Reading on Ranches with BookTrails

Planning your summer vacation and wondering how to make your trip appeal to everyone in the family? We have a solution – summer camp. Steamboat has a whole host of exciting options for kids this summer and you don’t need to be local to take part.

We thought we’d share a couple weeklong favorites that never fail to please year after year. The best part of all, kids have fun, they do things they’d only be able to do here, and you are free to explore Steamboat without any resistance from the junior crew. You have your evenings together and everyone’s happy.

BookTrails
Steamboat’s first ever literacy learning camp was founded in 2012 by environmental educator and self professed bookworm, Emily Krall. Reading on Ranches is a collection of weeklong adventures that allow kids up to 6th grade to literally bring stories and characters alive. Students have the opportunity for multisensory learning by mixing reading with hands on activities all taking place outdoors. Each camp is themed and activities correlate to the chosen title or series. Campers could be reliving the days of homesteading, exploring the waterways of the Yampa Valley, learning wilderness survival types, writing in hieroglyphics or playing quidditch in a field. Student to teacher ratio is 3:1 and readers of every level are encouraged to join the fun. This summer camps include: Little House on the Prairie, Hatchet Camp, Wolves Mini Camp, Harry Potter Camp, American Girl Doll, Camp Half Blood, Spirit Animals, Spy Camp, Magic Tree House, Native American Legends, Tomb Raiders, Camp Splash I and II.
For more information or to register go to www.steamboatbooktrails.org

Yampatika
There is no better way to explore the natural world around us than through the guiding eyes of Yampatika. Four themed camps are offered to kids ages 5 -14, with an overnight camp out option for older participants. The Blue Planet is all about water and weather. Explore forests and plants on the Evergreen Scene camp. Delve into history on Wild, Wild, West camp learning about mammals, birds, livestock, mining and pioneers. Or cover geology, mountains and soil ecology on Landform to Landfill camps. Great adult day guided hiking options too. For more information or to register go to www.yampatika.org

Packing List

BookTrails is all about empowering kids to be themselves.

Don’t forget to bring sunscreen, hat, sunglasses, good shoes for hiking, backpack and lunch bag, water bottle, rain jacket and a big smile. Pre-made lunches can be ordered and picked up around town from Backcountry Provisions and Cruisers. Our own local favorite snack for happy campers is Honey Stingers mini waffles and chews available in most food stores and from BAP at the little red house on Oak Street.

Steamboat Springs Winter Sports Club annual Winter Carnival is upon us which means a great many things. For spectators it is a weekend long photo opportunity. Snapping perfect pictures in snowy conditions brings endless challenges so we thought we’d share some tips from local pros with our readers.

• Snag a good viewing spot to watch the events. The end of the race line is usually a great place to catch action shots, but try to shoot from different angles.
• Use a faster shutter speed to capture action shots if you have a camera with manual settings.
• People often avoid a flash when out on the snow but it’s a must among some of the town’s most celebrated photographers.
• Try shooting with the sun behind your subject zooming in on their face, to lessen shadows and avoid them squinting.
• For the ultimate night shot at the Carnival fireworks opt for a tripod and long exposures.
• Capture quintessential Steamboat images at the Steamboat Barn (From Pine Grove turn east on Angel’s View Way). Best taken late afternoon or early evening. For the ultimate ski snap, find your way into the Aspens, shooting toward the sun, to capture sunlight filtering through the trees. Perfect on powdery mornings. Feeling energetic? Snow shoe or cross country up Summit Loop 1A on Rabbit Ears Pass where the views go as far as the eye can see, and you’ll travel through your very own snow globe setting to get to the peak.   

It’s getting close to that time again when the mountain air in Steamboat is filled with the sound of music. Mark your calendars and join us at the ski area base for Saturday afternoon’s Bud Light Rocks the Boat Music Series. As always it’s an eclectic line up, so ditch the boots and put on your dancing feet, for a little apres ski boogie. Concerts are free and bands start playing at 3.30 p.m.

Feburary 14 – No BS! Brass Band: Prepare to dance your feet off with this Virginia based group. Hugely original the music mixes elements of James Brown, John Coltrane, Michael Jackson and Led Zepplin.

March 7 – The Groovetrotters: It’s all about the funk, from Reggae and Blues to Rock and Jazz. What started as plain old family fun jam sessions, morphed into major live performances.

March 14 – Nahko and Medicine for the People: Compared to Bob Marley by the Huffington Post, Nahko plays hip-hop, folk and jazz music inspired by tribal and cultural influences derived from his own childhood.

March 21 – 6 Million Dollar Band: Step back to the 80’s with an eclectic rendition of time honored favorites delivered by five key boards, drum and bass, blazing guitar solos, and four part vocal harmonies.

March 28 – The Wheeland Brothers: Two Southern California boys bring their “beach rock reggae” to the mountains. Making waves on radio stations nationwide, they have received commercial syncs with Forever 21 and Hollister Co.

April 4 – The Motet: Denver based the Motet blends American funk, afrobeat and jazz. Known for their high energy performances, the band has released seven studio albums.

April 12 -Steel Pulse: Spreading a message of love and justice to all people, this British reggae band plays their grammy award-winning music all over the world. Prepare the end ski season with style. 

Sitting by the window with this morning’s first cup of coffee, I’m struck by Steamboat’s beauty following last night’s heavy snowfall. The sky is still grey, filled and heavy with more snow that continues to fall lightly. The branches in a small grove of Aspen trees are moving like an infant on a trampoline, feeling the weight of their newly adorned winter coat.

This week we will start welcoming visitors back to town, following the bi-annual monthly lull between seasons.  We’ll be caught up once again playing a small part in someone’s vacation, hoping that person leaves with the feeling they’ve spent their time in a very special place.

Today is a reminder of how fortunate we are to call Steamboat home, and how thankful we are to our visitors for making it possible for us to live here. This weekend we talked to the locals who we work with, raise our children alongside, hike, bike or ski with and asked them to share their “thanks” with you, our friends at Condos in Steamboat.

I’m thankful for our wonderfully generous community members. We have a very giving spirit.

Lynna Broyles, Director of Marketing and Development, Steamboat Boys and Girls Club

I’m thankful for all the loyal visitors that come to Steamboat every year to be a part of our town. You provide me with the best job on the mountain!

Leigh Ann McLaughlin, Ski School Instructor.

I’m thankful to live in a community full of wonderful volunteers and organizations that work hard to support one another and meet the needs of the less fortunate. I also am grateful every day for the natural beauty that surrounds us. It is truly awe inspiring.

Lisa Schlichtman, Editor, Steamboat Pilot & Today

I’m thankful for the people in our community for supporting our local businesses.

Savannah Bongiourno, Owner, The Comb Goddess.

I’m thankful for the opening day we are going to have this season, so much snow!

Kelly Bohmer, Owner, All Fixed Steamboat

I’m totally thankful for all our wonderful customers and this community.

Wendy Lyons, Owner, Lyons Drugstore and Soda Fountain

The Big Agnes Team is thankful this winter to share fleece blankets and apparel from BAP at the little red house on Oak Street, Honey Stinger waffles to help get you thru the day, and new puffy coats just in from Big Agnes.

Len Zanni, Big Agnes (who promises he isn’t biased!).

I’m so thankful for all this snow.

Colin Dunlap, Ski Technician, Ski Haus