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Steamboat Ski Resort
Rating Details »
13 reviews for Steamboat Ski Resort
Champagne powder as they say.
I haven't got to ski Utah yet, and so far this is the nicest powder I've ever skied. If you love tree skiing with powder up to your chest, pry drive out here as fast as you can before it dumps. First time I skied there I got introduced to pow asphyxiation :) Literally had to stop and catch your breath in the middle of a tree screamer because the powder was caked on my face.
Only got to play there one day, but I measure everything on its standard. Truly a great place. Been there a few times in the summer and also a really great town.
Check it out for sure.
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The Boat is amazing.
Wally-World is the place to be if you love blues and rollers... it's a bit hard to get to which makes it that much better... no one wants to make the trek out there which means a little solitude.
It's about 3 hours from Denver which means you better love to drive or you are staying the night and places are not cheap here... and I am glad because it keeps a lot of people away.
The instructors are amazing and lessons are truly not that expensive compared to some of the resorts that would compare to the Boat.
In fact I love this place so much I should rate it a 1 star so you will stay away and I can have it all to myself!!!
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Before I write this review, I need to clarify a few points:
1) We came during spring break, lots of crowds for this reason.
2)We came in Spring of '09, NOT a season known thus far for amazing snowfall.
3) It didn't snow ONCE while we were there.
That said, Steamboat is a really great resort with a lot of challenging terrain. I came as intermediate at best, but was so inspired by the beautiful slopes and bountiful trails I was riding expert terrain on my last day.
The resort: The resort itself is easy to find, easy to park, very accessible. There is a free lot that is about a 5 minute walk from the Gondola base (BEWARE, this walk feels like hours at the end of the day!) The Gondola is a huge pain, I highly recommend riding singles if you are in a small group or else the line alone could take you hours. They pride themselves on being "ski town USA", and have a Western theme that is prevalent throughout the town.
The mountain: Is great once you learn how to navigate it, but you must learn or else you will be hopelessly lost. The mountain is huge and there are hundreds of trails, but all of the trails lead to confusing lift systems. See, there are about 4 lifts to every bottom basin, and if you get on the wrong one you have to spend about an hour backtracking. We stuck to this tried and true method: Gondola up, Why not to Bar-UE lift, Morning side Access Gate to Morning side runs, Morning side lift to "Hike Up" trails North St. Pat's or East Face, then down to Pony Express lift to ski that side for a while, then finally down BC ski way to the base. Also, try a 'mary at the Four Points Lodge, but DO NOT go around 12 unless you want to wait 45 mins for the bathroom.
Other likes: The Gondola runs on the weekends and though rides are supposed to be by reservation only to the restaurant at the top, the operator let us on for one of the coolest/most romantic impromptu dates of my young life!!! Once at the top we opted to check out the louder restaurant, which turned out to be a buffet for mostly kids and bored looking teens with their parents. We had a beer and called it a night after watching the spoon-hanging contest, and rode back down. Very neat. Also, all of the greeters wear cowboy hats to stick with the VERY prominent western theme, which I also adored. The Four Points lodge is also great and they play a lot of Cheese/Phish.
Overall, I'm giving this place 4 stars because we didn't really get to taste any of that "Champagne Powder" they pride themselves on, but I do love the resort and hope to be back soon!!
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I'm from California, but let me specify, SOUTHERN California. This trip to Steamboat was my first snowboarding experience outside the California State boundary lines so you can understand how amazed I was with the champagne powder all around me.
I did have quite a difficult time snowboarding in all the fresh powder but getting stuck in more than knee-deep snow and feeling like you're falling on hundreds of goose down pillows was worth it! Steamboat also had plenty of trails for all levels snowboarders and skiers so you didn't have to repeat a trail more than once.
Staff was also very helpful and friendly when I asked questions about certain trails and what would be the best experience for an intermediate/advanced snowboarder like myself. They also served free hot chocolate to anyone from 3PM-4PM. How sweet is that!?
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Let's just be clear here that Steamboat captured our hearts years ago and continues to with each visit. Great town, fantastic people and a great mountain keeps us coming back.
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Steamboat is known for it's champagne powder, and if you happen to be there on a powder day, you will know why this place is so great. I used to live here, and have found memories of 48" powder mornings, and plenty of fresh tracks to go around. The mountain is spacious, and large enough that it doesn't get as crowded as some of the I 70 resorts. It's a tad out of the way, but worth the trip. Definitely a must if you've never been there before.
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Its a moderately large ski/snowboard resort tucked all by itself in the North-western part of the Colorado Rockies. It has a "western" village in the downtown area while modern condos and hotels surrond the base of the resort. It is family oriented, and not so much ski bum or extreme terrain material.
Where this place excells and stands alone is in the quantity and quality of the snow that falls upon this place. It is truly a litlle gift from heaven. I've been on ski trips all over the western US, and I've got to say that this is it. The best snow I've ever been lucky enough to glide on. It is like floating atop white clouds as white cold mist breezes by your face. It is a very silent and humbling experience, except for the other riders next to you, screaming and hollering with child-like exuberance. I also was guilty of that on many occasions.
A local who shared a chairlift ride with us, discussed the nature of their "champagne powder". Snow systems come in that area after traveling the cold high plains and the moisture content of the snow dries out. It then hovers in their sheltered valley (not much wind) and dumps this soft, dry powder snow. It's so dry that you can't form a snowball, there's no moisture to keep it together, it'll just fall in between your fingers. It is cold as heck though (5-20 degrees f.) as you need that coldness to keep the snow dry.
This trip also was first time I was able to ski with my dad in a while, at least 7 years. We both learned to ski together back when I was growing up, and I owe him my introduction into this sport. So to be reunited with the person who got me to ski, and that person is also someone who I value to spend quality time with, in one of the most unique snow experiences in North America. What more can I say than FIVE FUCKIN FANTASTIC STARS.
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great ski resort in terms of service... for that i give it 5 stars... from the moment i booked my ski and lodging package with steamboat they were very helpful in finding me the best deal. even followed up with me a week later to make sure i had everything i needed for the trip! gave us free home delivery of rentals and let us switch them for boards for free and free hot chocolate after a long day of skiing??!?! too good to be true? but it is...
the mountain itself is very spacious, not crowded, not hectic with snowboarders... very serene with no need to rush to enjoy life. the snow is powder and very deep... it snowed practically every day that i was there... temperatures tho were kinda unbearable in the teens and wind was also pretty harsh...
what i don't like bout this mountain tho is its got too short of a trail before u have to take another lift to get to another part of the mountain... also the snow is so powdery that it never sticks and thus results in altitude problems like vertigo... fall into it and ask to be dug out cuz its so deep!
regardless u come here to get away from the city life... and indeed we did that here! food is ur typical ski resort food nothing fancy... come here for the snow... stay here to meditate and think bout life! =)
i still have no idea why its called "CHAMPAGNE" powder... cuz it wasn't yellow looking at all lol
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I entered a booty shaking contest at one of the bars about two years ago and I was astonished by the fact that I lost. I shook my booty so hard that I ripped my pants in the crotch... Yeah, that is how hard I was grinding. The prize was a new pair of skis and I needed them... Sometimes, you gotta shake what the gym gives ya you know.
What? Did you just ask who won? The girls who pretended to be lesbians of course... They always beat out everyone on the stage.... Even if I do try to pull out the Carmen Electra booty shake. Whatever.
YEEEEHHHAA, welcome to true cowboy town... Good ol' Steamboat! Steamboat has amazing powder and even better tree skiing. The mountain is nowhere near the popular I-70 corridor, so not only do you not have the Denver crowds, but the tourists are not as heavy as some of the mountains. And although this might be bad for the owners, it makes people on the mountain happy.
This cowboy town has a real neighborhood and local feel, and of course as I mentioned before, there are plenty of fun places to get your groove and rink on if that's your thing. If you like to have low key activities, well you have the hot springs of course, and you can ride up the gondola at night to go out to eat on the mountain, which is a tourist favorite.
If you are driving to this resort from Denver there are a couple different ways you can go, but I just fell in love with Rabbit Ears Pass, with multiple perfect places for snow shoeing and cross country.
* Star one is for offering booty shaking contests... Even if I didn't win... punks
** Yeehaa star two is for being a real cowboy town with a cowboy feel
*** Watch out for that branch star three is for great tree skiing
**** Not so crowded star four is for being off the beaten path
***** Superstar five is for all the famous Olympian's who have come from Steamboat... The most in the country! It has got to be something in the air
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I have to say, that the terrain at this place did not seem very complex. Of course, I was there for closing weekend, so that may have something to do with it. If it's your first visit to a Colorado Ski Resort, please keep in mind that it is, IMHO, MUCH easier then the other's I've been to as far as the trails go; don't go here and think because you did a black diamond at Steamboat that you're an expert... you'll be in a world of hurt if you make an attempt elsewhere at that level. It was pretty overcast on my day, and I got in a couple of runs half way down the mountain before taking the lift up to the summit for my final decent. A storm moved in in the blink of an eye and I gave up half way down... miserable, cold, sopping wet and in serious pain from a fall. After the sleeting experience I elected to take the Gondola back down it was so bad. There are a couple of places to eat half way up the mountain, so it was nice because you don't have to go all the way to the bottom for a warm place to rest. The food was okay, but as you may have guessed very overpriced. A loaded baked potato was the cheapest thing on the bar's menu and it was still $7. Facilities at this place were all great. If you are on a board, I wouldn't recommend going all the way to the base until you are done for the day because it is incredibly flat and you'll be hating life. Love the Gondola option for first timers, so they don't have the traumatic experience of getting off a lift until they are comfortable on their feet.
Ughhh. Nanananaaa. Wow, never skied on this kind of snow in my life. Champagne powder, I think that is what they call it. Unreal.
If I may be so bold, Steamboat makes Vail look like Ginger Beer. This is the real deal.
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Fantastic trees, glades and plenty of secret stashes make for a classic mountain. 5 minutes as a long lift line makes it one of a kind.
