Thursdays and Saturday evening you can take the gondola to Mt Werner. The sunset was spectacular, a must see. Took advantage of the Senior Citizen discount and the happy hour. The ride down after dark was a great experience as well.
Steamboat offers a huge variety of skiing - everything from easy slopes where entire families can ski together to very advanced (avalanche chutes and steep with trees). Very family oriented while offering everything a Pro could ever want. I am not a boarder, but I saw a LOT of terrain park.
Having previously attended the "Happy Hour" ( and thoroughly enjoying it)... we decided to take the short gondola ride up the hill for the "Sunday Brunch" version.... OK.... Here Goes... At $42.00 per person... I'd advocate taking a few zip-lock bags with you, and, "stealthily", snag as many desserts as you can to take home.Views, again, are astounding, and the hovering and loitering clouds gave us the impression we were in a special effects movie... But fare is rather "typical", and un-motivating. Complimentary Mimosa is served room-temp, and a bit too "tangy". Staff, though attentive, is young, uninspired, and minimally trained. The "Venue" is the BIG winner here.I certainly understand the concerns/difficulties that might be related to food service 2000 feet in the air, so the reality of this brunch is to simply go for the views, the relaxing venue, and to procure few extra desserts for the drive home.
While biking we have observed many weddings at this beautiful venue. The downhil trails are challenging and envigorating and the dog and pony show entertaining.
Take the gondola up to the top and hike the short trail. Scenic views and not difficult. Spend a little time meandering. On a Wed we went for the sunset happy hour. Discounted price (less than $20) includes the gondola and a happy hour drink. Surprisingly, the HH drink was generous (wine and beer) and an additional was moderately priced. It was Crowded (the upper case C is intentional) on the deck. Get there early or stand 2 deep at the rail. Inside was a band, country western...good but loud. We met lots of locals...those who have annual pass ride the gondola for free. We ended up leaving before sunset mostly to get ahead of the crowd on gondolas and hunt down a dinner place. The food at the top was snack bar quality. Don't plan on dinner there.
Being out of season, I had to hike up and down the hill and nothing was open at the top. The Thunderhead trail is rather dull for the first half, but significantly improves thereafter. Being out of season, it was rather difficult to work out which paths were open and available to hikers and I'm fairly certain I picked the wrong one, but it was a fun day out. The relatively low rating is because I preferred the view from elsewhere in the area.
If you are in Steamboat don't miss the Gondola ride to the top of Mt. Werner! Beautiful views and breathtaking scenery of the ski slopes. We were there in September when all slopes were green. For non skiers this is a great way to get the feel of the skiing ride up the mountain experience but with warmer temperatures. The Gondola operation is interesting and fun to watch. The ride up to Thunderhead is over a 2,200 vertical rise and steep, skimming over clear ski slopes. Our ride down at night was exciting, in the dark, and we never did know why the lift stopped three different times during our descent.
Just enjoyed the views constantly from driving around the area. There is nothing to dislike about this beauty!!!
Take advantage of the gondola ride to the top for stunning views of the valley below, but be forewarned the gondola ride does stop (at least during the week) during shoulder season between summer and skiing...check before you go!
Take the gondola late afternoon to Mt Werner;enjoy cocktails and the view.Unfortunately the loud band was a major distraction.Sunset was gorgeous.