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Yampatika’s 1st full moon snowshoe tour of season planned Sunday on Steamboat’s Skyline Trail

Tom Ross

Yampatika, Steamboat Springs’ environmental education nonprofit, wraps up its 20th anniversary celebration Sunday with a rare moonlight snowshoe tour on the Skyline Trail, which traverses a narrow ridge overlooking Rollingstone Ranch Golf Club with Fish Creek drainage to the south and Elkins Meadows to the north.

Morgan Moss, Yampatika’s program coordinator, said the tour usually takes place on Emerald Mountain, but current snow conditions are better on the Skyline Trail. With a forecast of fresh snow Saturday night, conditions for the tour led by naturalist Karen Vail could be ideal. But snow or no snow, the tour will take place even if it means hiking in snow boots rather than on snowshoes, Moss said.

“It’s quiet up on Skyline, and the views should be great,” Moss said.



Vail grew up in Steamboat, is trained as a botanist and will share her knowledge of local flora and fauna, geology and history.

Other moonlight snowshoe tours this winter will take place Dec. 17, Jan. 16, Feb. 14 and March 16 (times vary). Uranium Mine snowshoe tours will be offered to those 12 and older from 10 a.m. to 1 p.m. Fridays beginning Dec. 20 and continuing through March 21.



Daylight snowshoe tours on Emerald Mountain beginning with a ride up the chairlift at Howelsen Hill are offered from 10 a.m. to noon Saturdays from Dec. 21 through March 15.

Registration is required for all the snowshoe tours by calling 970-871-9151.

Ski with a naturalist excursions also are offered atop the gondola at Steamboat Ski Area from 1:30 to 2:30 p.m. Tuesdays and Thursdays beginning Dec. 17. They are sponsored by the ski area, and no registration is necessary, but lift tickets are not included.

To reach Tom Ross, call 970-871-4205, email tross@SteamboatToday.com or follow him on Twitter @ThomasSRoss1


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