News Flash

The Steamboat Springs Winter Sports Club announced that the Howelsen Hill ski area will see some changes this year that will benefit cross country skiers, park skiers and riders, and beginner skiers and riders. During the fall, major improvements were made to the cross country trails that will provide positive experiences for the community and competitive athletes. A collaboration project between the Steamboat Springs Winter Sports Club (SSWSC), the City of Steamboat Springs, and Nordic Excavating, the project has been 4 years in the works and has been completed with the widening of the trails and the re-contouring of steep pitches in the Bluffs Loop.
 
The improvements will require less grooming and make the trails more user friendly, while realigning former intersections with Alpine skiers coming off of Long John Trail and allowing Alpine Skiers to continue to access the Barrows chairlift. The new trails eliminate areas of criss-crossed recreation, and have streamlined uphill and downhill routes in a way that make it safer and more manageable for skiers of all abilities.

Additionally, with the cooperation of the City, the SSWSC has elected to suspend “Steamboat Tubing” during the 2016-17 season to allow for additional beginner ski and snowboard terrain and to create new terrain park features that will be accessed by the Boardwalk magic carpet. Users will enjoy a faster turnaround and a unique jump over the tunnel. A new “fun cross” course is planned for the traditional terrain park area creating a more accessible and fun area for skiers and riders of varying abilities. New rail features are also planned. It is expected that these new features will be open to the public. “Howelsen Hill is a community ski area that is also the home of the SSWSC” said Jim Boyne, Executive Director of the SSWSC. “We heard from the community at numerous ‘ski free days’ that more general public accessibility is desired, and the SSWSC is committed to helping make improvements that positively impact both our community and SSWSC athletes,” Boyne said.

The City, the SSWSC, and other community leaders are working together to provide improved accessibility and experiences for all at the Howelsen Hill ski area, which has been central to the heart of Steamboat Springs and home to the Steamboat Springs Winter Sports Club since 1914.
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