location that has come to define the day after Christmas.
Harrison, his wife and their 9- year-old son opted instead to hit the sled hills at Ruby Hill Park in southwest Denver.
“We wanted to get outside and get to the snow before it all melts,” said Harrison, a Denver resident. “It’s warm enough that you can stay outside for an extended period without freezing.”
With Colorado’s usual sunny skies and temperatures in the mid-40s across the metro area, the Harrison family — who planned to do some hiking along the trails at Indian Hills later in the afternoon — had plenty of company in enjoying the day outdoors.
Hundreds crowded Southwest Rink in downtown Denver’s Skyline Park for some ice skating, while others went for a brisk jog through Washington Park.
At Ruby Hill, a fleet of sleds and tubes, punctuated by the odd black garbage bag, were used to race down the various hills at the park.
Shayla Moon and her sister Sheryl gave in to their kids’ request to spend another day on the sled hill.
“The weather’s been ideal, sort of windy, but it’s been great for the most part,” said Shayla, who on Christmas Day spent a couple hours at the park with her son. “The kids were cooped up inside with the adults much of yesterday, and they wanted to come back.”
But while some enjoyed the outdoors, others could not resist the allure of a little retail therapy.
“I just wanted to check out the stores and see if any good deals are out here,” said Lakewood resident Audra Evans as she pored over a wide selection of handbags and purses inside a department store at the Cherry Creek Shopping Center. “There were some good deals before Christmas, but the best are usually today and after the new year.”
Mall marketing director Dave Dixon estimated that the parking garages were 95 percent full by 1 p.m. Monday.
“In terms of foot traffic in the mall, this is the single most busy day of the year we’ve had,” Dixon said. “The other busy days for us were Super Saturday and Black Friday, and the immediate days following it.”
Meanwhile back at Ruby Hill, 14-year-old Tim Campbell basked in the sun and snow, doing some sledding with his aunt and a handful of cousins.
“I’m not used to the snow since I’m from Texas, so this is fun,” Campbell said as he donned a pair of ski pants he received as a gift. “These hills are huge, and last year when I was here there wasn’t this much snow.”
Kurtis Lee: 303-954-1655, klee@denverpost.com or
