As the seasons continue to change and the sun’s angle rises, we are met with the onset of spring and the sought-after soft snow that accompanies it. We refer to this snow type as “corn”. While this soft and malleable snow type is considered one of our skiers and riders’ favorite consistencies of snow to ski, it takes some practice to get comfortable on, and a keen eye to know just when to move on to the next trail.

Since corn-hunting at Steamboat isn’t as straightforward as it may be on other mountains, we wanted to create a guide to help you time your corn adventures and experience the spring snow to its fullest potential. So, without further ado, here are the best 10 Spring Corn runs at Steamboat and the times of day you should hit them.

1. Flintlock (10-11:30am)

After the clock strikes 9am, load up on the Wild Blue Gondola and let it whisk you away to the top of the mountain. Disembark into the Sunshine bowl. Depending on the high temperature for the day and the previous overnight low, you may still run into some relatively firm conditions. The first run that will soften in this area is Flintlock, as it faces south-east and receives some vibrant sunshine to start these spring mornings. From soft sporty turns on the upper face to a rolling groomer with some of the best and most expansive views on the entire mountain, this is a perfect first run to warm up for the day.

2. Sunshine Lift Line (10:30-12pm)

Just skier’s-right of Flintlock, Sunshine Lift Line provides skiers and riders a fast and fun ride immediately under the Sunshine Lift. Break out the speed or send some tricks off the side hits, and don’t forget to keep your momentum towards the lower 3rd of the run to boost off some flowy rollers. Bonus points on this run if you get some love from those riding the lift above you… They’ll let you know if you’re looking good.

3. High Noon (12-2pm)

One run over to the right of Sunshine Lift Line sits the wide-open upper portion of High Noon, which faces due south. Have you noticed a trend yet? This process of finding corn snow and moving from one run to the next all centers around the idea of following the sun. Skiing the sunniest aspects of our mountain early in the day (East and South), and slowly but surely following the sun as it moves through the sky to the West. The combination of High Noon’s prominence on the skier’s-right ridge of Sunshine Bowl and its south-facing aspect allows it to warm up fast and stay soft and corny for multiple hours. As the day goes on, this soft snow will begin to be pushed around, and the slushy bumps that are created can also be a joy to ski.

4. One O’clock (1-2:30pm)

Continuing to move slowly but surely to the west, we find ourselves atop One O’clock. Ski a soft and corn-filled High Noon and angle right as the pitch eases. Whether freshly groomed or riddled with manageable small-sized bumps, One O’clock is sure to provide. Follow the natural dogleg of the run to the right, and set up for a big jump off the Duster cat track into the forgiving corn snow below.

5. Two O’clock (2-3:30pm)

One and Two O’clock both offer very similar descents, with Two O’clock sitting at a more westward aspect, whereas One O’clock faces more to the south. The slightly more westward aspect of Two O’clock allows it to soften up a bit later in the day than its next-door neighbor. While you can find this classic Steamboat run groomed, it will more likely than not present you with soft spring bumps to hop down through. Continue on down to soft turns on Daybreak, or take the Duster cat track skier’s-right and descend aspen glades, or a fun and broad gully.

6. Three O’clock (2:30-4pm)

The final run in our time-of-day oriented terrain zone is Three O’clock, which sits the furthest skier’s right of all of these runs. Usually left as a fun, steep, and slushy bump run in the spring, you can occasionally find this trail groomed overnight. Thus, providing skiers and riders with one of the most enjoyable and sustained groomers on the mountain. With a soft and fast layer of corn on top, you won’t want to miss this run to end your day.

7. West Side (11:30-2pm)

West Side offers amazing down-valley views and two unique pitches to ski on the upper and lower halves of the runs. The upper half of the run is a wide-open, lower-angle pitch that gradually falls off to the skier’s-right side. This section of the slope sits at a more south-facing angle, softening it slightly before the lower section. As you make your way lower into the run, it continues on its rightward trajectory, rolling over at the midway point down into the steeper lower half. Great turns abound on both the upper and lower portions of this run, with the opportunity for an exhilarating run-out at the bottom, where speed is anything but difficult to find.

8. Lights Out/Moonlight (11:30-2pm)

We decided to group these runs together, since skiing Lights Out will inevitably feed you into Moonlight. These runs share very similar aspects, with Moonlight seeing the sun’s rays earlier and facing nearly due south. Drop into Moonlight from the Duster cat track and arc wide and fast corn turns until the run funnels into a gully. At this point, it’s time to slash turns on the skier’s-right wall, or ascend to the top and jump back into the main section of the run. This is an awesome run to get creative and mix in some fun air. Just skiers left of the top of Moonlight, Lights Out combines a fun and playful gully run with engaging off-camber slushy bumps. Slash and slide your way through the zone and funnel your way into the main vein of Moonlight.

9. Vortex (11:30-2:30pm)

Vortex is a steeper, slightly off-camber mogul run directly below the Storm Peak Express lift. While this run faces south-west, it is pinned up directly behind ridgelines that delay its softening process, allowing it to stay crisp and corny later in the day than some of the runs similar to it on the mountain. Similar to Sunshine Lift Line, Vortex sets up Storm Peak lift riders with a front-and-center seat to the show. It’s time to blow up some spring bumps and catch transitions that will leave the people wanting more. There’s nothing better than knowing you put on a show for the lift, even if that means taking a tumble. It’s all in the spirit of spring skiing.

10. Valley View (1-4pm)

The last but definitely not least run on this list, Valley View provides overall skiing quality as well as stunning views of the base area, town, and down the valley. Valley View is split into two sections: an upper and a lower. While both sections sit at a similar slope angle, veer slightly to the right, and face dead west, there are some significant differences. Both sections tend to carry bumps often, but occasionally you’ll find Upper Valley View has been groomed, providing a very fun and fast corn-filled run back down towards the valley. Lower Valley View is generally home to some of the largest bumps on the mountain. When the spring snow softens, these otherwise imposing features become malleable and easier to maneuver through. You can link these sections up for one of the best leg-burning, corn-harvesting runs on the entire mountain. Whatever way you draw it up, Valley View is a great run to end your day on.

So there you have it! These ideal Spring riding conditions form during the spring freeze and thaw cycle, where the snowpack freezes at night and thaws out during the day. After some time, when the sun’s rays make direct contact with the snow, it will begin to soften and provide increasingly more enjoyable riding conditions. The sweet spot of this softening is when the snow hits its “corn” consistency, marked by melt-freeze grains at the top of the snowpack growing in size and creating a soft, smooth, and fast surface to ski. While 11am-1pm is the general sweet spot for riding corn, lots of Steamboat’s runs descend varying aspects, allowing some runs to soften before others. Happy corn harvesting to all, and as always, happy trails!