HOWELSEN HILL PARK IN THE WINTER
Back in 1914, when the only skiing going on in Western Colorado was strictly for transportation to back country mining claims, a Norwegian named Carl Howelsen arrived in Steamboat Springs with a whole new concept: skiing for pure thrill.
That winter, Howelsen organized Steamboat Springs' first "Ski Carnival", which he hoped would help introduce the thrill of skiing to the people of the quiet mining and ranching town. He constructed a temporary ski jump, mapped out a cross-country course near the river and then walked up and down Main Street coaxing onlookers to participate.
Although most residents were satisfied to merely watch the "Crazy Norwegian" flying through the air off his jump, the event served Howelsen well and all over town youngsters began tying long, wooden skis to their feet and searching for suitable hills on which to practice.
The following year, Howelsen built a permanent ski jump overlooking the town for his Ski Carnival festivities. The site was nicknamed "Howelsen Hill" and that winter numerous young people entered the ski jump contests as well as other new events held downtown, right on Lincoln Avenue.
The Steamboat Springs Winter Sports Club was formed to organize future Ski Carnivals. But when the first Winter Olympics were announced in 1924, the then almost ski-crazy youth of Steamboat Springs showed such enthusiasm for the international competition that the Winter Sports Club turned its efforts toward the goal of training future Olympians.
Offering free ski instruction to students in the city school, the club's work began to pay off. In 1932 John Steele became Steamboat Springs' first Olympic skier. Since that time, Steamboat Springs has been a primary supplier of athletes for the Winter Games, with a record 56 Olympic athletes and counting. Fifteen Olympic athletes attended the 2002 Winter Olympic Games and over 20 athletes will be headed to Italy for the 2006 Winter Games. There is no town anywhere in North America that can match that achievement. These achievements have earned Steamboat Springs the nickname - Ski Town USA.
Howelsen Hill's best kept secret, though, is the fact that it's a public ski area. Three lifts with a capacity of 2,057 uphill passengers per hour put skiers on 150 acres with 15 trails and a vertical drop of 440 feet from a summit of 7,136 feet. Compared to most eastern ski areas, Howelsen Hill would be considered a major ski resort. The terrain is often challenging. The lodge features locker rooms, offices for the Winter Sports Club, and has a snack bar. Lifts run from 9am to 4:30 pm weekdays and weekends. For those who just can't get enough skiing during the day, Howelsen Hill offers night skiing until 9pm.
The Howelsen Hill complex, located across the 5th Street bridge downtown, is one of America's most unique winter sports centers. There have been seven North American ski jumping records set at the Howelsen Hill 90-meter ramp, the biggest of its kind in the western United States.
OTHER ACTIVITIES AT THE HOWELSEN HILL COMPLEX
Howelsen Hill also offers a 1/2 pipe snowboarding adventure as well as 10 km of cross country skiing trails. If skating is more your style, the newly enclosed Howelsen Hill Ice Rink is your answer. Skate rentals are available in many locations downtown or at the rink.
The Howelsen Ice Arena has been a popular winter activity for many years, and now with newly re-modeled and enclosed rink, it has become a major center of activity from August to May, with public skating, hockey events and professional performances.
Spectators will be entertained by the many activities offered at the Howelsen Hill complex including ski jumping, hockey and figure skating exhibits. Remember that weather conditions may affect facility operations and events. Skiers and snowboarders can call the Howelsen Hill Ski Area at 879-8499 for information. Skaters can call the Howelsen Hill Ice Rink at 879-0341 for information.
And the old ski carnival? Well they've never missed a single year since their inception. Today this mid winter sports extravaganza is called Winter Carnival.
HOWELSEN HILL PARK IN THE SUMMER
Although Howelsen Hill Park is best known for its world class ski jumping complex, but it has also become Steamboat Springs' premier public summer sports complex.
The most recognizable facility at the park is the Romick Rodeo Arena, home of the Steamboat Springs Pro Rodeo Series. The rodeo draws thousands of fans every summer and is recognized nationally as one of the best small-town professional rodeos in the West.
Hikers and Mountain Bikers will both want to test the trails which wind through beautiful aspen and fir stands above Howelsen Park. They offer panoramic views of the city and surrounding mountains.
Another recent addition to the park is the exciting Alpine Slide, located behind Olympian Hall next to the ski jump. This is great summer fun for the whole family.
Two free Tennis Courts are available at Howelsen on an hourly basis for those who want to volley a ball surrounded by some of the best vistas anywhere.
For those who like Horseback Riding, a stable is located at the Park, offering trail rides on Emerald Mountain overlooking downtown and dinner rides.
Someone in your family wants to try something a little trickier? The Skateboard Park features half-pipes and ramps of several sizes. The BMX Track offers enough dirt, jumps and turns to satisfy any technical ability. Come watch some of the best locals "catch some air".
Softball fans will want to take a break in the bleachers at one of Howelsen's excellent Softball Fields, home of the annual Colorado and National Triple Crown Softball Tournaments, which give fans the chance to see the region's best teams.
ROMICK RODEO ARENA
When local rodeo cowboy Brent Romick had the chance to take over management of the Steamboat Springs Rodeo Series in 1980, he jumped on the opportunity. Romick's goal, to make the one-night-per-week, amateur event into a nationally recognized competition was greeted with doubts, but he quickly made believers out of the skeptics.
Romick forged a partnership with the City, from which the Rodeo Series leased its riding and roping facility at Howelsen Park. Over the next few years, adept promotion by Romick and the Chamber of Commerce, as well as the City's willingness to improve the rodeo grounds, all paid off. By 1986, with an expanded arena and an enhanced reputation as a well-managed and presented operation, Romick's dream had come true. "The whole thing was following a natural evolution," says Romick. "It reached a point at which the amateur rodeo just logically needed to become professional."
In 1988 the Friday and Saturday Ski Town Stampedes were the first two professional rodeos, luring a few nationally-ranked riders and getting well-deserved attention around the state.
By 1989 professional rodeo cowboys from all over the U.S. were putting the Friday and Saturday night series on their "must" list of events. The Steamboat Springs Pro Rodeo Series received the "Most Improved Rodeo in Colorado and Wyoming " award.
But the local Rodeo's rise to fame was far from complete. In 1990, with a new, state-of-the-art lighting and sound system, new scoreboard, and beautiful new covered grandstand, the Steamboat Springs Pro Rodeo Series was voted the "Best All Around Rodeo in Colorado and Wyoming." City Council voted to change the name of the Rodeo Grounds to the Brent A. Romick Arena, in honor of the man whose vision made it happen.
In addition to that honor, the series that year also became the largest Summer Pro Rodeo Series in America, with a total pay-out in prize money of $151,000. In ten short years, Romick had transformed his favorite local sporting event into a nationally-recognized draw that was beginning to show up on sports-casts across the country.
Romick further points out that there's more to this rodeo than meets the eye, "This event showcases more than the skills of professional cowboys and cowgirls- it's an authentic western social event," he says. The Rodeo organizer notes that the Romick Arena, which seats 4,000 in the bleachers and a covered grandstand, offers some of the best "up close" rodeo viewing anywhere, with the noise and action of the arena giving a special feel of the events for spectators. In addition, Romick points out that the quality of the rodeo horses, bulls and steers is among the finest in the nation, including National Finals bucking horses and bulls.
The program features seven standard Pro Rodeo events, including Bareback Riding, Saddle Bronc Riding, Bull Riding, Steer Wrestling, Calf Roping, Team Roping and Barrel Racing. The two hour show also includes segments for Pee Wee Barrel Racing and the number seven Team Roping, both featuring local amateurs and professionals.
The evening starts at 6:00 p.m. with a pre-rodeo barbecue and live entertainment. A full concession stand is open throughout the rodeo. Kid's events include the Wrangler Calf Scramble and the F.M. Light Ram Scramble, which offer prizes for pulling ribbons off animals' tails'. Professional rodeo action starts at 7:30 p.m for the Friday and Saturday night rodeos. Rodeo Finals are held in August and include the Pat Mantle Memorial Bronc Riding.
You can walk to Howelsen Park from downtown by crossing the river at 5th Street or on any of the Yampa River Trail pedestrian bridges. Ample parking is available, and the Park is serviced by the FREE Steamboat Springs Transit.
You can walk to Howelson Park from downtown by crossing the river at 5th Street or on any of the Yampa River Trail pedestrian bridges. Ample parking is available, and the Park is serviced by the FREE Steamboat Springs Transit
DOWNTOWN TRAILS & TOURS
Use the Downtown Map to see the Yampa River Trail, the Historic Sites Walk/Bike Tour and the Mineral Springs Walking Tour.
YAMPA RIVER TRAIL
The Yampa River Trail is one of the most praised public amenities of downtown Steamboat Springs. The trail system, which winds more than two miles along the Yampa River through downtown is comprised of a paved, year-round path for walking, jogging, biking and sight-seeing. Open all winter, the trail offers visitors and locals alike the chance to experience downtown Steamboat Springs at its finest. Trail users can combine shopping, eating, sight-seeing and exercising in one easy loop.
You can start your downtown excursion from the Steamboat Springs Transit Center on the west end of town or from Lincoln Park across 13th Street from the Library. At Lincoln Park you'll find the elk sculpture- an 18 foot high Bronze Elk sculpture, the biggest of its kind in the state, by local artist Curtis Zabel. Nearby you'll find a few of the town's best know mineral springs.
You can follow the trail through the heart of downtown Steamboat Springs and stop at shops, galleries, and restaurants along the way. You can also walk to Howelsen Hill Park and enjoy a variety of sporting activities.
Fishing in the downtown area is excellent, thanks to the efforts of local fly shops and the Yampa Valley Flyfishers. In recent years, catch and release programs have been implemented for the downtown area and the tailwater of Stagecoach Reservoir. With new regulations in place, stocking efforts have been a great success. Stocking has complemented wild trout numbers to make fishing in the Steamboat area something to boast about. Fishing can be a relaxing alternative to a day on the busy slopes. Fishermen should not fret however, local flyshops will be happy to provide guide service and rental gear during your stay. Downtown fishing is a truly unique experience that should not be overlooked!
HISTORIC SITES TOUR
History abounds in downtown Steamboat Springs. There are numerous buildings and sites, such as hot springs, located in the historic downtown district. Commenting on the bold experiment to create a community within the mountainous landscape once considered the last true wilderness, pioneer journalist Charles Leckenby wrote: "it was the pioneers who laid the foundations broad and deep for the blessings we now enjoy". One hundred years after city incorporation and after the first hand-hewn log buildings were erected, Steamboat Springs' City Council created the Historic Preservation Advisory Commission.
The Commission is charged with the mission to preserve and enhance Steamboat Springs' unique historic, architectural, and cultural heritage. Partially funded by the Federal Historic Preservation Fund, the Commission's activites have resulted in the identiciation of sites, buildings, structures, and districts eligible for designation to the National, State and Routt County Registers of Historic Places.
MINERAL SPRINGS TOUR
It is a natural, geological occurrence that makes Steamboat Springs infamous. Deep in the earth's crust, thousands of feet below the city, cracks in the Dakota Formation allow molten rock to seep upward, super-heating ground water and sending it boiling over onto the surface in more than 150 thermal mineral springs.
Some geologists say the large concentration of these springs is related to heated rock formations beneath a dormant volcano about 25 miles to the north called Hahn's Peak. Others say the unique location of the area, directly above the point where a solid plate of granite and a vast layer of sedimentary soils collide,has given rise to the famous Steamboat Springs.
Actually, this collection of natural mineral vents is far less well-known and appreciated now than it was at the turn of the century. A promotional pamphlet produced by the city's town fathers in about 1910 describes the springs this way:
"...some mystic power, at the least, has wrought well, for here, and within a few feet of each other, are springs, not only of different temperatures, but of different and most delicately mixed mineral constituents. Alkaline, saline-alkaline, iron, sulphur, magnesian, in all their various and wonderful combinations are here, besides numerous non-mineral springs delivering water as pure and soft as that from clouds.
That literature promoted the healing nature of the Steamboat Springs for numerous afflictions, either through drinking or bathing. It even boasted that this group of springs was superior to even the famous waters of Carlsbad and Hunyadi, with a better selection of minerals and a higher content of bicarbonates and chlorides than anywhere else in the world.
THE HEART SPRING
Of all the numerous mineral springs found in the vicinity, the heart Spring is the largest and most popular. At 103-degrees and 150 gallons of water per minute, it supplies all the water for the pools at the Steamboat Springs Health and Recreation complex at the east side of downtown. The largest pool cools to 82 degrees, while two smaller pools range from 98 to 102 degrees.
The first bathhouse was constructed at the site in 1910, and shortly thereafter and Olympic-sized outdoor pool was also built, which remained an unchanged Steamboat Springs landmark for more than 50 years. In 1968 a new pool was constructed and a second, smaller pool was built. In 1981, a 300 foot hot water slide was added. (Refer to the "shopping guide" page 7 for hours and admission prices to the complex.)
OTHER SPRINGS
If you'd like to see some springs actually bubbling from their sources, take a one-hour walking tour. You can park in the lot near the library or Little Toots Park.
The Stone steps leading up across Lincoln Avenue from the library will take you to the Iron Spring (2), one of the earliest used and best loved by early pioneers from its tonic effects. At a constant 73 degrees, this spring, like most in the area, is immune to winter, keeping the grass green around its edge almost year-round.
Cross Lincoln Avenue again to Lincoln Park. What remains of Soda Spring (3) is marked by a gazebo. The spring was covered up with the construction of Highway 40. The Cabin Hotel, built especially for visitors to enjoy the therapeutic waters of Steamboat Springs once stood opposite this spring at the present site of the library.
You'll smell the aromas of Sulphur Spring (4) even before you reach it. One of the areas most active, Sulphur Spring gurgles at what seems to be a rolling boil, even though it is only 73 degrees. Much larger, Sweetwater Lake Spring (4a) sits farther over, guarded by the infamous Steamboat Elk. Animals such as deer, elk, and horses have particular craving for the odiferous waters and on several stones you will find tie rings used by early settlers to tether their horses.
Two more natural thermal springs are located back across 13th Street on the other side of the river just below the railroad tracks. Steamboat Spring (5), damaged during railroad construction, was once a geyser, emitting a chugging sound as it spouted water several feet into the air. Steamboat's founder James Crawford staked his land next to this spring in 1874.
You'll find a large, bubbling pool just below called Black Sulphur Spring (5a). It contains waters darkened by the chemical transformation of hydrogen sulfide into sulphur. The Lithia Spring (6), is located about a half mile west of the Steamboat Springs on 13th Street (known as Twenty-mile Road). Turn left on Lithia Spring Drive, go past the stone pillars and view one of the area's biggest mineral springs. Known to some locals as the "Milk Spring" due to its lithium clouded waters, its healing powers are sworn upon by many who drink from it on a regular basis. H.W. Gossard made plans in the 1930's to bottle the water and call it "Miraquelle".
The Sulphur Cave Spring (7), located up a trail heading towards Howelsen Hill, is the most mysterious of the springs. Legend has it that the early Indians used this cave and its springs during rituals. There is a significant amount of bacteria/algae growth called myceum, the original life form that dates back 4 million years.
To complete your tour, take a soak at the Health and Recreation hot pool, where nature's soothing potion will give you ultimate proof that magic might just exist right here in Steamboat Springs.
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