Steamboat Ski Resort

Infobox ski area
name= Steamboat Ski Resort
logo=
picture=
caption=
location= Colorado, USA
nearest_city= Steamboat Springs, Colorado
lat_degrees= 40
lat_minutes= 27
lat_seconds= 10
lat_direction= N
long_degrees= 106
long_minutes= 46
long_seconds= 23
long_direction= W
top_elevation= ft to m|10568|round=0
base_elevation= ft to m|6900|round=0
skiable_area= 2965 acres (12.0 km²)
number_trails= 165 total
14% beginner
42% intermediate
44% advanced
longest_run= "Why Not" ~ 3 miles (4.8 km)
liftsystem= 23 total (1 gondola, 1 high-speed six-passenger chair, 5 high-speed quad chairs, 1 quad chair, 6 triple chairs, 3 double chairs, 6 surface)
terrainparks= 4
snowfall= 334 in/year (8.48 m/year)
external_link= http://www.steamboat.com|

The Steamboat Ski Resort is a ski area operated by the Steamboat Ski & Resort Corporation in Steamboat Springs, Colorado. It is located in Routt National Forest on Mount Werner, a mountain in the Park Range.

The ski area has 165 named trails spread over convert|2965|acre|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.

Steamboat hosts the Western finals of the Mountain Dew Vertical Challenge, a free race circuit, every season on the last Saturday of March or first Saturday of April.

tatistics

2007 / 2008 Season Dates

*Ski Season Dates: November 30, 2007-April 6, 2008

Ownership

The Steamboat Springs Ski Resort is owned by Intrawest, a Canadian Resort management company. Steamboat is one of the 11 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 2007 season.

Elevation

*Base: ft to m|6900|round=0
*Summit: ft to m|10568|round=0
*Vertical Rise: ft to m|3668|round=0

Trails

*Area: 2965 acres (12.0 km²)
*Trails: 165 total (14% beginner, 42% intermediate, 44% advanced)
*Longest Run: "Why Not" ~ 3 miles (4.8 km)
*Terrain Parks: 4 (including Mavericks Superpipe)
*Average Annual Snowfall: 334 in/year (8.48 m/year)
*Snowmaking:

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 (vertical rise NA, ride time NA, Leitner-Poma, installed 2007)
**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 (vertical rise NA, ride time NA, CTEC, installed 1998)
***Sunshine Express (1,300 ft. vertical rise, ride time NA, Leitner-Poma, 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)
***Southpeak (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-Poma, 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)

According to steamboat.com, plans are in the works to replace the Elkhead quad with the current Thunderhead Epress high speed quad, and to place a high speed six-pack along the Thunderhead lift line.

Runs

The Green Runs at Steamboat Ski Resort are mainly located on the lower mountain where one can access them from Christie Peak Express and the Thunderhead Lift. The greatest concentration of blue runs are located on the southern side of the mountain known to locals as "Wallyworld". There are a great selection of blue runs here ranging from 10% to 27% in steepness. The run Tomahawk runs the southern boundary of Steamboat Ski Resort and is often clogged by tourists. The black runs are spread out equally on the mountain with most being on the northern edge next to Pony Express lift. The only double black/extreme skiing is located at the top of Morningside Lift with some only accessible by walking. Christmas Tree Bowl, Chutes 1,2 and 3, North St. Pats and East Face are the double black terrain on the mountain. During the 1990s and before, there was a "bump-off" on steep (45%) Chute 1 on St. Patrick's Day. This tradition, however, has recently ended. The terrain at Steamboat is diverse and suits a wide variety of skill levels.

References

* [http://www.steamboat.com/winter-int.aspx?CategoryId=18 Mountain Facts]
* [http://www.coloradoskihistory.com/areahistory/steamboat.html History of the Steamboat Ski Area]
* [http://web.archive.org/web/20061217061143/www.steamboat.com/winter-int.aspx?CategoryId=21 Steamboat.com Archives]

External links

* [http://www.steamboat.com The Official Steamboat Ski & Resort Website]