Travelling is one of life’s greatest experiences. The adventure of stepping out the front door in your mundane, boring hometown, and within one day being in a completely different, exciting place is like an electric shock for the emotions. Going from a place you know like the back of your hand to a completely new place challenges the mind in ways that excite us avid travelers. Although it is not the primary purpose for ski travel, this experience is still part of ski trips. Many skiers and tourists would argue that skiing in Europe is the only way one can have this experience fully on a ski trip because of the cultural differences, but there are a few ski destinations in the Western United States that can conjure up similar feelings. They do this by combining that trademark rugged mountainous landscape with a sort of western cowboy culture. These two factors are almost completely alien to those from the relatively flat, tree covered Eastern United States, giving the mountains of the West, particularly in states like Montana, Wyoming, and certain parts of Colorado, an almost mythical aura. The resort at which this aura can arguably be felt the strongest is Steamboat, Colorado.
Skiing “out west” makes for a truly amazing vacation. The skiing is absolutely terrific out there, and it puts skiing in the other half of the continent to shame, unfortunately. The snow alone (both quantity and quality) is enough to give the West a significant edge over the East, but there are numerous other factors that make the trip out there worth it for us East Coasters. Among these factors is this aforementioned western aura. Some resorts have it stronger than others, but most western American destination resorts possess this quality in some capacity, whether through their rugged landscape, their local flavor, their overall cowboy feel, or all of the above. Steamboat is one of the few resorts and regions that has all these factors, and as a result, it perfectly embodies the western aura.
Every ski resort in the west has an isolated rugged feel to it. There are some notable resorts that have it more than others, (for example Grand Targhee, Wyoming has the views, isolation, and ruggedness that somewhere like Northstar in California just does not), but all the large destination resorts have it to some degree. It’s a fact that the mountains are just bigger in that part of the world, and bigger mountains make for bigger views and less civilization. Steamboat is no exception to this rule. The landscape at Steamboat is unique in that although the mountains do not have jagged pronounced peaks, they are still much larger than those in the East. In addition, the mountains in that area of Northwest Colorado surround wide open valleys filled with ranch land, which is not really seen in the East. This facet of the landscape is a large contributor to that western cowboy aura.
Some resorts take the western aura a step farther with their overall local feel. These places have great western towns with picturesque main streets and wide open ranch land a short drive away. Whitefish, Montana immediately springs to mind here, but Steamboat also checks this box. Steamboat Springs is a terrific western town with numerous great eateries and bars. The town is alive all year round and provides a very cool atmosphere for dining and nightlife. The final step for a resort to truly have the cowboy western aura and culture is for the resort and town themselves to steer into it through their marketing, facilities, and local establishments. Steamboat has the authentic culture and aura, but they embrace it by marketing the resort as a cowboy destination. It is not uncommon to see Steamboat staff in cowboy hats as they assist guests at the base. The town also steers into this feel as there are numerous western art galleries, bars, and stores. One store in particular, F.M. Light and Sons, is a truly authentic western store that has been selling cowboy apparel, including brands like Stetson and Pendleton, for over one hundred years. Walking around Steamboat Springs wearing a Stetson as that famous Steamboat powder falls around you is an experience that embodies the culture of western skiing. Those who have had this experience understand that there is indeed a culture in skiing in these places in the West. It is rarely felt as strongly as it can be felt at Steamboat, but there are a few other places that also have this feel (ie Jackson, Wyoming). The culture at these destinations is distinct enough to give them a fighting chance against European ski destinations in the culture category while not requiring transcontinental travel. So the next time you are trying to decide where to go skiing and “culture” comes up in the discussion, I suggest watching a few episodes of Yellowstone and booking a trip to Steamboat, Colorado.