Free Refills!

When the 5:00am snow report says 8 inches in the past 24 hours and you look out your bedroom window at 7:00am to huge snowflakes falling from the sky, you better get your hustle on 'cause it's a powder day in the 'Boat!

The gondola line was buzzing early with pent up energy from weeks of skiers and riders anticipating the first weekday dump of the season.  I took the gondola up for my first lap on Heavenly Daze, expecting this might be the best run of the season so far.  It was.  The freshly fallen snow was incredibly soft and fluffy.  The face of the Daze seemed endless as my legs burned but I couldn't get myself to stop.  The fresh lines were everywhere, begging to be skied so that the falling snow could fill them back up.  Vogue had a blanket of fresh snow over freshly groomed cord (race training on half today) that my skis carved into like soft butta.

The next ride up the gondola took me over to Rudi's.  The 10.5 inches (we got another 2.5 inches between 5am and 9am) of snow was untracked and the happiness was audible as the hoots, hollars, yahoos, and yeehaws all headed to the Burgess Creek lift; each turn better than the next.  Rainbow was more knee deep powder with a soft and forgiving base making for a weightless feeling while bouncing from turn to turn.  With more terrain opening soon and a great bump in the weather pattern, this week is looking like a game changer for Steamboat's season.  This is what it's all about!

I'm off to make more turns, get up here, it's getting better every run.

Katie Hughes

Alpine Powder Skier