Historic Howelsen Hill Operates Daily For 2020/21 Season

Partnership With SSWSC Open Slopes Seven Days A Week

STEAMBOAT SPRINGS, COLORADO-December 15, 2020-Skiers and riders carving down Howelsen Hill’s face and athletes training under the lights will be a more frequent sight this year when Mondays are added and the ski area moves to daily operations through a partnership with the Steamboat Springs Winter Sports Club (SSWSC).

“The ski hill is now open daily for the first time in thirteen years,” said Howelsen Hill Ski Area & Rodeo Manager Brad Setter. “With the success of Ski Free Sundays and increased athlete enrollment, adding the extra day was only possible through the club’s continued support and will be a great community benefit.”

With the onset of COVID-19 and the need for physical distancing combined with expected high winter enrollment rates of SSWSC athletes at the ski area, the partnership looked to reduce crowding while increasing on-snow training opportunities. Both entities are splitting the costs for adding Monday back onto the calendar. The ski area runs seven days a week for the public and six days a week for SSWSC. 

“With the addition of Monday operating hours, is it rewarding to see Howelsen Hill getting more use than ever from our community,” said Dave Stewart, Athletic Director of the SSWSC.  “We were able to shift some SSWSC programs from busier days to Mondays to spread out our groups more this season and ensure more time for kids on snow, having fun making quick laps and less time getting cold in the lift line. The opportunity for the kids in our community to now ski and ride at both Howelsen Hill and Steamboat Resort seven days a week provides them with exceptional training opportunities every day all season long. Adding Mondays has been a success for us and I’m sure will help sustain Howelsen Hill for the future.”

With the additional day, SSWSC and ski area staff can safely provide enhanced training opportunities, while also increasing public use for lunch-time ski breaks and after work skiing under the lights. In addition, the high school ski team will soon be using night training hours on Mondays to prepare for their season.

The Steamboat Springs Winter Sports Club has a rich history intertwined with Howelsen Hill; together celebrating 106 years this winter. SSWSC is home to over 1,000 active athletes and claims 95 Winter Olympians with 165 Olympic appearances in 20 Winter Games. All of them, from 3-year-old Little Toots to six-time Olympians, are proud to call Howelsen Hill home.

In addition to actively expanding athlete opportunities this winter, SSWSC was designated as a U.S. Ski & Snowboard High-Performance Center. The program allows elite athletes to access associated facilities across the US. Furthermore, 28 club athletes were tapped for the Rocky Mountain Division All-Star Team of the US. Ski & Snowboard Association.

Howelsen operates Monday-Friday from 11am to 8pm and weekends from 10am to 4pm. Information on the ski area including details for Ski Free Sundays, can be found at steamboatsprings.net/ski. SSWSC programs, athlete information and its fabled history are available at sswsc.org.