New Year's in Steamboat

Steamboat Springs — A parade of fiery skiers and snowboarders at Steamboat Ski Area is scheduled to set off New Year’s Eve activities in Steamboat Springs on Thursday.

The annual New Year’s Eve Torchlight Parade and fireworks display, sponsored this year by Sprint, start at about 7 p.m. and feature instructors from the Steamboat Ski & Snowboard School weaving down the base area of the mountain with torches in hand.

Pioneer Ridge Trails open in Steamboat

The Pony Express lift opens today at Steamboat Ski Area, a Steamboat Ski and Resort Corp. spokesman said Sunday.

As of today, with Sunday’s opening of the Pioneer Ridge trails, which were accessible by foot from the Last Chance run and not groomed, Ski Corp. spokesman Mike Lane said 145 trails and 2,460 acres are open — 82.9 percent of the ski area’s permitted terrain.

And Lane said with today’s opening of the Pony Express lift, 16 of the ski area’s 18 lifts are in operation.

What to do in Steamboat

December
23 Big Head Todd & The Monsters
Free Concert in Gondola Square www.steamboat.com

23-24 2010 Olympic Team Trials
Free style skiing & Nordic Combined Events
www.steamboat.com

25 Christmas
Board of Realtors Free Community Holiday Dinner
www.ssbr.org
31 New Year’s Eve Torchlight Parade & Fireworks Display
Steamboat Ski Area

January
4-9th Annual MusicFest at Steamboat
Bands perform the finest Texas & Americana music
www.bigskitrip.com

4-18th Annual Ski Jam Jazz Festival
www.steamboat.com

11-14 Annual All Mountain Adaptive Ski Camp
www.adaptiveadventures.com

19 35th Annual Bud Light Cowboy Downhill

24-29 Annual Steamboat Weather Summit

OLYMPIC FEVER COMES TO STEAMBOAT
And is spreading through Ski Town USA, Freestyle and Nordic Combined athletes will get a one-shot, winner-takes-all chance at making the 2010 U.S. Olympic Team as the U.S. Olympic Committee and U.S. Ski and Snowboard Association host the 2010 U.S. Olympic Team Trials in Steamboat December 23-24. A total of five Olympic Team spots in Moguls, Aerials and Nordic Combined will be up for grabs. Scheduled to air on NBC at 2:30 p.m. ET on December 26, the 2010 U.S. Olympic Team Trials event, which complements the season-long selection process for the remainder of the Team, offers athletes a direct ticket to the Games should they be skilled enough to win against a field of the nation's best.