 Poster: A snowHead
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Day 1, Sunday (12/23) Steamboat
— Enjoying the festivity while waiting for snow to arrive the next day
From my temporary home in Silverthorne, CO (good friend let me crash at her cabin) me and my friend drove up to Steamboat in the morning, arriving at a leisurely 11 am. We took our time to check into our motel (Quality Inn) to use the facility before heading up to the parking.
We knew the forecast was for a few inches of snow overnight. So we were saving our legs, just casually cruising about to get reacquainted with the mountain. Both of us had skied there in the past. Just needed to reawaken our memory of the mountain layout.
Condition were so so. Actually good by eastern standard but my friend from Colorado wasn’t too impressed. We quickly lapped through some groomers on the Morningside and the Sunshine Sundown chair. Surface were a bit slick as it hadn’t snowed for a few days, and the holiday crowd had done their damage to what’s there.
The woods showed potential, but needed some freshen up.
Then, it’s 1:30! My friend, who’s visited Steamboat more regularly, said we need to go down because Santa will be coming on horseback!
We jumped on the chair to get back to the top of gondola and did our best Lindsey Von imitation arriving at the bottom just in time to see Santa, accompanied by cowboys on horse back, strolling across the base!
After the Santa parade, champagne started to flow "freely", accompanied by cupcakes (yeah, an odd combo, but it somehow hit the right spot)
Needless to say, we didn’t get much skiing done in the rest of the day. (I did convinced my friend to check out Storm peak chair and pointed out the woods next to the chair, which I had good luck the last time I was there)
Some soaking in a hot spring (Strawberry Hot Spring) is in order after all that champagne and cupcake!
Day 2, Christmas Eve, Steamboat
—Santa brought snow from the north pole!
Snow arrived as forecast, overnight! We woke to see a few inches on our car. And a quick check on the mountain website confirmed we got 5”!
I had good luck with the Storm Peak chair before. So we head there first. It did not disappoint!
We found untouched surf-able fluff in the woods next to the chair. And began to lap it.
Then my phone rang. A local connection who is a former east coast skier now a Steamboat transplant was also lapping the same chair. I needed to add a layer anyway. So I said I would wait at the Four Point lodge.
We met up, and he took the party towards the Christmas tree bowl (quite appreciate for the day!)
The rest of the day was a bit of a blur. We skied the lower part of the bowl, moved on to Sunshine & Sundown chair. Finding plenty of fresh powder on the groomers and in the trees...
Then it's 12 o'clock. Lunch was mentioned. But we had no time for lunch. We had to leave as we have Christmas dinner plan back in Silverthrone. It's a 2 hr drive, a bit while knuckle over Rabbit Ear pass while the snow were still coming down.
(sorry, no pictures. We barely had enough time to enjoy the powder harvesting. Stopping for picture were time we didn't have)
Day 3, Christmas Day, Copper Mountain
-- Skiing with Santas
Leaving the powder of Steamboat to cook Turkey for Christmas may not sound ideal in skiing sense. But it makes for a festive Christmas eve.
Santa was fair. He brought snow not only to Steamboat. He also brought 4" of snow to Copper Mountain, which is our "usual" hound. Bright and early on Christmas day, we hit Copper in search of leftover fluffs.
As well known, most people were sleeping in after Christmas even. Crowds were not there at all despite the new snow the day before. Leftover were easy to find in the trees.
Lines were short at the Timberline lift. Then, a gorgeous Santa asked in a booming voice if he could share a chair with us! But of course, that would be mostly welcome!!!
That, completed our very merry Christmas skiing in Colorado.
(I stayed at Colorado, “working” the next few days between Christmas and New Year. For I had plan to ski at Aspen after the New Year!  )
Last edited by Poster: A snowHead on Sat 9-02-19 22:49; edited 4 times in total
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