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.

 

Comments

[Courtney]

I am trying to find out some of the slope names. Can anyone tell me the best slopes?

Thanks so much!