A thick blanket of snow can be a drag if you're trying to get around, but it also makes a lot of great things possible, such as skiing, sledding, snowball fights, and massive works of art. That's right, every winter, talented artists create big, impressive sculptures with nothing more than blocks of snow and a few basic carving tools. And this January, the world's best snow sculptors will gather in Breckenridge, Colorado for the International Snow Sculpture Championships, where they'll show off their most inventive and impressive designs, delighting onlookers and creating a snow sculpture garden that's as fleeting as winter itself. The festival, which began 18 years ago with a handful of artists armed with picks and snow shovels, has blossomed into a truly international competition where artisans create detailed pieces ranging from abstract shapes to human forms such as a Turkish whirling dervish or an oversized bust of a man's head (pictured). Come and see the sculptors in action from January 22-27, 2008, or else drop by later to view the completed works of art, which will be on display through February 3, weather permitting. It's a great opportunity to see the amazing work of dedicated artists who choose the most temporary of media to work with. Breckenridge is less than an hour away from the Sheraton Mountain Vista in nearby Avon.

[image via gobreck.com]