Hundreds of skiers and snowboarders lined up early Wednesday, Nov. 23, to be among the first to take in the beauty of Mount Werner and kick off the winter season. 

Celebrating its 60th anniversary, Steamboat Resort recorded its largest opening day in nearly a decade with six lifts and 34 trails available. 

Steamboat Ski and Resort Corp. President and Chief Operating Officer Rob Perlman was happy to see the excitement on everyone’s faces ahead of the official start of Steamboat Resort’s ski season. 

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“Opening day is always exciting and this one is especially exciting because it’s our 60th anniversary and we have the best snow conditions we’ve had in a long time,” Perlman said. “Opening with six lifts and then tomorrow we’re going to get Storm Peak Express open, so we’ll have top-to-bottom skiing for our 2022-23 winter season. It’s spectacular.”

In celebration of the ski season, some people camped out at the resort to be the first up the mountain for opening day. 

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A group of Steamboat Springs Winter Sports Club athletes spent the night at the base of Mount Werner to ensure they would be at the front of the line Wednesday morning. It’s something Steamboat Springs High School senior Sal Malone has done a few times over the years. 

“Last night it was alright. It was pretty warm for most of the night and only got cold in the early morning, but it’s a lot of fun,” Malone said. “We had some camp stoves and some brats and some burgers, and we were just having a good time.”

The strategy worked for Malone and his friends, who were first to get on the gondola. 

Eighth-grader Delia Reynolds stood with Malone at the front of the line and was anxious to get back on the mountain for the first time since April. 

“Over the summer, you just really want to go skiing again, so getting up there and skiing fresh groomers is really nice,” Reynolds said.

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Among the sea of skiers in line was Loris “Bugs” Werner, the brother of the legendary Buddy Werner, whom the mountain is named after.

Bugs did not camp out overnight, but his excitement for the season was just as intense as those in front of him. 

“It’s very exciting,” Loris said. “This is the weather that you hope for every year, and to have this much mountain open now is out of sight. This is the best mountain in Colorado so the more you can get on it, the better it is.”

Along with the mountain opening for winter fun, Steamboat Square also celebrated the opening of its new stage and ice rink, which was named in honor of Bugs’ other sibling, Gladys “Skeeter” Werner.

Skeeter’s Rink, named after the late Olympic Alpine skier, allows visitors to skate in the heart of the resort’s base area with a gorgeous mountainous backdrop. 

This is just one of many new improvements to the resort has made as part of its Full Steam Ahead project. Other offerings to look for this winter season include the unveiling of the new Wild Blue Gondola and Steamboat Square’s new eatery called The Range food and drink hall.

Perlman stressed his excitement for this winter season and added he cannot wait to see the continued improvement of the resort. 

“We’re investing in a great resort and making it even better for guests to come here not only locally, but all over the world to experience this spectacular resort and the new improvements we’ve been working on the last couple of years,” Perlman said. “We’ve got a couple years to go so, full steam ahead.”