MOUNTAIN STATS
Elevation: 6,900 ft – 10,568 ft
Vertical – 3,668 ft
Ski Area: 2,965 acres
Average Snowfall: 349″ (886 cm)
Trails: 169
- 14% Beginner
- 42% Intermediate
- 44% Advanced
Longest Run – 3 miles
Lifts: 18
Lift Hours: 8:30am-4pm
Season: mid-November to mid-April
As the winter season approaches, everyone’s busy preparing and excited for the next adventurous and incredible holiday. Perhaps, some are already browsing on the Internet; where’s the next ski destination to tick on the bucket list.
If you haven’t been to Colorado or perhaps, have visited several times, you would indeed feel that you are in the right place to spend your winter holiday either with friends, family, or just a solo explorer.
Besides Aspen Highlands, Buttermilk, Snowmass, and Vail Ski Resort, one major and must-visit ski spot in North America, is the Steamboat Resort. It is a major ski area in northwestern Colorado, operated by the Steamboat Ski & Resort Corporation in Steamboat Springs and situated at Mount Werner, a mountain in the Park Range in the Routt National Forest. It has 169 named trails that spread over 2,965 acres, and its first ski area opened on January 12, 1963.
The resort boasts of Champagne Powder, and this coined term for a snow quality started in this resort before the ski area even existed. For both expert skiers and beginners, the resort showcase diverse terrains that can cater to all ages and ski experience.
TERRAINS
Except for a big open bowl skiing, you’ll find everything at the resort, including easy learning trails, chutes, cliffs, fast groomers, rollers, moguls, steeps, glades, and terrain parks. Steamboat has a summit elevation of 10,568 ft and reaches above the tree line. Eighteen lifts are servicing around the terrains, and a gondola takes visitors to mid-mountain where you can quickly ski back down, go back to Storm Peak, or head right to Sunshine Peak.
From mid-mountain down, and near the base have plenty of greens where beginners can look for a learning area.
There are many intermediate trails all over the mountain and from the top of all the chairlifts. It’s easy to find an intermediate trail back down. Steamboat grooms many beginner and intermediate terrains every morning, smoothing out the bumps and providing fresh corduroy.
Terrains above mid-mountain are best suited for expert skiers. They can start at the top of either Sunshine or Storm Peak and head down the mountain’s backside to Morningside.
All the runs from Mount Werner’s summit require a five-minute crisscross at the end, except for No Names, which leads to the bottom of the chutes.
The tree skiing is the most liked at Steamboat. People can ski to almost all the trees between the trails that usually hold powder stashes for days. The perfect blend of evergreens and aspen makes the mountain very alluring.
The premiere skiing areas are the Shadows and Closets. Often overlooked are trees off Sunshine Peak between High Noon and Three O’Clock.
BEST HOTELS NEAREST TO THE STEAMBOAT SKI RESORT
The Steamboat Grand. (2300 Mount Werner Cir, Steamboat Springs, CO 80487-9027)
This hotel is a best seller, according to tripadvisor.com. Another great place to spend a day or more is at The Ptarmigan Inn (2304 Apres Ski Way, Steamboat Springs, CO 80487-9028). These two hotels are about 200 meters away from the Steamboat Ski Resort, saving more time when going to the resort for some fun activities during the day.
The Steamboat Hotel. (3195 S Lincoln St, Steamboat Springs, CO 80487-1768) It is just 1.5 km from the resort, and The Inn at Steamboat (3070 Columbine Dr, Steamboat Springs, CO 80487-2347) is only a kilometer away. They are the highest-rated hotels that are located very close to the resort.
WHERE TO EAT AT STEAMBOAT?
Café Diva, Aurum Food and Wine, and Harwig’s Lapogee are among the resort’s top options for fine dining. If you want to experience the taste of their local cuisine, you either dine in at Table 79 Foodbar, Creekside Café and Grill, and Laundry Restaurant. Light meals, snacks, and cheap eats are available at Johnny B Goods, T-Bar, Marcia and Joe’s Kitchen, and Sun Pie’s Bistro.
Suppose you wish just to get the food delivered right where you stay. In that case, you can order food online from some of the most popular restaurants that also cater to online food ordering like Mazzola’s Italian Restaurant, Yampa Sandwich Company, Crusiers, and Sambi Canton.