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Steamboat Springs, Colorado
Date:
Mar 3-10, 2018
Trip Leaders: John Kelly, Len Syzmanski
(click pictures for high-res images)
Ready for a new adventure, 21 members met at Ericsson in Piscataway. We
loaded the bus and were on our way by 6:15am. After a short ride, we
arrived at Newark Airport at 7:00am where check-in was easy thanks to
Southwest's group check-in process. After the remaining 9 people met up
with the club, we were all ready to go. Luckily there was time for food
and drink before boarding.
 Arriving
in Denver at 11:30am Mountain Time we headed to bag claim where 4 more
people met us, which meant that all were accounted for. We loaded the
bus at 12:30pm and settled in for the 3.5 hour ride to Steamboat. After
a short stop at City Market, the town's main supermarket, we headed to
the Lodge at Steamboat where we met the remaining member of our group.
The luggage was offloaded by the Lodge staff and delivered to the
condos.
 At
6pm the club hosted a welcome party. Light snacks and beverages were
enjoyed by all. The lift tickets and food vouchers were distributed and
shortly after 7pm we left to pick up our skis or have some dinner. The
nearby Wild Plum deli provided sufficient food and snack opportunities
(e.g., pizza, salads) for multiple group après ski parties and also for
members who chose to eat in rather than go to restaurants. The
accommodations at the Lodge at Steamboat was perfect for cooking your
own meals.
 Sunday
morning we were off to the mountain. Many people took the guided tour
provided by the Ambassadors to become familiar with trails and
conditions. Some repeated the tour on following days, while others took
advantage of the Mountain Masters tour. One of the Masters tours was so
enjoyable that the group, including the tour guide, skied together for
the rest of the week. We look forward to the tour guide, Ann, joining us
on a trip next season, along with Frank, another member of that tour
group.
  Sunday
night we received 6 inches of fresh powder to play in on Monday so it
was great skiing. Tuesday night the club hosted a pizza fest in the
leaders’ condo. We started at 5:30pm with snacks and, with some much
appreciated help, we picked up a large assortment of pizzas and salads
from Wild Plum. For the rest of the week, the temps stayed in the 20’s
overnight and 40’s during the day. Bluebird skies and excellent grooming
made for spectacular skiing conditions. The warm weather brought out the
moose. Everyone was warned to stay away from moose as they are fearless
and aggressive, but picture taking was still the norm. After skiing many
members went to Strawberry Hot Springs, an outdoor set of pools, each a
different temperature, fed by underground springs.
Friday the club hosted a clean-out-your-fridge party in the leaders’
condo. Light snacks were served.
Saturday morning luggage was placed outside the condos by 7:30am. The
Lodge staff did a great job of collecting the bags and loading them on
the bus, which arrived at 8:15am. We left for Denver as soon as the bus
was loaded and arrived at the airport and checked in at the group
counter.
 It
was time to say goodbye to friends who had flights back to Florida and
North Carolina. We then boarded our flight to Newark at 3:50pm MT and
landed at 9:30pm ET and headed to reclaim our luggage. We said our
goodbyes to those who weren’t joining us for the bus ride back to
Piscataway. Making great time, we were on the NJ Turnpike at 10:30pm and
pulled into Ericsson at 11:15pm. We unloaded the bus, said our goodbyes
with hugs and handshakes. “See you next time” was the phrase of the
night.
John and Len would like to thank you all for allowing us to share your
experiences.
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