Latest Posts to our new Blog

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Catered Ski Chalets - new Economy Options in Steamboat
Check out our latest offerings to meet the challenges of the current economy

Rental Home vs. Condo

Why you would always chose to stay in a home...

Your 2009 Summer Vacation could look like this

How you could fill a week in Steamboat Springs

Luxury Vacation Home Rentals make more sense than a Destination Club

Why you don't need a $500,000 pay-to-play membership

The Blog is Moving!

In addition to Moving the Mountains we are moving our blog!

The new address is: http://movingmountains.com/ski-chalet-blog/. If you are currently subscribed to this blog you will need to re-subscribe to the new blog by following the link below.

We will continue to update you with news and information regarding our vacation rental homes and catered chalets and events going on in Steamboat Springs.

New Website is live!

Our new website is finally live and delivering a new state of the art representation of our beautiful vacation homes and catered chalets.

We are working on the final component for our new website which is a brief flash movie that highlights our Steamboat vacation homes and catered chalet packages.



Since 1998 when we started operations we have aimed to offer the very best lodging and hospitality services. We now represent over 20 of the finest homes in Steamboat Springs and an unparalleled range of services including private chefs and concierge service for activities, lift tickets and ski school.

Moving Mountains is recognized as a leading provider of ski lodging for families, groups and corporate retreats in Steamboat Springs. We have been written up in Forbes Magazine, SKI Magazine, USA Today, Travel and Leisure Online, The Denver Post, Washington Post and the New York Times.

Old Man Winter Checks Into Steamboat For The Week

Powder hounds are in disarray. Over four feet of snow in one week and it is not January!! Some might have even left town thinking that the fun was over. We have guests staying in our catered chalets and vacation rental homes that are grinning from ear to ear. Yes folks - tomorrow is April 1st - but this is no joke!

With more than 30 feet of snow this winter, Steamboat has reached another snow milestone, recording a four-wire winter, when the snow stacks up past the fourth row of fence wires. Yampa Valley ranchers have traditionally measured the severity of a Routt County winter by how high the snow stacks up against their four fence wires.

The resort is currently in a storm cycle that has yielded 15 inches at mid-mountain and 16 inches at the summit overnight; and, over 48 inches in the past week. And it is STILL SNOWING!

Since Opening Day, November 26th, the resort has recorded snowfall 76 days out of 126 with 46 of those days seeing 4-or-more inches. Steamboat is reporting a 76-inch base at mid-mountain and 101-inch base at the summit on powder conditions.

Issued by The National Weather Service
Grand Junction, CO
12:29 pm MDT, Tue., Mar. 31, 2009

... WINTER STORM WARNING IN EFFECT UNTIL 6 PM MDT WEDNESDAY...

THE NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE IN GRAND JUNCTION HAS ISSUED A WINTER STORM WARNING FOR HEAVY SNOW... WHICH IS IN EFFECT UNTIL 6 PM MDT WEDNESDAY. THE WINTER WEATHER ADVISORY IS NO LONGER IN EFFECT.

WIDESPREAD SNOW CONTINUES TODAY WITH PERIODS OF HEAVY SNOWFALL EXPECTED THIS AFTERNOON AND OVERNIGHT. EXPECT SNOW TO CONTINUE THROUGHOUT THE DAY ON WEDNESDAY BRINGING TOTAL STORM ACCUMULATIONS RANGING FROM 8 TO 16 INCHES.

PRECAUTIONARY/PREPAREDNESS ACTIONS...

A WINTER STORM WARNING MEANS SIGNIFICANT AMOUNTS OF SNOW ARE EXPECTED OR OCCURRING. STRONG WINDS ARE ALSO POSSIBLE. THIS WILL MAKE TRAVEL VERY HAZARDOUS OR IMPOSSIBLE.

Our Favorite Recipes...

From Chef Anthony Kresge

Back in November when I was writing our “Go Gourmet” menus with the weather turning Aspens from green to yellow, the seasons change inspired me to add a cut of beef called Hanger Steak.

Ten years ago, I remember working for a chef in Monterey that served this remarkable cut of beef, and the customers loved it. I had even mentioned it to one of our chalet guests who owned and operated a grocery full of meats in Missouri, and he’d never heard of it.

Hanger Steak resembles flank steak and is a vaguely V-shaped pair of muscles with a long, inedible membrane down the middle(this will need to be cut out or have a butcher do it for you). There is only one hanger steak per animal, and the entire cut typically weighs about 1 to 1.5 lbs. Due to its location near the kidneys, the hanger steak can carry a bit of gameness, however when prepared and cooked properly this is just a hint.

The Hanger Steak is not particularly tender, but has a lot of flavor. It is best marinated for at least 24 hours to ensure rich deep flavors and tenderness.. I find the best cooking technique is to grill or skillet roast on high heat. The goal is to keep the moisture in the muscle by charring the outside and leaving the middle a ruby like color you will find if properly marinated. Another suggestion is to char it quickly and oven roast in the marinating juices for 7-10 minutes in a preheated 325 F oven.

Your friends and family will love this in any season, and sooner than later; you’ll be explaining just how special this cut of beef is. Hardly anyone will know the history of the Hanger Steak; once known as the Bistro Steak in European restaurants. For our guests in the Rocky Mountains who are very particular about their beef, the Hanger Steak is in a class all of its own.

Grilled Hanger Steak over Parmesiano Rissoto
with Pan-seared Butter-nut squash, crispy Onion Rings
and fresh Watercress

Prep Time- 25 minutes/24 hrs, Cook Time- 45 minutes.
Servings 4

Ingredients
Hanger Steak- 1.5 pounds trimmed (you can ask your butcher to do this for you)
Butternut Squash-2 cups
Short Grained Risotto Rice (Arborio Rice is a good example) - 2 cups
Chicken Stock/Broth- 4 cups
Onions/both thinly sliced and diced- 2 whole
All Purpose Flour- ¼ cup
Corn Meal- ¼ cup
Dry White Wine- ½ cup
Red Wine-4 cups for marinating
Garlic-3 whole cloves for marinating
Fresh Rosemary- 2 whole sprigs for marinating
Thyme-2 tbsp
Basil-1/4 cup fresh chopped
Parmigiano Reggiano Parmesan Cheese-1/2 cup grated
Butter- ½ cup cubed at room temp
Watercress- 1 bunch
Extra Virgin Olive Oil (EVOO) - ½ cup
Kosher Salt and fresh ground Pepper to taste

Preparation:
1 day before - quarter the Hanger Steak so that each portion is equal between 4 people.

Marinate in large Zip-lock bag with Red Wine, Garlic Cloves, Rosemary sprigs, a pinch of Salt and Pepper in the refrigerator for 24 hours.

The day of serving- Preheat the grill to 425 degrees.

Slice Onions thin and toss into Flour and Cornmeal, Salt and Pepper.

Prepare 2 cups of Oil in skillet to reach 325 F and place Onions into skillet with lid until light golden brown. Place on paper towel and cover.

Cut Squash into little cubes and saute with EVOO, Salt and Pepper on med-low heat on the stove top.

Meanwhile, start the Risotto process. The Risotto is almost the most important part, so be sure not to leave it for anything else.

Risotto:
In a heavy bottomed pot, heat 2 tablespoons of Olive Oil and 2 tablespoons of Butter over medium heat. Add the Onion and cook until softened and translucent, 8 to 10 minutes.

Add the Rice and stir with a wooden spoon until the rice is well-coated and opaque, 3 to 4 minutes.

Add the Wine to the Rice and then add a 4oz - 6 oz ladle of simmering Broth and cook. Continue adding Broth after it becomes absorbed into the Rice. After 20 minutes, check the Rice to make sure its done, but still a little firm to the bite.

Turn off the heat and add room temp butter and Parmesan Cheese. Stir until mixed thoroughly and cover with lid.

At this time, your squash should almost be done, so turn to the lowest setting on your stove, add fresh thyme and basil, season to taste and cover.

Hanger Steak:
The Hanger Steak will only take about 5-7 minutes, which is perfect for the Risotto to become soft and creamy while resting with the lid over the stove.

Place Hanger Steak on the hottest part of the grill, and cook for 3-4 minutes on each side. Its okay if the outside looks a bit dark and charred, the inside will be med-rare and delicious. You want to cook this meat on high heat.

When your Hanger Steak looks done or near to; cover and let rest while you prepare the plates with the Rice and Squash, slice each piece against the grain, and place over Rice and Butternut Squash.

Serving:
Put a small amount of Watercress on each plate, add golden brown onion rings and drizzle with EVOO with any left over juices from the steak. Offer your guests fresh Black Pepper however; the Watercress does carry this flavor naturally.

"Bon Appetito"

Winter kicks back in...

...Powder Hounds are happy :-)

Issued by The National Weather Service

Grand Junction, CO 
9:35 pm MDT, Mon., Mar. 9, 2009

... WINTER WEATHER ADVISORY REMAINS IN EFFECT UNTIL 6 PM MDT TUESDAY...

A WINTER WEATHER ADVISORY REMAINS IN EFFECT UNTIL 6 PM MDT TUESDAY.

SNOW WILL DEVELOP OVERNIGHT AND CONTINUE THROUGH TUESDAY BEFORE GRADUALLY TAPERING OFF EARLY TUESDAY EVENING. SNOWFALL WILL BECOME HEAVY AT TIMES BRINGING ACCUMULATIONS OF 4 TO 8 INCHES BY LATE TUESDAY AFTERNOON.

IN ADDITION TO THE HEAVY SNOW... SOUTHWEST TO WEST WINDS OF 15 TO 25 MPH WITH GUSTS TO AROUND 35 MPH WILL PRODUCE WIDESPREAD BLOWING AND DRIFTING SNOW.

PRECAUTIONARY/PREPAREDNESS ACTIONS...

A WINTER WEATHER ADVISORY MEANS THAT PERIODS OF SNOW WILL CAUSE TRAVEL DIFFICULTIES. BE PREPARED FOR SLIPPERY ROADS AND LIMITED VISIBILITIES... AND USE CAUTION WHILE DRIVING.

Sunny Carnival Departs / Next Storm Arrives

The sunny 9th annual Winter Carnival weekend in Steamboat is already a fading memory as a "1 - 3 inch forecast" ushers in another Winter Storm.

Nature's break in the weather was perfect timing for a four day plethora of eccentric winter sporting events and festivities. Nordic and Alpine skiing events interspersed with a definite Western theme included ski racers heading down a snow-packed Lincoln Avenue behind horses at full gallop. Howelson Hill hosted the Gelandesprung jumping contest, nordic races and a parent-child downhill race. Mt Werner hosted the soda-pop slalom where many of the towns young skiers get their first taste of timed competition.

There's no doubt that if you are in town for this unique weekend of fun that you will see more than a little of the town's famous character and community spirit. The grand event of the weekend is the night-time fireworks extravaganza. Firey hoop jumpers, Dads with rocket laden sleds, and skiing displays from every section of the Steamboat Springs Winter Sports Club are capped off by two appearances from Steamboat's famous Lighted Man firing roman candles from his backpack as he skis down the face of Howelson Hill. A fireworks display fit for the 4th of July capped off the evening and sent us home with a smile.

Another Steamboat tradition - the "1 - 3 inch forecast" delivered another winter storm this morning. Over 14" has fallen in the last 24 hours and tomorrow looks like another big powder day in Steamboat. Woohoo!!


Issued by The National Weather Service
Grand Junction, CO
10:35 am MST, Mon., Feb. 9, 2009

... WINTER STORM WARNING IN EFFECT UNTIL 6 AM MST TUESDAY...

THE NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE IN GRAND JUNCTION HAS ISSUED A WINTER STORM WARNING FOR HEAVY SNOW... WHICH IS IN EFFECT UNTIL 6 AM MST TUESDAY.

STEADY BUT ACCUMULATING SNOW WILL CONTINUE THROUGH EARLY AFTERNOON. THERE WILL BE BREAK IN THE SNOWFALL MID AFTERNOON... BUT ADDITIONAL SNOW SHOWERS CAN BE EXPECTED THIS EVENING. EXPECTED SNOWFALL THIS AFTERNOON AND TONIGHT WILL RANGE FROM 3 TO 6 INCHES... BRINGING THE EXPECTED SNOW ACCUMULATION TO 10 TO 14 INCHES.

A WINTER STORM WARNING MEANS SIGNIFICANT AMOUNTS OF SNOW ARE EXPECTED OR OCCURRING. STRONG WINDS ARE ALSO POSSIBLE. THIS WILL MAKE TRAVEL VERY HAZARDOUS OR IMPOSSIBLE.

Double Whammy!

Once again we have to re-arrange our lives around the weather. This time we should have known it was going to hammer us - the weatherman was only calling for snow showers and 3 - 5 inches of possible accumulation. The drive to work was a white-out and it did not stop all day.




Tonight we had to dig our cars out just to get home. All over town tonight employers are giving notice that a powder clause will be in effect tomorrow. 

Powder hounds at the ready...(did we say "EPIC!" - I think so)


Issued by The National Weather Service
Grand Junction, CO
2:38 pm MST, Wed., Jan. 28, 2009

... WINTER STORM WARNING IN EFFECT UNTIL 5 PM MST THURSDAY...

THE NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE IN GRAND JUNCTION HAS ISSUED A WINTER STORM WARNING FOR HEAVY SNOW... WHICH IS IN EFFECT UNTIL 5 PM MST THURSDAY. THE WINTER WEATHER ADVISORY IS NO LONGER IN EFFECT.

SNOW WILL CONTINUE... WITH PERIODS OF HEAVY SNOW INTO THURSDAY. TOTAL SNOWFALL ACCUMULATIONS BY THURSDAY EVENING WILL RANGE FROM 10 TO 20 INCHES WITH LOCALLY HIGHER AMOUNTS.

A WINTER STORM WARNING MEANS SIGNIFICANT AMOUNTS OF SNOW ARE EXPECTED OR OCCURRING. STRONG WINDS ARE ALSO POSSIBLE. THIS WILL MAKE TRAVEL VERY HAZARDOUS OR IMPOSSIBLE.

Sitting in the Storm Track

With yet another Winter Storm Warning in effect Natures Wonder continues to aim steadily for Steamboat this Winter.  Now that we have passed the 200" mark (currently 228") the question is "How quickly can we make it to 300"?".   

11" of powder fell in the last 48 hours and 10" - 20" are forecast tonight.  We are just salivating at the prospect of another big powdery week in Steamboat.  The mountain is not busy at this time of year which is just an added bonus for those that pick January as the time to be here.

Issued by The National Weather Service
Grand Junction, CO 
.. WINTER STORM WARNING REMAINS IN EFFECT UNTIL 6 AM MST TUESDAY...

PERIODS OF SNOW... HEAVY AT TIMES... WILL CONTINUE TONIGHT. TOTAL SNOW ACCUMULATIONS OF 10 TO 20 INCHES ARE EXPECTED BY TUESDAY MORNING.

A WINTER STORM WARNING MEANS SIGNIFICANT AMOUNTS OF SNOW... SLEET... AND ICE ARE EXPECTED OR OCCURRING. STRONG WINDS ARE ALSO POSSIBLE. THIS WILL MAKE TRAVEL VERY HAZARDOUS OR IMPOSSIBLE.


CAIC FORECAST:
There is a large low-pressure trough stretching northeast from Nevada. The trough keeps Colorado under moist southwesterly flow until it pulls east on Tuesday morning. There is a fast jet over southern and central Colorado, meaning strong, gusty winds through tonight. A cold front is edging southwards. Temperatures are inching downwards and will be on the cool side of seasonal tomorrow. Snowfall will increase this afternoon and evening as a moist air mass, the cold front, and jet collide. Snowfall intensity will decrease after midnight and taper off by mid-day Tuesday. Not to worry, because the next system of shortwaves on northwesterly flow will stack up on Wednesday. Snow will start in the Steamboat zone before dawn on Wednesday and spread south to the rest of the Northern and Central mountains by mid-day. It looks like the storms will stay north of the San Juans.

Cowboys take on the Mountain

2009 is off to a flying start. With over 5 feet of snow and three weeks of country music acts playing at the Steamboat Music Fest Tent, capped off with the legendary Charlie Daniels on Monday night, it was only fitting that we should continue the Western party theme with the wildest event of all - the Cowboy Downhill.

70 Cowboys participating in the National Western Stock Show traveled to Steamboat to take part in a crazy day of events on the mountain. The first race required a range of skills as they negotiated a slalom course, lassoed a Steamboat Ambassador and showed off their horsemanship skills by saddling a horse before crossing the line. The main event is the infamous mass-start Cowboy Downhill which takes a straight-line course down Headwall over two huge drops. Needless to say, with many of the participants taking their first turns on skis, few reach the finish without a tumble and several crossed the line without one or both skis.

With much laughter and a few beers the event is a true celebration of Western Spirit. There is less emphasis on who crossed the line first and more on getting cheer and a laugh from the crowd of bemused spectators. This 35 year old tradition lives on and celebrates Steamboat's ranching heritage and status as a World Class ski destination all in one day.

Yee- haa!

Forbes Magazine gives Moving Mountains the nod

The December Edition of Forbes magazine included a story highlighting the Billion dollar transformation of Steamboat Springs from down-home ski town to International ski destination since the resort was taken over by Intrawest in 2007.

The concluding paragraph highlighted Moving Mountains Chalets as the best lodging option available in Steamboat: 

"A better idea is Moving Mountains Chalets, which offers the classic European-style catered chalet experience at a handful of private luxury ski homes."

CLICK HERE to read the whole story.

Our Favorite Recipes..

Mango Spiced Prawn Cakes with Tomato-Basil Salsa
Serves 16

A delicious and easy appetizer to add pizazz to your next dinner party. This was created by our Executive Chef, Anthony Kresge, and was the winning entry in a an Hors d'oeuvres competition during his Master Certification at the Advanced Culinary Institute of Italy.

Ingredients
1 lb of de-stemmed, tail off prawns
3 tablespoon of mango spiced chutney
¼ cup of finely diced red bell peppers
¼ cup of finely diced corn kernels
2 tablespoons of finely diced shallots
1 tablespoon of grated ginger
¼ cup or a pinch more if needed of panko bread crumbs
1 tablespoon of orange zest
1 egg
Pinch of Salt, chili powder and black pepper

Procedure
Rinse and De-stem(if needed) raw shrimp, set aside.

In separate bowl mix mango chutney, corn, diced bell peppers, fresh ginger, shallots, chili powder, orange zest, bread crumbs, egg, salt and pepper.

Take one third of the mixture and combine with shrimp in Cuisinart. Pulse Chop until blended...DO NOT BLEND TOO MUCH OR YOU WILL HAVE PASTE. IT SHOULD LOOK LIKE A FINE MINCE.

Return blended shrimp back into the bowl with other ingredients.

Mix well and form into 1 oz balls to be flattened.

Let stand in refridgerator for about an hour to set. Overnight would be ideal. Meanwhile. Mix into Cuisinart Tomatoes, Basil, Salt and Pepper.

Pulse lightly until it looks like a fine mince. Place into mesh strainer and let juices sit over bowl to strain for about 30 minutes.

When Finished, drizzle in Extra Virgin Olive Oil and finely chopped Chives.

For the Aioli:
Take Lemon juice and stir into 1.5 cups of mayo. Crack fresh ground pepper and season to taste.

When Shrimp are set:
Heat up skillet to 320 or flattop with 1tbl spoon of Olive Oil. Place molds into pan and reduce heat to medium. Cook evenly on both sides until golden brown.

To Serve:
Place Crispy Mango Cake on plate or platter.
Top off with Tomato-Basil Salsa and lighty drizzle a ribbon of Aioli over the salsa. You can take extra basil leaves and slice length wise to make a ribbon for garnish.

An Epic WInter in the making?

ep⋅ic [ep-ik] –adjective
1. heroic; majestic; impressively great: an epic winter
2. of unusually great size or extent

Latest reports indicate over 4 feet of ultra-light Champagne Powder snow in the past five days at the summit of the Steamboat Ski Area. With 100 inches in December and all the new snow this past week, Steamboat hit the 175-inch (14.58 feet) snow milestone for the season today.

Once again Steamboat dominates the snow stats with the largest mid-mountain base of the major Colorado destination resorts, and a summit base that’s topping out at 70 inches. So far 2008-09 is on track for legendary status. We use another word for this kind of winter - EPIC!

Since the resort opened on November 26th, snow has fallen 30 out of 43 days (69.7%) with 20 of those days recording four or more inches. So far this season the resort is just inches behind its record setting 2007/2008 snow season pace, when 489 inches blanketed the resort. Current forecasts call for additional snow throughout the upcoming weekend.

A "product testing" session yesterday revealed that the snow reports are indeed true. Our observations are as follows:

- There is a lot of fresh snow up there.
- "Bottomless" is not a hypothetical concept.
- 30 year old evergreens weighed down with powder really do look like they have been dipped in white chocolate.
- Lift operators looking for their equipment are advised to start digging.
- Those snow-tires were a good investment.
- There is a reason that Steamboat visitors and locals look tired but seem happy.

So, in light of this ask yourself seriously...

"Do I want to experience an Epic Winter or just read about it afterwards?"

Winter Storm Hits Steamboat

Powder hounds are drooling as the mountains are being slathered in another layer of whispy light Champagne Powder. We will test the product for you tomorrow and report back on natures latest wonder (well someone has to...).

Travel is difficult today but no-one is complaining based on what they will see when they get here!

From The National Weather Service Grand Junction, CO 12:15 pm MST, Tue., Jan. 6, 2009 A WINTER WEATHER ADVISORY REMAINS IN EFFECT UNTIL 6 PM MST WEDNESDAY. PERIODS OF SNOW WILL CONTINUE OVER THE AREA THROUGH WEDNESDAY. STORM TOTAL ACCUMULATIONS OF 6 TO 14 INCHES ARE EXPECTED BY LATE WEDNESDAY AFTERNOON. A WINTER WEATHER ADVISORY MEANS THAT PERIODS OF SNOW WILL CAUSE TRAVEL DIFFICULTIES. BE PREPARED FOR SLIPPERY ROADS AND LIMITED VISIBILITIES... AND USE CAUTION WHILE DRIVING. More Information ... WINTER STORM WILL CONTINUE OVER THE NORTHERN MOUNTAINS THROUGH WEDNESDAY... .ANOTHER PACIFIC STORM WILL MOVE ACROSS WESTERN COLORADO TONIGHT AND WEDNESDAY. DEEP PACIFIC MOISTURE ASSOCIATED WITH THIS SYSTEM WILL ALLOW WIDESPREAD SNOW TO INTENSIFY OVER THE NORTHERN AND CENTRAL MOUNTAINS. GUSTY WEST TO NORTHWEST WINDS WILL ALSO DEVELOP OVER THE REGION... RESULTING IN AREAS OF BLOWING AND DRIFTING SNOW OVER THE HIGHER MOUNTAIN PASSES. EXPECT HAZARDOUS WINTER DRIVING CONDITIONS IN THE MOUNTAINS THROUGH WEDNESDAY. FOR THE LATEST INFORMATION ON THIS WINTER STORM...