News / The Range Food &... October 10, 2022

The Range Food & Drink Hall

The newly redesigned Steamboat Square at the base area will feature a brand-new food and drink hall that has the feel of an indoor/outdoor lunch and après lounge. Adjacent to Skeeter’s Ice Rink and with stunning views of Steamboat Resort, The Range Food & Drink Hall will welcome guests with a bar on each of the two levels, along with a fittingly wide range of cuisine options to meet everyone’s palate.

Aptly named, The Range will feature four different dining options for guests at Steamboat Resort. Twister Tacos will serve street-style tacos along with churros for dessert, Sunshine Bowl will warm your soul with a variety of ramen bowls, Pioneer Pies will feature pizza, a ski area must-have, and Why Not Sandwich Shop will offer fresh salads and sandwiches. If you are familiar with Steamboat Ski Area, you will notice the clever tie-in with the names of each dining option, named after several trails and areas across the resort.

To accommodate guests and make their dining experience as comfortable as possible, The Range will utilize a QR-code ordering system. Guests will simply find a table, get cozy, and then be able to order right from their table at their very own leisure. Once the order is ready, a text message will be sent to the guest letting them know that their food is ready to be picked up. If you are placing orders at different food stations, you will need to place a separate order for each station, but once an account is created, the process really is quite simple. While the focus will be on a QR code ordering system, there will still be an option to place an order directly with an employee if needed.

The Range Food & Drink Hall will feature two different bars, one on each level. Along with the four food stations, the bar on the first level, or ground level, will be a full-service bar. Just outside of the food hall there will be ground-level firepits for guests to gather around and watch people ice skating on the adjacent Skeeter’s Ice Rink. The bar and lounge area on the second level will have all the bells and whistles with an indoor lounge oriented around a fireplace to keep guests warm and cozy, along with an outdoor lounge featuring plenty of sunshine and beautiful views.

Once complete and ready for the doors to open, The Range Food & Drink Hall will offer coffee and hot chocolate in the mornings, but the primary focus is on lunch and après ski. Currently the windows are going in and the goal is to have the building dried in before winter settles in Steamboat Springs. The Range Food & Drink Hall is scheduled to open in 2023, so stay tuned for more details and information to come.

The inspiration behind the design of The Range Food & Drink Hall was a barn to reflect the strong ranching heritage of Steamboat Springs. You’ll notice beautiful, reclaimed timbers that will be the pillars for the interior and exterior of the building, along with design accents featuring cowboy hats, leather, suede, denim and rope. The build and design will portray Steamboat Springs’ heritage in a modern way, and the functionality of having a wide range of dining, bar and seating options will be a fantastic new addition to Steamboat Square.

Written by: Erin Campbell

News / The Steamboat Stage:... September 22, 2022

The Steamboat Stage: A New Hybrid and Dynamic Space

The Steamboat Stage in the heart of Steamboat Square will have a new and improved look to welcome guests back for the 2022/2023 winter season. As part of Full Steam Ahead, the new stage with a new orientation will be another exciting improvement for Steamboat Resort guests to enjoy.

If you are familiar with Steamboat Resort, the new stage will be in the same location as the previous stage, but with a different orientation. Facing into Steamboat Square, the new stage will allow for better and more open sight lines and easier viewing from multiple locations throughout the base area. New timber frames on the stage will echo the design of The Range Food and Drink Hall and escalator, ultimately creating a more cohesive Steamboat Square experience. With a narrower and higher design, along with an open back, guests will also be able to enjoy fantastic views of Steamboat Resort behind and adjacent to the stage.

In the past, the stage has predominantly been used for concerts or special events, but the new Steamboat Stage is transitioning into more of a hybrid space that can be used for a variety of functions, as well as additional seating for The Range Food and Drink Hall when it’s not in use. Music concerts are at the heart of the Steamboat experience, and those will continue as they have in the past. Other events such as Meet & Greets with Olympians, educational outdoor talks, dance performances, magic shows, storytelling events and photo experiences will also be hosted on the new stage. In the summer, the space will be used for yoga classes, outdoor movies, yard games and more. With a new and improved look, the Steamboat Stage will be a hybrid and dynamic space in the heart of Steamboat Square.

Steamboat Stage is scheduled to be ready for Opening Day, and there are some exciting events lined up for the season including the New Year’s Eve Light Up Snow Cat Parade, the Music Fest at Steamboat, the 60th Anniversary Celebration for Steamboat, the 48th Annual Bud Light Cowboy Downhill, the Steamboat Light the Night Celebration, the Bud Light Rocks the Boat Free Concert Series and Springalicious. While that is a fun and exciting list, there will also be times when the stage is not in use and the base area is a bit more quiet. During those times, the Steamboat Stage will be a gathering location and a place to enjoy lunch or après ski while also enjoying the views of beautiful Mount Werner.

Steamboat Resort has an impressive list of improvements that are part of Full Steam Ahead, and the new hybrid and dynamic Steamboat Stage will certainly bring a lot of fun and entertainment to the heart of Steamboat Square.

Written by: Erin Campbell

News / Steamboat Moves Full... April 6, 2022

Steamboat Moves Full Steam Ahead With Phase II

Wild Blue Gondola, Greenhorn Ranch, Food Hall and more in second year of $200+ million development

Steamboat Ski & Resort Corporation is moving Full Steam Ahead with the second phase of its $200 million, multi-year transformation of the base area and mountain, after receiving final approval from the Steamboat Springs City Council and Planning Commission. With support from Alterra Mountain Company, the second year of Steamboat’s Full Steam Ahead project will begin this spring after the resort closes for the winter season, and will infuse nearly $100 million into the world-class resort including a second Gondola, a new beginner’s area and base area amenities. Additionally, the resort will invest $5.4 million in upgrades to existing resort infrastructure including other on-mountain improvements, employee housing and more.

“It’s hard to imagine a summer more exciting than last year, but Phase II promises to bring even bigger changes to the resort,” said Rob Perlman, president and COO of Steamboat Ski & Resort Corporation. “These significant resort improvements will enhance the overall experience for our staff, guests and community building upon our strong brand and industry leading guest service.”

Steamboat Square’s facelift continues with the addition of Skeeter’s Ice Rink in the heart of the square and The Range Food & Drink Hall, featuring four new eateries with a variety of options for resort guests. In the tradition of great food halls around the world, the Range will open with Sunshine Bowl Ramen, Twister Tacos, Why Not Sweet Spot and Pioneer Pie on the main floor. Each floor will have a full bar, with the second-floor bar featuring an outdoor deck space overlooking Steamboat Square and the resort’s lower mountain. Additionally, amenities lining the Promenade will include a new Patrol base, bathrooms, lockers and a new home base for Steamboat Adaptive Recreational Sports (STARS) on-mountain operations.

Across the promenade from Steamboat Square, the lower terminal of Christie Peak Express lift will be shifted to the south to make room for the lower terminal of Wild Blue. During Full Steam Ahead Phase II, the lower leg of Wild Blue Gondola will be completed to Greenhorn Ranch, spanning 4,212 feet with 54 cabins and about a 5-minute ride time. Eventually Greenhorn Ranch will serve as the mid-station for the Wild Blue Gondola, where it will extend its journey to the top of Sunshine Peak providing direct base area access to the resort’s most popular terrain. Upon completion of the second leg in Phase III of Full Steam Ahead, the Wild Blue Gondola will be the longest 10-person gondola in North America, spanning 16,008 horizontal feet and 3,371 vertical feet with 171 cabins and a total ride time of 13 minutes. The second leg is scheduled to be completed for winter 23/24.

To make room for the Christie Peak Express lower terminal shift and maximize skier/rider egress to the Steamboat Square, the Outlaw Mountain Coaster and Maverick’s mini golf course will be removed after the end of the winter season and are not expected to be reinstalled. “We have long recognized the Mountain Coaster is not in an ideal location as the first impression in the base area,” said Perlman. “Now we have the opportunity to be thoughtful about our approach to base area improvements. As we move Full Steam Ahead with shifting Christie Peak Express lift to make room for the Wild Blue Gondola, it is time to remove the mountain coaster from the main thoroughfare in the base area.”

Known as one of the best family resorts in the world, Steamboat’s new beginner’s area Greenhorn Ranch will redefine the first timer’s experience by whisking skiers and riders to 7,513 feet to start their mountain adventure. Instead of keeping first time skiers and riders in the base area out of convenience, as many resorts do, Steamboat’s beginners will be immersed in the mountains. Greenhorn Ranch will feature one lift, four beginner magic carpets, 30 snow guns on 14 acres of terrain-based learning utilizing the re-graded terrain to teach skiers and riders. Students of Steamboat SnowSports School will have access to the Greenhorn Ranch Sprung Structure for lunch and warming.

The Full Steam Ahead project began in spring 2021 with the demolition of the Gondola building, relocation of the lower gondola terminal and the addition of escalators from the resort’s main entrance to Steamboat Square. Full Steam Ahead will continue through winter 23/24 with Phase 3 completing the second leg of Wild Blue from Greenhorn Ranch to the top of Sunshine Peak, adding 655 acres of advanced/expert terrain and a detachable quad into Pioneer Ridge/Fish Creek Falls and finalizing Steamboat Square amenities. With the addition of new expert terrain, Steamboat will become the second largest ski resort in Colorado. For more details on Full Steam Ahead including a complete timeline, projects already completed and what to expect in the future visit www.steamboat.com/FullSteamAhead.

In addition to Full Steam Ahead, Steamboat will invest more than $2 million in on-mountain improvements to snowmaking, lift maintenance, ski patrol equipment and mountain machinery including 2 new tier 5 snowcats which reduce NOx emissions by 90 percent and particulate matter by 75 percent over a tier 4 engine. The resort will also demo hybrid snowcats to understand their sustainability in cutting fuel use and increasing energy efficiency to our on-mountain fleet. Sunshine Express lift will undergo more than $800,000 in maintenance and nearly half a million dollars will be put into new ski and snowboard rental fleets including performance equipment from Rossignol and Burton. The resort continues to invest in its staff with $400,000 in upgrades to employee housing in the Walton Pond complex including a complete interior renovation of one of its buildings.

News / Full Steam Ahead December 30, 2021

Full Steam Ahead

Major capital enhancements are unfolding at Steamboat over the next three years.

This ranching town turned ski town has experienced a lot since the ‘60s. Today, we’re stampeding in a whole new direction, teaming up with world-class partners for $180 million in monumental improvements.

Upgraded mountain flow, more expert terrain, revamped learning and base areas and much more come together with loads of pioneering spirit to shape the Steamboat experience for every visitor.

Decades in the making, three thrilling years of growth and stoke are underway at Steamboat. Here’s what we’re excited about:

A Base Area Facelift

Pardon our dust while we redo the entire resort base area. The ambitious Steamboat Square undertaking includes escalators (read: easier access to snow!) and plans for an après ski plaza, new restaurants and bars, a ski beach and an ice rink. Watch for The Range Food & Drink Hall, a new retail spot for kids and a stage for live music.

Mountain Camp – New this season, Steamboat’s Mountain Camp building — formerly the Kids Vacation Center — is a one-stop-shop for families with small children. Little skiers ages 2 to 6 enjoy lift access, lunch, lesson instruction and equipment rentals. The new location in the west wing of the Sheraton Hotel has been built from the ground up as an intentional, warm and welcoming environment.

A Top-to-Bottom Gondola – The new Wild Blue Gondola arrives for Winter 2022/23 as the longest gondola in North America and the fastest 10-person gondola in the country. The state-of-the-art gondola will feed skiers/riders through a newly created mid-station adjacent to Bashor bowl with the final destination at the top of Sunshine Peak. At a total length of 3.16 miles, the new gondola will increase the out of base capacity from 6,000 people per hour to 10,000 people per hour, getting skiers from bottom to top in 13 minutes. The bottom gondola portion opens next winter and the top half opens the following season.

More Lifts, More Terrain – New lifts and 650 new acres of terrain will make Steamboat the second largest ski resort in Colorado. Crews are re-grading a whole section of the mountain, transforming Greenhorn Ranch into a new dedicated learning area for beginners. Mahogany Ridge will serve up 650 acres of new expert terrain. All in all, terrain will increase from 2,965 permitted acres to 3,615 permitted acres. Increased snowmaking efforts on Sunshine Peak will guarantee great early season snow.

Take a Ski Tour – We love sharing the Steamboat Dream with guests! Guided tours are a great way to get the lay of the land and master chairlift navigation. Now, your guide will also fill you in on how Steamboat is investing $180 million on and around the mountain to enhance the guest experience. Tours are offered Sunday through Wednesday 10 a.m. to 12 p.m. from January 10, 2022 until April 6, 2022. Meet at the top of the Steamboat Gondola at 9:45 a.m. Cost and Requirements: Adults 13+: $15, Child 12 and under: $5, Kids 12 and under complimentary with purchase of adult. Proceeds are given to a non-profit focused on sustainability efforts in the Yampa Valley. Must be 10 years or older and comfortable on BLUE runs. Children age 10-18 must be accompanied by a parent or guardian.

Author: Lisa Blake