North Routt Elk River Guest Ranch back on the market
Elk River Guest Ranch access includes one-third of a mile of river access for trout fishing, 900 feet shared with five adjacent lots and another 900 feet that is exclusive to the guest ranch.
Tom Ross: Steamboat Springs' Kris and Becky Hammond finally let go of wedding pig
Kris Hammond was traveling from Loveland to San Antonio in his white Mercury Lynx about four or five days prior to his wedding day when the driveshaft gave out near Lamesa, Texas.
Moisture contained in snow near Steamboat Springs grew by 3 percentage points in March
Meteorologist Joel Gratz forecasts that Steamboat Ski Area could see 4 to 11 inches of new snow from Friday night to Monday night with the best chance of snow arriving Saturday night.
Yampa Valley Farms seeks county permit for chicken processing plant near Milner
The chickens are pastured on a farm in the Elk River Valley that has been out of production for 30 years.
Routt County will spend more to inhibit dusty roads in persistent drought
The Routt County Board of Commissioners voted unanimously Tuesday to spend an additional $43,000 on liquid magnesium chloride to extend the dust-inhibiting treatment to portions of eight more roads.
Rain, snow mix in Steamboat could resemble thunder showers
Steamboat Springs residents who drove to work under gray skies Tuesday morning and thought they were seeing a little green grass poking out of south-facing road embankments weren’t imagining things.
Tom Ross: No two mountain towns are alike, and that includes Crested Butte and Steamboat Springs
Crested Butte is only about 20 miles from Aspen as the eagle flies, but 275 miles and 5 hours and 19 minutes via U.S. Highway 50 by car in winter.
Routt County building permit valuation up sharply through first quarter of 2013
Based on historic trends, building official Carl Dunham said the numbers for January, February and March paint an optimistic picture for the rest of 2013.
New owner of 19 Marabou homesteads near Steamboat calls timeout
SF Capital, based in Atlanta, will wait for Marabou lots already on the market to clear before returning to marketing its new acquisitions under more favorable conditions.
Routt County Habitat for Humanity contracts hit snags; duplex stands empty
The new Routt County Habitat for Humanity duplex in Riverside has been ready for occupancy since mid-February but continues to stand empty to the frustration of the two families who have dreamed of moving into a home of their own there for the past two years.
Tom Ross: Ecologist tells Steamboat audience wild horses play a vital role in the West
“The horse family is one of the most native of any group in North America. They were here continuously since the end of the dinosaurs.” — Ecologist Craig Downer
Steamboat Ski Area to launch $5M Four Points Lodge construction April 15
Steamboat Ski and Resort Corp.'s goal is to complete the new Four Points Lodge and have it operational in time for the 2013-14 holiday season.
Spring and summer flight options shrink for Steamboat travelers
In addition to cutting April and May flights to one round trip to and from Denver, there will be two daily round trips in June instead of the three that operated last summer and three flights in July instead of the four that served YVRA in July 2012.
Routt County commissioners approve final piece of Fetcher Ranch conservation legacy
The Fetcher family will donate more than half of the $700,000 appraised value of the acreage that sits on a high bench overlooking Steamboat Lake.
US Rep. Tipton reintroduces hydropower, fire treatment bills to Congress
U.S. Rep. Scott Tipton said the bill would allow small water districts to generate power by placing hydropower plants in existing water pipes, conduits and ditches.
Sheriff Garrett Wiggins asks Routt County commissioners for new lieutenant position
The sheriff told the county commissioners Monday of his need for a flex position that would allow a patrol-level sergeant to be promoted to take some of the pressure off his investigators during the busiest times of year.
Tom Ross: It's a good sign when the snow sticks to the backs of cows
No two winters in Steamboat are alike - hang around long enough and you’ll be able to say that you’ve seen snow fall from the sky in town in every month of the year.
Higher percentage of ski season airline seats to Steamboat are full even though overall arrivals are down
Preliminary figures suggest the financial performance of Steamboat’s ski season airline program will finish stronger this year than last even though the number of travelers on the jets is down.
Tom Ross: Latest books by Steamboat authors Bud Johnsen and Sam Garner are out
If you don’t recall Bud Johnsen from his days as manager of the Steamboat Springs Chamber Resort Association, you definitely remember him from the Diamond BJ Dance Hall.
Routt County sees boomlet in $4 million home sales
Three single-family homes, all selling at $4 million or higher, have closed this year with a combined value of $13.9 million.
Community Agriculture Alliance hosts 'speed-dating' breakfast for town, country folks
“Tourists and locals alike seek out and want to taste the local flavors. People are not only getting a meal, they’re getting an education,” Steamboat Springs restaurateur Michael Fragola said during Wednesday's National Agriculture Week breakfast.
Yampa Valley can expect rain before the snow returns Thursday
There has been modest improvement in the last two weeks near the 10,500-foot summit of Buffalo Pass, where an additional 2.4 inches of water has accumulated in the snow since March 6.
Routt County uses opening on planning staff to seek new assistant director
"Now’s the time to do it. Hiring a person with the right skill sets is really critical for us," said County Manager Tom Sullivan.
Plan for six new condos in Steamboat's Eagleridge neighborhood tabled by Planning Commission
The new Eagleridge Chadwick would represent a revival of an uncompleted parcel in the existing Chadwick Estates Villas townhomes originally approved in 2007 and halted after the real estate downturn.
Tom Ross: Routt County's earliest ranchers were drawn to Twentymile Park
Charley Temple pushed a herd of 1,500 steers from his father’s ranch near Wagon Mound, N.M., to Northwest Colorado, where they wintered on open range near Maybell and spent their summers in Twentymile Park.
West Acres owners confirm new mobile home park planned for Steamboat's west side
Spokesman Charlie Williams said he’s hopeful that the partnership can develop a minimum of 29 lots for mobile homes on the site and that lot rents at the new park would be similar to those at West Acres, where the average is about $560.
Tom Ross: Ski racing great Buddy Werner could be a rapscallion after all
Along the horseback ride, Buddy Werner encountered a stray sheep and stopped to round her up. Werner heaved the sheep onto a packsaddle where the sheep rode serenely and became the trip mascot.
Winter weather staging a return to Steamboat just ahead of late spring break families
Meteorologist Joel Gratz, who focuses on Steamboat, said all of the forecast models he follows point toward a stormy period from Wednesday to March 24.
Estate prefers ag buyer for historic Vernon Summer ranch south of Steamboat Springs
Allan White and Jane McLeod have not set an asking price for the 439-acre Vernon Summer ranch consisting of two parcels about 4 miles apart. Instead, they have solicited proposals.
Library builds on Buddy Werner's place in Steamboat Springs history
Billy Kidd said Buddy Werner’s humility and sportsmanship were never more evident than at the 1964 Winter Olympics in Innsbruck, Austria.
Routt commissioners vote to ban marijuana on all county property
The Routt County Board of Commissioners voted unanimously Tuesday to prohibit marijuana on all county property. The resolution prohibits the sale, possession, use or display of marijuana.
Tom Ross: Spring skiing arrives this week in Steamboat
Steamboat kids are in for one of the best Easter egg hunts ever, just 18 days away on March 30.
Steamboat Springs urban renewal group plans $240,000 in landscaping at Mount Werner Circle
The new plantings in the road medians on Mount Werner Circle would be chosen with water conservation and cost of upkeep in mind.
New buyers raise hope at downtown condominium projects
Four recent sales at Howelsen Place were for more than $400 per square foot and averaged 96 percent of listing price. Condos also are under contract at The Olympian and The Victoria downtown.
Tom Ross: Lewis and Clark walked in the land of the great white bears
Anyone who wants to glimpse what it was like to travel among grizzlies and wolves when the Rocky Mountains truly were wild can get a feel for it by reading “The Journals of Lewis and Clark,” as compiled by Bernard DeVoto.
Hogue gravel pit expansion less controversial than other gravel pits
The Routt County Planning Commission voted, 8-1, on Thursday night to recommend approval of an 11.7-acre expansion at one of the closest gravel mining operations to the city of Steamboat Springs.
Most area reservoirs expected to fill this summer, but Stagecoach still a question mark
Yamcolo Reservoir, with a capacity of 9,000 acre-feet of water, was tapped early in 2012 when every drop of water committed to agriculture was used.
Yampa Valley group calls for strategic plan to strengthen economy through sustainable energy practices
Steamboat Springs City Council member Sonja Macys said Steamboat Springs and Routt County need a communitywide economic development plan that includes standards allowing for measurable results.
Snowpack continues to lag; water restrictions could come to Steamboat Springs earlier this year
Mount Werner Water and Sanitation District General Manager Jay Gallagher said he plans to consult City Council about invoking watering restrictions in Steamboat Springs four to six weeks earlier than in 2012.
Water users in Yampa and Elk river valleys preparing for drought year
Summer 2013 stands to be another like summer 2012, when irrigation water was in tight supply on Elk and Yampa river valleys farms and ranches.
Routt County plays ball with Steamboat middle school's Great Outdoors Colorado grant application
The Steamboat Springs School District’s application to Great Outdoors Colorado for a $76,848 grant to help rebuild the playing field, running track and bleachers at the middle school received unanimous support Tuesday from the Routt County Board of Commissioners.
Tom Ross: More harrowing than a trip along I-70 on a busy ski weekend
I received reports over the weekend that the trek was rugged from Denver into the mountains and through the Eisenhower Tunnel. But the tedium those skiers and snowboarders endured couldn’t have matched the rigors of traveling over Rollins Pass and through “The White Desert” by train to reach Colorado’s Western Slope in the winter of 1909.
No future blue ribbons for pot brownies at Routt County Fair
After hearing a request from the Fair Board to ban pot from the fair’s exhibits, the county commissioners plan to expand the fair ban to all county properties and facilities.
Steamboat Ski Area gets 13.5 inches of new snow in 24-hour period
Local weather observer Art Judson measured the density of the snow in in town at 0.11 grams of water per cubic centimeter. At that density, the wet snow is 11 percent water.
Steamboat’s Maddoxes present family-friendly, affordable Wyoming skiing at Snowy Range
For every glamorous destination ski resort in North America, there are dozens of smaller ski areas that have their own vital roles to play in the ski industry. Snowy Range — just west of Laramie, Wyo., and owned and operated by the Maddox family of Steamboat Springs — is among them.
Snapshot of Presidents Day weekend at Snowy Range
Former Steamboat Springs resident Greg Hampshire, now of Cheyenne, Wyo., was making a return to skiing after breaking his tibia plateau two years ago. He brought his snowboarding son Ryan, 15, along with him.
Compare Snowy Range with similar ski areas in Colorado
How does Wyoming's Snowy Range Ski and Recreation Area compare with its competitors across the state border?
Business briefs: Yampa diner, hotel sell for $2.5 million
Some eyebrows might have raised this week when Penny’s Diner and the nearby Oak Tree Inn in the small South Routt town of Yampa sold for nearly $2.5 million.
LDM Global delivers on promise of growth in Steamboat Springs
LDM Global CEO Chris O’Reilly said the number of his company's employees based in Steamboat Springs could grow from 12 to 20 throughout the next year.
Tom Ross: Hubby finds wife's lost wedding band on Steamboat ski trail with help from mouse
A visiting physician who broke her arm in a skiing accident consequently lost her wedding band only to have a ski patrolman and a tiny rodent help her husband recover the precious jewelry a day later.
