Steamboat Ski Resort
Encyclopedia
Steamboat Ski Area is a major ski area in northwestern Colorado
, operated by the Steamboat Ski & Resort Corporation in Steamboat Springs
. It is located on Mount Werner
, a mountain
in the Park Range
in the Routt National Forest. The ski area first opened on January 12, 1963.
The ski area has 165 named trails spread over 2965 acres (12 km²). Fourteen percent are classified as beginner level, forty-two percent as intermediate, and forty-four percent as advanced. It also contains the Mavericks Superpipe snowboard
/skiing
superpipe
one of the premier pipes in North America
.
, a Canadian resort management company. Steamboat is one of the 7 resorts owned by Intrawest. Prior to Intrawest's ownership, Steamboat was owned by the American Skiing Company. Intrawest purchased the resort at the end of the 2006-07 season.
The three lower mountain lifts (the Gondola, Thunderhead Express, and Christie Peak Express) service most of the green runs, which include the long Why Not trail from Thunderhead. Blue trails can be found mostly off of these same lifts, plus the two high speed quads on Sunshine Peak, although more funnel to the Sunshine Express lift. A couple of blue runs can also be found from the Four Points, BAR-UE, and Storm Peak Express lifts, as are a few in Morningside Park.
The blue black runs are scattered about the mountain, but most of them are located off the Pony Express lift in Pioneer Ridge. Black runs can be found off of pretty much any of the detachable chairlifts, but in the highest concentration on north Sunshine Peak, most of Storm Peak, Pioneer Ridge, and Morningside Park. The sole double black runs of the area make up the extreme terrain on Mount Werner.
According to steamboat.com, plans are in the works to replace the Elkhead quad with the current Thunderhead Express high speed quad, and to place a high speed six-pack along the Thunderhead lift line.
Colorado
Colorado is a U.S. state that encompasses much of the Rocky Mountains as well as the northeastern portion of the Colorado Plateau and the western edge of the Great Plains...
, operated by the Steamboat Ski & Resort Corporation in Steamboat Springs
Steamboat Springs, Colorado
The city of Steamboat Springs is a Home Rule Municipality that is the county seat and the most populous city of Routt County, Colorado, United States. The city is also known as "Steamboat," "The Boat," or "Ski Town USA". As of the 2010 census, the city population was 12,088.The city is an...
. It is located on Mount Werner
Mount Werner
Mount Werner is a mountain in the Park Range of the Rocky Mountains in Colorado, four miles southeast of Steamboat Springs, the county seat of Routt County. It is northwest of Denver. The mountain reaches a height of above sea level and has a base elevation of 6,900 ft . It has a vertical...
, a mountain
Mountain
Image:Himalaya_annotated.jpg|thumb|right|The Himalayan mountain range with Mount Everestrect 58 14 160 49 Chomo Lonzorect 200 28 335 52 Makalurect 378 24 566 45 Mount Everestrect 188 581 920 656 Tibetan Plateaurect 250 406 340 427 Rong River...
in the Park Range
Park Range (Colorado)
The Park Range, elevation approximately , is a mountain range in the Rocky Mountains of northwestern Colorado in the United States. The range forms a relatively isolated part of the continental divide, extending north-to-south for approximately along the boundary between Jackson and Routt counties...
in the Routt National Forest. The ski area first opened on January 12, 1963.
The ski area has 165 named trails spread over 2965 acres (12 km²). Fourteen percent are classified as beginner level, forty-two percent as intermediate, and forty-four percent as advanced. It also contains the Mavericks Superpipe snowboard
Snowboard
Snowboards are boards, usually with a width the length of one's foot, with the ability to glide on snow. Snowboards are differentiated from monoskis by the stance of the user...
/skiing
Skiing
Skiing is a recreational activity using skis as equipment for traveling over snow. Skis are used in conjunction with boots that connect to the ski with use of a binding....
superpipe
Half-pipe
A half-pipe is a structure used in gravity extreme sports such as snowboarding, skateboarding, skiing, freestyle BMX, and inline skating. The structure is wood, concrete, metal, earth, or snow. It resembles a cross section of a swimming pool, essentially two concave ramps , topped by copings and...
one of the premier pipes in North America
North America
North America is a continent wholly within the Northern Hemisphere and almost wholly within the Western Hemisphere. It is also considered a northern subcontinent of the Americas...
.
Ownership
Steamboat Ski Area is owned by IntrawestIntrawest
Intrawest ULC is a developer and operator of destination resorts and a luxury adventure travel company. The company was founded in 1976 as a privately funded real estate development company...
, a Canadian resort management company. Steamboat is one of the 7 resorts owned by Intrawest. Prior to Intrawest's ownership, Steamboat was owned by the American Skiing Company. Intrawest purchased the resort at the end of the 2006-07 season.
Season Dates
- 2010 / 2011 Ski Season Dates: November 24, 2010-April 10, 2011
- 2009 / 2010 Ski Season Dates: November 25, 2009-April 11, 2010
- 2008 / 2009 Ski Season Dates: November 26, 2008-April 12, 2009
- 2007 / 2008 Ski Season Dates: November 30, 2007-April 6, 2008
Elevation
- Base: 6900 feet (2,103.1 m)
- Summit: 10568 feet (3,221.1 m)
- Vertical Rise: 3668 feet (1,118 m)
Trails
- Area: 2965 acre (12 km²; 4.6 sq mi)
- Trails: 165 total (14% beginner, 42% intermediate, 44% advanced)
- Longest Run: "Why Not" ~ 3 miles (4.8 km)
- Terrain ParksTerrain parkA terrain park is an outdoor area that contains terrain that allows skiers and snowboarders to perform tricks. Terrain parks have their roots in skateparks and many of the features are common to both. One of the first in-bounds terrain parks was the "Snowboard Park" built in 1990 at the Vail...
: 2 (including Mavericks Superpipe) - Average Annual Snowfall: 334 inches (848.4 cm)
The three lower mountain lifts (the Gondola, Thunderhead Express, and Christie Peak Express) service most of the green runs, which include the long Why Not trail from Thunderhead. Blue trails can be found mostly off of these same lifts, plus the two high speed quads on Sunshine Peak, although more funnel to the Sunshine Express lift. A couple of blue runs can also be found from the Four Points, BAR-UE, and Storm Peak Express lifts, as are a few in Morningside Park.
The blue black runs are scattered about the mountain, but most of them are located off the Pony Express lift in Pioneer Ridge. Black runs can be found off of pretty much any of the detachable chairlifts, but in the highest concentration on north Sunshine Peak, most of Storm Peak, Pioneer Ridge, and Morningside Park. The sole double black runs of the area make up the extreme terrain on Mount Werner.
Lifts
- 23 total
- 1 Gondola
- 8-Passenger Gondola (2,200 ft. vertical rise, 9:00 ride time, Doppelmayr, installed 1986)
- 1 High-speed 6-passenger chair
- Christie Peak Express (1,103 ft. vertical rise, 4:45 ride time, Leitner-PomaLeitner-PomaLeitner-Poma of America is a North American aerial lift manufacturer based in Grand Junction, Colorado. It is the North American subsidiary of French-based Poma, which is owned by the Italian company Leitner Technologies, part of the Leitner Group. The North American company was formed in 2000 when...
, installed 2007)
- Christie Peak Express (1,103 ft. vertical rise, 4:45 ride time, Leitner-Poma
- 5 High-speed quad chairs
- Storm Peak Express (2,160 ft. vertical rise, 7:00 ride time, Doppelmayr, installed 1992)
- Sundown Express (1,936 ft. vertical rise, 5:30 ride time, Doppelmayr, installed 1992)
- Thunderhead Express (1,638 ft. vertical rise, 5:30 ride time, Doppelmayr, installed 1997)
- Pony Express (1,657 ft. vertical rise, ride time NA, CTEC, installed 1998)
- Sunshine Express (1,300 ft. vertical rise, ride time NA, Leitner-PomaLeitner-PomaLeitner-Poma of America is a North American aerial lift manufacturer based in Grand Junction, Colorado. It is the North American subsidiary of French-based Poma, which is owned by the Italian company Leitner Technologies, part of the Leitner Group. The North American company was formed in 2000 when...
, installed 2006, originally located at "The Canyons," Utah)
- 1 Quad chair
- Elkhead (710 ft. vertical rise, 6:00 ride time, YAN, installed 1984)
- 6 Triple chairs
- Christie III (1,030 ft. vertical rise, 7:30 ride time, YAN, installed 1979, (used primarily on high demand days)
- Preview (vertical rise NA, ride time NA, YAN, installed 2007, originally Southface(YAN) installed new in 1979)
- Four Points (1,366 ft. vertical rise, 7:30 ride time, YAN, installed 1983, shortened 1992)
- South Peak (340 ft. vertical rise, 4:00 ride time, YAN, installed 1984)
- Morningside (542 ft. vertical rise, 6:00 ride time, Garaventa-CTEC, installed 1996)
- Burgess Creek (950 ft. vertical rise, 7:30 ride time, Leitner-PomaLeitner-PomaLeitner-Poma of America is a North American aerial lift manufacturer based in Grand Junction, Colorado. It is the North American subsidiary of French-based Poma, which is owned by the Italian company Leitner Technologies, part of the Leitner Group. The North American company was formed in 2000 when...
, installed 2004)
- 3 Double chairs
- Priest Creek (1,930 ft. vertical rise, 10:30 ride time, Heron-Poma, installed 1972, used primarily on high demand days)
- Bashor (315 ft. vertical rise, 3:00 ride time, YAN, installed 1974)
- Bar UE (1,380 ft. vertical rise, 9:00 ride time, YAN, installed 1977)
- 6 Surface
- Rough Rider (Surface Platter Tow) (140 ft. vertical rise, 3:00 ride time, Doppelmayr, installed 1989)
- Wrangler (Magic Carpet)
- Desperado (Magic Carpet)
- Easy Rider (Magic Carpet)
- Sundance (Magic Carpet)
- Buckaroo (Magic Carpet)
- 1 Gondola
According to steamboat.com, plans are in the works to replace the Elkhead quad with the current Thunderhead Express high speed quad, and to place a high speed six-pack along the Thunderhead lift line.