Mastering Terrain
12/09/2024 10:47AM ● By Ski Town Media Staff
Image courtesy of Paige Rylander.
GREEN: Steamboat has so much to offer for green-loving skiers. Unlike other mountains, we have greens all around our resort so you’re not limited to the base.
Tip: My biggest tip for green skiers is to let gravity help you slow down rather than leg muscles. Turn your skis back up the hill for a moment to slow your momentum before starting your next turn. Using the slope to manage speed allows you to ski longer without getting tired, and will give you more confidence if you feel like tackling blue slopes or parallel skiing.
Try: Wild Blue Way – hidden off Christy Peak Express mid-station – for a crowd-free practice space. For the green skier interested in viewing Steamboat's natural beauty I recommend taking a gravity-powered scenic tour down Why Not, located just beyond Thunderhead Lodge. Make sure to take a bathroom break before you start – this trail is over three miles long.
BLUE: With the addition of our new gondola, Steamboat’s incredible blue cruisers have never been easier to access.
Tip: Point both kneecaps where you want to go. The tricky part is just pointing with your knees and not the rest of your body. Stay centered over your feet with your torso, trying not to lean in the same direction as your knees. If you’ve already mastered that, you can add some forward motion at the start of each turn: imagine you’re trying to push your shin down into your big toe before each turn and it will help engage the front of your ski and enable you to have quicker, more accurate turns.
Try: My favorite trail on what we called the “Sunnyside” of the mountain is Quickdraw. It’s wide open and offers beautiful views of the Yampa Valley in addition to being the perfect length. There is good access to playful trees on the right side of the run and it’s easily lapable via Sunshine Express. More daring blue skiers can head over to the famous Heavenly Daze (at the top of Thunderhead) for breathtaking views, or the more hidden Sunset for crowd free skiing (located from the top of Four Points, cut right on the cat track afterwards).
BLACK: When visiting Steamboat, more comfortable skiers have to make it to our famous tree skiing and if you’re lucky you’ll even get a taste of our Champagne PowderⓇ to go with them.
Tip: As you start to venture off piste, vision and path-finding become an important component of skiing. When I’m in trees, I always spot a path that has an uphill option in case I need to scrub speed. An easy place to find these uphill routes is on the backside of aspen trees, which don’t have tree wells and often have deep snow banks to help with speed management.
Try: Hot Cakes (found from the top of Sunshine Peak) is a true winter playground with natural jumps, boulders, trees and always some good snow. Another hidden gem is Ted’s Ridge, particularly at the end of the day when Heavenly Daze gets crowded (make sure to check the grooming reports as it is not always regularly groomed).
DOUBLE BLACK: With the opening of Mahogany Ridge, Steamboat now has easy access to some wicked extreme terrain.
Tip: For the skiers that charge, I recommend thinking of shifting your weight and ending your turn, way sooner than you ever thought you have to. Particularly in steeps, we can get caught up so heavy on our old outside ski (downhill ski when finishing a turn) that starting a new turn becomes a workout. Recognize this and begin your weight shift early and you can shred a little extra gnar by the end of the day.
Try: To warm up before you head off into the canyon, I recommend a quick drop into Chute 1 for 10 (okay, maybe 15) of the best turns of your life. I do recommend going with someone who knows routes through the gates off of Mahogany Ridge, but Granola Bowl, accessed from the first gate on skiers right headed down under Mahogany Ridge Express, is a more open and enjoyable steep and deep route for thrill seekers.
GREEN: Steamboat has so much to offer for green-loving skiers. Unlike other mountains, we have greens all around our resort so you’re not limited to the base.
Tip: My biggest tip for green skiers is to let gravity help you slow down rather than leg muscles. Turn your skis back up the hill for a moment to slow your momentum before starting your next turn. Using the slope to manage speed allows you to ski longer without getting tired, and will give you more confidence if you feel like tackling blue slopes or parallel skiing.
Try: Wild Blue Way – hidden off Christy Peak Express mid-station – for a crowd-free practice space. For the green skier interested in viewing Steamboat's natural beauty I recommend taking a gravity-powered scenic tour down Why Not, located just beyond Thunderhead Lodge. Make sure to take a bathroom break before you start – this trail is over three miles long.
BLUE: With the addition of our new gondola, Steamboat’s incredible blue cruisers have never been easier to access.
Tip: Point both kneecaps where you want to go. The tricky part is just pointing with your knees and not the rest of your body. Stay centered over your feet with your torso, trying not to lean in the same direction as your knees. If you’ve already mastered that, you can add some forward motion at the start of each turn: imagine you’re trying to push your shin down into your big toe before each turn and it will help engage the front of your ski and enable you to have quicker, more accurate turns.
Try: My favorite trail on what we called the “Sunnyside” of the mountain is Quickdraw. It’s wide open and offers beautiful views of the Yampa Valley in addition to being the perfect length. There is good access to playful trees on the right side of the run and it’s easily lapable via Sunshine Express. More daring blue skiers can head over to the famous Heavenly Daze (at the top of Thunderhead) for breathtaking views, or the more hidden Sunset for crowd free skiing (located from the top of Four Points, cut right on the cat track afterwards).
BLACK: When visiting Steamboat, more comfortable skiers have to make it to our famous tree skiing and if you’re lucky you’ll even get a taste of our Champagne PowderⓇ to go with them.
Tip: As you start to venture off piste, vision and path-finding become an important component of skiing. When I’m in trees, I always spot a path that has an uphill option in case I need to scrub speed. An easy place to find these uphill routes is on the backside of aspen trees, which don’t have tree wells and often have deep snow banks to help with speed management.
Try: Hot Cakes (found from the top of Sunshine Peak) is a true winter playground with natural jumps, boulders, trees and always some good snow. Another hidden gem is Ted’s Ridge, particularly at the end of the day when Heavenly Daze gets crowded (make sure to check the grooming reports as it is not always regularly groomed).
DOUBLE BLACK: With the opening of Mahogany Ridge, Steamboat now has easy access to some wicked extreme terrain.
Tip: For the skiers that charge, I recommend thinking of shifting your weight and ending your turn, way sooner than you ever thought you have to. Particularly in steeps, we can get caught up so heavy on our old outside ski (downhill ski when finishing a turn) that starting a new turn becomes a workout. Recognize this and begin your weight shift early and you can shred a little extra gnar by the end of the day.
Try: To warm up before you head off into the canyon, I recommend a quick drop into Chute 1 for 10 (okay, maybe 15) of the best turns of your life. I do recommend going with someone who knows routes through the gates off of Mahogany Ridge, but Granola Bowl, accessed from the first gate on skiers right headed down under Mahogany Ridge Express, is a more open and enjoyable steep and deep route for thrill seekers.