Issue #10/2025-26

Skiers, here is report Part Three from our trip to Colorado in February.

We visited five large resorts in Summit County covered by Ikon Pass: Copper Mtn., Winter Park, Arapahoe Basin, Steamboat and Eldora. I sent you the photos from Copper and Winter Park, already.

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We decided to visit Steamboat, after we've heard, that the resort received about a foot of fresh snow overnight! From Dillon, where we stayed, it was about 1h 40min ride (via CO-9N and US-40W). Most of the way it was an easy ride, until we crossed Rabbit Ears Pass (elevation of 9,426 feet), then we experienced black ice road condition, going down to Steamboat Springs and we had to be extra careful! But we made it OK.

The free parking we chose, was Meadows Lot with free shuttle service. It is the largest free parking lot in Steamboat. Shuttles run 7:15 AM – 6:30 PM. The gondola is only walk away, but it is rather slow and waiting lines are long, so we used a shuttle, instead.

We landed at Steamboat Square (formerly known as Gondola Square), which has become the true "heartbeat" of the mountain. It perfectly captures that "Western heritage meets modern alpine" vibe that Steamboat is famous for.

The open-air concert space is the focal point of the Square. Every Saturday during the spring skiing season (typically March through mid-April), it hosts the Bud Light Rocks the Boat free concert series. The stage is set right at the base of the mountain, allowing people to ski directly down to the music.

The "big, festive" feeling has been amplified by the recent Full Steam Ahead redevelopment, which added:

Skeeter’s Ice Rink: In the center of the Square, there is now a large ice rink that becomes a glowing centerpiece at night, surrounded by fire pits where you can warm up.

The Range Food & Drink Hall: This is a new multi-level addition featuring various local food vendors and a dedicated bar with a deck that overlooks the concert stage, providing a perfect "birds-eye" view of the festivities.

We began our day with Steamboat Gondola ride to Thunderhead Lodge. From there we went to Sunshine Peak side (right) of the resort. Then, we used Sundown and Sunshine express lifts to explore Sunshine Peak. Good skiing!

Then, Tamara, who knew the mountain well (was there two weeks prior) took me to Morningside Bowl. This was a powder heaven, we yearned for! A lot of good glade (tree) skiing! Down and up with Morningside lift we went. Fun, fun, fun!

Later, after lunch we went further left, using Pony Express to explore middle side of mountain. Unfortunately expert addition to Steamboat - Mahogany Ridge was closed, we didn't try it after all. End of a day was a gondola ride down to Square. And then shuttle bus to Meadows Lot, then ride back home, to Dillon. Long day, but very satisfying!

AND FINAL CONCLUSION - STEAMBOAT IS WELL WORTH THE VISIT!

Zbigniew

Steamboat info from Peak Rankings 2024

Located hours away from Denver and the Continental Divide, Steamboat has long been a go-to alpine destination. This northern Colorado ski resort has historically stood out for its historic mountain town and extensive tree skiing. In recent years, Steamboat has made a substantial series of investments that fixed its biggest issues.

Pros

-Distinctive glade terrain

-Snow quality

-Sizable footprint

-Lively local town

Cons

-Less striking footprint than some competitors

-Underwhelming bowl terrain

-Ease of access to expert terrain

MOUNTAIN STATS

Skiable Footprint: 2,914 acres

Total Footprint: 2,965 acres

Lift-Serviced Terrain: 94%

Top Elevation: 10,568 ft

Vertical Drop: 3,668 ft

Lifts: 23

Trails: 182

Beginner: 14%

Intermediate: 42%

Advanced/Expert: 44%

Snow and Resiliency

When it comes to a Colorado Rockies ski vacation, the first thing that often comes to mind is snow. And in this respect, Steamboat tends to deliver. The resort gets as much snow as the best resorts in Colorado and regularly sees powder each season. Since Steamboat is northwest of most of the popular mountains in the state, it can get hit by storms that never even make it to the Front Range—although the opposite effect can happen as well.

While still quite high, it takes less time to acclimate to the altitude at Steamboat than at many competing mountains; the resort tops out at only 10,568 feet, thousands of feet lower than most of the resorts along the Interstate 70 corridor. Steamboat’s long vertical drop means that lower-elevation trails see more variable conditions than the rest, but extensive early season snowmaking operations ensure a resilient base layer throughout the season.

Beginner Terrain

Steamboat’s beginner experience has always been on the better side as far as Colorado resorts go, as its Sunshine Peak area boasts upper-mountain green terrain—something that many competitors lack. But the resort’s beginner experience has gotten even better in recent years, especially for first-timers. The new Greenhorn Ranch learning area brings a new isolated mid-mountain bunny hill zone that’s served by a dedicated carpet and brand-new high-speed quad.

Intermediate Terrain

Steamboat offers a range of blue-rated intermediate trails across the vast majority of mountain areas. These runs involve moderately steep pitches and often feature some of the best views at the resort. Steamboat also employs a blue-black trail rating, where runs are a bit steeper than typical blues but not quite up to an advanced-level pitch or technicality.

However, grooming on Steamboat’s blues can be hit or miss depending on when you visit. . It generally seems that fewer runs get groomed if it’s snowed, even if accumulation numbers are small, but for an in-advance trip, it’s hard to predict when grooming will be good or not.

Advanced Terrain

Speaking of bumps, Steamboat’s advanced-level trails tend to have them in spades. These runs are reasonably steep and demanding, and repeat laps will wear down typical guests. Visitors will want to check out the Storm Peak, Sundown, and Pony Express for the best black runs, and many of these trails are directly adjacent to the best glades at the resort. If conditions permit, some of the blacks off Sunshine Peak and near the bottom of the mountain receive grooming, allowing for some serious speed runs.

High-Alpine Bowl Terrain

Steamboat’s terrain footprint starts to show its shortcomings in the high-alpine department. The back bowls at Morningside Park feel also-ran for what you might expect from a resort of this caliber. Snow quality tends to be good, but above-treeline skiing continues only for the first few turns, and steep slopes only continue for the next couple after that. After that, you’re subject to flat terrain that on powdery days requires a catwalk. Once you get to the bottom, you’re stuck taking the slow, fixed-grip Morningside lift back up.

Expert Terrain

But in recent years, another historical shortcoming—expert terrain—has been addressed in large part. The massive Mahogany Ridge and Fish Creek Canyon zones, which have added over 500 acres of skiable terrain to Steamboat, exclusively serve advanced and expert terrain and bring some of the best steep skiable terrain in the state.

The fully-lift-served Mahogany Ridge brings a barrage of bump runs, aspen trees, and tighter glades that are barely even tree cut, making for some of the most natural-feeling slopes at the resort. Rocky steep chute with trees and blue skies at Steamboat ski resort

And Steamboat's new Fish Creek Canyon expansion includes some of the best expert terrain in Colorado. But the most pleasant Fish Creek Canyon surprise of all is that the so called 30-45 minute “hike back” is hilariously exaggerated, being pretty much a hike in name only. The journey out involves two-to-three sections of sidestepping and a few flat areas, but at least if you’re a skier, it’s actually fairly lappable—and much more so than Steamboat’s warnings would have you believe.

Outside of Mahogany Ridge and Fish Creek Canyon, the Christmas Tree Chutes and a few hikable areas north of them are the only areas of the resort with true expert terrain,White there is some sidestepping required to get out, Fish Creek Canyon is now the place to be at Steamboat for repeat expert laps.

I should also mention our skiers having fun in all these distant places - Zbyszek in Alyeska, AK, our special Alps envoy in Ischgl, Austria, and Halina in Big3 (Lake Louise, Sunshine Banff and Norquay) the iconic trio of resorts in Banff National Park, Alberta, Canada!