Happy to say that after a week of warmth, we'll be going back under that white blanket sometime this evening, hopefully to stay until April. The forecast looks dark and ominous, and the natives are restless. . .
The 40 day mark has arrived, as locals watch the battle between Fall and Winter pan out.
Since 2008, October is usually the month when our posts begin for In The Deep, depending on when the snow starts to fly. This past weekend wasn't the first dusting we got in Colorado, but it's the first one that's stuck in the 'Boat. In 2006, that happened as early as we can remember in 16 years, on September 9th. But the weather has been reasonably stable with an Indian Summer this year, that is until October arrived.
Last Friday the 8th, Mt. Werner got its first dusting, which proceeded to accumulate through the weekend.
(photo courtesy of Steamboat PR)
Per the norm, the subsequent 4 days of rain, hail, and snow subsided into a week of sunny fall warmth, temporarily retaining the last of our yellow and orange leaves.
Here begins the battle between Fall and Winter, with just six short weeks until the mountain opens. We know who wins this battle, it's just a matter of when.
And we're all chomping at the bit, as usual, but with excited anticipation this year for some new trails that are a result of the logging of dead pine trees from the Pine Beetle Epidemic that has been sweeping Colorado for the past decade, with much the devastation happening in the last three years. The biggest opening of trees we've all been looking at all summer is between See Me, VooDoo and Vogue, and will likely be one of our first stops on the way down on November 25th. Other improvements can be found here.
-See you in the deep! (The locals all think this is going to be a big one!)
For the first time in 15 years, Craig managed to glide beneath the lifts of Steamboat Ski Area in July.
The sky is just as blue, but the mountain looks entirely different in the summer- lush with raspberry, thimble berry, indian paint brush, ferns, fireweed, and of course the aspens in full flicker. It sounds more alive with songs of wrens, swallows, hawks, and the occasional hot air balloon. The curves of the open glades are permanent and rocky, the trees unpassable for the thick brush the coats their glens.
For us, who don't get to enjoy these runs all summer for previous lack of equipment, the Inaugural Custom Color Bikin' the 'Boat Camp was a new and amazing experience we look forward to continuing each year. Thanks to Steamboat, STARS, Adaptive Adventures and the four One-Off handycle mountain bikes from Freedom for Life, we all got to enjoy Mt Werner without the lifts running.
The sky is just as blue, but the mountain looks entirely different in the summer- lush with raspberry, thimble berry, indian paint brush, ferns, fireweed, and of course the aspens in full flicker. It sounds more alive with songs of wrens, swallows, hawks, and the occasional hot air balloon. The curves of the open glades are permanent and rocky, the trees unpassable for the thick brush the coats their glens.
For us, who don't get to enjoy these runs all summer for previous lack of equipment, the Inaugural Custom Color Bikin' the 'Boat Camp was a new and amazing experience we look forward to continuing each year. Thanks to Steamboat, STARS, Adaptive Adventures and the four One-Off handycle mountain bikes from Freedom for Life, we all got to enjoy Mt Werner without the lifts running.
Due to the cost of these adaptive mountain bikes, many programs don't offer this recreation. But thanks to a local grant, STARS hopes to be continuing cycling in BikeTownUSA by adding 3-5 bikes to its arsenal for next year.
- See you in the Deep
