Steamboat with 7 feet of early snow

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Terri Looking out over the Yampa Valley

Terri and I made our annual early season ski trip to Steamboat Springs a few weeks ago and had a great time there. We really love the town of Steamboat Springs and discover new places and things to do each time we visit. Early ski season can be hit or miss on the slopes, but this year there was a record snow fall with 7 feet dumping on the ski resort in a four week period during November and early December.

We got 2 feet in the time we were there!

As you can see, we got a lot of snow in the time we were there, about 2 feet over a period of 4 days. The weather varied a lot which made some days ideal for skiing, but others a challenge. The last day we were there, the temperature was 20 below zero. The day before we left, we skied in nearly blizzard conditions, which makes for great powder, but leaves the ungroomed slopes a bit of work to get down.

Dining inside a barrel

This year we dined in several of our favorite places, including Giovanni’s where we have been going for over 20 years. We’ve always noticed the Old West Steak House next to it but had never eaten there, so this time we visited it for the first time and ate dinner in a barrel. You can see from the photo that there are actually 5 barrels, including 2 that you need to climb up to on ladders! They don’t serve you dinner in the upper barrels, and drinking in them could spell trouble too. I guess as a novelty, it’s something nice to try, but if we return, I think we’ll eat at a more conventional table. The owners were there and gave us a nice tour of the restaurant which wasn’t very busy because there was a snowstorm raging outside.

Steamboat Springs has such a unique and friendly atmosphere. There’s something very authenic about its old west charm and natural beauty that keeps us going back year after year.