1. Steamboat Resort unwraps ‘one-of-a-kind’ Wild Blue Gondola just in time for Christmas

With snow falling, Steamboat Resort opened the Wild Blue Gondola on Saturday, Dec. 24, just in time for Christmas. The debut was complete with a red bow on the first car, a ribbon cutting, a jingle of bells and a long line of people waiting to board. 

“It’s the day before Christmas. It’s the seventh night of Hanukkah. And Hanukkah is all about miracles,” said Steamboat Ski Resort Corp. President and Chief Operating Officer Rob Perlman ahead of the opening.

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2. Neighboring residents oppose residential care facility in Steamboat Springs

The Steamboat Christian Center and Come as You Are Ministry are reconfiguring their plans for a property purchased for $1.75 million in May on Ski Trail Lane after the Steamboat Springs Board of Adjustment denied a requested adjustment to the city’s parking requirements.

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3. Expensive eggs: Avian flu hampers Colorado supply chain

Egg supplies in grocery stores across Steamboat Springs have been hit or miss the past several weeks, causing confusion for some consumers.

Plus, the price of eggs has increased substantially the past few months due to continued problems across the U.S. from the highly pathogenic avian influenza, which recently spiked in Weld County in northeastern Colorado.

4. Owner says century-old home may be torn down after Routt commissioners deny variance request

A century-old home given a historic designation by Routt County commissioners just nine months ago may be torn down after county commissioners denied a variance request from the property owner.

In a divided vote, commissioners denied a request on Tuesday, Dec. 27, seeking to redefine the 1911 Fair Acres Ranch home as a secondary dwelling unit on the property under a regulation that a different group of commissioners put in place decades ago but has never been used.

5. Emergency Department doctor retires after 40 years serving Steamboat

After working as an emergency medicine physician in Steamboat Springs for 40 years and treating almost every type of case imaginable, Dr. David Wilkinson served his last shift on Wednesday, Dec. 21, in the Emergency Department at UCHealth Yampa Valley Medical Center.

A group from Steamboat Springs Fire Rescue stopped by to wish Wilkinson well over coffee and bagels.

6. Amid nationwide chaos, Southwest has canceled all its flights into Yampa Valley Regional Airport since Christmas

Southwest Airlines has not landed a plane at the Yampa Valley Regional Airport since before Christmas, as incoming flights were nixed along with thousands of the carrier’s offerings across the country.

The cancelations will continue in Hayden because the airline has already scrapped six flights to and from the Yampa Valley on Wednesday, Dec. 28, and another three on Thursday, Dec. 29, according to FlightAware, a website that tracks flights across the country.

7. Why I moved here: 4 locals share what brought them to the Yampa Valley and why they stayed

There are many repeated tales from those who live in the Yampa Valley. Some came for the winters and stayed for the summer and some only intended to be a ski bum for a year, but everyone is eventually hit by the Yampa Valley curse, or a compelling urge to never leave.

8. UPDATED: U.S. 40 reopens west of Steamboat

3:15 p.m.: U.S. Highway 40 reopened in both directions shortly after 3 p.m. after closing for nearly an hour, according to Routt County Alerts.

9. Wet, heavy snow leads to car crashes, road closures and power outages across the Yampa Valley

Heavy snow brought to the Yampa Valley by a strong atmospheric river led a myriad of vehicle crashes, road closures and power outages in and around Steamboat Springs over the past two days.

The effects were almost immediately noticed when snow started falling Tuesday evening, Dec. 27, with traffic slowdowns on U.S. Highway 40 through Steamboat Springs, especially on the east side of the city near the base of Steamboat Resort.

10. Bluebird Backcountry to host largest opening day in its history

Backcountry skiing returns for another winter season at Colorado’s newest ski area, Bluebird Backcountry. 

Bluebird will open its trails at 8:30 a.m. on Thursday, Dec. 29, hosting one of its largest opening days yet. The inaugural day will feature the most terrain Bluebird has had available for opening day in its three years and Scott Leigh, general manager and chief operation officer of the ski area, believes it will make the skiing fantastic.