The skies might have been dark and dreary when I got to the mountain this morning, but the conditions are changing quickly. The sun is peaking out and it looks like a beautiful bluebird day in Steamboat is on the way. We didn’t get any new snow overnight, but this season has been so good that we didn’t need any. The base is sitting at 67″ at mid mountain, so the whole mountain is still riding really well even during the gap between storms. Don’t worry though, there is more powder on the way later this week.

I started my day with a few laps on Storm Peak lift and really enjoyed the groomed runs on that side of the mountain. Buddy’s run was well groomed and ice free from top to bottom. It may be one of our most popular runs, but on a day like today it’s a great run to lap over and over. There aren’t many people out yet, so you can enjoy the view all way down without having to avoid many other riders.

Another great place to ride on a mid week groomer day is all the runs under Thunderhead lift. Heavenly Daze might be the most obvious run to take here, but there are so many options from the top of thunderhead. Vagabond is a great blue run that has a mixture of steeps and lower angle areas, while Concentration is an un-groomed run right under the lift for you to challenge yourself. My personal favorite is taking the top portion of Heavenly Daze down to Ted’s ridge for some high speed carving on the steeper portions. There are almost never any lines at Thunderhead so you can get a lot of runs riding in this area.

As spring gets closer and the weather warms up a bit, there are more and more things to do around the mountain. With several great events going on in the next few days this week is no exception. The Colorado Pro Cup comes to Steamboat this Saturday featuring some of the countries best ski racers competing in a dual slalom race. After taking in some exciting ski racing, head down the hill to the base area for Steamboats Mardi Gras celebration. With live music from Zydego Cha Chas, a crawfish boil and street performers, it should be a great afternoon at the base.

Dan Tullos, snowboarder

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