The First Tracks of the Season

Back Country Delights in Steamboat

Backcountry ski lovers were in heaven this past weekend with the opening of Bruce’s Trail on Rabbit Ears Pass. Finally, the time has come to dust off the skis and snowshoes and head out to play in the snow. With 6 to 12 inches of fresh champagne powder, there was just enough snow to allow for grooming. As a result, there were a lot of smiling faces on Saturday morning. What a nice Halloween treat. Lets hope for more snow so we can keep skiing!

Cross country skiing offers skiers the chance to enjoy the outdoors away from busy ski lift lines for a fraction of the cost. However, the lack of lifts means that you ski up as well as down! It’s a great work out and will definitely burn off that steak dinner and latte.

With over 120km of groomed trails and five different venues, cross country skiing is a popular sport Steamboat Springs. Most of the  ski centers aim to open around mid December.

Favorite Local Places to Cross country ski

Rabbit Ears Pass

The west side Rabbit Ears Pass is home to a host of cross country skiing trails. West Summit, Bruce’s Trail, Fox Curve and Walton Peak are the access parking lots. All of these areas provide marked trails (blue diamonds on trees or stakes in the meadows) and offer terrain for beginner and experts. If you’re a first timer, best to head to West Summit on Trail 1A. Rent skis from Ski Haus and ask them for a trail map. Skiing on Rabbit Ears Pass is free. A big thanks to the Steamboat Nordic Center of the Rockies for their wonderful grooming efforts.

Steamboat Ski Touring Center and Howelsen Hill Nordic Center
Centrally located in town, these two cross country ski areas  are the easiest to access. Howelsen Hill offers about 20 km of groomed trails and the Ski Touring Center has about 30km. All trails are groomed for skate or cross country skiers. Both areas also have a snowshoe trail. Ski equipment can be rented at The Ski Touring Center and if you’re beginner, consider signing up for a lesson.

Lake Catamount
Located about a ten-minute drive outside of town, Lake Catamount offers 40+km of groomed trails. It is known for its abundance of flat to rolling terrain (great for beginners) and has beautiful wide open views. You can rent equipment on-site and organize lessons.  From Wednesday through Sunday, enjoy a bowl of warm soup in the clubhouse restaurant after your ski. Fridays are designated Ladies’ Ski Day. On these days ladies can attend a clinic taught by two experienced local skiers. The clinic includes 1.5 hour Nordic Instruction, all day ski pass and lunch.

For trail conditions, check out Steamboat Nordic Center of the Rockies website which provides grooming reports for all areas.