Steamboat
Steamboat, Colorado
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The trademark for the term "champagne powder" belongs to Steamboat, and rightly so. Up to 400 annual inches of Colorado's finest snow falls on this almost 3,000-acre resort, which sits several hours west of Denver and directly in the path of prodigious Pacific-brewed blizzards. Here, real ranch hands pass the bar snacks to ski bums and Olympians alike -- Steamboat's bred more world-class skiers than any other town in America. The best part of skiing and riding the 165 trails here is shimmying among the aspens and firs frosted in white. Sliders should hike to the aptly named Christmas Tree Bowl off 10,568-foot Mount Werner and explore the glades off Sunshine and Storm Peaks. The town, packed with authentic watering holes instead of ersatz Euro clubs, is just as fun. During the Steamboat Springs Winter Carnival every February, locals compete in downtown shovel races, street slaloms, horse-pulled ski jumps and more. Even the losers get champagne -- powder, that is.
Come out of the Closet, a tree run off Storm Peak that falls for more than 1,500-feet at a knee-knocking pitch, and you'll have reason to celebrate.
Strawberry Park Hot Springs gurgles at a balmy 104 degrees year-round and on weekends, it's open until midnight. Snow. Stars. Hot springs. Bare-skinned beauties. Need we say more?
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Photos: Courtesy of Steamboat/Larry Pierce
