Get Yer Green On
Spring is in full effect. That green St. Patrick’s Day spirit is pushing its way into haymeadows down on the Yampa Valley floor. Trees all over the mountain are noisy with birds tweeting. We’ve got 100 percent chance of sunshine and temperatures expected to push the 50s today and through the weekend.
Dig out your sunglasses. Load up on sunscreen. Strip off the layers. It’s prime time for spring skiing.
Also, don’t be afraid to linger a bit in the morning. Days are long, and the sweet spot for skiing in these spring conditions starts about 10 a.m. With melty afternoons, the snow hardens up overnight. But the night air hasn’t dipped far below freezing lately, so it’s not taking a lot of morning sun to soften things up. As the day progresses, the sun brings back the corn, then the slush.
My favorite run so far today: Vagabond. The groom was buttery soft in the mid section. Rainbow to Moonlight (and especially Moonlight!) gets the accolades for runner up. Over on Tomahawk, where the sun hits first, we’re headed for some great cruising — but even better might be Quicksilver, since a lot less people tend to ski Tomahawk’s sister run on that side of the mountain.
Festive green-themed celebrations are primed all over town today. A lot of hops and Irish whiskey, no doubt. But what to do besides beer on St Patty’s Day in Steamboat? Have some coffee between your cocktails and hear some killer storytelling. Go to a fun pop-up event, “Celtic Creatures,” with the talented historian/master storyteller Marianne Capra at 4 p.m. today at the Steamboat Coffee House downtown. Here’s what days about this free festivity: “These well-researched stories feature creatures from the British Isles–fairies, leprechauns and merfolk–a spotlight on creepy and cute creatures in that region. These are NOT tales about Tinkerbells.”
Wishing you sweet spring turns and the luck o’ the Irish today!
Jennie Lay, Telemark skier
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