A Flufftastic 13" in the past 24 hours!

SNOW: 13"(24hrs); 15"(48hrs); Base:75"-86"; Total: 244"
CONDITIONS: Champagne Powder® Snow!
LIFTS: 16/18
TRAILS: 165/165
TEMP: 24/4

How often do you get to ski up to the lift at 9:30 am on a powder day? Just one of many reasons why I love skiing the boat.
Not to rub it in but we are winning in total snow for Colorado and about 6" short of hitting the 100" mark for January.

Steamboat Ski Resort receives 25 inches in 48 hours!

SNOW: 16" (24 hrs); 25"(48 hrs); Base: 61"; Total: 175"
CONDITIONS: Champagne Powder® Snow!
LIFTS: 16/18
TRAILS: 165/165
TEMP: 17/14

Yesterday may have been another epic Tuesday in Steamboat Springs, but today is undeniably EPIC Wednesday. 25" in two days! That's a LOT of snow! There's fresh tracks to be found all over the Steamboat Ski Resort. With 16" since yesterday and most of that falling after the mountain closed, there is a lot of snowy territory to cover for even the most ambitious skier or rider. The smooth, buttery snow was absolutely bottomless - just lean back and dig those tails in!

The latest storm pushed the cumulative total for the 2008-09 season to within 6 inches of last year’s record-breaking pace.

Steamboat counted a record 489 inches of snow at mid-mountain last winter and by Jan. 7, 2008, the ski area had seen 181 inches fall at Thunderhead Peak. This year’s cumulative total now stands at 175 inches, ski area spokesman Mike Lane said.

January 2009 is actually ahead of January 2008 as of this morning, according to Lane. The ski area has already seen 35 inches of snow this month compared to 15 inches by Jan. 7, 2008.

This year’s monthly totals include 4.75 inches in October, 35.25 inches in November and an even 100 inches in December. The pattern last winter saw 17 inches fall in October 2007, followed by 23 inches in November and 126 inches in December.

Both years were similar in that the weather was unseasonably mild and dry right up to the hour that snowfall began in earnest in late November.

9 inches in 24 hours; 8 inches after the Steamboat Ski Resort Closed

SNOW: 9" (24 hrs); 9"(48 hrs); Base: 51"; Total: 159"
CONDITIONS: Champagne Powder® Snow!
LIFTS: 16/18
TRAILS: 165/165
TEMP: 17/14

Yesterday was bitterly cold in Steamboat Springs (by Steamboat standards, not by mid Westerner standards!!). Last night, a storm system collided with the Steamboat Ski Area and these cold temperatures resulting in 9 inches of fresh powder, 8 of which fell after the ski resort closed. This is the real thing - this is the legendary Champagne Powder® snow that Steamboat is famous for! The lightest blow-blow-off-your-glove snow you can imagine; the kind of snow you float through and it falls back in on your tracks, so it seems like you have endless fresh tracks; no snow man can come of this kind of snow...

I can't capture today's flakes on film, but check these out to get a taste:






This another epic Tuesday. Each year it seems like there is one day of the week that catches all of the snow storms. This year, it seems, Tuesday is the chosen day!

Frankly, if you are not here in Steamboat skiing today, you are missing out. Nevermind, there are plenty more powder days ahead. That is the beauty of Steamboat!

8 inches in a few hours! This is why we live in Steamboat Springs!

SNOW: 0" (24 hrs); 8"(48 hrs); Base: 46"; Total: 150"
CONDITIONS: Packed Powder
LIFTS: 16/18
TRAILS: 165/165
TEMP: 22/10

With so much going on in Steamboat Springs over the past few weeks, I just have not had time to post to our Steamboat Ski Bums blog. That doesn't mean I have forgotten about it! All day Saturday I rehearsed the poetic words that might capture the amazing skiing at the Steamboat Ski Resort. Those words have escaped me now, but let me re-cap.

On Friday evening my husband and I went to see Marley and Me at Wildhorse Stadium Cinemas. We got home late - there was no sign of a winter storm. We went to bed even later - and still no sign of snow.

Like every morning, when our dog woke us up before daylight, we called the ski report. Just 3 inches - well that was a surprise we weren't expecting, but nothing to get too excited about. By 9am, however the ski report reported 11 inches! Yee haw! Now this is why we live in Steamboat.

There were very few people on the resort and each run we hit had little or no tracks. Twister-'cane-'bow (Twister/Hurricane/Rainbow) trees were unbelievable delicious! Not only was it untracked, i couldn't see ANYONE elses tracks. Powder flowed up over my knees as I floated effortlessly through the perfectly spaced trees... One run after another of grins ear-to-ear.

Days like Saturday January 3, 2009 are the reason why we live in Steamboat Springs!

The month ahead is jam-packed with events: The Steamboat Family Snow Festival January 16-18, and just a few days later on January 20 is the hilarious Cowboy Downhill. Check-out the photos! Don't forget about the Steamboat Springs Winter Carnival, the oldest winter carnival west of the Mississippi.

ResortQuest Steamboat Vacation Rentals is having a Super 'Value Season' Sale. Save 30% off 3-4 nights, and 40% off 5+ nights from now until 2/12/2009. If you can't make it by Feb 12, save 30% off 5+ nights 2/13-2/28/2009. Learn more about our Steamboat Springs lodging deals.

Time to taste 19" inches of Steamboat's famous Champagne!

Are you dreaming of a white Christmas? Well in Steamboat Springs, "it's beginning to look a lot like Christmas!" It's time to ski our winter wonderland.

The Steamboat Ski Resort reported an epic 19 inches of new snow in 24 hours! Yee haw!! It is officially the best powder day of the 08/09 ski season so far. The conditions are idyllic and will imprint themselves in your memories for everafter.

If you haven't booked your Steamboat Ski Vacation yet --- what more encouragement do you need! 19 inches of fresh powder; 100+ inches so far; and up to 50% off Steamboat lodging. Seriously, it doesn't get better than this!!!

Photos of the Day courtesy of Larry Pierce, Steamboat Ski Resort

Snow predicted at Steamboat Ski Area throughout week

The Steamboat Pilot Newspaper declares on the front page today "The snow isn’t going to stop any time soon." Weather forecasts across the web show animated snow flake weather icons alongside each day of the week in Steamboat Springs! Bring on the powder!

The National Weather Ser­vice predicts snow will continue to fall in Steamboat Springs tonight through Tuesday afternoon, dropping another 6 to 12 inches.

The weather service also predicts more storms for the remainder of the week, with cold temperatures dropping be­-low zero in the higher valleys. Whiteout conditions are expected in the upper mountains.

Don't forget! This is the last day to book the 'Free Steamboat Lift Ticket' package for stays opening day to Christmas day. Can't make it for Christmas? Save 50% off December, or up to 30% off the rest of the Steamboat ski season.

3" new snow, new terrain and no lift lines at the Steamboat Ski Resort

SNOW: 3" (24 hrs); 3"(48 hrs); Base: 29"; Total: 69"
CONDITIONS: Powder/Packed Powder
LIFTS: 9/18
TRAILS: 100/165
TEMP: 36/0

We had great expectations from this last storm, but it only produced about 3 inches. But who's complaining? This is the perfect time of year to get out and ski hard to build up those muscles so when it REALLY snows, we can last more than an hour.

And, as Tom Ross shows us in his Steamboat Pilot photo (above), there are no lift lines at the Steamboat Ski Resort. Truth be told, there are hardly any lift lines at any time of year in Steamboat Springs. In early December, there really is no waiting in line. So, what are you waiting for?

Don't forget, this is the last weekend for Free Steamboat Lift Tickets.

(Snow is expected for the next several days... See Steamboat Weather Forecast)

Storm to bring significant snow to Steamoat Ski Area

A foot or more of snow is expected on the slopes of Mount Werner and at high elevations in Steamboat Springs this weekend.
This is perfect timing since the Steamboat Ski Resort is doubling the amount of terrain open for this weekend so that nearly 2,000 acres, almost 65% of the mountain will be open. That means there will be 3,668 vertical feet of skiing and riding!
This is the last weekend to take advantage or ResortQuest Steamboat's unbeatable lodging package - SKI FREE IN STEAMBOAT OPENING DAY TO CHRISTMAS DAY - Get FREE Steamboat Lift Tickets.
Tomorrow, the resort expects 104 trails offering 1,896 acres of terrain with 9 of 18 lifts spinning for skiers and boarders. The majority of new terrain opening is in the Sunshine and Priest Creek areas including Tomahawk, Flintlock, Quickdraw, Rendezvous Way, Sunshine Liftline, Rolex, Westside, Broadway, Daybreak and more. In addition, East Face, North St. Pats and Last Chance will open on the north side of the Ski Area on Saturday. However, Moonlight, Lights Out, lower Shadows and lower Priest Creek, Sundown Express liftlines as well as Christmas Tree Bowl and the Chutes will remain closed. The hugely popular mini-terrain park on Lil’ Rodeo will continue to feature rails for those looking for a park play.
In addition to the 5 chairlifts already operating, South Peak, Sundown Express, Elkhead and Sunshine Express will begin spinning on Saturday.
A strong storm system will begin moving through the area today, though the wind, cold and snowfall expected to intensify Saturday, with most of the storm’s accumulation to take place Saturday evening and early Sunday, said meteorologist Norv Larson, of the National Weather Service’s Grand Junction Fore­cast Office.
Overnight lows are poised to dip as low as 12 degrees Saturday night, with wind gusts up to 25 mph.
The Steamboat Ski Area reported a 26-inch base at mid-mountain Thursday and has recorded 66 inches of total snowfall so far this season.

Adventure Trip Magazine ranks Steamboat Ski Area No. 3 Ski Resort in the World

SNOW: 0" (24 hrs); 0"(48 hrs); Base: 28"; Total: 62"
CONDITIONS: Packed Powder
LIFTS: 6/18
TRAILS: 67/165
TEMP: 40/21

Adventure Trip Magazine, which bills itself as catering to people “who seek out travel destinations beyond the routine,” aggregated the results of top ski resort listings and placed the Steamboat Ski Area at No. 3 overall!

The article describes their decision making process: "The science behind this is simple. We took all the big “top ski resort” lists across the web and in print and found the resorts that made all or most of these lists. Each resort got 1 point for each time it was mentioned. Resorts got 2 points each time they got a #1 spot. We took the top 10 point earners got our own Top 10 Ski Resorts... Major sources for this article were - Orbitz, Sunset Magazine, Outside Magazine, AskMen.com, Forbes, Epinions."

The results:
#10 Alta, UT USA
#9 Lake Taho, CA USA
#8 Cortina, Italy
#7 Aspen/Snowmass, CO USA
#6 Big Sky, MT USA
#5 Chamonix-Mont Blanc, France
#4 Banff, AB Canada
#3 Steamboat Springs, CO USA
#2 Vail, CO USA
#1 Whistler, BC Canada

Skiing Magazine readers chose Steamboat as the No. 1 spot for tree skiing and ranked it in the top five for powder, top 10 for après scene and top 10 for best resorts in North America. Ski Magazine ranked the Steamboat ski area as the No. 1 family resort in the West and the No. 8 resort in North America.

Steamboat’s No. 8 ranking is a slight improvement compared with the previous two years, when it ranked ninth. This is the third year in a row Steamboat has garnered a top-10 ranking. It was ranked 11th by SKI readers in 2005. Steamboat was sandwiched between Aspen Mountain in seventh and Breckenridge in ninth. Longstanding programs such as “Kids Ski Free” and “Kids Fly Free” made Steamboat SKI’s No. 1 family resort in the West.

SKI typically polls about 6,000 readers each year to get their perceptions of ski areas in 18 categories. They include overall satisfaction, access, après ski, dining, family programs, grooming, lifts, lodging, off-hill activities, on-mountain food, scenery, service, snow terrain/challenge, terrain variety, terrain parks, value and weather.

11 inches of new snow at Steamboat Ski Area in last 48 hours

SNOW: 0" (24 hrs); 11"(48 hrs); Base: 29"; Total: 62"
CONDITIONS: Packed Powder
LIFTS: 6/18
TRAILS: 67/165
TEMP: 37/19

The snow that powdered the valley’s nose Thursday - over 16 inches of the famous Champagne Powder Snow - ensured that skiers and riders would enjoy fresh fluff when the Steamboat Ski Area gondola opened yesterday morning, and Storm Peak Express today.

This latest dump ensured soft snow conditions for intermediates cruising on Rudi’s Run and Lower Rainbow. Ag­gres­sive skiers can begin building moguls on Burgess Creek Liftline and White Out.

The next chance for snow is expected Sunday evening.

Steamboat Ski Resort Opens Gondola This Weekend

After a few inches of snow this past weekend in Steamboat Springs, and more expected in the next 24 hours, the Steamboat Ski Resort will open the Gondola and 20 more runs for this weekend.

The Steamboat Ski Area will catapult to nearly 800 acres of open terrain including top-to-bottom skiing and riding on Saturday, December 6th. The gondola and Burgess Creek lift are scheduled to open Friday, followed by the Storm Peak Express lift on Saturday.

Final terrain decisions will be made day by day and are weather-dependent, Steamboat Ski and Resort Corp. spokesman Mike Lane said Tuesday, but the ski area is poised to open access to more than 20 additional runs this weekend.

Priest Creek terrain off High Noon to Duster will be accessible from the Storm Peak lift.

Terrain and runs expected to open this weekend include: Buddy’s Run; High Noon; Duster; upper Shadows; upper Closet; One O’Clock; Two O’Clock; Three O’Clock; Twilight; lower Rainbow; White Out; Rudi’s Run; Lightning; Blizzard; Ego; Norther; BC Liftline; Arc; So What; Flat Out; Tower; and Skyline.

Forecasts are calling for additional snow and colder temperatures this week.

Experience Steamboat Springs this season with a variety of winter vacation deals like Ski Free at Steamboat, which offers free Steamboat Lift Tickets from Opening Day to Christmas Day when powderhounds book a minimum 3 nights lodging through ResortQuest Steamboat Vacation Rentals. Pick your perfect Steamboat lodging - the exact condo! Our website represents each and every one of our rentals with photos, maps and detailed descriptions. Take the guessing game out of vacation planning!

10 inches of new snow in Steamboat Springs

SNOW: 5" (24 hrs); 10"(48 hrs); Base: 22"; Total: 45"
CONDITIONS: Packed Powder
LIFTS: 2/18
TRAILS: 7/165
TEMP: 34/20

Unfortunately I have been out of town over the Thanksgiving break and it appears that the Steamboat Ski Resort has received 10inches of new snow. Oh, I missed the first powder day.
Check-out the great photo gallery at the SteamboatPilot.com.
There is a break in Steamboat's weather today, but snow is predicted at least through Wednesday this week.
With all this powdery snow around, it is officially time to come to Steamboat Springs. Plus, the 'Ski Free in Steamboat' package has been extended. Book a 3+ night stay with ResortQuest Steamboat by 12/15/2008, and stay by 12/26/2008 and you'll get FREE STEAMBOAT LIFT TICKETS...!