Steamboat is an iconic North American ski resort located in the aptly named town of Steamboat Springs, Colorado. It is one of many resorts in the United States to begin operations in the 1960s when land was cheap, easy to acquire, and regulations were not as stringent. Known for its "champagne powder,” Steamboat is one of the more famous and popular ski resorts in North America.
Much of the initial development of the ski resort can be attributed to James Temple who moved to Steamboat in 1955 and began acquiring land on and around Storm Mountain. Construction for the new ski resort began in the late 1950s on Christie Peak (a smaller summit on the face of Storm Mountain), but due to delays with lift installation, Steamboat did not officially open until January 1962.
In 1965, the death of local Olympic skier Buddy Werner spurred Storm Mountain to be renamed to Mt. Werner, which is the name the peak of Steamboat is known today.
However, it wasn’t until 1970 when Steamboat finally began to emerge as an up-and-coming major ski resort with the installation of the Stagecoach Gondola. This new bi-cable gondola whisked skiers and riders to the top of Thunderhead Peak.
The 80s and 90s continued to see Steamboat expand and upgrade. Multiple snow droughts led the resort to invest heavily in snowmaking infrastructure. In 1986, the Stagecoach Gondola which was plagued by wind issues was replaced with a state-of-the-art (for the time) Doppelmayr gondola named the Silver Bullet Gondola. The 90s brought Steamboat’s first few high-speed chairlifts along with the opening of multiple chutes and bowls on the upper face of Mt. Werner.
While many resorts have slowed down significantly with upgrades and expansions in the 21st century, Steamboat has continued to expand and innovate their resort. In the first part of the 2020s, Steamboat began on a bold plan called “Full Steam Ahead” which would see a 650 acre expansion and new lift on Mahogany Ridge, major snowmaking upgrade on Sunshine Peak, and a colossally large new gondola called the Wild Blue gondola. Full Steam Ahead also led to some redevelopment of the base area. The entire project opened in phases and was completed for the 2023-2024 ski season. Wild Blue gondola became the capstone of the entire project as it fixed much of the base crowding issues and is one of the largest gondolas of its kind ever built. At the time of its completion, it even contains the world’s largest direct drive motor.
Today, Steamboat is one of the more famous and sought after ski destinations in North America. With its 10,568ft peak elevation and over 3,700 acres of terrain filled with legendary champagne powder, Steamboat is truly a resort like no other.
Purchase a laser-cut map of Steamboat!
Bibliography
Bill Fetcher. "Steamboat Ski Area History," Colorado Ski History, https://coloradoskihistory.com/areahistory/steamboat.html
Christina Freeman. "50 Years at the Steamboat Ski Area," Steamboat Magazine, https://www.steamboatmagazine.com/2012/12/02/5336/50-years-at-the-steamboat-ski-area
Peter Landsman. "Wild Blue Gondola II - Steamboat, CO," Lift Blog, https://liftblog.com/wild-blue-gondola-ii-steamboat-co/
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