Steamboat Springs, Colorado:
Alpine Northern Treasure
by Janice Rosenberg
For skiers with a taste for the bubbly, Steamboat Springs is the place to be.  Known worldwide for its Champagne Powder™, Steamboat gives skiers at every skill level plenty of snow and a great time.
The friendly Western vibes of this 100-year-old town make it an ideal spot for vacationing families, romantic couples and any winter-sports lovers.
Located on public land in northwest Colorado’s Medicine Bow/Routt National Forest, Steamboat Springs sits in the heart of the Yampa Valley where the Yampatika Ute Indians once spent summers hunting. The town’s nearly 10,000 full-time residents are committed to the wise use of natural resources, as well as the preservation and enhancement of their surroundings.
Europeans first set foot in the valley in the early 1800s. After seeing the Yampa River’s big, lazy westerly turn, they dubbed the area Big Bend. French fur trappers roaming through the woods in search of game named the town after hearing the area’s 150+ natural mineral springs, which sound like the chugging of a steamboat’s engine. No doubt the trappers  enjoyed soaking in the hot bubbling spring waters after a hard day’s work.
Skiing arrived in the area with the 1859 gold rush. Early pioneers quickly discovered that webbed snowshoes, popular with Native Americans and handy in relatively flat parklands, were useless in the deep, powdery snow of the high mountains. They switched to Norwegian skis. Handmade from pine or spruce trees and ranging in length from eight to 14 feet, most were about half an inch thick, four inches wide and weighed about 25 pounds. One pole, eight to 10 feet long, served for both steering and braking.
Steamboat’s future as a tourist destination was sealed in 1913 with the arrival of Norwegian Carl Howelsen. Known as “The Flying Norseman,” he built a ski jump and hurled himself, skis and all, more than 100 feet off the end. To introduce locals to competitive skiing and
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celebrate winter, Howelsen in 1914 organized Steamboat’s first Winter
Carnival. Currently held the second weekend in February, the event features ski races, ski jumping, chariot racing, street events, the shovel race, a dogsled pull and the Steamboat High School Marching Band – on skis.
The spot where Howelsen made his first jump, now known as the Howelsen Hill Ski Area, is the oldest ski area in continuous use in Colorado, and is home to the largest and most complete natural ski jumping complex in North America.
Today, Steamboat boasts the second-highest vertical rise in Colorado, a 2,939-acre ski area, 142 named runs covering 65 miles of gorgeous, snow-covered terrain and an average annual snowfall of 337 inches. Steamboat has produced more Olympic skiers and snowboarders than any other town in the world. Olympic medalist and world champion Billy Kidd, who has made his home in Steamboat since 1970 and serves as director of skiing, leads a free ski clinic each day he’s in town. The Billy Kidd Performance Center offers performance camps for adults and teens, tune-up clinics for adults ages 45 and older, and other activities. Future Olympians train at Howelsen on a set of jumps built into the side of a huge hill.
The area’s five mountains -- Mount Werner, Sunshine Peak, Storm Peak, Thunderhead Peak, Pioneer Ridge® and Christie Peak -- provide skiing variety including world-class groomed cruisers, bumps, steeps, open meadows and legendary tree skiing. Fifty-six percent of the runs are labeled intermediate, 13 percent beginner and 31 percent advanced. The Steamboat Ski & Snowboard School provides classes at every level. Five kids-only lifts and a Kids’ Vacation Center for ages six months through kindergarten make Steamboat a great place for families.
Skiers and snowboarders mingle on all Steamboat slopes, but serious snowboarders head for Mavericks Superpipe, the longest pipe on the continent. Fifty feet wide and 675-feet long with 15-foot walls and a 75-foot quarter pipe kicker at the end, Mavericks was named for the big wave breaks experienced by California’s ocean surfers.
Also for snowboarders, Bashor Terrain Park features hips, tables, rails, mailboxes and the Mini-Mav, a miniature version of the superpipe with five-foot walls -- perfect for novice riders. Recent improvements include a new music system, increased snowmaking capacity, and additional rails and hits.
Skiing and snowboarding may be the most talked about winter activities, but they aren’t the only ones. At 5 p.m., when only the Preview lift remains open, families and kids are invited for an hour of tubing. The activity offers all the thrills of sledding, but the availability of Preview makes the trip back uphill a snap. Off the slopes, visitors enjoy guided snowshoe tours,  cross-country skiing, sleigh rides, hot-air ballooning and fly fishing. A visit to the Steamboat Springs Health and Recreation Center for a dip in Heart Springs, or skating in town on an Olympic-sized sheet of ice with local mascot “Howie, the Polar Bear,” round out the day’s events.
Adding to the fun of outdoor pursuits, for six days each January the Annual Musicfest at Steamboat brings “the finest of Texas and Americana music to the Rockies.” This year’s event, the fifth, features 18 bands playing contemporary country, blues and rock, as well as traditional country and blues music.
Of course, everyone who comes to Steamboat needs someplace to stay. Accommodations are available both downtown and near the slopes in the mountain village. Guests who choose one of the many downtown hotels, motels, condominiums or B&Bs enjoy the historic area’s authentic Western atmosphere, easy access to Howelsen Hill and proximity to shops, bars and eateries.
Those who stay in the mountain village find cozy condominiums and newer hotels, including the luxurious Steamboat Grand Resort Hotel and Conference Center, a recent recipient of the AAA Four Diamond designation. The Sheraton Steamboat Resort is another top-flight option.
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Want to know more about this memorable getaway, visit our AG Concierge for more information.
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In Steamboat, après-ski activity can be as excellent as a day on the mountain. Strawberry Park Hot Springs soothes muscles tired by a long day of skiing or snowboarding. During the day, adults and children luxuriate in multiple natural pools set in a forested bowl just seven miles from Steamboat. Visitors soak for up to three hours in velvety water at temperatures ranging from 100 to 106 degrees. After dark, only guests 18 and over are welcome and clothing is optional. Windwalker Tours and Sweet Pea Tours both offer shuttle service to the park.
At Strawberry Park, overnight stays attract honeymooners, couples celebrating anniversaries and other romantic types. Accommodations consist of three rustic cabins, two deluxe cabins and a caboose complete with kitchenette. No public dining facilities are available.
Back in town, hungry visitors can choose from more than 70 bars and restaurants featuring everything from steaks to sushi and burritos to tofu burgers at a variety of prices.
After dinner the sidewalks along Lincoln Ave., built six lanes wide in the early 20th century to host cattle and sheep drives, now afford space for strolling visitors. A 10-block stretch of well-preserved structures house restaurants, shops and local businesses. Visitors pause at Howelsen Hill to watch kids practicing their ski jumps under the lights. Stars twinkle overhead as yet another perfect day comes to an end. 
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Plan your route to Steamboat Springs with FlightPrep.com
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The Best of Steamboat Springs
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Best Season: No question about this one – Steamboat is a winter sports Mecca. Visitors on the first weekend in February enjoy the annual Winter Carnival featuring the “Lighted Man” – a guy who skis down Howelsen Hill wearing a light bulb-encrusted suit that shoots fireworks. In summer, visitors play golf, bike, hike and ride horses. “Strings in the Mountains” offers regular summer musical programming including chamber music and much more. On July 4th weekend “Cowboy Roundup Days” salutes the spirit of the Old West with parades, fireworks displays, a flapjack feed and a cattle drive through town.
Best Landing: Pilots flying into Steamboat have two choices. Steamboat Springs Airport/Bob Adams Field (KSBS) is three miles from town with a 4,452-foot paved runway, and GPS RNAV and VOR/DME approaches. Landings and takeoffs can be challenging. Weather in mountainous terrain always is “iffy.” Arrival on a gorgeous sunny day hardly guarantees the same conditions for departure. Yampa Valley Airport in Hayden, Colo. (KHDN), 25 miles down the road, is an excellent alternative. Located in the flatlands and calling itself “The Gateway to Steamboat,” Yampa Valley offers a 10,000-foot paved runway and an ILS/DME approach. Tie-down fees vary. Rental cars, Alpine Taxi and Storm Mountain Express make the trip into town an easy one.
Best Places to Stay: For a truly Western atmosphere, The Home Ranch and the Vista Verde Ranch, each located 30 miles outside town, offer fine dining, and a range of cabins and rooms with amenities such as wood-burning fireplaces. The selection of winter activities includes guided snowshoeing and cross-country skiing in the backcountry. And of course Steamboat’s downhill runs are a free ranch shuttle ride away.
Best Romantic Adventure: Dinner reservations at Ragnar’s begin with a sensational uphill gondola ride overlooking the lights of town. First stop, the Thunderhead building, where guests are treated to cocoa or hot cider at the Stoker Bar. Then, bundled under army blankets in sleighs drawn by snow cats, couples snuggle as they travel across the mountain to their destination at the Rendezvous building. Ragnar’s staff members, dressed in traditional Scandinavian garb, welcome diners to the candlelit restaurant. A five-course meal, featuring Scandinavian and other delicacies, follows in a cozy wood-paneled room where an acoustic guitarist provides musical entertainment.
Best Way to Get Around: Free buses, running every 20 minutes from 6:20 a.m. until 2:14 a.m., carry passengers between downtown Steamboat and the mountain village. Alternatives include Alpine Taxi and hotel shuttles.
Best Planning Resources: Steamboat Chamber of Commerce, www.steamboat-chamber.com; Steamboat Ski Town USA®, www.steamboat.com; Yampa Valley Airport, www.airnav.com/
airport/KHDN; Bob Adams Field, www.airnav.com/
airport/KSBS.
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