The previous review from Jim is correct. There is good and varied skiing, the grooming is excellent, bumps deep and on powder days (which are numerous) they leave the mountain au natural. The glades are some of the best anywhere - period. I have been to the Boat over the last 4 years and the snow records are not exaggerated. I have only been there after December so can not comment on staff levels pre-xmas.

What Steamboat really lacks is a quality base area - it is disjointed old and in desperate need of a revamp. Intrawest are trying as are some private developers but a shortage of cash has halted construction in many places and there is very little on offer outside of actual accommodation on or near the base of the mountain ( for example there is only one bar which is excellent but v.busy). Steamboat Springs is pretty much a dump on the highway (sorry but its true) and not worth anything other than a cursory inspection.

However I really love the Boat - glitzy she definitely aint but its a skiers mountain! If you want an apres scene don't come here though stick to Beaver, Aspen or Vail. So come here with a family group, stay on the mountain and everyone from expert to beginner will have a wonderful time just be aware that its not a party town.

Steamboat has a great mountain. There are groomed cruising runs for carving great turns and enjoying some speed, glades galore of various steepness and tree density, and bump runs ranging in difficulty from gentle to severe. We found all of this on less than a third of the mountain. Do not go to Steamboat early in the season. Most of the staff doesn't even arrive until mid-December. They had no plans to open more terrain, regardless of snow conditions. During the same week when Vail had opened two back bowls, we were skiing at Steamboat with only the Storm Peak Express providing access to any higher elevation terrain. We were told they keep many runs closed until closer to Christmas when the crowds arrive.

This was our third trip to Colorado and Steamboat is our least favorite ski area so far. We have been to Vail and Telluride. The town of Telluride is outstanding and Vail has the best mountain. Outside of skiing, there was very little to do in the town of Steamboat. We actually drove down to Vail on one of the days. The skiing is OK in Steamboat, but the mountain is so much smaller than Vail. It may be worth a weekend excursion from Vail, but a full week is too long.

Skiing / the Mountain:
This was our first time at the boat but I have wanted to ski here for 20 years. It was worth the wait. We spent 6 glorious days here and experienced fresh snow daily or at least nightly. Thus, some days we were skiing powder even on the lower mountain runs, while on other days there were groomed slopes for those that havent tried powder. Both were excellent conditions for skiing and the mountain didnt disappoint. The lift lines were short; the staffs on mountain, in shops, and at our condos were friendly and attentive. If you are a skier and havent skied at Steamboat, you must put it on your bucket list or must do lists. Remember Steamboat was a ranch town first and a ski destination later. For those from elevations closer to sea level you will find acclimatization much easier since the base elevation isnt as high as some other ski destinations, but DO NOT THINK this means short ski runs, or low snow counts! We skied six days and only repeated runs on the lower mountain, and didnt hit all the runs available within our skiing ability. (Greens, Blues, and Blue/Blacks)

Ski Lessons:
To tune up we all took a single days lesson and knocked the dust off our memories. Both the adult instruction staff and the kids staff were experienced, open to feedback, and obviously enjoyed their job and enjoyed people.

Ski Equipment Rental:
We used "Black Tie Ski Rentals"for the kids gear. We arrived on Sunday evening and the representatives from Black Tie arrived at our condo and within 10 minutes had the kids outfitted with all the needed gear and were gone. At the end of the week a simple phone call to them assure the gear would be picked up from the units ski locker without any need to meet with us. I've had good night kisses that were harder! We highly recommend this service for ease, convienance, and product quality!

Shopping:
There are plenty of the normal ski shops and gift stores at the Gondola Square base of the mountain. Though we didnt spend much time shopping during our trip we must tell you that in our opinion some of the best bargains were found at:

Awesome Shirtworks upstairs at Gondola Square, this is a shirt store and not a ski gear type vendor, but if you want a great souvenir to wear home this is the place and the prices wont cause you to search for your next breath. The staff was more than just pleasant to the tourist, they were genuine in their interest in your Steamboat experience.

Gondola General is just on youre left as you walk down from the bus and shuttle lot. This store has more general items as the name implies and if you seeking more than clothing souvenirs this is a great place to find it. Also, if you need sun screen, lip balm, something for that aching back or sore shins they will gladly provide it and have a coffee shop right their to help the medicine go down.

Other shops may be great to visit with great prices. We only can comment on those we visited to be fair.

Excursions:
So you want a day off the skis or really just out of those ski boots? We highly recommend:
Saddleback Ranch, their shuttle picks you up at your hotel or condo and takes you about 10 minutes outside Steamboat to their real working ranch. We did a two hour horse ride through the ranchs valley and hills and loved the experience. The guides are true ranch hands, and know their horses and riders. Our lead guide went to college on a rodeo scholarship and she was originally from the great cow town of Abilene, Kansas. Our trailing guide is a retired Colorado native and can be described as a humble, friendly man with 20 stories per weathered line on his smiling face. These folks felt more like family you see once a year than business persons.
During our ride we had time to talk with new acquaintances while viewing the beauty of snowy Colorado. On our ride we saw Elk at a distance, and met a porcupine spending the day in a tree just off our trail.
So you arent a horse person? The snow mobile tours cover about 20 miles and though we didnt ride these the group that did had large smiles on their red faces when we returned. They all said they would return and at least one group had done the tour the day before and liked it so much they returned with friends again the next day. The ranch also has a tubing hill and shuttle service to this location from the ranchs horse back and snow mobile riding meeting point. The coordination of the tours was well done. The snow mobilers didnt have a long wait for those of us on horse back. They were back at the meeting point minutes before us allowing them to warm up with hot chocolate, and freshly baked oatmeal cookies. The shuttle did come a little later than expected, but the driver stopped and pulled a stranded vehicle from the snow. Hey, we certainly can wait on someone that still has that kind of chivalrous nature.

Dining:
Well if you enjoy dining out, take out, or delivery when vacationing you wont be disappointed here. As a family we decided to push the fun factor to its limit and take a more casual dining regime. In other words, we actually ate out once, but kept the delivery drives hopping. Here are places we certainly recommend:

Old town pub  6th & Lincoln in Steamboat Springs, Some of the greatest burgers we have bumped into in our travels. We ate lunch here and found the food excellent along with the people and ambience.

Beau Jos Mountain Bistro  7th & Lincoln in Steamboat Springs, , Beau Jos claims to have the best pizza in Colorado for over 30 years. We agree their pizzas are excellent along with their pasta dishes. Beau Jos delivers and they came to our condo more than once during our stay.

Blue Sage Pizza  Excellent food and yes they deliver!

Double Z  BBQ  Good burgers and they deliver!

Accommodations:

We opted for the Ski Condos. The units are ski in, but a short pole ski to the slope, or an easy walk. The staff is attentive, friendly and very helpful. The condos were well stocked with amenities, and in good repair. Any issues were immediately attended to by their maintenance staff. Minor items such as smoke detector low battery and a bathroom door handle with a mind of its own were promptly fixed when reported. Price of accommodations was a bargain. Booking is available through Steamboats reservations.