Located away from many of the Colorado resorts in the northern part of the state is a little town called Steamboat Springs, home to Steamboat Ski Resort. Don’t let the name fool you, there has never been a steamboat there – we assume its impossible to drive one to this town. Instead, the name originated many moons ago when French fur trappers frequented the area. They could not for the life of them find the steamship they thought was making the chug chug noise in the area. Turns out that’s just how the hot springs here sound. And thus, Steamboat Springs was born! Steamboat Springs is home to over 150 hot and mineral springs that have made it a destination since the days before Europeans came to the continent. They believed the springs had sacred healing properties.

If the spring waters have sacred healing properties than I argue that the snow has sacred healing properties too. Steamboat is home to the iconic Champagne Powder®. No really, it’s actually a registered trademark of Steamboat Ski & Resort Corporation. If you call any other snow Champagne Powder® - straight to ski jail (which we assume is in the flattest part of the prairies). This snow originates in the Pacific oceans and after gracing the Sierra Nevada’s and the Wasatch front with some white stuff it provides the highest quality dendrites to Steamboat. At only 6% water content Steamboat provides only the finest vintages to those lucky enough to ski its slopes.