Has the Tide turned for Tourism in Steamboat?

  I just read the June 2010 Sales tax info for Steamboat and it confirmed my thoughts over the past month or so that we are finding the bottom in tourism levels here in Steamboat.  If I may be so bold I suspect we may have turned the corner.  Why do I say that?  First as I talk to fellow business owners around town many are seeing their business firm up and several are seeing good increases over last year, two town seems busier than last year parking wise, three I see that the sales tax report shows overall sales taxes were  down 3.37% for June, retail was down 4.1% and lodging was down 2.1%.

  How could things be getting better if the numbers are down?  Well the best run businesses tend to lead us out of downturns and the friends I talked to definitely qualify for that and most of downtown and the inner circle of the mountain area were pretty torn up in June with the road construction significantly limiting access to downtown businesses and the promenade construction slowing things down at the mountain.   Downtown saw about a 10% hit vs June 2009 which looks to be driven by the tearup and rebuilding of 2/3 of Lincoln Avenue downtown ) I'm surprised it was only down 10%.  The Mountain area actually saw about a 12% increase which I think is a great sign.   Lodging is our most direct proxy for how tourism is performing and it was pretty darn close to last year even with our downtown torn up for road construction. 

  July numbers will really tell the story but I suspect that we will see more signs that things are stabilizing and possibly a couple of segments showing some growth over last year.  I know that most my out of town friends are planning trips, going out to dinner and buying sports gear to make the most of their time in Steamboat so hopefully that is a good sign for the market as a whole.  Real Estate sales are over 200% of last year to date and I think that is a good sign people are both more confident and will also be spending more time here going forward.  To see the numbers for yourself go to the City's Sales tax page here.

  I got a nice email from Scott Ford, one of our local economic gurus, that said this basically agrees with the Yampa Valley Partners economic forecast.  They expect an increase of about 4% in Gross Retail Sales in July.  He also said "I think we still have some significant challenges in the local economy - the construction industry sector specifically, but I think we are seeing more positive signs than negative."  Once we see construction come back things should feel a whole lot better around here.  It will take increases in Real Estate sales and clear out some inventory to do so. We are starting to make good progress on that this year but it will likely be a couple of years before we get there.  In the meantime if you need some construction work or want to build your dream home pricing is very good and you can get one of the best builders in town to work for you.  Ask me I can recommend one for you.

  For more info call Jon at 970-819-6930 or send me an email. I respect your time and will answer your questions thoughtfully. You can also click back to the Steamboat Springs blog main page or go to my Steamboat Colorado Real Estate page if you want to search for property in Steamboat.

Santa for Christmas in Downtown Steamboat

I was fortunate to have the chance to sponsor half of the cost to bring Santa to downtown Steamboat Springs for 5 different events this holiday season. The dates and times are in the picture above. I thought it was a great chance to give back and help make Christmas special to the kids after a successful year in a tough environment.

If you haven't had a chance to make it to Downtown Steamboat over the holiday season these events are a great chance to have fun, share some holiday cheer and see a lot of friends all at once. I hope to see you down there.


For more click back to the Steamboat Springs blog main page.

First night of Snowmaking in Steamboat!

I walked outside this morning and there was a fog over portions of the lower mountain along with the tell tale sound that snowmaking had begun for the 2009/2010 Ski Season here in Steamboat. Fall is incredible here in Steamboat and one of my favorite times of the year here so I never want it to end but at the same time I can't help myself and dream of skiing with any sign that it is coming soon. I hope that you can join us this year, it has been a cool snowy fall and if this keeps up it could be a great winter.

For more click back to the Steamboat Springs blog main page.

4 weeks until the 2009/2010 Ski Season Begins in Steamboat Springs

I don't know about you but my dreams and day dreams are now filled with powder days and fast cruisers on the mountain not to mention deep backcountry ski days up on Buffalo Pass. Some new gear has somehow found it's way into my collection and I am considering new skis for me and my wife. I will also take the kids in this week for their season rentals. They talk everyday about skiing with daddy on the big mountain and I can't wait to get out with them. Are you ready yet?

For more click back to the Steamboat Springs blog main page.

Colorado’s Best Mountain Community for Families: Steamboat Springs

The Mountain Mammas blog posted a piece titled Tour de Colorado’s Best Mountain Community for Families: Steamboat Springs. It's nice to see that she liked Steamboat despite plenty of drama from her kids and a case of the keys left in their running car.

No surprise to anyone who knows Steamboat. What is she doesn't get is that her car wouldn't be anymore likely to be stolen had it been left unlocked while running. We are fortunate to live in a very special place populated & visited by wonderful people.

For more click back to the Steamboat Springs blog main page.

Options for continuing base area upgrades recieve a warm welcome from City Council

I am fortunate to be a part of the Urban Renewal Authority Advisory Committee that manages the funds for improvements at the base of the Steamboat Ski Area. We have laid the foundation for significant improvements to the base area and have had several breakthroughs in working through the designs and agreements necessary for construction of a new promenade linking the inside of the base area together.

To do this we need a second larger bond issue which has become more difficult to get and less comfortable given the current uncertain national market and uncertain city revenues. It looked like we would not be able to proceed and several naysayers asked why we even bothered to continue to meet. The answer was because we all care deeply about Steamboat and understand the importance of improvements to our base area. As business people it just wasn't in our nature to give up without looking at more options.

Several people on the team including myself suggested we see if there was a way to do this responsibly for the city. David Nagel stepped up to lead the effort and organize the team. With a lot of work in a short time we were able to put together a detailed analysis of how this could be structured to reduce risk on the original bonds and leave a comfortable margin on the new bonds given new properties that will be finished soon. It looks like we can proceed with minimal risk. City Staff and now Council agreed and we hope to have a final decision soon.

This is good for Steamboat now and sends a strong message about where we are going. I will look forward to seeing the council make a well considered choice from this group's recommendations on May 5th once we have new assessments of the base area property values that fund URA improvements to confirm we can safely pay the bonds.

You can read the Steamboat Pilot article by clicking here. If you have any questions about this project or how it will impact the base area and property values feel free to call me at 970-819-6930 or email jon@mybrokers.com. For more click back to the Steamboat Springs blog main page.

2009 Steamboat Triathlon

I am proud to say that our company's charitable foundation has taken over as the title sponsor of this signature event and has assumed financial responsibility for making it a success going forward. We are proud to be working with a broad group of people all around Steamboat who are volunteering their time to put together and run the event.

STEAMBOAT SPRINGS, CO — Registration is now open for the Steamboat Triathlon! On Sunday, August 30th, 2009 at 8:00 am, join 650 athletes at the edge of Lake Catamount, nestled in the Yampa Valley near the Medicine Bow & Routt National Forests, just 20 minutes outside of Steamboat Springs, Colorado. Offering a sprint distance event, the Steamboat Triathlon will take place entirely in Steamboat Springs. The swim, bike and run courses will challenge athletes among the mountains of Northern Colorado, along the pristine Yampa River.

“Great cities have great marathons and great triathlons,” said Event Director Joy Rasmussen. “Look at Boston, New York, Philadelphia and Chicago. We have our great marathon -- the Steamboat Marathon -- and the great city of Steamboat Springs welcomes participants with our signature triathlon -- the Steamboat Triathlon.” “The spectacular valley location makes this event perfect for spectators, and provides great opportunities for volunteers who want to be part of a triathlon event.”

The triathlon will be staged at Lake Catamount, where Sarvice Creek empties from the Sarvice Creek Wilderness Area. The swim will be a point to point course in Lake Catamount. The bike course will run on county roads making a turnaround in downtown. The run will be on paved roads near Lake Catamount.

The ¾ swim course will be a water start, waist deep, and you will be guided by buoys on the course. This is a wetsuit-legal race, with anticipated water temperatures from 66 to 70 degrees. The 20 mile bike course will start at Lake Catamount, in an out and back ride. There are no major hills on this beautifully scenic route, which features riding along the Yampa River, and offering spectacular looks at the mountains that grace the area. The 10 mile mark and turn around area is at historic Howelsen Hill in downtown Steamboat Springs. The 4-mile run will leave the transition area and go 2 miles, there will be a turnaround, and you will run to the finish on this out-and-back route. There will be no major hills, and it is all paved. The Steamboat Springs Triathlon is limited to just 650 entries and is sanctioned by USA Triathlon, the sport of triathlon’s national governing body.

For more click back to the Steamboat Springs blog main page.

Marabou Ranch is recognized for their leadership in Sustainable Development

It is great to see the team at Marabou getting recognition for their leadership in sustainable development. In addition to the green features and practices they have implemented I think that preserving about 1,300 acres in its historic agricultural uses and natural state is a great way to preserve what is special about Steamboat's history and character.

"Mountain Living Magazine recently named Marabou winner of the 2009 Responsible Development Award. Marabou was recognized for our commitment to smart, sustainable and beautiful design. "We are proud to accept the Sustainable Award from Mountain Living Magazine, and feel honored to have been chosen from among so many other great projects!"" - Jeff Temple, Elk River Partners.
For more click back to the Steamboat Springs blog main page.

Good Morning America comes to the Steamboat Winter Carnival

Steamboat's Winter Carnival drew national attention this year with the arrival of Good Morning America to cover the festivities. Their segment (Watch it HERE click on the plus at the bottom right to see it bigger) did a good job covering a few highlights but there is nothing like being here in person to feel the energy of the kids, spectators and the Steamboat down to earth authenticity that comes for the great people here and can't be duplicated anywhere else.

It warms my soul to be a part of it and seems to have the same effect on everyone there. My 5 yr old son did some of the skiing and night events, my 3 yr old Neve let us know she was ready to join in next year. It is worth a special trip to check it out for yourself so mark it on your calendar for February to join in on the fun yourself. Only in Steamboat...


For more click back to the Steamboat Springs blog main page.

How does the economy affect Ski Vacations?

I thought you might like to see this article from the National Ski Area Association on the impact of a poor economy on skier visits. If the snow is good the skiers still come. Accuweater.com is forecasting a good year for the Northern Rockies so we will look forward to seeing all of you in Steamboat this winter :) Keep up your snow dances. Fares are very good into Steamboat this winter so don't leave us spoiled locals alone to ski it all for ourselves... we will get lonely eventually.

NSAA OUTLINES POTENTIAL BUSINESS IMPACTS OF ECONOMY, SNOWFALL
SAM Magazine—Lakewood, Colo., Oct. 9, 2008—A special NSAA report prepared by RRC Associates concludes that snowfall will be a greater indicator of visits this coming season than the economy. The report is based on an analysis of visits, snowfall, economic conditions, and consumer confidence over the past 30 years.

RRC outlines two different scenarios for the coming season. In the first, the economy and consumer confidence are weak, but snow is plentiful and consistent throughout the season. In this case, snow quality, temperatures, and timing of snowfall will determine area visits. The clearest example of this is from 1981-82, when the economy was in recession but good snowfall led to a rebound in visits from the previous poor season—from 39.7 to 50.7 million visits.

If the economy and consumer confidence are weak and snowfall is erratic, however (the second scenario), poor snow and a weak economy can combine to reduce visits dramatically. Such was the case in both 1980-81 and 1990-91, the two years with the lowest visitation over the study period (39.7 and 46.7 million visits respectively). The report concludes that if snow is good, even a significant economic downturn will likely have only a “moderate” impact on visits.

For more click back to the Steamboat Springs blog main page.

Abundant snow is forecast for the Northern Rockies this winter

Accuweather.com is predicting another great snow year for the coming winter, just not a big as last year. This is great news for us Powderhounds here in Steamboat. I have a policy of never complaining about snow since I wish so hard for a great ski season every year but I have to admit I need a few more weeks of the perfect fall weather we are having this year to be ready for the transition to winter. I has been gorgeous lately, sunny and 70's during the day showing off the fall colors with nights at or below freezing . Last night 2-3 inches of water in my boat cover froze solid. Is everyone ready for another great snow year?

Excerpts from Accuweather.com's winter 2008/2009 forecast: According to Bastardi, December could be the roughest month of a colder and snowier winter that could finish with another cold spell in late January and February. Temperatures in the West will be warmer than last winter, and could be warmer than normal. Ski resort operators in the northern Rockies and the Northwest will enjoy another season of abundant snow, although snow depths will not match last winter's record-setting snowpack.

The storms that have moved through the West over the past week have brought early snow to the high country. A new storm moving through the West this weekend will add more snow while pumping cold air as far south as Southern California. The storm will move into the Northwest on Thursday. At the same time, the jet stream will plunge to the south, bringing cold air into the Desert Southwest and Southern California.

While snow this weekend spreads from the Wasatch Range in Utah to southern Montana, strong winds wrapping around the bottom of the storm will blast across Southern California, Arizona, Nevada and New Mexico. Heavy snow is possible into the weekend in the higher terrain of the northern Rockies. For more click back to the Steamboat Springs blog main page.

Steamboat's First Snow on Mount Werner for 2008/2009 Season

The Steamboat Ski area received our first official snow of the season last night. We had a record winter of nearly 500 inches last season followed by about 170 inches after closing, a relatively short but amazing summer, a beautiful fall and now our first snow on Mount Werner. Before this we have had 2-3 snows in the area on the Zirkels and Flattops since August. The first snow on Mount Werner is our official wake-up call to get in our last month or so of summer / fall activities, start getting in shape, tuning up the snow blower and start more frequent day dreaming about the powder we will ski this winter.

There are now 51 days until opening day and while I want to enjoy every fall day I can't help but dream myself. I know I am not alone because I get several calls a week from friends and readers asking if it has snowed yet, telling me how psyched they are for ski season and planning everything from trips to new gear to make the most of the season. As you might imagine I don't mind getting those calls one bit and my voice perks up as soon as I know I have received one. Below is a video produced by the Steamboat Ski area summarizing our record breaking 2007/2008 ski season here in Steamboat that I thought might help you get in the mood for this season. Start planning your season now if you haven't already. Airfares on all of the airlines are great this season since Frontier has come to town so take advantage and plan an extra trip or two.

For more click back to the Steamboat Springs blog main page.

Frontier Steamboat Springs Update

Steamboat's Vice President of Marketing Rob Perlman just said that United has slashed their fares to as low as $300 in response. We will see where it settles out but as I said below this should be good for airfares into Steamboat Springs. The Steamboat Pilot published a story this morning with more details. Here is my original blog post on Steamboat's new Frontiers flights
from this morning.

"Frontier will not have a contractual relationship with Steamboat Ski and Resort Corp. Other airlines have deals with the resort and the city, which collects a lodging tax to help support air service. “Frontier choosing Steam­boat on a standalone basis is terrific because it speaks to our desirability as a destination,” Wirth said.

Wirth said the presence of Frontier, a lower-cost airline, probably would put pricing pressure on other carriers. American Airlines, Continental Airlines, Delta Air Lines, Northwest Airlines and United Airlines offer nonstop flights to YVRA during ski season. That variety is positive, Wirth said.

For more click back to the Steamboat Springs blog main page.

Frontier Airlines comes to Steamboat Springs!

This announcement should be a big boost for Steamboat this winter for those whose live here full time or as much as they can. Another 200+ seats a day on a well run airline into Steamboat is a great thing. The best part is that they fly to most of Steamboat’s biggest markets where the majority of you live already (see below) so you and our loyal visitors that rent will have more options to come here.

Increased supply of seats should also help fares overall but will it make Steamboat more crowded? Christmas, President’s day and Spring break we are pretty much at capacity already and the mountain / URA has plans to improve lifts and other facilities over the next few years along with several new restaurants coming on line so that should be ok. On other weeks 700-1200 people shouldn’t feel much that much different at around 5-7% of available beds if you consider the mix of owners and rentals that will use these flights. We will see how it works out but it doesn’t appear to be too much and will provide a cushion if we lose other service due to current airline financial weakness.

I was curious where the fares would come in so I pulled a few Saturday to Saturday fares: from Houston over Christmas week is currently $655 and Spring break during the 3rd week of March is $455, the 3rd week of February is the same. Continental from Houston over Christmas starts at $718 per person and $408 over Spring break. Initial pricing is not a boon but more supply and airline diversity is very good and should moderate fares over time. It should also make the better fares available a bit longer since there are more seats to sell. If you want to check from where you live just click this link: www.frontierairlines.com or scroll down for the cities this brings us better access to.

Steamboat Springs (HDN) to and from:
Akron/Canton, Houston, Portland, Albuquerque, Indianapolis, Rapid City, Atlanta, Kansas City, Sacramento, Austin, Las Vegas, St. Louis, Billings, Los Angeles, San Antonio, Boise, Milwaukee, San Diego, Bozeman, Minneapolis/St. Paul, San Francisco, Chicago/Midway, Nashville, San Jose CA, Colorado Springs, New York/La Guardia, Seattle, Dallas/Ft. Worth, Oklahoma City, Spokane, Dayton, Omaha, Tampa, Detroit, Orange County, Tucson, Durango, Orlando, Washington D.C. Reagan, El Paso, Philadelphia, Wichita, & Phoenix

Check out the rest of my Steamboat Blog for other updates or just to dream about your next trip. I try to post a couple of times a week. As always if you have any questions about what is going on, the details behind something you read or you are coming out please email or give me a call to catch up.

Steamboat Base area improvements update

I got a question from a client about the status of projects and the public improvements at the base area so I thought I would share my response with you. In regards to base area improvements the public URA funded improvements are progressing and I just got chosen to be on the URAAC committee that manages what gets designed and built for the city. Intrawest has made the first round of on mountain regrading and new lifts at the base. Private project wise One Steamboat Place next to the gondola is doing their steelwork, Edgemont just up the hill below Bearclaw has broken ground and released the contract to build, Ski Time Square is being demolished as we speak but it will be at least a year before that starts due to planning time frames. Some things may go a little slower but not yet. Edgemont starting is a very good sign and a strong vote of confidence in Steamboat given the national lending environment.

I am always happy to answer questions or give you an update so call me at 970-819-6930 if you are curious about progress or the details. For more click back to the Steamboat Springs blog main page.

Steamboat Season Pass advice

I often advise my friends to think about how much they will be out here for the coming season. Most people assume it doesn’t make sense to have a season pass because they live in XYZ etc but nearly everyone would like to ski here more and are pretty goal oriented about making that happen.

1. Take a minute to look a little deeper and do the math. http://steamboat.com/plan-vacation/tickets-passes/results/
2. The $979 pass price divided by $70 per day (assuming you get a good deal) equals 14 days of skiing to pay for it.
3. In Steamboat kids under 12 get a free pass for every adult that buys one, this is a big deal.
4. A large part of the value of having a season pass is the flexibility it provides. With Steamboat’s short lift lines you can have a great ski day in 2-3 hours and either “Work from Home” or trade off with your spouse and spend time with younger kids doing something else. It is getting to be a distant memory but I did a lot of working from home my last few years at HP and my rankings & results went higher the more I did. Hmmm, could getting a season pass be a great career move?? Be careful because you might end up moving here like me.
5. Make it a goal to be here more this winter not just some time in the future. I know that you have achieved much bigger goals than this so I am confident you will succeed.
6. Say you ski here a couple of weeks a year or a week and two long weekends you are well within reach.
7. If you are flexible why not watch the snow reports and plan on doing an extra trip on frequent flier miles when the conditions are perfect.
8. If you fly a lot for work tack on a few ski legs onto your itineraries over the winter.
9. If you have been meaning to delegate more or bring on a manger so you can get away more what better reason to push you over the edge?
10. A 20 day Super Value pass is $799 or $40 per day, 15 and 10 day versions are also available. 10-12 days is break-even , why not extend a stay or add a boys /girls trip to your winter plans?
11. Don’t think so much, just do it and you will be amazed how you will figure out how to use the extra days to enjoy our favorite mountain.
12. I have so many more ideas it is a little scary but I was once a remote local like you and spent more than a little brainpower figuring this all out. I am happy to advise you on the best strategy at any time.
    

Let me know when you are coming so we can get out and use those new passes or do something fun. For more click back to the Steamboat Springs blog main page.

New Wild Horse Gondola

Word is that we may hear something soon on a deal for increased capacity of the public gondola from Wild Horse Meadows and the Ski area parking lot to up next to the main Steamboat gondola at the base. The Wild Horse Developers have been playing hardball according to several sources but the Steamboat Ski area and others are working hard to negotiate for a higher capacity version. That is the best solution for everyone in my opinion. Either way the Wild Horse people have said that they plan to put up the towers this summer and that will be exciting to see. On a side note Trailhead Lodge, the first condo building in Wild Horse Meadows has the majority of their concrete work done and began the wood framing this week. The last update I got said they expect to finish the building in June 2009.

For more click back to the Steamboat Springs blog main page.

The Sheraton Steamboat Golf course is renamed

It looks like they really stretched their imagination to come up with this name which is very similar to Catamount Ranch and Club. I can't figure out how they get a ranch out of it since the course is no where near a ranch and doesn't look anything like one. Is this a clue to what they have planned? I hope not.

From Troon Golf's Website: "Rollingstone Ranch Golf Club (formerly The Sheraton Steamboat Golf Club) is home to one of the best Colorado golf courses in the Rocky Mountains. Although known primarily as a premiere ski resort, Fairways Magazine has voted the award winning 18-hole Rollingstone Ranch golf course (formerly Sheraton Steamboat golf course) in Steamboat Springs, Colorado, as one of the 100 Best Golf Resorts.

Rollingstone Ranch Golf Club, a Rocky Mountain resort with a championship course designed by Robert Trent Jones II, offers incredible views of the Yampa Valley including Fish Creek that winds through seven holes of the course. Rollingstone Ranch Golf Club has forged a reputation for providing luxury conference facilities with 11 meeting rooms including a 6,300 square foot conference room that can seat 700."

For more click back to the Steamboat Springs blog main page.

Someone turned the snow back on... 32 feet so far

We have had incredibly consistent snow this year with 8 out of 10 days fresh until about a week and a half ago many locals were hoping for a break from shoveling and a chance to see the sun. We had some nice sun and late winter / spring conditions that allowed people to catch up on snow removal and the snowpack in valley to consolidate easing things a bit on the wildlife. We are closing in on 400 inches this year and it's not even March yet so let's hope for a record year with 460 plus inches!

Here is a quote from today's Straight Talk Ski Report " And the award goes to... While Hollywood rolled out the red carpet for the 80th Annual Academy Awards last night, we've rolled out the white carpet for yet another powder day in Ski Town, USA® a creamy-dreamy 6-8" at 5 a.m. with more falling from the sky. As Hollywood reached their milestone of 80 years, we are nearing our milestone of 400" just having surpassed the 32 foot mark. Keep it coming!

For my first turns down Rudi's I stayed skier's right and still found untracked lines with my name on them. Thick and rich, more vanilla milkshake than champagne, I floated through easing into my Monday morning nice and slow. The mountain is capped with a snow cloud and the visibility is minimal, we're talking last scene in Casablanca here's not being able to look at you foggy. "

Back to the Steamboat Springs blog main page for more.

Steamboat Airline Schedules & Connections

Steamboat's airline connections are improving. We have added 50,000 new ski season seats in the last few years and our Fly Steamboat program continues to actively work with the airlines to add more seats and more direct flights year round. In addition, the airport is upgrading electronic controls, to cut the interval between landings of aircraft, now at 15 minutes, down to two minutes. The technology that will make this possible is called WAM, or wide-area multilateration. It is expected to be in place for the 2010-11 ski season. We have the most accessible airport in the Rocky Mtns right now in bad weather and this will allow us to get in even more flights in bad weather.

It is also worth noting that beginning in May United Airlines is going to year round jet service out of Hayden (HDN) for the flights that connect via Denver.

Back to the Steamboat Springs blog main page for more.