The story of Nordic skiing in Steamboat Springs is often told through Olympic medals and champagne powder, but the ground we glide on today was secured through a different kind of effort: the tireless advocacy of a few dedicated locals. The Steamboat Springs Nordic Council (SSNC) was born in 2000 during a pivotal moment for "Ski Town USA."

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A Crisis and a Vision

At the turn of the millennium, Steamboat’s Nordic community faced a staggering loss. Development at the Sanctuary property led to the closure of the northern trails at the Steamboat Springs Touring Center, including the iconic Elkins Meadow. Overnight, the town lost over 50% of its skiable terrain.

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Refusing to see the local Nordic scene diminished, Dr. Dan Smilkstein and a handful of enthusiasts formed the Steamboat Springs Nordic Council. Their mission was clear: to ensure that Nordic skiing remained a cornerstone of the Steamboat lifestyle. Through strategic negotiations with the City and private developers, the Council secured a $50,000 mitigation fund, the seed money that would eventually sprout into the Emerald Mountain trail network we know today.

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The Hand-Built Legacy of Emerald Mountain

Between 2000 and 2006, the Nordic Council turned its eyes toward Howelsen Hill and Emerald Mountain. In a remarkable display of "sweat equity," a small team of volunteers acted as designers, engineers, and laborers. Working in phases, they built a world-class network at virtually no cost to the City:

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• Emerald Meadows: The first phase established a rolling, accessible landscape for all skiers.

• The Bluffs & Håkan Spår: Leveraging a landmark 170-acre donation from Gloria Gossard and a Purchase of Development Rights on the Coombs property, the Council created Håkan Spår (Hakan’s Track). This intermediate trail through aspen groves was named in honor of Swedish ski devotee Håkan Lindgren, embodying the community spirit of the project.

• The Connector: This final piece of the puzzle linked the existing Howelsen trails to the new meadows, creating a cohesive, sprawling system.

 

Notably, these pioneers were ahead of their time, engineering these trails to be dual-use, ensuring they would serve mountain bikers in the summer as effectively as skiers in the winter.

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High-Altitude Sanctuary: Bruce’s Trail

While the Council was transforming the valley floor, they were also looking toward enhancing early season skiing. One of their most beloved missions was the stewardship of Bruce’s Trail on Rabbit Ears Pass. Named in memory of local skier Bruce Ablin, this high-altitude loop is the first place in the region to hold snow.

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Under a special permit with the Routt National Forest, the Council took on the responsibility of grooming Bruce’s Trail. By providing early-season access when the valley was still brown, they created a "bridge" for the community, ensuring that the Nordic season started as early as October or November. This was a true community service, funded by donations and groomed by volunteers.

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Building a Unified Community

The Council’s impact reached far beyond the dirt and snow. They sought to bridge the gap between public and private lands, creating the Valley Pass. This collaborative effort brought together the City, Steamboat Lake State Park, and private ranches like Vista Verde and Catamount under a single pass system. To celebrate this unity, they launched the Nordic Challenge Race Series and the North Routt Coureur des Bois, a marquee event that defined the local racing calendar for over a decade.

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The Final Piece of the Puzzle

The Council’s ultimate legacy lies in the preservation of the land itself. Through the Emerald Mountain Partnership, they helped facilitate the massive 4,400-acre BLM land exchange. By 2011, the acquisition of the land stretching toward the VOR tower was complete, permanently protecting the ridge from development.

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Today, as we launch this new organization, we stand on the shoulders of those who flagged the trails, seeded the meadows, and sat in the boardrooms to protect our right to glide. The spirit of the original Nordic Council remains our guiding light: that a dedicated group of neighbors can shape the very landscape of the place we call home.

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