Snowflakes and Skis
Snowflakes that fall on my skis and my mittens, these are a few of my favorite things! The snowflakes are flying in Steamboat Springs, which has doubled the base over the past week (now 27″ at mid-mountain and 36″ at the summit) and brought 21 new inches of fresh snow (and counting). Fa la la la la la la la la!
Just as no two snowflakes are the same, no two ski or snowboard runs are the same. Every day brings different weather, different amounts of snow, different temperatures, and paired with the fact that our turns, our chosen line and the skiers and riders around us are never the exact same, as skiers and riders, our runs are like snowflakes; no two are the exact same.
Heavenly Daze was my first run of choice this morning (as I watched almost every other skier and rider heading straight for Four Points and Storm Peak chairlifts), and I’m certain that I found some of the best turns on the mountain Wednesday morning; it felt “heavenly” so to speak. Heavenly Daze is a trail that is groomed every day, and it was groomed to perfection before the snow fell overnight, making it smooth underneath the 5 inches of champagne powder® that felt so incredibly light and fluffy. Skis down, that was my pick of the day!
Currently Steamboat is operating 8 lifts accessing 25 runs, and is working on opening more terrain as soon as possible. From the summit, which is accessible only via Storm Peak Lift at the moment, the upper portion of Buddy’s Run is open until it leads you to Calf Roper, which will take you to upper Rainbow. Four Points Lift is also a great choice to access Rainbow, which is currently the longest upper mountain trail open.
With limited terrain and some very excited skiers and riders on the slopes, it’s important to check your speed and be aware of your surroundings at all times. Watching these beautifully unique snowflakes continue to fall certainly adds to the excitement, but we do need to remember that early season conditions currently exist all over the mountain. The slopes that are open have good coverage, and a few may warn you of the hazards that could exist (such as lower Rainbow).
It’s also vitally important to remember to mask up at all times while on Steamboat Resort property. If we can all do our part to keep ourselves and each other safe, we’ll be able to enjoy a ski season together (from a social distance of course), and soak up the powder turns that Mother Nature is currently bringing Steamboat.
As for the forecast, we can expect snow throughout the day Wednesday before a little break on Thursday. After that, snow should return Thursday night into Friday before drier weather returns to the valley on Saturday. For more information on the latest forecast, please visit Steamboat Daily Snow, updated regularly my meteorologist Joel Gratz.
Be aware, be courteous, be safe and have a fantastic day skiing and riding!
Happy Wednesday!
Erin Campbell, Alpine Skier & Snowboarder
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