The Final Days.
The rule this morning is mid-mountain groomers, as it warms up the Spring-y terrain will expand, but, for now, Steamboat is still waking up. While I was up there this morning I was one of only five skiers for quite a while. Lifties were surprised to see me crest their lines, and I never shared a single run. Like saying a long goodbye to an old friend, these hours of skiing alone have been a nice deep breath before the craziness of closing weekend.
The sky was a bit heavy this morning, deep and grey and close. She could barely retain her Spring precipitation. Even the air smelled fresh and damp as the clouds blew over the peaks. All this will clear, and we’ll have our Springalicious, t-shirt skiing day.
Before realizing that lower mountain is the place to be, I did a few laps on the Sunny Side, Flintlock and Tomahawk. The carvable groom and the heavy Springtime views were glorious, with nobody to impede my line, I could just stand there and watch it all go by. A slightly too hard Storm Peak Face convinced me to stay low for a while. Rudi’s, Vagabond, just right for soft, fun turns!
At elevations below Christie Peak the Aspens are beginning to bud and the mountain is populated with Spring-y birds. Although the melt is happening all the way up, our base is strong and most terrain is still accessible, the mountain is ready to shed it’s Winter, but not until at least Monday.
Getting ready for one of the greatest Steamboat events of the year, Cardboard Classic teams were shaping up at the base this morning as I skied in. Sleds made out of cardboard and creativity will race down Stampede at 11am. You’ll see plenty of astounding artistic creations, lots of good engineering, and plenty of silly crashes at this riotous Springalicious event.
As the Winter ends and Steamboat summer awaits, enjoy your final moments of lift serve on the beautiful Storm Mountain. Thank your lifties and ski patrolers. and ski happy and safe this weekend!
Willow Fitzgerald, Telemark skier
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