Intoxicated by the Rockies – and their Champagne snow
The pistes are like nowhere else – but David Dillon finds there’s far more to Colorado than just skiing
When the Alps are piled high with snow, as they were last winter, America might seem an unnecessarily long way to go for a skiing holiday. But with airlines offering ever more affordable ways to explore the United States, it makes more sense than ever to head west.
We flew to Denver and our reward for venturing further afield was an actionpacked adventure in the awe-inspiring Rocky Mountains that was so much more than a just a skiing trip.
We broke up the four-hour drive from Denver to the ski resort of Steamboat Springs by spending a couple of days at the 6,000-acre Devil’s Thumb Ranch, near Tabernash – it’s 105km west of Denver and close to the Rocky Mountain National Park. If you like cowboy movies, you can indulge your fantasies here and enjoy some jetlagbusting luxury, too.
On day one, with the Rockies as a backdrop, we meandered through snow-covered forests of pine and silver-coloured aspen on horseback. In one pasture we came across the ranch’s 100-strong wagyu beef herd grazing peacefully. In summer, you can find your inner cowboy by taking part in a cattle drive and branding. Our ride was more sedate and later we sampled the melt-in-yourmouth wagyu beef at the cosy Ranch House, one of Devil Ranch’s superb restaurants.
The next morning came Nordic skiing, a first for us. In contrast to alpine skiing, where your boot is attached to the ski from toe to heel, in this version only the toe of the boot is fixed to the binding, allowing your heel to rise. After two hours of patient instruction, we headed out on enchanting, calorieburning trails.
The ranch has 113km of cross- county routes and was recently voted one of the best Nordic skiing resorts in America. Other ways to explore the terrain is on fat-tyred mountain bikes that don’t slip and slide in the ice and snow, or hiking in snow shoes.
Free yoga classes at the spa – which has a muscle-soothing geothermally heated outdoor pool – are a great way to limber up in the morning. You can add alpine skiing to your list here, too, as a shuttle bus runs to the Winter Park ski resort, 20 minutes away.
But for our downhill thrills we headed to Steamboat Springs in the heart of Colorado’s Northern Rockies. You need a four-wheeldrive vehicle to make the twohour road trip north. It takes you through Rabbit Ears Pass, a high mountain road with utterly breathtaking views.
Alternatively, you can fly from Denver to Hayden airport, just 30 minutes from downtown Steamboat.
As you descend from the pass into the scenic Yampa River Valley, Steamboat Springs appears at the northern end of a broad, snow-covered plain dotted with ranches. Steamboat owes its Western feel to its ranching history and proximity to the Wyoming border. We stayed with my in-laws at their huge ski chalet in Steamboat Springs and prepared to tackle some of the 3,000 acres of skiable terrain, featuring 165 trails on six peaks. It rivals Colorado’s high-profile resorts such as Aspen and Vail, though the atmosphere at Steamboat is much more laid-back than those star-studded destinations.
At 2,605ft, Steamboat’s Mount Werner enjoys an average annual snowfall of 335 inches, but it’s not any old snow. Skiers and snowboarders flock here to enjoy the Champagne Powder, the only snow in the world that is trademarked. It’s very smooth and dry, which makes it particularly good for skiing. The resort is known as the tree skiing capital of America. And weaving through virgin powder among beautiful aspens, with their pale bark and golden leaves, makes this a distinctly American experience.
My sons Thomas, 13, and Jack, 10, called the experience ‘awesome’. And as we flew home, I had to admit that when it comes to thrilling ski holidays, the Rockies tower over the Alps.