Father Son Steamboat Ski Getaway

Travel Day - we had to fly out later in the afternoon due to a high school commitment, connecting through Denver. This was a BAD idea! If you can fly direct, do it - even if it costs a bit more. Our inbound flight was delayed due to a mechanical issue, forcing us to miss our connection flight to Hayden/Steamboat Springs. We were forced to rent cars and drive to Steamboat without our bags and skis which we couldn’t retrieve (unless we waited 2-4 hours at baggage claim). Rebooking and flying the next day was not an option because there was a snowstorm coming! We arrived in Steamboat at 2:30am after a treacherous drive over Rabbit Ears pass. But we made it safely!

Friday of President’s Day weekend. Most of the group was smart enough to bring their ski gear in their carry on bags so they were able to ski - I was the only one who brought my skis and packed all my ski gear in my ski bag. Day 1 comprised of getting my son up on the mountain with his buddies and then going to the Hayden airport to pick up my bags and ski gear. Oh well, trying to stay positive! It was snowing and expected to snow all weekend.

Powder Day! We were up early making breakfast for the boys and getting ready to hit the 8” of fresh pow pow! We rented an Airbnb in the Wildhorse Meadows neighborhood - a relatively new development with easy access to a gondola that takes you to the base of the mountain, a short walk down the street. If you have a larger group, I would highly recommend this area and homes - high end but reasonable if splitting the cost.

We rode the Wild Blue Gondola to the top - giving us easy access to the north side of the mountain: Storm Peak, Pony Express lifts and the Christmas Tree bowl. We skied this area most of the day. Lunch and a must needed rest was at Four Points lodge. Pro Tip: avoid going right at lunch time with the rest of the mountain! It’s smaller than Rendevous lodge and you have to be aggressive securing a table.

Skied hard but ran out of steam around 3pm. We made a stop at Slopeside at the bottom of the mountain for a quick pitcher of beer with a few Dads - a great outdoor Apres spot! Then we headed back to the Airbnb to Apres and hot tub.

Another powder day awaits the group! However, we were moving a bit more slowly today due to a heavy Apres, home cooked meal for the boys, and, of course, card games.

Today, we started our day on Pony Express and Mahogany lifts. The snow was silky smooth and the visibility was way better in the morning - an epic day! We ventured over to the south side of the mountain (Sunshine and Sundown lifts). There are more blue runs over there which means more people. Lunch was at Rendevous Lodge which has way more space than the Four Points lodge the day before.

The knees and back were barking a bit so no Apres on the mountain. We just headed back to the sweet Airbnb to unwind with a few beers and hot tub before dinner in downtown Steamboat Springs.

Dinner at Taco Cabo - a local, authentic Mexican restaurant right on the river downtown. Excellent food but the place could use a bit of an ambiance update.

Travel day. Made breakfast for the boys with the last of the food and then cleaned up. It was snowing like crazy in Steamboat - always difficult to leave on another powder day but it was time to go home.

We were a bit concerned we would be delayed or wouldn’t get out because of the snow. Keep in mind, the airport is 30 miles West of Steamboat Springs in Hayden. Always check the weather report in Hayden!