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March 14, 2011 Early Sunday Morning. Throughout the US there are a lot of great ski resorts that offer fantastic on and off piste skiing but more and more resorts are offering a third option, often referred to as side country or off mountain skiing. This is skiing that is relatively close to the ski area and uses the lift to aid in gaining elevation; however there is often short hiking or side stepping needed to access the terrain. These aspects are skied less and are often not marked on maps; you exit and enter the ski area through designated gates that allow for safer access to areas that are often in National Forest |
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| just of the ski resort. Steamboat, like many other places, offers great side country skiing. From what locals call The Canyon (Fish Creek Canyon) to the Storm King drainage there is lots of easy access to less skied pitches just outside of the ski area. The day after a powder day these are the areas with open ski able terrain that has not been bumped out by loads of powder hungry shredders. However these areas are less patrolled by the ski area and offer different inherent dangers that users should be ware of. On a sunny afternoon recently my skiing partner and I headed out the gate to go check out some side country options off of Steamboat. After a short walk on the mountain and a traverse to the gate we sidestepped up over the ridge to explore the unskied powder bellow. After a short run down, filled with fast sunny powder turns, we put on our kicker skins and climbed up the next short hill. This put us at the top of a steeper pitch with a few trees. As we worked our way down the effort was well worth it. There is nothing like skiing alone on untouched snow. | ||||||||||||||||||||||||
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February 17, 2011 A Good Problem: A Clark Peak Yurt Trip Early Sunday morning we met in the Ski Haus parking lot to finalize plans and do a quick gear-check before the two-hour drive to the Cameron pass area. With the gear loaded we drove over a very snowy Rabbit Ears Pass and down through Walden to our eventual pull out past Michigan Reservoir. At the trail head the three feet of snow that had fallen in the last forty-eight hours was very apparent, blocking in cars that had been there for only one night. We loaded the sleds and packs, put on skins and started up the trail. We quickly learned that one sled was too wide for the trail and too heavily loaded with extra goodies for the yurt. After two hours of uphill slogging in a driving snowstorm we arrived at the yurt to find the fire still going, water in the pot and the gift of rotted meat under the stove the previous guests had left for us. The Clark Peak Yurt that we stayed in is part of a large yurt system owned and run by the Never Summer Nordic LLC whom manages a few yurts in the area. After unloading gear and drying off we headed out to see what lay beyond the clouds in front of us and to try to finds some turns. The new layer of snow that had blanketed the area left us with few skiing options. The steeper skiable pitches had too much avalanche danger while the other options it was difficult to carry enough speed to make turns due to all the snow. As we rotated braking trail slowly moving uphill this reality was quickly becoming apparent. After two hours we decided we had reached a good spot, we striped skins and headed down. After six laps we returned to the yurt in less than twenty minuets. That night we filled our bellies with cashew chicken and bourbon and slept soundly as the fire crackled in the wood stove. The next morning after breakfast we headed out again to continue to break trail and try to make turns. The clouds had lifted a little so we headed back up our skin track from the day before and continued from there. After a few more hours of difficult trail braking we found ourselves at a good mid point on a ridge and dropped in right there. Although the skiing was limited it was awesome. There is nothing better than turns you earn. We took a few laps before heading back to the warmth of the yurt. After another fun night, sitting around the table playing cards, laughing, and eating, we loaded the stove with wood and bedded down for another night. The morning brought our first clear skies of the trip, as we skied back to the car we could finally see the magnificent mountains that had surrounded us for the last two days. Overall this was a great trip that I would recommend to anyone. It's a great way to spent time with family and friends. |
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| February 9, 2011 Black Diamond Dirft As a fan of Black Diamond skis I was excited to try out their new big mountain, backcountry ski this year, the Drift. On first impression the skis were super light with an electrifying purple and black top sheet. The Torsion box construction and wood core keeps the skis down to only 6lbs 12 oz in the 176 that I skied. The skis have a slight rocker in the tip and are 100mm in the waist allowing for good floatation. The weight difference and rocker can be felt while braking trail and shredding pow on the way down. These skis took a little getting used to, but once I got the swing of them they handled well in all conditions. BD skis have historically been stiff big mountain skis, the Drifts are not a total departure but they are a little outside of the norm for them. They have softened the tip and added rocker allowing for a smother ride while maintaining stiffness underfoot that still holds an edge well. Both on and off piste the skis held up well, on groomer days they carve well for a ski 100mm under foot and can handle themselves in the bumps fine. But they feel better in their element, with extras like metal skin-clip protectors in the flat tail and the slight rocker for keeping your tips up while hiking there skis are backcountry machines. And when it's time for the fun part they produce nothing but smiles, it's exciting to see BD doing new things with their skis. Word on the street is next years skis are even more fun. |
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Gary Dickerson, Ski Haus Repair Shop Technician, shot this video clip of his
ski partner, Flint.The day was suspect, the Steamboat ski report was iffy. They went tele skiing anyway, the hill was practically empty, and were rewarded with a spectacular late season powder day. It just goes to show you there are the quick and then there are the hungry... Which one will you be this winter? |
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January 17, 2011 Ski Haus Avalanche Awarenes Clinic For the past 20+ years Ski Haus along with the C.A.I.C. (Colorado Avalanche Information Center) and the local Steamboat Ski Patrol has hosted a basic avalanche information course, this year was no exception. The clinic began on Friday night at the Community Center in Steamboat Springs with an information session. Brian Lazar, the assistant director of the C.A.I.C, put on a power point presentation highlighting the basic avalanche danger in Northwest Colorado. As part of the presentation the group watched several videos of avalanches and discussed some of the factors that contribute to avalanches in the Steamboat area. Brian also talked about some of the avalanche fatalities that have occurred in and around Steamboat in the last ten years, his intention was not to criticize but use those situations as teachable moments. The talk wrapped up with highlights of how to properly read the C.A.I.C.’s daily avalanche bulletin and then how to apply that info to your own backcountry travel plans. The next day, Saturday, was a day of field study up on Rabbit Ears pass. After strapping on skis, skins and snowshoes the group headed out to begin their hands-on work. The fieldwork began by digging a shear wall to look at the snowpack and match that info with the C.A.I.C.’s daily avalanche posting. From there they moved onto building columns to look at how the snowpack had bounded together. After looking at and analyzing the snow pack the group broke into small groups to work on companion beacon rescues. The participants learned the basics of beacon, probe, and shovel use and put those new skills to use during a few practice sessions. Overall it was a great two days, the group left with a greater knowledge of how to stay safe during the winter in the backcountry and the base knowledge to learn more about avoiding avalanches. |
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January 3, 2011 Black Diamond 01 Tele Binding Times have changed. Everyone mounts up any kind of ski with any kind of binding they want these days. But one thing remains the same... For the best boot to binding to ski connection for the tele style we suggest the Black Diamond 01 binding. Plenty of power to move the phat boards, a hike mode for hut trips and backcountry harvest days, and great durability... Everything you could want for your tele style. |
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December 15, 2010 Osprey Kode Winter Pack A great all around snowplay pack, the Kode 30 is great for a few hour to all-day side and backcountry tours. Unique features include front panel access to avy gear compartment, backpanel access to dry pocket, stowable helmet carry and a LightWire™ frame to support heavier loads with flex for dynamic movement. Your backcountry pack shouldn't be too small or too big. You need the room to carry the essentials without being cumbersome. The Kode comes in three sizes - 22 liter, 30 liter, and 38 liter besides coming in three torso sizes - small, medium and large. Fine tune your fit, and find the perfect sized pack for you needs with Kode from Osprey. |
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November 29. 2010 Black Diamond Ascension STS Skins Steamboat has a great backcountry scene. The terrain begs to be hiked and explored and harvested. Powder snow that is... deep powder snow. When it comes time to climb you'll find no better skin to attach to your boards than the BD Ascension STS skins. The skins climb great, offer a reversible tip attachment that will help you fit a variety of skis in your quiver, and a tail attachment that makes even fitting fat twin tips simply and securely. Ask your buddies, what skins are they using? We'll wager they are the Ascension style. Easy to fit. Fit the tip and trim the waist or size them to narrowest waist of ski in your quiver and use them on a variety of skis. Either way they will still climb great doing laps on your favorite bc hill or hut trip. |
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November 9. 2010 Scarpa T1. Maybe the Ultimate Telemark Boot If your like most of us here at the 'Haus you want to do a little of everything. Ski the front side. explore the backcountry, hit the 10th Mtn. Huts, and expect great performance while you're at it... Here is your boot. The Scarpa T1 offers great power controling your skis rippin' tight lines through the bumps or trees. It also hikes just fine when it comes time to harvest backcountry powder. The T1 features: - Dual-density Torsion Frame lends the boot lateral stiffness for a solid feel as you shift into high gear. |
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| - Zero-rocker sole translates to lightning-quick edge-to-edge transitions - PowerBlock Tour forward-lean mechanism maximizes responsiveness without sacrificing walk mode - New Q-Link midstrap system locks your foot down for a powerful, stable feel - Vibram Escape sole offers traction when you're off your skis - Intuition Speed Pro G liners molds to your foot for comfort and doesn't sacrifice a shred of performance - Four buckle design and Active Power Strap This is a big speed boot with big power that doesn't sacrafice comfort. |
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Top of Page . Alpine . Snowboards . Snowshoes . Cross Country / Nordic .
Ski Rental Rates . Ski Rental Reservations Home Ski Haus 1457 Pine Grove Road Steamboat Springs, Colorado 80477 970.879.0385 or 1.800.932.3019 info@skihaussteamboat.com |
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Ski Haus
Steamboat Springs
Colorado
Steamboat Springs
Colorado