STEAMBOAT SPRINGS- Billy Grimes has lived in Steamboat Springs for 19 years and is a dealer services manager for Big Agnes.

What are your favorite spots to take your dog to in the winter?

I do a lot of snowshoeing with my dog, Kingston, up on Buffalo Pass; Rabbit Ears is also one of the best spots for snowshoeing. Another one of my favorite winter spots to go with my dog is Fish Creek Falls – I’m there a lot in the winter time. It’s just a really tranquil setting and a quick, easy-access area. Looking out from the overlook, sometimes you’ll see ice climbers climbing the falls. Also the Uranium Mine Trail, I would say, is a great place for a hike or a snowshoe with your dog. A lot of the time you don’t even need snowshoes on that trail, and you get beautiful views of the Steamboat Ski Area and Fish Creek Falls. 

Do you have a favorite spot in town to relax after playing in the outdoors all day?

I would say Storm Peak for a beer – always a good call. Also if I’m in town around sunset, I like going to the Yampa River Core Trail bridge that crosses the Yampa River next to Backdoor Sports. If you happen to be there about sunset, you get the most beautiful views of the ski area, and especially if it’s snowed recently, you get that alpenglow on the mountain. Strawberry Park Hot Springs I go to routinely, whether I want to unwind after a long day or take a full day off. 

What’s the best way to access less-trafficked spots in Routt County?

Snowmobiling – I use them mostly to access ski-touring terrain but also for the opportunity to just be able to play around on them a bit. Snowmobiling and snowmobile tours are amazing ways to see the different places around Steamboat, like Rabbit Ears Pass and North Routt County. You can’t really appreciate the beauty and ruggedness of the surrounding mountains without that as an option. 

Is the local trail network still usable in the winter?

Yeah, I’m really finding the winterization of our trail system the past few years is exciting in terms of being able to go up on Emerald Mountain on a fat-tire bike or run up on the mountain at the Steamboat Ski Area.

Where do you normally take family when they come to visit?

If my nieces are here, we’ll go to Saddleback Ranch to go tubing or to Del’s Triangle Ranch for horseback riding.