New high-speek Elkhead Lift
Steamboat's Elkhead lift is known by locals as the infamously slow 4-person, fixed grip quad that brings skiers from the powder paradise of Sunshine back to the ski resort’s base area. In many cases, people avoid the Elkhead at any and all costs. That trend is about to change.
Thankfully, the Intrawest-owned resort is giving the chair a much needed update. The new, Doppelmayr designed chair will feature 4-person, detachable chairs that will cut the ride time in half, whisking skiers to the top in just under 3 minutes.
“The increased speed (more than double, from 425 feet per minute to 1,000 feet per minute) of the new lift will substantially improve the guest experience in the popular Sunshine and Priest Creek areas of the mountain, especially at lunchtime and end-of-day egress” – Steamboat Resort
Formerly, lunchtime and end-of-day crowds have choked the Elkhead lift line and getting back to the base could be a long and frustrating experience. With the new lift in place, tourists will be shuttled effectively out of the zone while allowing locals access to some of the most underutilized tree skiing on the mountain.
Steamboat Mountain Coaster & Mini-Golf Course
A new mountain coaster and mini golf course are in the works for the Steamboat Ski Area. "The mountain Alpine coaster will operate year-round during daylight hours, and nights in the winter in conjunction with night skiing,” Steamboat Ski and Resort Corp. Vice President of Skier Services said, “The mini-golf will operate spring through autumn during daylight hours.”
Winter Wondergrass Festival
Sure– mountain towns host a plethora of music festivals in the summer but winter– that’s another story. As of late, WinterWonderGrass has morphed from a small ski town gathering during the snowy season into winter’s hallmark music/craft beer festival and now the event is coming to Steamboat Resort for February 23rd-26th of this upcoming season.
Also known as Ski Town, USA®, the move to Steamboat comes on the heels of an expanded festival that saw the addition of Squaw Valley AKA Winter Wondergrass Tahoe this past year. However, the main motivation for the move was the quest to provide a festival that was within walking distance of the ski hill.
“The move to Steamboat allows us to realize our original vision of a truly integrated music and mountain experience with on-mountain events and a festival site next to the ski hill.” – WinterWonderGrass founder Scotty Stoughton
Tickets will go on sale the same day as the initial lineup announcement, which is set for October 13th at 9am MST. The festival will include bluegrass workshops, craft beer tastings, and of course– a series of worldclass shows near the base of Steamboat Resort– the home of Champagne Powder®.
2016-17 Steamboat Night Skiing
The Christie Peak Express high-speed chairlift whisks you to top of Christie Peak (8,000’) to embark on your night adventure across five trails including Sitz, See Me, Vogue, Stampede and Lil’ Rodeo. All levels of skiing and riding will be available with two beginner, two intermediate and one advanced trail. Stay up late with us as you cruise down 1,100 vertical feet of terrain under state-of-the-art Ultra-Tech™ Lighting that significantly improves the night skiing experience.
Night skiing operations is expected to be open Thursday through Monday from mid-December through March of the 2016/17 season.
New: Free Night skiing day of arrival when flying into Steamboat/Hayden (HDN) Airport
New: Night Skiing Pass. Just because the daylight ends doesn’t mean the fun has to! Hit the slopes under clear moonlit skies with Steamboat Resort’s Night Skiing Pass. Night skiing operations are expected to be open Thursday through Monday from mid-December through March of the 2016/17 season. There is also a night skiing add-on to the Steamboat Season Pass, Steamboat 15 and Steamboat 8 Pass.
New: Night Ski Lessons. Learn to ski or ride under the lights! Private Clinics are available during night skiing for up to two participants per instructor.
