As the sun melts from the mountains, let no tears fall from your eyes.

There's springtime fun at Keystone, and there is no need to cry.

Okay, so I'm not a poet. I'm simply a Summit County travel writer whose mission in life is to spread the good news and hide the bad news about our local resorts. Today, I'm here to talk about springtime in Keystone, Colorado. But first, we need to define springtime, which is difficult to do in an area whose motto is "if you don't like the weather, wait a minute." For the sake of this article, we shall define spring as the period between March 20th and June 20th.

If you are traveling to Keystone during any week of this time span, you should come prepared for either warm weather or cold weather activities. Let's start with the Easter celebration on March 22. Get photographed with the Easter Bunny (come on, you know you want to) while the kids do the Easter egg hunt thing. (Just so you know, the Easter Bunny might be that ski instructor you hooked up with in the winter, but what the heck?) There's also an Easter raffle, where you can win some cool prizes. On Saturday evenings, the Keystone fireworks provide a Timothy Leary type of experience in the evening sky. (Dude! Check out the colors!)

April brings the Peanut Butter and Jelly Rail Jam to Keystone. This event is similar to pond skimming, except that instead of sliding into a pond of water, you slide across a pond of peanut butter and jelly. Not!! Seriously, Keystone's Peanut Butter and Rail Jam is Volcom's free amateur snowboard contest. (If you've never heard of Volcom, you are too old to participate in the contest. Volcom is a clothing company whose motto is "Youth Against Establishment."  Wow! That's like really original. Nobody has ever done that before.) Anyway, winners can come away with some sick prizes and all competitors get free PB&J sandwiches. Go to www.volcom.com to register.

Keystone usually closes in mid-April. If that causes you to go into a deep state of depression, there's a free shuttle that will bring you to Arapahoe Basin, which usually closes in early June. However, there are some great activities in Keystone and nearby Dillon. In fact, you know you want to go to the Big Slick Snake River Poker Tournament, which usually happens in early June. Here, you can compete at Texas Hold'em while enjoying cocktails, food and jazz music.

If gambling in Keystone is not your idea of a good time, on Father's Day weekend you can head to the marina in the neighboring Town of Dillon. The "Let's Go Sailing" event is a fund raiser for L.A.P.S., a non-profit that promotes spaying and neutering of local pets. (Some residents are trying to extend this neutering to spring break visitors from New Jersey, but we have not been successful.) L.A.P.S. also provides financial assistance for animal medical emergencies, so it's a good cause, if not an ironic one in an area filled with seasonal employees who lack health insurance. But I digress. Let's Go Sailing is an all-day learn to sail event. Suggested donation is $20 for adults and $10 for kids. Not much money to save Rover or Muffy.

If you would prefer a bit more "passion" in your water sport experience, Keystone rafting opens on the first of May. Class 1-IV trips are available at different rivers. Call 970-496-4Fun for details. Pick up a Keystone Adventure Passport, and check out some of the tours and options available.  Right now it has an ongoing series of hikes around the local mountains. Some focus more on nature, while others provide information about keystone's mining history. The Nordic Fitness hikes use Nordic walking poles to help you burn more calories. If you are not yet acclimated to the altitude when you arrive, you might want to take the historical bus tour. You can also learn about Keystone folklore while exploring the back country on an ATV tour.

The Adventure Passport also gives you access to free fly-fishing clinics. Your other option is to take a guided full-day or half day fly fishing excursion.  A full day guided excursion is $300 for one person or $200 per person for two people. A half day excursion is $200 for one and $150 each for two.

A Keystone spring vacation gives you the best of both worlds. Whether you are looking for fun on the mountain, the water, or "fun" with a local, you can spring into the action at Keystone, Colorado.

This guide to surviving the change of seasons was brought to you by Lisa Marie Mercer.

Contrary to popular belief, there is life after winter in a ski resort.  At the very least, there is the possibility of Warren Miller movie marathons.  But in Keystone, there is so much more to do that the movies can wait until fall.  Or until you book a sweet Keystone vacation home with a giant tv. We're just saying.