Warmer weather, blue bird skies, skiers and riders dressed in crazy costumes? Spring skiing in Steamboat can’t be beat!  For many mountain towns, the end of the ski season is a bittersweet time, but in Steamboat we don’t let that stop the fun. This town believes in taking time to celebrate the end of a great season and when it comes to celebrating no mountain town does it better.

Beginning April 1^st through the end of the season there is a flurry of events you won’t want to miss.

19^th Annual Bud Light Rocks the Boat Free Concert Series

Each Saturday through the end of the season, head to Gondola Square to join the après ski festivities. Bask in the afternoon sun and let the kids dance as live bands fill the base with upbeat melodies from various music genres. On closing weekend there is a free concert on Saturday and Sunday, so come on down and boogie with Steamboat… it’s never too early to start next year’s snow dance.

38^th Annual Cardboard Classic

Sunday, April 15th: The Cardboard Classic is an amazing and hilarious event featuring handcrafted cardboard crafts racing down to the base of the mountain. Participants spend weeks creating crafts constructed only of cardboard, glue, string, tape, and paint all to put on a spectacular show and vie for first place. Be sure to get there early to walk around and see all of the participant’s hard work before they head down the slope. The creativity, ingenuity, and spirit of Steamboat really shine in this event.

Splashdown Pond Skim

Sunday, April 15th: Equal parts bravery and insanity come together for this show-stopping event. Adults and children alike put on their finest attire and race down the slopes to skim across the icy pond at the bottom. An added jump gives participants the option to tempt their fate with style. The big air and impressive tricks some of the children bring to the event will have you believing in Steamboat’s future Olympians.

Steamboat is a town that knows how to throw an incredible celebration and the Springalicious Festival is one of the best!

For more information on the events reach out to the concierge and for special Springalicious Pass pricing visit the Steamboat website.

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Steamboat Resort Corp. and Alterra Mountain Co. have been working closely together to inspire change in our base area and current management, while still holding true to Steamboat’s roots. We are very excited about the announcements that have been made so far and cannot wait to see what else is to come!

Introducing the Ikon Pass

1 pass. 26 iconic destinations across North America.

The roll out of this new pass has Steamboat a buzz. The Ikon Pass allows pass holders to explore 25 other mountains, offers Friends and Family vouchers, and discounts on rentals, food, and lessons. With more attractive pricing than the previous Steamboat season pass and infinitely better pass perks, the Ikon Pass is the way to go this season.

Introducing New Food and Beverage

A new base area restaurant Timber & Torch and a snowcat food truck are the latest announcements from Alterra Mountain Co.

The Bear River Bar & Grill currently located at the base area will undergo an overhaul this summer and become Timber & Torch. Key new features will include expanded indoor dining, a heated outdoor patio, indoor/outdoor bars, exterior fireplace and new outdoor BBQ. This overhaul also includes a transformation for your taste buds with a new bistro-inspired menu, extensive craft beer selection, and signature cocktails are sure to satisfy your appetite.  

For those of you that prefer an on mountain dining experience, the new snowcat food truck dubbed the Taco Beast, will feature a variety of street style tacos, breakfast burritos, Mexican style corn on the cob, and Mexican-style beer. What better way to feed your hunger and get right back to enjoying your turns down the mountain. The resort plans to have the Taco Beast up and running this summer.

 For answers to FAQs regarding the Ikon Pass or for more information on the newest food and beverage changes please visit the Steamboat website.

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At The Porches it’s not hard to find someone willing to share their love for Steamboat or their favorite outdoor activities. Our staff has such a passion for this special place we get to call home and there is nothing we love more than helping others experience it.

We caught up with Paige from our front desk as she shares her favorite spring and summer time hikes.

Tell us how you ended up in Steamboat.

I played competitive softball growing up and road-tripped with my family from Illinois to Denver for Softball Nationals when I was a freshman in high school. I remember seeing the foothills of the Rocky Mountains and feeling this sense of home away from home.

I knew I wanted to be in Colorado, and a few years later, I started my freshman year of college at Colorado State University in Fort Collins. I ended up transferring to Steamboat and continuing my education at Colorado Mountain College, because nothing compares to a small town tucked away in the mountains. And having class sizes go from 300 to 30 was a nice touch, too.

What do you love about Steamboat?

I am overwhelmed with gratitude when I think about the reasons why I love Steamboat. The sense of community, the smiles at the grocery store, the hoots and hollers from the trees on an epic powder day, the kindness and compassion from your neighbor that is pure and genuine. There is magic here, and I couldn’t imagine myself anywhere else but here at this point in my life. The Yampa Valley Curse is real, but I don’t think it’s a curse at all. Every day I feel more and more blessed to be here.

Tell us about your time at The Porches.

Being a team member of The Porches staff is like entering a new family. I started working at The Porches 4 winters ago, and I immediately felt welcomed. Every member of The Porches team holds a special place in my heart. My time at The Porches wouldn’t be the same without all of the amazing owners and guests we are so fortunate to have as well. They, too, make The Porches the special community that it is.

What do you like to do in your spare time?

Like many of your typical Steamboatians, I love to ski, snowshoe, hike, raft, camp, backpack… you get the idea. If it’s outside, I’m in. I’d say my very favorite thing to do in my spare time is practice yoga. I am hoping to one day share my love of yoga with the rest of my community and become a yoga instructor here in the Valley.

Paige’s favorite spring hikes:

Uranium Mine Trail

Located at the Fish Creek Falls parking lot this 1.5 mile trail offers incredible views of the Fish Creek Canyon.

Sarvis Creek Trail

Sarvis Creek Wilderness Area is located is the southern part of Routt County. This 10.1 mile trail is heavily forested and provides an excellent escape into nature without straying too far out of town.

Hahn’s Peak Trail

Just north of Steamboat Springs near Clark, Colorado you’ll come across the majestic beauty that is Hahn’s Peak. This 3.6 mile trail takes you to the top of Hahn’s Peak and offers amazing views of northern Routt County.

Paige’s favorite summer hikes:

Mica Lake

A bit of a farther hike the Mica Basin Trail is an 8 mile hike located in the Mount Zirkel Wilderness. This hike is best during the peak summer months from June to September.

Fish Creek to Long Lake

By far one of the most popular hikes in Steamboat Springs is Fish Creek to Long Lake. This 11.7 mile hike features the rushing water of the Fish Creek Falls throughout the hike.

Red Dirt Trail

Another favorite hike in northern Routt County is Red Dirt Trail, a 12.7 mile hike that can be accessed as early as May.

For more information on hiking trails and other spring activities in Steamboat please contact The Porches concierge.

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Maintenance free living with luxury amenities is a huge draw for our owners but why not throw in one more perk? As a fractional owner at The Porches our owners have the ability to exchange their weeks through a program that allows them to visit luxury resorts around the world. Welcome to ownership that gives you a home and also the freedom to explore other destinations.

The Registry Collection

Discover a world of luxury vacation opportunities and experiences in some of the most desirable resort destinations.

The Registry Collection allows owners access to more than 500 resorts across 40 locations around the world. If there is ever a time you and your family can’t make it to Steamboat and want to discover a new place, this is an incredible benefit to have. We caught up with one of our fractional owners that have been a part of our family for over a decade to hear about their experience.

The Luongo Family

The Luongo’s are a family of 6 that have been fractional owners at The Porches for the past 12 years. Beth and Pete Luongo realized that their children were getting older and only had so many years left for family trips before their kids were off to college. Steamboat has been a longtime favorite destination for their family, which lead Beth’s parents to purchase a whole ownership at The Porches when the development first started. The Luongo’s loved the space that The Porches had for them to spread out. With the ease and flexibility of fractional ownership, The Porches was the perfect fit for their family.

Tell us what you have loved about Steamboat and The Porches over the years.

Over the years we have had a lot of combinations of family and friends stay with us and you just can’t put a price on the memories we have made. Summer in Steamboat is the best; we enjoy walking in the woods, biking, kayaking, the alpine slide, the rodeo, and hanging out by the pool.  The Porches is the treasure you find at the end of the rainbow… and it doesn’t hurt that my parents live down the block also.

Tell us about your experience with the Registry Collection.

Through The Porches we have been lucky enough to use other properties through the Registry Collection. Over the 12 years we have owned we have visited Italy, Marco Island, San Francisco, Martha’s Vineyard, Chicago, and some others. We always love to return to Steamboat and The Porches is definitely a place that our family treasures.

For more information on fractional ownership and The Registry Collection please contact our sales team at 970-879-0600 or by email.

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Steamboat Springs is home to some of the best food in a ski town. From long time favorites like Mahogany Ridge and Café Diva to thriving newcomers Aurum and Table 79, there is something for everyone.  As a town with a booming restaurant scene, it’s no surprise that we have a few new restaurants to welcome to town.

Yampy’s – 910 Yampa Street

Offering coffee, crepes, and cocktails this quaint restaurant on Yampa Street is the perfect spot to unwind and enjoy a specialty martini. When Michaela and Janner Kosmis decided to open their restaurant, they brought with them over 100 martini recipes ranging from sinfully sweet to wonderfully savory. While they do offer the classics, the Key Lime Pie martini is a must try. With more than just martinis to boast about, their crepes and hand crafted coffee beverages are sure to delight.

Bésame – 818 Lincoln Ave

If you have visited Steamboat you are sure to have eaten at Mambo Italiano. Known for their delicious pizzas and wonderful pasta recipes, Mambo has been a favorite in Steamboat for years. When the opportunity to open a new restaurant in town arose, the owners of Mambo, Jeremy MacGray and Hannah Hopkins were quick to jump at it. Bésame, Steamboat’s new regional Latin cuisine, will be opening in Marchand if the popularity of Mambo tells us anything it’s sure to be a success.

Steamboat Whiskey Company – 55 11^th St

Steamboat Whiskey Company opened this past year as Steamboat’s first and only craft distillery. They believe in following traditional distilling practices while embracing new trends and small batch flavors. Offering more than just whiskey, you can also enjoy a taste of their Ski Town Vodka, Sleeping Giant Gin, and Steamboat Moonshine. For those interested in something a little tamer, they also serve wine and beer. For Nathan and Jessica Newall, the opening of this restaurant has been a passion project and labor of love. The Warrior Whiskey is what started it all. As a former Navy SEAL, Nathan decided to create a whiskey that pays homage to our troops, both past and present. A portion of the profits from the sale of each bottle goes to various veteran support organizations.

Talay Thai – 2300 Mount Werner Circle 

The Sunti family has been serving authentic, traditional Thai cuisine in the United States for over 30 years.  Their blend of Chinese and Indian influenced cuisine with unique herbs and spices has allowed them to create dishes that are full of flavor and unlike any other Thai dish you have tasted. Talay Thai is located right in the base area, so head in for lunch or after a long day of skiing. The Pineapple Fried Rice and the Pad Thai are fan favorites!

For more information and sample menus be sure to reach out to The Porches concierge.

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The mountain base area remains the most desirable place to buy in Steamboat accounting for 36% of the closed transactions in 2017 and 42% of the dollar volume. The number of days homes are on the market in Steamboat continues to decrease year after year while the average price of homes remain more desirable than other Colorado mountain towns.

As inventory continues to decline and homes are on the market for less time, there has never been a better time to purchase your dream home in Steamboat.

Spring Incentives

Living in the base area allows homeowners unparalleled ease of access to world class skiing, downtown shopping, award winning dining, and tremendous hiking and biking trails.

Ideally located in the heart of everything, The Porches is a neighborhood unlike any other in a base area of a major ski resort.  Our community of 4 and 5 bedroom homes allows you to welcome all of your family and friends to stay under one roof. The quality craftsmanship of our homes, alongside our diligent maintenance staff, means your home will look brand new for years to come. Our warm and welcoming front desk and concierge staff is a large part of why our owners love returning home to The Porches.

We have a special reason for you to join our family! New Whole and Fractional owners will receive 2 years paid HOA dues on any of the available developer homes! This incentive will only last until April 15^th, 2018.

For more information on all that The Porches has to offer, please contact our sales team at 970.879.0600 or by email.

The post Real Estate Round Up appeared first on The Porches.

Big Agnes, SmartWool, Honey Stinger, and Moots Cycles are just a few big names in the outdoor industry that started here in the Yampa Valley. As a town filled with outdoor enthusiasts, what better place to launch a company for outdoor gear? That’s what Andrew Beckler thought when he founded Grass Sticks, a bamboo ski pole company that is sweeping the state and probably your Instagram feed.

Tell us about how you ended up in Steamboat.

I graduated from college in 2010 with a degree in physics and civil engineering and realized I didn’t want to take the traditional career path, so I started looking into moving to a ski town. I was a ski racer in college and became hooked on skiing, so when I came to Steamboat on spring break, I decided to move here once I graduated college.

Before I fully decided on Steamboat, I visited some of the other ski resorts along I-70 and eventually chose Steamboat because it’s off the beaten path a little bit. As a smaller town it has a real town feel and ultimately took the cake.

How did you decide to start Grass Sticks?

I started Grass Sticks in 2014 just prototyping and figuring things out. The biggest push for me to get started was that people don’t get excited about ski poles like they do their other gear. They get excited about their boots, their skis, their jackets but ski poles are often left out of that.

I started by just wanting to make some poles for myself and after some research settled on bamboo as the material I’d use. It turns out you can’t really find the materials to build just one set of poles so I set out to make 100 and see if I could sell them.

Why is bamboo better?

Bamboo has been in the ski industry since before more modern production became a thing and these big companies started mass-producing aluminum poles by the 100,000. I was looking into how to repurpose materials from other industries to make my poles and for me bamboo was the obvious choice for its strength and weight. We went through about 4 different species (there are hundreds of species out there) and settled on the one that made the most sense.

I am heading to India in a few weeks to look at different suppliers and pick out bamboo myself. I am excited because we’ll be able to choose the best bamboo to build even stronger ski poles.

Tell us about the building process.

All of the building is done here in Steamboat and we do everything in batches of about 300-400. We sand down all the pieces at one time and put the tips on them. We used to do all of the sanding by hand until I built a sanding machine that we now use which has allowed us to start making about 2,000 ski poles per year and allows us to push through 12 pieces at a time.

After that it’s onto the quick part of the process. Once an order comes in we cut it and put parts on. When all is said and done, it takes about 40 minutes to build a set of poles.

How have you been able to reach your market?

We travel around to a bunch of different resorts and participate in ski events. This year we have been doing more “Build and Brew” events at breweries around the state where you can come get a beer and build a set of poles.  We now have around 60 reps for our company and that ranges from excited customers that support us all the way up to professional athletes and ski patrollers. Two of the athletes from our team competed in the 2018 Winter Olympics so we’re excited about that.

There are three of us in the company right now. I just took my first summer with Grass Sticks this past summer, so it’s now a full time, year-round job for me.

What’s next for Grass Sticks?

We have just grown into the paddle business in the last year as a way to reach a summer time audience. Standup paddle boarding is blowing up right now and since it’s so new, we knew it was important for us to get our foot in the door early. This is something I’m the most excited about for the company right now as we start to slow down on ski pole production and move into summer.

If you’re interested in learning more or purchasing a pair for yourself visit the Grass Sticks website.

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Steamboat Springs has a long-standing heritage of world-class summer and winter recreational activities. The pure joy that comes from being able to wake up each morning and experience all that Steamboat has to offer is something that every person deserves. STARS was created as a program to ensure that any one could have the opportunity to participate in one or all of Steamboat’s varying activities.

History

In search of a program that would provide winter recreational programs and equipment for people with disabilities, a group of parents, ski instructors, and management for Steamboat Ski Corporation came together to form STARS. They’ve since expanded their programming to include summer recreational programs as well as scholarships.

STARS has been using sports and recreation to help teach self-confidence, social skills, and independence for the children and adults that participate in their programs.

It’s not uncommon when up on the mountain for a day of skiing to see volunteers in their signature red STARS jackets working with adaptive skiers of all ages. With over 200 volunteers and 16,000 volunteer hours STARS has been able to provide 3,280 lessons and serve 528 clients.

Here at The Porches we have someone very special to our staff that has been participating the STARS programs in recent years. We caught up with Drew to learn more about his experience with the program.

Drew Boglioli

23-year-old Drew Boglioli has been visiting Steamboat his entire life. When his parents decided to purchase a home at The Porches back in 2003 he had no idea Steamboat would one day become his full time residence.

Through the STARS program, Drew has been able to meet tons of great mentors, make friends and has gained the confidence to participate in national races outside of the STARS program.

How did you become involved in the STARS program?

When I moved to Steamboat full time a few years ago, I was working with the Division of Vocational Rehabilitation to find a job and asked them about ways to meet people. DVR suggested STARS as an opportunity to meet new people. When I went to the STARS office to find out about programs I met Craig, who was the director at the time, and he suggested that I might be a good fit for the ski racing program.

What events do you participate in?

I race at the advanced level in giant slalom and slalom. We participate in the Special Olympics at the regional and state levels in those areas. STARS also has a summer camp that I have gone to for the past two summers.

For a few weeks during the summer, they have a softball program and we get together once a week to practice. After playing on The Porches softball team last summer I have really improved my skills.

What do you love most about being involved in the STARS programs?

One of the best things about STARS is that everyone is nice and friendly. I like that I have people to ski with on practice days. When we go to regionals and states we are all there as a group and hang out together and support each other.  

Interested in learning more about STARS or making a donation? You can visit their website here.

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Founded in 1982, Structural Associates is a premier builder of custom homes in the Rocky Mountains of Colorado. Through their personal service and strength of their resources, Structural Associates delivers the highest quality of care and craftsmanship.

When the founders started the company, they were building smaller scale projects and today their homes range from $600 per square foot to $2,000 per square foot with some homes reaching $40 million.

To create the successful company that they are today, Structural Associates has strived for innovation and newness in each project. In 1983, they built a full solar home and have been using renewable resources ever since. The best designers and architects in the world have educated their team and they continually strive to bring new techniques and teachings into their work.

Structural Associates operates on a philosophy that building a home is more than just the materials, but rather an expression of art that evokes emotion. They construct for experience as much as anything else.

This past year a home Structural Associates built in Aspen was awarded Mountain Living’s 2017 Home of the Year. This exquisite 15,000 square-foot-home is an entertainer’s dream featuring an outdoor theater and bar area. The expansive windows throughout the house creates an outdoor experience while indoors. The latest in sustainable technology and close collaboration with the team led to an LEED Silver-certified home. While the home itself is remarkable it’s more than just that. It’s a family home that the owners plan to have for generations, a place where their kids will be able to bring their families one day.

Taking a leap in Steamboat…

Structural Associates’ major markets are Vail, Beaver Creek, Aspen, and Snowmass, so deciding to build The Porches of Steamboat was an entirely new market for them.

For one of the founders, Bruce Shugart, Steamboat has always been near and dear to his heart because of our town’s sense of community and the feeling that this is a real town with real people. As he said, “In Steamboat, if your car breaks down on the side of the road you’ll have 12 different people stop to help. Nice people just live in Steamboat”.

As he began visiting Steamboat more frequently he couldn’t find a place that he wanted to live, so The Porches of Steamboat was born out of an idea to create a place for himself as much as for anyone else. The end result is a 20-acre private neighborhood like nothing else in a mountain town.

Our homes at The Porches are some of the most impeccably crafted homes in Steamboat Springs. Not a single detail was overlooked in creating the highest quality luxury home with a timeless elegance. After over a decade many of our homes still look brand new. When you walk into a Porches home that was built 12 years ago you would never be able to tell. Our homes have been expertly crafted to look and feel as if they’re brand new and they’ll look and feel that way for years to come.

Today, The Porches of Steamboat is more than just the houses built here. It’s a place that draws people in and evokes an emotion of belonging. For many of our owners, The Porches is their forever home, the home they plan to retire to permanently.

We are excited to be in the beginning phases of plans for a new build with Structural Associates and cannot wait to see new ideas and innovation they bring to our next homes.

To see more projects and read testimonials visit the Structural Associates website. You can also see Mountain Living’s 2017 home of the year article here.

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Our fractional ownership option allows you and your family to own a multi-million-dollar home for just a fraction of the cost. In your absence, your home is expertly maintained both on the interior and exterior so you can come back to a home that looks and feels as new as the day it was built. While you’re away, we’ll even store your skis and a few other seasonal essentials, so you’re fully prepared for each trip.

We’ve thought of it all so that every time you return to your Porches home, it’s a seamless and enjoyable experience.

1315 Turning Leaf Court

This 4,100 square foot home is the ideal mountain getaway for your whole family. Traveling with your furry family members? This is the only pet friendly fractional home at The Porches and there are only a few shares left.

A gourmet kitchen featuring granite counter tops, custom cabinetry, and a Wolf range opens up into the dining room with seating for fourteen. Working seamlessly into the living area, the main level is the perfect gathering space for the whole family.

The upper level features three bedrooms and a loft area, one bedroom including our signature bunk room with three sets of bunk beds, a game table, and plenty of play space making it a child’s dream room. Each bedroom has an en suite bath for added privacy and comfort.

Head downstairs to the lower level for a game of pool or a movie around the big screen. When you live at The Porches there is never a shortage of entertainment space for your family and friends. Another bedroom on this level with an en suite bath allows everyone to feel like they’re in the master bedroom.

Upon your arrival we’ll have your home ready and your personal storage items set out for you. Luxury living doesn’t get any easier than at The Porches of Steamboat Springs.

Interested in joining The Porches neighborhood? Contact one of our ownership representatives by email or call 970-879-0600. 

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