STEAMBOAT SPRINGS- Children’s faces radiate joy the moment they realize they’ve got this: they can point their skis downhill, control their speed, make turns and stop without tipping over. The trepidation is gone; soon will come the inevitable moment when they call out, “Mom, Dad, hurry up!”

Such is the sport of skiing. What starts out as a weekend in the mountains turns into a lifetime of family and adventure. Grandparents ski with the grandkids, dads and moms enjoy an afternoon on the slopes, kids dash over the bumps and jumps with their buddies, couples get engaged on the mountaintop. 

From riding the Magic Carpet at Howelsen Hill to cross-country skiing on groomed runs at the Steamboat Ski Touring Center, from snowshoe outings to guided backcountry adventures, from running the NASTAR course with your friends to standing atop the Olympic podium, skiing and snowboarding are multi-faceted sports. 

Ski Town USA® is so named because, as the Associated Press reported in 1947, “The population of Steamboat Springs, Colorado, is 1700. The number of persons who ski is reported to be 1685. The others are children under one year of age. Just as soon as their walking legs are under them, they’ll be strapped to a pair of hickory staves and away they will go over the silvery slopes that make Steamboat Springs one of the best-known winter sports centers.” 

More than 50 years later, that statement is still true. The mountains surrounding Steamboat Springs offer groomed corduroy slopes, light bottomless powder, glistening aspen groves, exhilarating bumps, breathtaking jumps, rolling cross-country trails and beginner bunny slopes. 

The wide-open valley, forested mountains and deep blue skies invite us all to step outdoors, breathe the crisp air and strap on the hickory staves. 

Ski Town USA® is so named because, as the Associated Press reported in 1947, “The population of Steamboat Springs, Colorado, is 1700. The number of persons who ski is reported to be 1685. The others are children under one year of age. Just as soon as their walking legs are under them, they’ll be strapped to a pair of hickory staves and away they will go over the silvery slopes that make Steamboat Springs one of the best-known winter sports centers.” 

More than 50 years later, that statement is still true. The mountains surrounding Steamboat Springs offer groomed corduroy slopes, light bottomless powder, glistening aspen groves, exhilarating bumps, breathtaking jumps, rolling cross-country trails and beginner bunny slopes. 

The wide-open valley, forested mountains and deep blue skies invite us all to step outdoors, breathe the crisp air and strap on the hickory staves.