STEAMBOAT SPRINGS, CO – November 25, 2024 — Mother Nature clearly was waiting for Steamboat to open before delivering the snow goods. A Sunday storm brought 7 inches of snow to mid mountain and another big storm is on its way Tuesday and Wednesday with more than a foot of snow possible at the top of the mountain. With the new snow, and snowmaking efforts from mountain crews, Steamboat will open upper Wild Blue Gondola and the Sunshine Bowl area tomorrow, Tuesday, November 26 at 9 am.  

Recent upgrades and expansion of the existing snowmaking system provided Steamboat Resort with the unprecedented opportunity to open Sunshine Bowl terrain on the earliest date in resort history. In the summer of 2024, the resort added 25 new automated fan guns on Tomahawk and Spike, adding to the previously installed 34 guns on Upper and Lower High Noon.

In addition to the Wild Blue Gondola, Sunshine Express, Sundown, Elkhead and South Peak will give skiers and riders access to 6 new trails including Upper and Lower High Noon, Spike, Spur Run, etc.  Greenhorn Ranch Express, the dedicated beginners lift in Greenhorn Ranch will also open for the season and the Steamboat Gondola will help bring skiers and riders up and down the mountain, as downloading from the Sunshine Bowl area will be necessary until Heavenly Daze opens. That brings the resort’s total to 18 trails, 10 lifts and 126 acres. As conditions allow, more terrain and lifts will open; real time updated are available on the Steamboat App and Steamboat.com  

While opening early season skiable terrain is part of our mission to operate responsibly, the resort also understands its obligation to be the best stewards of our mountain. The newly installed SMI Super PoleCat automated fan guns are the pinnacle of efficiency when it comes to making snow. These automated guns take roughly 20 minutes to fire up as opposed to 2-3 hours with a manual system. SMI Super Polecat fan guns also pump more water with less air, lowering energy requirements, and reducing water lost to evaporation.

In addition to the automated fan guns, newly installed pipe is 20% more efficient by reducing friction as water travels. These features along with the capacity to automatically adjust gun direction, pump rate, and throw depending on weather conditions allow Steamboat Resort snowmakers to efficiently and responsibly get guests to the Champagne Powder® snow.

“This is the earliest opening of Sunshine Bowl in Steamboat’s history,” said Dave Hunter, president and COO of Steamboat Ski & Resort Corporation. “This is the reason we put in Wild Blue Gondola and snowmaking in Sunshine Bowl, and we are beyond excited to open this area in the first week of the winter season just one year after completing the project. A true testament to the mountain teams for making our most popular terrain open in November!” Both the Wild Blue Gondola and Steamboat Gondola will open at 9am until Heavenly Daze is open for the season; then the Steamboat Gondola will shift to its normal hours opening at 8:30 am. While Sunshine Bowl is open for skiing and riding, First Tracks early access doesn’t begin until December 14; and Uphill Access will remain closed so crews can complete work on Heavenly Daze.