77 WINTER 2022 ISSUE 02 / VOL . 03 SNOWGOER . COM
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ers in our group could get |
some decent incline , the |
clown show began in earnest |
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PLANS CHANGE |
As sure as death and taxes , |
when I make big plans |
something always goes |
awry . My trip to Steamboat Springs and , more specifically , the Hahn ’ s Peak / |
Hahn ’ s Peak Roadhouse is perfectly located in the Steamboat Lake area and offers a variety of lodging options , from bunkhouse rooms to luxurious cabins . |
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Steamboat Lake area in the |
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Our guides started a cozy fire during a trailside lunch break .
Thank God for our guides . They spent the day playing the role of saviors , swooping in and around us as if wearing white hats instead of helmets . They repeatedly offered tips , pulled on skis and helped to roll over sleds to get them pointed in the right direction . Still , even these talented backcountry riders were getting stuck plenty themselves – it was just one of those days .
When we were able to move – like in a big open meadow where we started our day – the riding was beyond compare . Leaning back-and-forth on the sled and countersteering through the bottomless white fluff created the sort of riding experience you see in the extreme riding videos . Our rented Pro-RMKs seemed to disappear beneath us as powder careened over our heads . When momentum was maintained it was some of the most fun off-trail riding I have ever experienced – truly outstanding , and a reason that I ’ d suggest that anybody who wants to chase their powder dreams should visit this remote location in far northern Colorado .
But when we left the meadow and tried to get to a high point so the snowboard-
northern stretches of the Routt National Forest , was one of those instances .
The original plan called for a combined backcountry snowmobiling / snowboarding adventure to highlight three things : The growing trend of backcountry snowboarders and skiers using snowmobiles to facilitate their sport ; how those snowboarders often fall in love with our sport ; and to show how locations like the Steamboat area are perfect for “ split families ” – with parents who are snowmobilers but kids who are skiers or snowboarders – to enjoy the ultimate winter vacation together . The story idea was imagined in concert with Jon Miller – creator of the Backcountry United organization and related products aimed at the snowboard / snowmobile crossover community . I just happen to have a college-age son who has ridden snowmobiles on groomed trails but who is most passionate about snowboarding . But , I wondered , what if he had the opportunity to try doing both in powder – which would he lean toward then ?
On New Year ’ s Day , we pointed ourselves toward Colorado to find out . The first-day drive across Minnesota , Iowa , Nebraska and into Wyoming was a breeze , but the last leg from Larimee , Wyoming , to Steamboat Springs proved downright treacherous . Snow was falling at an incredible rate and the wind was howling , making it difficult to even see the road , much less stay on it . Then , once we got to Steamboat , we had a 24-mile , twisting drive on the even more dicey mountain road to get to the beautiful and remote