By Shannon Lukens.
Steamboat Ski Resort hosted an Open House for the community this weekend in and in front of the new Range Food & Drink Hall.
Staff was on hand with diagrams of the changes and improvements to the base and the mountain with the Full Steam Ahead project which is wrapping up.
Dave Hunter is in his 7th year as Vice President of Resort Operations. He spoke of Mahogany Ridge which will now be inside the ski area boundary.
“It’s approximately 2,000 vertical feet of tree skiing and riding, which Steamboat is famous for. There will be one groomable trail, the Edge of the World Trial. It will not be groomed every night. It will be groomed as needed. Then there is the Mahogany Ridge Lift Line. That will not be groomed. The rest of that terrain is all gladed skiing and riding. It is for experts only.”
The opening of Mahogany Ridge depends on the weather. It will need about 100″ of snow as a base.
Hunter adds that anyone who plans to go into Fish Creek Canyon, that is extreme terrain for skiing and riding, with a 30-45 minute hike back, much of it uphill, to the Mahogany Ridge bottom terminal. It’s very steep with chutes.
Hunter also spoke of the upper section of the new Wild Blue Gondola. That will open sometime in mid-December.
There will be new snowmaking on Sunshine.
Something else new are season lockers available for rent for the season, in the Creekside building. A full locker is $1,750 for the season, and that’s for two skis and/or snowboards. There are also half single lockers. An upper half locker is $1,200. A lower half locker is $1,000.
LOCKER OPTIONS*:
- Full Locker: Includes two slots for skis or snowboards.
- 1/2 Upper Locker: Includes one slot for skis or a snowboard.
- 1/2 Lower Locker: Includes one slot for skis or a snowboard
* One complimentary hot wax with locker purchase.
Skis and/or snowboards do not fit into the lockers. They are stored in the back of the room by staff, who can also wax your skis. The ski storage locker room opens at 7:30 a.m. There are also restrooms and benches and overnight options.
Steamboat Resort is scheduled to open for the season on Nov. 22. The new lifts and new terrain will make Steamboat the second largest resort in Colorado.