A Calm Morning
Steamboat must have been on Santa’s nice list this year with a few inches of fresh snow received Christmas morning and another few inches received this morning. Ho ho ho, merry white Christmas in Steamboat!
Thursday morning on the mountain felt calm and peaceful as Sunshine Peak and Storm Peak were both in the clouds, yet views of the sunny Yampa Valley below peeked through. Winds were calm at the summit (only 1 mph) and the temperature of 18 degrees felt perfect if you were layered appropriately.
With the morning clouds, today is a great day to pop in your low-light goggle lenses to give you better depth perception on the slopes. It appears there may be some sunshine mixed in throughout the day, so having your darker lenses in your pocket would also be a good idea.
With a little bit of fresh snow sitting atop nicely groomed trails, early morning cruisers in the Sunshine Peak area were certainly in order. Due to the heavy clouds clinging to the top of the mountain, firm patches did exist here and there, but as the clouds lift and the sun peeks out a bit more, you can expect the slopes to soften up a little bit.
The trees are pretty skied out at the moment, so I would recommend sticking to the trails that Steamboat’s awesome snowcat drivers work their nightly magic on. For the most current updates on groomed slopes, check out the Steamboat App or visit us online to view the Mountain Dashboard.
With 158 trails, 13 lifts and 2,790 acres now open in Steamboat, the mountain has a little bit for every type of skier or rider. Steamboat is a very family-friendly mountain, which I personally enjoy as we teach our two young boys how to ski. Terrain accessible via Sunshine Lift is perfect for the more beginner to intermediate skiers and riders, while Storm Peak and Pony Express offer more challenging terrain for the intermediate to advanced and even expert skiers and riders. Sundown Express accesses terrain for every ability of skier or rider, and with Elkhead Express, is a great way to move back and forth between Sunshine and Storm Peaks.
The holidays are always a fun and busy time in Steamboat, so make sure to be Slopewise and read up on Steamboat’s safety policies that are in place to keep you and other skiers and riders safe. Ski and ride with care and have a great day on the mountain!
Happy Thursday!
Erin Campbell, Alpine Skier & Snowboarder
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