Adventure Passports Resort Challenge #5: Champagne Wishes, Caviar Dreams

Steamboat Ski & Resort, Part 1 of 2

Summit Elevation 10,568 feet
Vertical Drop 3,688 feet
Average Annual Snowfall 339 inches
Skiable Acres 2,965

Date Skied/Logged: January 21, 2006
New Snow: trace (over 22 feet of Champagne Powder? this season)
Weather: Sunny
Snow Conditions: Powder!!

The fifth leg of the Adventure Passport: Resort Challenge took the whole team to Steamboat Springs, Colorado, for a perfectly timed celebration of Steamboat’s legendary Champagne Powder?. Over 22 feet of light, fluffy snow has fallen on the resort this season, making it one of the snowiest ever recorded.

Joining us on Saturday were Adventure Passports authors Angela Ashby and Kim Hornsby, along with Mountain Resort’s Vice President of Sales and Marketing, Larry Mashaw. Larry has been riding the mountain for over twenty years, so our quest for local knowledge was in good hands.

“There is no other mountain I can think of where someone can ski for 21 years and not get bored,” said Mashaw, during lunch at Hazies, located at the lodge at the top of the Gondola. “Steamboat is not known for its steep terrain, but even in-bounds it can go from skiable to scary pretty quickly, which means you are either getting cliffed-out, or are facing some very difficult turns.”

Our guides, which included the Passport, kept us in-bounds on Saturday and provided a tour of the mountain that not only introduced us to the lightest and deepest powder stashes of the season, but also terrain that put us to bed early. Keeping up with Mashaw, who has successfully skied the Aiguille du Midiin Chamonix, was like riding behind a banshee on Tele skis. Kim, Angela, Chris and I whooped it up through Steamboat’s unbelievable Aspen trees, following Larry’s trail of white mist, as he expertly led us to destinations untouched.

As with each trip to Steamboat, Chris and I finished Saturday’s ride with more discussions of why we wished we lived there fulltime. Each year the town grows larger while staying true to its roots, the resort keeps getting better and the relaxed lifestyle more appealing. And each year, the same glorious Champagne Powder? is delivered in heaps to a town full of deserving locals and lucky tourists.

Local Lodging Recommendation

Mountain Resorts provided our team with luxury, slope-side accommodations at The Spa at Storm Meadows. Beautifully appointed and incredibly comfortable, The Spa at Storm Meadows is the perfect option for those looking for the convenience of a ski-in/ski-out facility. The outdoor pool and hot tub soothed our aching muscles after a hard day on the mountain, while snow started falling from the sky. The guest lockers for equipment located in the foyer were an added bonus, as was the Storm Meadows shuttle, which allowed us to go downtown and swill beer safely.

By the Book

• Green—Main Drag—we missed the Main Drag, but exchanged it for Right-O-Way, which led us straight to our condo. The Main Drag area includes the Terrain Park, Mavericks Superpipe and Rough Rider Basin.
• Blue—Buddy’s Run—one of skiing’s legends, Buddy Werner is memorialized in a statue sitting atop Mount Werner. The Passport recommended rubbing Buddy’s bronzed head for good luck. We rubbed Buddy’s cold head, just prior to accessing the Ridge.
• Blue—Tomahawk—a local favorite! Recommended by every local we spoke with, and beloved by Kim, the terrain surrounding Tomahawk provides excitement for almost every ability level.
• Black—Pioneer Ridge—an area that we did not access on Saturday. Stay tuned for Thursday’s blog for a full exploration of the Ridge and a potential Billy Kidd sighting!

Larry’s Favorites

• Terrain Surrounding Pony Express—largely vacant on Saturday afternoon, the trees interspersed between the runs funneling to the Pony Express lift hold stashes of Steamboat’s finest, especially Cabin Fever, Perry’s Park and Diamond Hitch. Larry led us on his Tele skis through some signature Aspen trees at the top and then through a playground of rolls and drop offs in the terrain surrounding Outlaw.
• Broadway Bench—there is a picnic bench located to the left of Westside, over by Rolex that, according to Larry, not only offers a sunny spot for a brown bag lunch, but also picturesque views of the Yampa Valley.
• Backcountry Gate on Pioneer Ridge—expert terrain that is open to exploration amidst the most beautiful fields of powder one could ever imagine. Be prepared if you decide to exit the resort. As Larry pointed out when he saw Chris and I drooling over the ‘golf course’, “if you get hurt outside that rope, your rescue is in your own hands. If you get hurt inside that rope, someone will come to your aid.”

Our Favorite Saturday Runs

• What Time is It?—We missed the famed Shadows, but were lurking nearby in the trees surrounding Twighlight, Three O’clock and Two-Thirty. The widely spaced Aspen’s were a joy to ski through and around and the consistent face shots kept us sufficiently hydrated on a sunny, but cold day.
• Four Points Lift—Early, prior to meeting Kim and Angela, we took a warm up run in the trees located between Twister and Nelson’s Run, and then the old Four Points Lift Line. Welcome to Steamboat! Does anyone ski over here? We saw a few lucky tracks, but they were animal prints.
• Pony Express—Larry’s recommendation served our group well on Saturday. This area has it all in terms of terrain, and lift lines are practically non-existent.

For more information about the Passport to Ski Areas of Colorado, or to purchase your own copy please visit www.adventurepassports.com