Colorado Resorts Steamboat Weblog

Moose in Routt County

In my 23 years of living in Routt County I saw a moose for the first time today in this beautiful state! Not once but twice! It started out as a normal spring day heading to Steamboat Lake to go fishing. Nearing the turn off to the Marina my friend looked to the left and saw a large black animal running through the willows. Immediately I looked over and could not believe what I was seeing. (Due to the fact that the only time I have seen this animal in nature was in the Panhandle of Idaho). In deed this was a moose. I pulled over and attempted to watch it for a few moments. As it disappeared into the willows, I continued the drive to our destination of fishing. Once I started fishing one of the inlets to Steamboat Lake and being out fished upon the first drop of the line by my friend my mind was occupied with the location of the moose and I wasn’t much concerned with the fish. We did catch a couple Cutthroats that had decent girth to them and two Rainbow trouts that averaged about 2-2.5 lbs. There are some large fish this time of year as I was disappointed to not land the "Big One". As we were nearing the lake we came upon a man who also was fishing. This man, like myself was also occupied with the moose. By this time the moose which was about a 2 year old female was only across a couple bends in the creek. This young cow seemed very content, considering how close we were to her. She stood there and fed as we all admired her beauty and discussed how rare it is to see a moose in this area. About 30-40 minutes passed watching her in amazement she finally disappeared back into the willows. I do believe that the next time I am in that area I will be keeping a sharp eye for a moose. For all the anglers out there the fishing of the particular inlet was very steady. Steamboat Lake is not completely cleared of ice, but very fishable from every bank. If you are visiting the area or just a local going for drive, keep your eyes open. There is plenty of wildlife to be viewing this time of year ranging from moose to elk, sand hill crane to blue heron as well as bald eagles. Keep your eyes open it is a beautiful time in Routt County!

4/21/2007

It's Official!

I do believe that we have had out last snow storm of the season. It only dropped a couple of inches which is fine by me. We are about to close out another ski season with 300+ inches of snow. April 15th is the official last day and should be a great one at that with The Young Dubliners closing out the season with another free concert starting at 3:00 in Gondola Square. An excellent finale to the season since the snow is melting. the grass if finally turning green and tulips are beginning to rise in the gardens. Its going to be a beautiful spring in Routt County, hope for rain during the mud season so we can enjoy the area all summer long!

Spring is Here!

The past few days here in Steamboat have been wonderful! The daytime highs have been in the 50's and with Daylight savings coming sooner than normal the evenings have been great! This weekend should be yet another spectacular one for the Boat'. Sister Hazel will be performing free on Saturday at 3:00 in Gondola Square. What could be better than spring weather, free concerts and Green Beer on St. Patrick's Day? If that's not quite enough Big Head Todd will also be having a free concert on Thursday the 21st at 6:00 in Gondola Square. What an awesome ending to the "Bud Light Rocks the Boat" free concert series. Don't forget about the 27th Annual Cardboard Classic on Saturday April 7th.

Think Snow...And it did!

Denver is shut down in a giant snow face plant.  You can't get there from the East on I-70 by bus or car. You can't fly in to DIA - which is now set to open Friday, December 22nd.  The highways and Interstate-70 going up into the mountains are not closed. Steamboat is a good 170 miles away from Denver so the folks that were flying through DIA to go to Steamboat or any Colorado Resort via car, taxi or an express air flight are in a Holiday holding pattern. On the other hand, the Yampa Valley Regional Airport that is 20 miles from Steamboat is open and direct flights from Houston, Chicago, Minneapolis and Salt Lake City are flying in as I type this. Those folks are going to get some powder skiing in!

Ironically, though Steamboat got 15 inches from this storm - 15 inches of powder is just another powder day in the "Boat.  Business as usual. Snow can be a liability in Denver, but here snow - is a huge commodity and the more the better! The original forecast predicted trace-4 inches as Steamboat usually doesn't get much snow when Denver gets an upslope, so this is somewhat unusual. But any unpredicted snow prior the Christmas Holidays is always a bonus. 

Another huge Christmas present the town rec'd was that Fortress Investments LLC out of New York is in negotiations to buy the Steamboat Ski Area.  Fortress also bought Intrawest (which owned Whistler, Copper and other resorts) for 2.8 billion last summer. This is welcome news as the current owner American Skiing (ASC) has been milking profit out of Steamboat for years to invest in its Canyons Ski Resort in Utah during its stewardship of the Steamboat Ski Area. Steamboat is still a great ski area but the community has been waiting for a Prince Charming to wake up this Sleeping Beauty and restore her to her "world class" status. Indicators are that this suitor is finally the real prince Steamboat has been waiting for...and not just another Toad.

Very highly raised beers, martini and wine glasses were clinking all over town in celebration upon receipt of the pending sale news. The sale of the Steamboat Ski Area is scheduled for the end of the 2006/2007 ski season. Many Steamboat Colorado folk's fingers will stay crossed until that day.

 

EL Nino & October Steamboat Snow?

Okay, I'm looking out my window at all the snow on the trees and ground thinking...did I blink and time travel 7 weeks to the future?  If the calendar wasn't in front of me boldly stating October 26th, I would think it's early December. I am sure the folks that were struggling to ride their mountain bikes to work on Mt. Werner Road this morning were wondering the same thing. Did hear that a couple old-time ranchers up Twenty Mile Road in Steamboat said they can't ever remember having 5 significant snowfalls like this before Halloween.  There have been rainy September/Octobers but not this snowy where you could have put your snow tires on in September.   What could be causing these early snows?  Many folks are saying "El Nino".  But we have had El Ninos before with higher than normal precipitation in the fall, but not this much snow.  Normally an El Nino produces a mixed bag in Colorado. The southwest part of the state gets above average temps and snow and reaps the most snowfall benefits. Steamboat gets higher precipitation through November (...Hmmm). Then a below-to-average snowfall through January.  March and April snowfalls can be way above average with the ski area closing in April with great skiing still to be had. Looked ahead at the next 10 day forecast for Steamboat Springs and it mentioned snow showers for the next weekend. Love skiing but opening day for Steamboat on November 22nd is still a month away, even though the ski mountain is dressed up in a nice white coat. Precipitation is 200% of normal for September/October. At this rate I could have cabin fever by Christmas and be ready for mountain biking or the beach by January.  (Just kidding!)  Bring it (snow) on.

Game Over! Steamboat 2006 First Snow

Steamboat had its first official snowfall on Saturday, September 16th. Rabbit Ears pass had "4" inches. Mid-ski mountain had 7-8 inches, so we know that there had to be 10" inches on top of Mt. Werner. The weather was so snowy and blustery that the "Rubber Ducky Race", a Yampa Valley Medical Center Axillary benefit, was canceled on the Yampa River.  This first snowfall ends the speculation and betting that starts the beginning of October on "when the first snow fall will happen". Most light hearted betting is for on or around Halloween. Historically, this is the typical time for winter to start rearing its snowy head. So this year's "first" snow betting game is now over.

Interestingly with all the talk of global warming, I definitely have noticed that all things "Spring" in Steamboat Springs are about a month ahead.  The crocuses once sprouting in late April, appear in March. Tulips that lined my driveway in May are now arriving in April.  Birds are showing up and singing in April that didn't turn up until the snow was all gone.  I can now grow rose bushes at 8000 feet and they are thriving. Mud season is showing up earlier and ending earlier.

Now we just have to watch for the first signs for winter....earlier or later in years to come? In the future will Ski Season begin in October and end in March or start in December and end in February?  Only time will tell, perhaps sooner than we think.

New Game. Let the betting begin!

Camping on the Flattops

This past weekend was awesome for camping up on the Flat Tops, if you don't mind a little hail and rain while setting up camp! After the storm passed and we got the fire finally started with a little help with pine sap, this camp trip turned out to be an excellent quick get away for a night. The fishing was wonderful! Earthworms are the ticket. The colors are already beginning to change near Trappers Lake and the under growth is really starting to pick up after the Big Fish Fire of 2002. It looks like its going to be a great fall to check out the foliage.  Originally posted on 8/21/2006.

Eight Seconds at the Romick Area

Steamboat Springs wears many hats but the most popular in the summer is the cowboy hat (beating out the bicycle helmet).  The cowboy hats were on display over the Labor Day weekend as the PBR (Professional Bull Riding) event came to town. This year the event was called the "Rocky Mountain Bull Bash".   Steamboat Springs had over 40 riders from all over the country try to compete to stay on top of a large large bull for the infamous "8 seconds" in the PBR series tour named the "Enterprise".  In day to day life, 8 seconds goes by rather rapidly.  For a bull rider, 8 seconds must seem like an eternity.  Sunday at the Romick Arena only a handful of riders were able to stay on for an eternity.  The winner was a 23 year old underdog by the name of Laddan Ledbetter from Gardendale, TX who took home the prize of $4000.00. The goal of all the PBR contestants is to make it to the granddaddy of 'em all, the PBR Finals November 2-5, 2006 in Las Vegas.

During the 2 hour plus Bull Bash, the crowded clapped, cheered and hee-hawed.  Hot dogs and cheeseburgers abounded along with cold beers.   Kids were everywhere playing and the mechanical bull was a huge hit with young and old practicing their own 8 seconds.  Socializing was going on in the stands, bathrooms, beer lines...everywhere. Neighbors connecting with neighbors at the end of the unofficial summer season. Tonight everyone was a little bit cowboy. This is definitely Steamboat Springs version of a major league sporting event and a great farewall to Summer.

Steamboat Rocks

Last night there was a free concert at Howelson Hill-Susan Tedeski played and she was awesome, she did a lot of classic cover tunes from Janis Joplin to Bonnie Ratt. We followed the concert up with some good ol' downtown bar-hopping!! What's the plan for tomorrow......Thirsty Thursday at the Old Town Pub!! Another excuse for all the locals to get together and catch up.

Steamboat Wildlife-A-Rama

I'll have a little bear with my morning coffee please!  Nothing like sitting out on your deck with a cup of java enjoying the mountain views and watching your local 450 pound bear having a big breakfast berry snack.  You get real quiet, sip coffee real slowly and gaze in total wonder.  Even my cat Matt sitting on the deck decided to forgo his early morning rounds and just hang out in a frozen state next to me. Over the years in Steamboat Springs, I have seen dozens of bears, but this one was one of the most magnificent ever.  Huge, healthy with a very black shiny coat, he/she was a creature of beauty.  The sarvice berries and other berries that are past peaking right now are one of the bears' main staples.  My bear encounter lasted only 10 minutes, just enough time to finish my coffee.  He/she after consuming mass quantites of berries, sauntered off towards the Steamboat ski mountain in search of more tasty breakfast snacks.   

One of the wonderful things about living in Steamboat Springs, Colorado is the amount of wildlife that surrounds our town and mountain areas. Respecting wildlife means securing your trash, not feeding or trying to make pets of wild animals, is one of the first things you learn about when you move here. (We actually had seasonal neighbors behind us from Florida feed the bears, the foxes and the...skunks! Not sure if they thought they were in a Colorado Disney petting zoo? They were advised that this was not a good thing. But warnings fell on deaf ears. They thought is was cute to feed the bears pizza, no harm done. They didn't think it was cute when weeks later, a bear broke through the kitchen door screen and started eating cereal and pop tarts in their kitchen...probably looking for the pizza. The Division of Wildlife was called and the bear was captured, tranquilized and transported to another area. The Florida part-time neighbors were clueless they instigated this behavior). 

Besides, foxes, racoons, coyotes (only wildlife I don't like), deer, elk, moose, mountain lions, the lastest rumor is the wolves are here!  The descendants of the wolves that were released years ago in Yellowstone have suposedly made their way from northern Wyoming to here. Steamboat Springs is approximately 40 miles due south of the southern Wyoming border. Official wolf sightings have been reported in Craig and Walden Colorado.  A friend claims she saw one up in Clark (about 20 miles north of here).  My neighbor on Burgess Creek Road swears she had a wolf in her driveway last fall. 

Who knows, with a bit of luck and my fingers crossed, I sincerely hope that someday I get to have a little wolf with my early morning coffee.