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Steamboat Springs

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    Christmas in Steamboat

    Mt WernerMore Photos
    The shirt I bought in Steamboat says; "A quaint little drinking town with a skiing problem," and that really does sum up Steamboat Springs, Colorado. Referred to as "Ski Town USA" and claiming to have Colorado's best Champagne Powder, Steamboat has a well deserved reputation for some of the best early snow around, so we went to check it out in December, 2005.

    Apart from the totally awesome skiing, what else does one do in Steamboat Springs? Well we tried hot-air ballooning with Wild West Balloon Adventures, mountaintop evening dining at Hazie's and snowmobiling with Saddleback Ranch. There is also sleigh ride dinners, climbing, horseback riding, a vast array of restaurants, and of course, the famous natural hot springs.

    When fur trappers came to Steamboat in the early 1800's, the Ute Indians had been living in the Yampa Valley for 100's of years. They knew of the many local natural springs and were accustomed to their particular "bubbling" sound. The trappers were not, however, and instead mistook them for the sound of a steamboat's steam engine. And so, "Steamboat Springs" was born.

    Ranching has always been strong in Steamboat. In the early 1900's, Steamboat Springs was the largest exporter of cattle in the western United States. In addition to ranching, mining has played an important role in Steamboats development.

    However, it is the tourism industry that supports the local economy. It all started in 1913 when the legendary Carl Howelsen went to Steamboat and started ski-jumping. Howelsen, dubbed the "Flying Norseman" built a 100-foot jump and became the father of skiing in Steamboat. Founded in 1915, by Howelson himself, Howelsen Hill is the oldest continuously running ski area in Colorado.

    In 1963, the Steamboat Ski Resort opened as Storm Mountain with one lift and an A-Frame warming hut at the base. The mountain was renamed Mt.Werner in 1964 after Buddy Werner, a famous local Olympic skier who died in an avalanche. Today the Steamboat Ski Resort boasts over 25 lifts, 164 runs, and almost 3000 skiable acres of terrain. Steamboat averages 350 inches of snow per year and is famous for its tree skiing and light, fluffy, 'Champagne Powder' ${QuickSuggestions} We stayed at the Sheraton Steamboat Resort & Conference Centre, a true ski-in, ski-out experience. The hotel is within a snowball throw of three lifts, and only a 50m walk to the Silver Bullet Gondola.

    Truly, this is how skiing should be; take the lift from your room to the basement level of the hotel, walk the 20m corridor to the back of the Steamboat Ski & Sport store, collect your skis, exit the shop, ski 20m to the Headwall or Preview lifts. How easy is that—no buses, no parking, no lines!

    The best part though is when you finish the day. Ski from the top of the mountain, non stop, to the front door of Steamboat Ski & Sport, click off your skis, walk inside and hand them to the staff, walk the 20m corridor to the lifts, press level 2, exit, and get into one of the four outdoor hot tubs. This is the only way to finish a day of skiing.

    The view from Sevens Restaurant at breakfast is magnificent, looking directly over Headwall lift to the top of Heavenly Daze. It not only affords excellent views, but allows you to time the end of your breakfast with the ebb and flow of the morning lift crowd.${BestWay} The downtown area of Steamboat Springs is contained almost exclusively on the main road of Lincoln Avenue. There are almost 30 restaurants downtown and nearly all of them are either on Lincoln Avenue, or within a 100m walk of Lincoln Avenue. This makes getting around quick and easy. A free Steamboat Springs Transit (SST) shuttle, which has four drop offs on Lincoln Avenue, leaves the Gondola Square area every 15 minutes and heads downtown. The SST shuttle also stops at Walmart & Safeway, and there are other SST shuttles that service the condominiums. One tip though if you stay mountainside, avoid the 3:30 to 5pm shuttles; they are always standing room only.

    For more pictures and information on Steamboat visit my website Shane Currie's Website
    From journal Christmas in Steamboat