For my first time skiing I am going to Steamboat in January (13-17). We (me and fiancé) already have hotel & flight reservations but I still have some questions:

• What do I wear? Born and raised in South Texas so snow exposure is very limited and skiing experience is non-existent.
• How is getting around town on the buses?
• Good bars to go to?
• Good local food?
• Any can’t miss things to do? We are planning on going skiing, tubing and visiting the hot springs.
• As I said above we are planning to go to Strawberry Hot Springs, is this insane given that it is January?

Any other advice given is greatly appreciated!

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What do I wear?

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socks and jock

Haha, thanks

hey there, i go to steamboat every winter so here are my suggestions. i'll be there the week before you (in fact, i leave on thursday). they just got some great snow so that's good news

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What do I wear? Born and raised in South Texas so snow exposure is very limited and skiing experience is non-existent.

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the gear can be expensive, but colorado winters are cold. it's not like some of the spring skiing stories you may have heard about people skiing in bathing suits. you need some water resistant pants. academy sells them for about 20 bucks. also, i suggest wearing some tights underneath like the under armor gear especially if you are new to the cold. you will want to wear one pair of wool socks (two can cut off circulation) and goggles as well

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• How is getting around town on the buses?

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the buses there are great and free. you should have no problem getting around town by bus. i prefer to stay walking distance to the mountain, but will be busing this year.

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• Good bars to go to?

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there are a few bars in steamboat. there's a place called tugboat up near the mountain and there's also a sports bar in town.

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• Good local food?

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i usually just buy groceries and eat out only occasionally. there are quite a few restaurants though. i don't recommend the chinese restaurant. there's a good bbq place call double z's down by the yacht club if you're interested. also, there's a tex mex place called rio grande but it doesn't compare to texas food imo

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• Any can’t miss things to do? We are planning on going skiing, tubing and visiting the hot springs.

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absolutely, there's tubing on the mountain after the lifts close. you should look into strawberry park (the hot springs). you will have to get a ride there but it's a nice, privately owned spring. they charge 20 bucks a person though, and clothing is optional once you're in at night. no cameras allowed and no glass allowed either.

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• As I said above we are planning to go to Strawberry Hot Springs, is this insane given that it is January?

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i didn't see this before i wrote the other response, so i will leave it anyhow. it's very nice and worth the trip

Wow, thanks a lot GigEm. Will definitely be sure to check out most of the places you suggested. And thanks for the skiing attire recommendations, sounds more comfortable than the jock.

Frio,

Steamboat was our first ski trip as a married couple together (her 5th time to ski, my first...so I was in your boat).

Where are you staying at? We stayed on the mountain next to the bar right there on the bottom of the runs (can't remember the name). It's always packed at the end of the day and it's a fun place.

If it's your first time skiing, take a lesson. I took a half day lesson my first day on the mountain and it helped tremendously. It'll make your trip more fun.

As far as nightlife, we stayed near the bars close to our hotel (Thunderbird Lodge...not sure if they changed it yet). The bus system is nice and free.

Padz

First, thanks for the information. We are staying at the La Quinta. Its cheap and close which was a big criteria for us. Me and you sounds about in the exact same postion, she has been numerous times and this is my first, she is throughouly enjoying the fact that she may finally be better than me at some thing. I do plan on taking lessons the first day, as I would like to make it down the hill on my feet and not my face.

no problemo buddy

I prefer pants that breath. Nothing worse than wearing pants that are water resistance but make you sweat like you are in a sauna. Try to find some gortex pants and layer under them depending on how cold it will be. Thin thermal under wear is sometime all that is necessary. Fleece pants on top of the thermal underwear and then the breathable ski pants is what I do.
Tops are about the same. Lawyer enough to keep warm on the lifts but not suffering when you ski. As a beginner like me, you'll exert a lot of energy getting up and down.

Also a lesson is highly recommended. half day lessons are prefered by me. You might be able to take a beginner lesson on day one and they step to intermediate lesson on day two.
Have fun, Steamboat is great. Try to get to Tomahawk trail when you have some confidence. It's a great long blue, but getting back to the resort base can be chalanging for a beginner.

[This message has been edited by AmAnAgg (edited 12/30/2009 10:37a).]

yep I recommend just longjohns and ski pants, 2 layers of socks are fine too, I've always used 2. Make sure you try on your ski boots with the socks you will be wearing, very important to get comfortable fitting boots, nothing worse than spending a few days in tight,uncomfortable boots!

and I +1 that chinese restaurant,,, nasty nasty nasty!!!

Thanks AmAnAgg and Lefty, I think I am finally good to go on what to where on the slopes. Can't wait for this trip. Only a week and half!

Have a large supply of ibuprofen or a big bottle of something tasty to warm you up and ease your pain when you get back. You're going to need it, especially when you wake up on the 2nd day

I was a late learner (took up snowboarding at 26 or so). SOOOOOOOOOO glad I did. It is one of my very favorite things in the world.

Mrs. that is a big reason why I wanted to go to hot springs on the second or third day. I hope that they really do have those magical healing powers, cause my legs are gonna need it!

we've been to Steamboat twice and never made it to the springs but the hotel would have a hot tub I would think

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you will want to wear one pair of wool socks (two can cut off circulation)

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buy socks (wool) made specifically for skiing/boarding. yeah they're pricy for a pair of socks but your feet will thank you later. I like smartwool


watch tramdock and SAC for deals on ski gear/clothing

[This message has been edited by ccard257 (edited 1/3/2010 9:05p).]

Wear a helmet

to avoid soreness, about a week before you go, start doing skiing exercise.. it REALLY works. I never did it when I was a kid and man I'd pay for it by day 2. I went skiing a few years ago and did the exercise as much as possible before my ski trip and didn't feel any soreness.

Google it. Basically it's just "sitting down against a wall for 30 seconds or so at a time. Back flat against the wall, thighs parallel to the ground, 90 degree angle at the knee.

Wool socks, silk long johns (or the newer UnderArmor stuff), layers of clothing for sure.

And for the love of god get lessons on the first day! You will be miserable if you don't. Also be sure to rent helmets.

Thanks for the advice, got all the clothes, socks, long johs, etc. Lefty, I work out fairly regularly, running lifting. Because of the lifting I do quite a few leg excercises (squat deadlift, lunges) so I thik I am good. But thanks for the reinforcement.

By this time next week I wil lbe walking out of work and heading for the airport. Can't wait!

First place I ever went skiing. Just up and went one day over XMAS break with some Buds. We just had blue jeans and blue jean jackets....uggg..wet cotton.

Didn't know what to do, went to a ski store by the lift, they put skis on us and slid us out to lift, but we saw the famous skier Billy Kidd giving lessons over by the lift, so we just jumped in like we had paid for them..learned how to snowplow...the had somebody help us to the lift and went to the top, didn't know how to get off the lift, so just jumped. People piled up on us until they knocked us out the other end and off the trail into a ice flow. Very little skin left on my hands by the time I stopped.

Took me 10 hours to get down off that mountain. By the time we did, I had picked up how to snowplow pretty well, but nothing else except how to run over people, hit trees and lance a six year old with my ski poles who skiing around and around me laughing at me.

Was ready for two days later...too beat up to try it again the next day.

Well, we didn't have a room or anything, so we snuk into what seemed a vacant ski lodge...worked great for 3 days until the Sheriff came and got us. Threw us out of Steamboat with orders to never come back.
Never did...

[This message has been edited by NITESIDE (edited 1/6/2010 12:06p).]