It’s a wrap! The 21/22 ski season came an to end in typical style last weekend, with the annual Springalicious festivities. As the last of the winter guests left, the team at the Steamboat Ski Resort switched gears to move forward with Phase II of their “Full Steam Ahead” $200M, multi-year transformation of the base area and mountain.

New Name, New Look

The base, or Steamboat Square as it has been named, will see the addition of Skeeter’s Ice Rink, coined after local Olympian Skeeter Werner Walker. Next to the rink, The Range Food and Drink Hall will include four eateries with bars on each level and an outdoor deck overlooking the lower mountain. Along the promenade, Steamboat Adaptive Recreational Sports (STARS) is to receive a new on-mountain operations base, along with a Ski Patrol base, new bathrooms, and lockers.

Arrival of Wild Blue Gondola

Work will begin on the installation of the Wild Blue Gondola, which will eventually reach the top of Sunshine Peak. Slated for completion in 2023, it will be the longest 10-person gondola in North America, covering over 16,000 horizontal feet and 3,371 vertical feet with 171 cabins and a total ride time of 13 minutes.

End of the Line for Coaster and Mini Golf

The lower portion of the Wild Blue is expected to be completed for the 22/23 ski season and will access Greenhorn Ranch, a new beginner’s area. It will morph into the mid-station for the full-scale gondola. To enable construction of the new gondola, the lower terminal of Christie Peak Express lift will be moved to the south and the Outlaw Mountain Coaster and Maverick’s mini golf course will be permanently removed.

“We have long recognized the Mountain Coaster is not in an ideal location as the first impression to the base area,” said Rob Perlman, President and COO. “Now we have the opportunity to be thoughtful about our approach to base area improvements.”

Greenhorn Ranch will provide much-needed designated beginner territory with four beginner magic carpets, one lift and 14 acres of terrain-based learning. The idea is to immerse first time skiers and riders in the mountains and not keep them solely at the base area.

More On-Mountain Improvements

In addition to Full Steam Ahead, a further $2M will be invested in on-mountain improvements including snowmaking, lift maintenance, ski patrol equipment and mountain machinery. $500K is also earmarked for new ski and snowboard rental fleets, with $400K to be spent on employee housing upgrades in the Walton Pond complex.

Phase III begins after the 22/23 ski season and is set to make Steamboat the second-largest ski resort in Colorado with the addition of 655 acres of advanced/expert terrain and a detachable quad into the Pioneer Ridge/Fish Creek Falls area.

For details on Full Steam Ahead visit www.steamboat.com/FullSteamAhead