Snowy weekend in the 'boat

I've never had an unfun trip to Steamboat.  The town has a great vibe, we've got good friends there, and there are always a boatloat (heh, heh) of things to do there, in any season.  But to catch an iconic, classic under-forecast, machine of a winter storm is another level of fun altogether.  Add to that the fact that both kids are emerging powderhounds and you've got a recipe for non-stop smiles.

The snow started Saturday morning and pretty much kept going for 36 hours:

It was Winter Carnival in Steamboat.  They parade out all their Olympians and drag all the local kids down a snow-filled main street behind horses. But the main attraction is the Saturday night show at Howelsen.  A dude called the "Lighted Man" skis down the slope with a backpack launching fireworks, the Winter Sports Club kids all ski down in the dark, and they top it off with a fireworks show that puts the 4th of July to shame.

Sunday morning started with a quick skin of almost 2000 vertical feet to check if the snow report was right (15" in 24 hours at the summit).

Yep -- seems about right.  ;)

And a few shots of the family enjoying an all-time powder day.