Top Tips for a Great Steamboat Springs Ski Vacation

Is the extra travel worth it?

Steamboat Springs has a solid reputation as a top Colorado ski resort but depending on where you live it can be hard to find a direct flight. Additionally, the mountainous airport often leads to cancellations and delays.  We had a variety of flights between the nine of us on a double family ski vacation and some of us fared better than others.  My daughter’s flight was cancelled due to snow and high winds.  My husband, son and I had a two-hour delay because of tornados in Dallas and barely made our connection, sprinting through the airport like crazy people.  Our friend’s son also had his flight cancelled.  Were all these travel headaches going to be worth it?

Steamboat is a large resort spread over seven peaks with its highest elevation over 10,000 feet.  There is a wide variety of terrain from beginner to expert.  Christmas Tree bowl has several double diamond runs and even more if you are willing to hike a bit.  Full disclosure: we didn’t do any of these runs, preferring to come home in one piece.  Steamboat is especially known for its large amount of glade runs.  This made it a hit with the adventure seeking teenaged boys in our midst.  From the base you can take a gondola up to Thunderhead Peak and then take a variety of upper mountain lifts.  Our first day of skiing was the Sunday of Presidents’ weekend and the gondola closed due to high winds.  This caused a large backup at the base lift, Christie Peak Express, and it took us longer to get to the upper mountain lifts, but once we did, we were able to avoid the crowds for the most part.

The rest of the week we explored the mountain with much fewer crowds than on President’s Day.  Our group of skiers had a blast zipping in and out of the glades in Morningside Park.  We found abundant powder in this more remote area of Steamboat, and it was a little warmer skiing amid the trees.  For added entertainment on the Morningside lift line birds come eat out of your outstretched hand, so remember to pack a little snack if you want a wildlife encounter.  

We also enjoyed the runs off the Pony Express Lift with some more great tree skiing in this area.  The Sundown Lift area has a nice mix of intermediate and advanced terrain to please our large group of nine skiers.   Our teenagers loved taking off into the trees and meeting us at the bottom of the trail.  

The food offerings at Four Points Lodge are excellent including gourmet salads, soups, pastas and sandwiches and a full bar.  It was some of the best lodge food I have had, even rivaling the food at chic Deer Valley. The pasta station was especially popular, and I had a momentary melt down waiting in a long noodle line.  I was hangry, but once I got my noodle bowl I chilled out.  It’s challenging enough skiing out west, so none of us felt the need to hit the bar although many skiers seemed to enjoy ordering up some liquid courage.  

Steamboat also offers night skiing on a few trails several times per week.  Check for exact days of the week because it varies.  Some of our younger adults gave it a try and reported back that it was a blast.  

We stayed in a beautiful vacation home in the Porches Resort.  There was plenty of room for the nine of us in this western themed home with soaring ceilings, 2 gas fireplaces, pool table, washer dryer, well-appointed kitchen and 5 bedrooms each with ensuite bathrooms.  The Porches is known for their service and amenities, and we were not disappointed. We got very spoiled not having to lug our equipment to the mountain with the complimentary ski-in/ski-out valet service.  We never had to wait more than a few minutes for the shuttle bus to take us to the base area.  The Porches will shuttle you anywhere in town, and we took advantage of that service a lot making grocery runs and going out to dinner at night. None of us had to worry about drawing the short straw and being the designated driver for the evening.  The Porches also offers a full-service concierge who is more than happy to make reservations or help you plan excursions during your visit to Steamboat Springs.  The Porches even helped two in our group plan a horseback riding excursion that included stops at the iconic Steamboat barn for some wonderful photo opportunities followed by a round of drinks at the aptly named Saddles Bar.

The town of Steamboat has an authentic western feel with plenty of stores and restaurants.  We loved the tacos at Salt and Lime.  E3 Chophouse is an upscale restaurant where we feasted on fondue, steaks, seafood, and delicious side dishes such as candied mashed sweet potatoes and creamed spinach; the vegetarian among us was pleased too. Upon the advice of one of our drivers we tried Mahogany Ridge.  Their tuna ceviche was a huge hit among our group.  We also ordered a flaming cheese appetizer just for the experience of having the waitress light something on fire for us tableside.  I believe when you have the option for flaming cheese you should go for it.  

Some of the young adults in our group caught some live music one night at Schmiggity’s, and we were also treated to a live bluegrass performance après ski one afternoon at the base of the gondola.  We also caught an improv show in the Chief Theater downtown which was a fun way to support the local arts scene.  The theater is a well-preserved gem, and they had a variety of shows all week long, so it’s worth checking out their weekly schedule of events.

A record number of Olympians hail from Steamboat Springs which is a point of honor for the town.  Many of these athletes got their start at the Howelson sports complex which features ski jumps, a Nordic center, an ice arena, and many other year-round activities; it’s visible overlooking the center of town.

With so much to do and a week of great skiing including a couple of days of fresh powder, we felt like the travel hiccups were a small price to pay for getting to spend a week in beautiful Steamboat Springs.  If you’re interested in more articles about skiing out west check out my post about Telluride and make sure to click subscribe in the upper right hand corner so you don’t miss any of my content.

HELPFUL INFO:

• Steamboat is on the IKON rather than Epic (some feel Epic mountains tend to attract more crowds)
• Porches Resort
• Salt & Lime – for great tacos and other tasty food
• E3 Chophouse – upscale steakhouse with pretty dining room
• Mahogany Ridge Brewery – flaming cheese appetizer!
• Schmiggity’s – live music/bar
• Saddles Bar and Grill at the Sheraton
• Chief Theater
• Howelson Sport Center and Ice Arena