By Shannon Lukens.

 

The new Mahogany Ridge and Fish Creek Canyon areas at Steamboat Resort should open sometime early in January 2024. The ski area is requesting locals to be especially aware of the boundaries this year.

Here’s Hanna Albertson with Steamboat Resort.

“But this terrain is really extreme. It’s very advanced. Even if folks have been out in that area before and they might feel like they are familiar with that terrain, we might be having our teams out there at any given time.”

 

Mahogany Ridge and Fish Creek Canyon are also more avalanche prone. Steamboat Ski Patrol will be using explosives for avalanche mitigation which is also why trail closures need to be respected and why conditions aren’t safe in a closed area.

Please respect all trail closures as a violation could result in a loss of skiing and/or riding privileges and possibly a fine.

Fish Creek Canyon and Mahogany Ridge has 655 acres of advanced and extreme terrain.

It depends on the snow when the area will open.

 

 

Here is more from Steamboat Resort; Dec. 2023.

As we open more terrain at the resort, we are getting closer to debuting our new 655 acres in Mahogany Ridge and Fish Creek Canyon. As we prepare for this, we are hoping to better reach out to our local skiers and riders. Steamboat Ski Resort operates on a lease from the US Forest Service and our special use permit allows us to manage terrain within the ski area boundary by opening and closing trails as necessary, enforcing closures, using explosives, etc.; even if a closure restricts access to Forest Service areas outside the resort boundary.

Bringing Fish Creek Canyon and Mahogany Ridge into the resort’s official boundary means a few changes for our die-hard locals who are used to skiing and riding this terrain on their own terms. We work diligently to open our terrain in a safe manner and endeavor to provide access to USFS lands outside the resort boundary as soon as safely possible. The resort will have the ability to close in-bounds trails and areas due to conditions and patrol work; and guests are responsible for knowing which runs are open and closed, and respecting all trail closures. Similar to other resort trails and areas, traversing from an open run to a closed run/area is a violation.  Violations of any closure within the ski area boundary will result in a loss of skiing/riding privileges and possibly a fine. The resort will use a combination of signs, ropes and bamboo to indicate trails/areas being closed; if guests are unsure about an area being open they should not enter until they confirm via the website, app or by asking a resort representative.

Mahogany Ridge and Fish Creek Canyon are the resort’s most extreme areas and therefore we will utilize new tactics for maintaining the natural, more avalanche prone terrain. Steamboat’s trained patrol will use explosives for avalanche mitigation at any time, which is why respecting trail closures is vitally important- guests may not realize what work is being done, or why the conditions are unsafe in the closed area.

Thank you for helping us keep the mountain safe for our staff, community and guests. If you have any questions about the resort’s permit, boundary area or trail closure please reach out via email to info@steamboat.com.