No matter how long you’ve been here, there are certain things you ought to know how to do living in Steamboat—to have in your bag of tricks, if you will, so you’re an OG instead of a newbie. We are no masters ourselves, we combed the valley floor for tips from experts to help ease the learning curve.
How to Know When the River Peaks
Wise soothsayers look to the west-facing slopes of Mt. Werner for guidance. When the two brown spots on each side of Storm Peak meet, that’s when the river peaks. “It’s usually pretty darn spot-on,” maintained local river store owner Pete Van De Carr (RIP). “It’s better than most high-tech USGS predictions.”
How Town Got Its Name
Wow your visiting friends with this little nugget of wisdom. When the first French fur trappers came through town in the early 1800s, they heard a bubbling sound emanating from the mineral spring near the current Art Depot. Mistaking it for the chugging engine of a steamboat, they named the area Steamboat Springs.
Three letters: FFA.
It stands for First Friday Artwalk, where, the first Friday of every month, local galleries open their doors and wine bottles to showcase new wares. The free downtown gallery stroll is perhaps town’s best grassroots art event. “It exposes people to the creative energy that is here in the valley,” says local artist Dancy St. John, who hosts one of the event’s stops at the Steamboat Art Museum. Indeed, you couldn’t ask for a better place to impress your date with your softer, cultural side. Just don’t mix up your abstract from plein air.
How to Find King Solomon Falls
Don’t ask how many people have gotten lost searching for this gem of a plunge pool cliff jump. To get there, turn left on the dirt road past Columbine Cabins toward Three Forks Lodge. After about a half hour, look for white cliffs on your left marking a two-track off to your right (note: if you reach the entrance gate for Three Forks Lodge, you’ve gone too far). Drive the bumpy road for a half mile and then hike down a trail to the creek. The pool is about 20 minutes upstream.
(hint: take the trail close to the river instead of the one veering high to the right)
How to Ride a Bull
Okay, so you might not ever have to or want to. But it’s a good skill regardless, even if it’s just impressing your friends on a mechanical bovine. “It’s simple,” says retired bull rider Brent Romick, who calls his biggest accolade simply surviving. “Keep your hand closed, your feet in your rope, and your eyes open. Do these three and you can often make it to eight seconds.” He adds that it’s also important to bend over and kiss your rear goodbye.
Rodeo Rules:
Eight seconds for bareback, saddle bronc and bull riding. In saddle bronc and bareback, cowboys must “mark out” horse (exit chute with spurs above horse’s shoulders and hold there until horse’s front feet hit the ground). In all, touching the animal, rider or any equipment with the free hand results in disqualification.
Team Roping:
Clock stops when all four legs have been roped, slack has been taken up and both ropers are facing one another (five-second penalty if heeler catches only one foot).
Tie-Down Roping:
Any three legs must be tied together; roper throws hands up to signal flag judge, then gets back on and rides toward the calf, which must remain tied for six seconds after the rope is slack.
Steer Wrestling:
Once steer reaches the “scoreline,” rope barrier is released and wrestler and hazer give chase; wrestler has to bring down steer so its shoulders are on the ground. Barrel racing: cloverleaf pattern around three barrels (in either direction) in fastest time (knocked-over barrel incurs five-second penalty).
How to Wear a Cowboy Hat
Steamboat’s ranching heritage ensures you’ll see sombreros around town. But there’s a right and wrong way to wear them, says long-time cowboy Brent Romick. Pick a hat with enough brim to shade your face, he says, and a crown that matches the shape of your face (i.e. a tall crown for a long face, a short one for a squat face). And don’t wear it crooked, to the side or at an angle, “or else you’ll look like a dance hall cowboy.” Also, never wear it backwards (the bow on the inside goes in back) and never ever put your hat on your bed. “It’s bad luck,” he says.
When is Naked Hour at the Strawberry Park Hot Springs?
It’s a grey area. Not the part that’s being uncovered, ahem, but the time. The springs’ “clothing optional after dark” decree ranges from as early as 5:30 p.m. in the dead of daylight-savings-time winter to 9:30ish p.m. around the summer solstice. It’s a great rule; just don’t flaunt your wares so it can stay that way.
How to Roll a Kayak
Consider kayaking as a step up the river rung from tubing. Whether you’re a river rat or not, we live in a great place to learn. To fully master it comes mastering the roll. “It’s crucial if you’re going to progress,” says Barry Smith of Mountain Sports Kayak School. There are four keys, he says: “Kiss your cockpit once upside down; reach up and extend your paddle blade out of the water; sweep it across the surface; and snap your hips, keeping your head down. Having your head come up the last is the most important. Master that and you’re golden.”
How to Avoid Butt Bruises Tubing
Avoiding a sore hinny when tubing the river is a team effort. The tuber in front should alert fellow tubers behind to upcoming obstacles by yelling “butts up!” Then comes the art itself. Lift your derriere out of harm’s way by arching your back up and weighting your elbows until the obstacle has passed. Finally, make sure your tube is fully inflated before heading out for extra gluteal clearance.
How to Pitch a Tent
There was a time when tents needed instruction manuals and multiple people to pitch. Today, local companies like Big Agnes have simplified things, leaving you more time to catch that trout, climb a peak, roast that marshmallow, and crack that beer your dog carried. A few pointers: pitch the tent on level ground, spread out the base first and then connect the poles into each corner, and position the door accessibly (not leading straight into a bush). Also, note where your campfire will be beforehand, so it’s not engulfed in smoke.
Final tip: crack a beer while you’re setting it up; it might not make the process go faster, but it’ll be more fun.
How to Take Care of Someone Else’s Dog
Live in a mountain town and it’ll happen. Someone will ask you to take care of their dog while they skip town for the weekend. Local dog sitters offer this advice.
Rule 1: Don’t lose the dog. If the owner says Ellsworth needs to be kept on a leash, keep it on a leash.
Rule 2: Follow instructions (no matter how weird).
Adds Dave Terranova of Paws n Claws (with the dog owner’s permission, of course):
“Bring plenty of treats to build trust; make sure the collar/harness/leash fit properly so they don’t get loose; get a durable chew toy or treat soothing; and provide a bed they can call their own.”
How to Avoid the Grocery Line
Local moms and dads in the know have a foolproof scheme: they go first thing Sunday morning before the kids get out of bed and without them. “Don’t bring them,” one mom says. “They just prolong everything because they want everything.” And avoid holiday weekends and Thursday and Friday evenings, when tourists arrive and want to stock their fridge.
