3/28/02 - STEAMBOAT, CO
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SLUSHIES IN STEAMBOAT
We are sipping tequila, swilling beer, and kicking back in amusement asthe Chicago Metropolitan Ski Council (a group of maniacal ski clubmembers) parties down to a Gloria Estefan song. Steamboat, Colorado:home to Billy Kidd, great aspen tree skiing, and many, many cowboy hats.Funny thing is, most of the hats aren't worn by cowboys. Is this aself-perpetuating stereotype? Does Steamboat's marketing and advertisinglean so hard into the Western rough-rider image that every East-coastskier who arrives in town feels obligated to don boots, buckles, and afour-X beaver Stetson?
Perhaps. But lost amidst the peak of spring break and dazed from toomuch sun and slush, Gabe and I found ourselves experiencing somethingnew during the Tour: the lifestyle of a Midwestern skier on a Coloradoski vacation. We were lucky to be hosted by the lovely ladies of AlpineSki & Sun Holidays, who arranged for well over 200 Chicago-area skifanatics to descend on this northern-Colorado town. If you think livingin a ski town and ripping it up every day is hard on the body, try fiveconcentrated days of skiing, drinking, and congo line-dancing to warpyour body, not to mention your mind. These guys are hard-core.
The rest of our time was spent exploring the steeps at the 'boat. With ashort hike to North St. Pats or a quick drop-in to the Chutes, we foundourselves in truly worthy terrain, if a bit short on the vert. Dicingdown bobsled-like runs through chutes and trees and billy-goatingthrough exposed cliff bands kept our stoke-level high during variablesnow conditions. The next stop will be the last official one of theTour, so check back soon for great coverage of the Evian ColoradoFreeride Championships! - JR
Photos:
1.The author milking some silky vert at the boat.
2 Rhea poaching the sickest line we could find.
3. Chicago Metropolitan Ski Council members gettin' down in the congoline.
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