My Trip to Steamboat Springs
As a wine and travel journalist I receive invitations to visit many cities and countries. Often it is my teaching schedule that limits my ability to travel but on occasion the site leaves much to be desired. This was not the case when I was asked to travel to Steamboat Springs Colorado to visit Marabou, a very high end new residential ranch community. The highlights of the trip were to be a cattle drive, fly fishing, a rodeo and barn dance. I added an extra day to visit the top of the ski resort and also travel to a nearby dude ranch.
Marabou is located a few miles outside Steamboat Springs with the Elk River running through its property. There will be 62 homesteads spread among the more than 1,700 acres. Over three quarters of the land will remain as open spaces and an active working ranch. Homesteads at Marabou will average 6.3 acres and are priced from $2.9 to more than $5 million with buildings limited to 10,000 square feet. When I was there 25 of the lots had been sold and the first homes were approved for fall 2007 construction. What does one get for their money? There are six elegantly furnished cabins available for immediate use by the owners or their families. In addition, I visited the fitness center, outdoor pool, spa, children’s activity center, theatre, outfitter’s cabin and the lodge/community center.
The Master Guide program has world class athletes on staff to work with owners and their families in varied sports. My first experience was learning how to fly fish. With my waders (hip boots), hat, net and pole I was ready to get to work. Within a few minutes I was casting like a pro. It was catch and release and the trout were waiting. The Master guide program also teaches the skills, traditions and lore associated with horses, skiers, hikers, mountain bikers and craftsmen. Although it was summer when I visited I did spend some time talking to Todd Lodwick the Nordic Skiing Master Guide. He was only the second American in history to compete in four Olympics and began skiing when he was three years old. Chad Bedell was a member of the Professional Rodeo Cowboy Association and as Marabou’s Ranch Manager led our cattle drive. If you ever saw the movie City Slickers you can visualize our group of owners and their families, journalists and ranch hands as we moved the Marabou herd from one pasture to another. I am proud of my western riding skills and in less than a minute I was comfortable on my horse “killer”. The good news was no one was hurt or fell off a horse and we only lost (temporarily) three head of cattle. There are over 20 miles of trails at Marabou. While on the drive I spotted grouse, elk as well as deer. Others in our party saw Sandhill Cranes, Great Blue Heron and even a Bald Eagle.
One can use the ranch’s horses or board your own. The new horse barn officially opened that night with a BBQ & barn dance. There is also an outdoor round pen, roping chutes, riding arena and tack area. While chatting with Jeff Temple, the managing partner whose father founded the Steamboat Springs ski area, I looked up at Sleeping Giant Mountain, closed my eyes and realized there is more to life than business. There will be stringent guidelines that integrate the homes with the natural environment. There will be solar heating and wind-generated electricity, built using recycled construction materials and pine beetle salvage wood. The 11 Marabou amenity buildings are all Built Green Certified.
Steamboat Springs is known as Ski Town USA because of the 69 Winter Olympic athletes that grew up there, more than any other town in the US. The high school band performs on skis and they hold the oldest annual winter carnival west of the Mississippi, right down Main Street. But it was originally a cattle town and in the early 1900’s became a summer resort because of the 150 natural hot springs and the hunting and fishing opportunities. The early French Fur trappers thought the hot springs sounded like a steamboat, hence the town’s name. It is 160 miles northwest of Denver at an altitude of 6,700 feet. There is still a weekly summer rodeo located right in town. I watched Bareback Riding, Steer Wrestling, Barrel Racing, Saddle Bronc Riding and Bull Riding. The highlight for me was when they let all the young children into the ring to win a prize after taking a ribbon from the tail of a lamb. If you choose to tackle Mt. Werner at the Steamboat Ski Resort take the gondola to mid-mountain, then hike or bike your way up to the 10,568 foot summit with the Routt National Forest reaching as high as 13,000 feet. It took me two days and lots of water to stop seeing double from the height. The 11,000 permanent residents jump to more than one million skier visits during the winter. My home for three nights was the Steamboat Grand Resort Hotel located at the base of the gondola and owned by the same company that owns the Steamboat Ski Area, Intranets ULC. Although I never used it there is a free city bus that runs the three miles between the “town and mountain.” I was invited to Sunday Brunch On The Mountain, a huge selection of food which included the gondola ride, tax & gratuity all for $39.
I met Gene Kilgore when he was visiting New York City. His ranchweb.com lists dude ranches and lodges in the United States, Canada and Argentina based on facilities, prices, amenities etc. What intrigued me were his listing of sample menus and wine lists that offered much more than hamburgers and hot dogs. I spent part of a Sunday visiting Vista Verde Ranch located less than an hour outside Steamboat Springs and a member of Ranch Web. The chef is a graduate of the Culinary Institute of America and is proud of his meal selections which included Osso Bucco, Ahi Tuna, Fettuccini and Prime Ribs. A very nice selection of wines is served complimentary (same for bottled water, soda and beer) with dinner and their private cellar list is available at cost. Vista Verde is open June- October and December-March. Besides the ranch activities hiking, rock climbing, kayaking, mountain biking and fly fishing are offered in the summer and all things dealing with snow during the winter. The 40 guests are pampered by an equal number of staff members. This does not come cheap with the deluxe log cabins (hot tubs included) running from $2,900-$3,100 per person per week (minimum stay in the summer). The lodge rooms are useful for couples without children or singles. They run from $2,700-$2,900 per person. Children are $2,400-$2,600 per week (lots of kid only activities) and winter rates run $270-$400 per night, per person.
Admittedly, what I have experienced will not appeal to someone on a budget, but what is wrong with living the “good life” once in a while, and enjoying yourself?
For More Information-
www.marabouranch.com
www.steamboatchamber.com
www.steamboatsummer.com
www.steamboat.com
www.steamboatgrand.com
www.vistaverde.com
www.ranchweb.com
www.duderanchfoodandwine.com