‘Tis the season of le ski (and le apres ski), a great and noble pastime in which the Adventure Club partook just a few weeks ago. Ski trips come in all shapes and sizes, we know everyone has their own traditions and mountaintops of choice, so we’re not here to evangelize. But if you ever feel like mixing up your shred routine, Steamboat Springs, Colorado is absolutely not a terrible option.
First, let’s get acquainted with Steamboat. Steamboat Springs is located in the Yampa Valley a little less than four hours northwest of Denver. This adorable little winter wonderland got it’s name in the 1800s when French trappers exploring the area thought they heard a chugging sound of a steamboat engine in the distance. It turns out that the sound was in fact coming from the several natural geothermal hot springs endemic to the area, which tourists and locals alike still baste in during the cold winter months. Today, Steamboat is an internationally known winter ski resort destination and is a snowy heaven for skiers and snowboarders alike. So wrangle your friends, rent a cabin, sit by a fire, “shred” some “pow”, eat, booze, hot tub (or springs) and repeat. Because… Why Not?!
If you don’t know, now you know…
How to get there:
You’ve got two options.
- Option one: Fly into Denver (DEN) and hop on one of the many shuttles that depart daily en route to Steamboat. The drive is give or take four hours and some drivers even make snack stops (or booze stops, if that’s your style) on the way. Our shuttle company pick: Go Alpine
- Option two: Fly into the lesser-known Hayden (HDN) airport. It’s only about 30 minutes away from Steamboat Springs and if you start tracking flights ahead of time (did you catch our Travel Tip Tuesday post for best airfare deal tracking tools?) you can most likely find a decent fare.
Skiing & boarding (which the kids call “shredding” these days)
What’s obvious:
- To save some dough, buy your lift tickets in advance here.
What’s not:
- If you happen to be a first (or even second)-time skier visiting Steamboat in the month of January, there is a excellent offer on lessons all month. A two-day lift pass, two days of rentals, and two days of lessons for $199. Peep the deal here and peep general info on lessons here.
If you’re not shredding…
It goes without saying that skiing and snowboarding are THE things to do in this beautiful mountain town. If however, you’re looking for other fun things to do Steamboat there are plenty of options:
- Check out the hot springs
- Strap on some snowshoes and hike the trails
- Hop on a snowmobile
- Hop on a horseback ride
- Sunset Happy Hour
- Enjoy a spa day
Useful tip
Don’t have a car to get around? Don’t worry! The shuttle system in Steamboat is actually amazing. They will take you just about anywhere, from just about anywhere (including your own doorstep) and are just a phone call away. If they won’t take you where you need to go then call our friends at Go Alpine, they’ll take care of you.
And last but not least, cause you’ve always gotta know the snow reports. The ones we used are here, here, and here.
Chasing Runways 
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