BEING GREEN and GETTING GOLD!

Moving Mountains has recycled and taken steps to reduce energy consumption for many years. This year under a new sustainable business program developed by the Steamboat Springs Chamber we have reviewed current practices and recommendations provided by a sustainable business coordinator and taken this to the next level. For our efforts to reduce our carbon footprint we are delighted to have received the top level Gold Award.

Steps include:

• Single stream recycling at all of our rental properties for glass, cans, plastic containers, cardboard, paper and most paper packaging. We recycle about 50% of our current waste.
• Lightbulb replacement program - all conventional bulbs are being replaced with compact fluroescent bulbs which last longer and use less energy.
• Canvas shopping bags are now provided to all staff removing the need to use plastic bags.
• Hot water tanks and pipes are now fully insulated.
• Employees are trained extensively in sustainability practices including in the kitchen and in the chalets.
• Employees volunteer for community causes like Yampatika.
• Appliances: Energy Star rated appliances are utilized in most cases. Boot dryers are on a time switch so that they automatically turn off.
• HVAC: Temperature in rooms are controlled by zones with programmable thermostats to reduce temperature when not in use.
• The hot tub is set on economy when not in use and is covered, both which save energy and evaporation.
• Regular property checks include closing open windows, turning off appliances not in use, checking for water leaks, advising guests to keep garage doors closed.
• Print marketing materials use 100% post consumer recycled paper and office paper products also meet this standard.
• Shampoo bottles and other similar products are refilled.
• Garbage is kept inside so as not to attract wildlife.
• Since water use is high in high end vacation rental units, we now use our Bobo the Bear story to encourage guests to save water, energy and recycle waste.
• Leak monitoring and landscape irrigation are monitored by the staff.
• Green Purchasing policies are now in place seeking out green cleaning products and other household supplies. So far this includes: kitchen towels, cleaning supplies, toilet paper and paper towels.
• Moving Mountains picks up guests at the airport and shuttles them to wherever they wish to go using Suburbans, which reduces the need for individual cars for visitors, and subsequently carbon emissions. We are investigating biofuel or other clean renewable fuel options although there are limited options in our region at this time.
• In our commercial kitchen; food is cooled down prior to refrigerating; equipment is cleaned and serviced regularly; air drying is used whenever possible; condiments are purchased in bulk when possible; reusable storage tubs are used for food; produce is purchased locally whenever possible; Styrofoam containers are avoided.
• Recycle:
  Recycled materials include cardboard, plastic, bottles, other packaging, almost everything except food scrap waste.

Moving Mountains Featured in SKI Magazine

Our secret is out! The concept of the catered chalet, developed in Europe and enjoyed by thousands annually, is now freely available in the US and SKI Magazine highlighted this concept in the December 2007 issue, on the newsstands today.

We are delighted that the readers of SKI magazine will finally get to find out that there is an alternative to staying in a condo and working for your entire vacation. Our catered chalet package is a great solution if you are looking for a week-long vacation with time to actually enjoy who you are with.

Click here to read this great feature article

S'No Go (well, not yet...)!

Steamboat Ski & Resort Corporation announced today that it has rescheduled its 2007/2008 Scholarship/Opening Day to Friday, November 30, 2007 due to the recent period of warm weather. The ski area is trying to put a positive spin on the slow start to the winter, which is optimistic given that they cannot after all control the weather...

"Steamboat is headed into a La Nina winter, which as studies show, could mean heaps of Champagne Powder® snow throughout the season, but the warm weather patterns we've experienced lately have made snowmaking a challenge," said Andy Wirth, executive vice president of sales & marketing and chief marketing officer for Intrawest. "Snowmaking crews, which were busy making snow last night, are ready to take full advantage of colder temperatures and conditions; and, as we've seen in the past, everything can change in a matter of days."

When Mother Nature finally delivers a consignment of Champagne Powder we look forward to the debut of the new high-speed, six-passenger Christie Peak Express. Installation work has moved fast (probably in light of the easier summer-like working conditions) and the lift, which was not targeted to open until mid-December, will begin operations a full two weeks ahead of schedule.  This is great news in light of the fact that the lift will now probably sit idle for the next two weeks while we wait for some snow.

In another bizarre twist of fate the Steamboat Ski Area has also announced that they will be replacing the 21 year old Gondola haul rope (that's the technical name for the wire that carries the gondola cars) in the next week or so. A replacement wire has been shipped from the manufacturers in Switzerland and will now be installed in time for the revised opening day if all goes according to plan.

Grading work at the base area still has many locals confused as to the final layout, but officials from the Steamboat Ski Corp. remain positive that it's nearly done and that opening will not be delayed due to construction issues.

So in case you are worried that we're not keeping busy, there's a lot going on in advance of what will no doubt be another great ski season.

Chalet Make-Over

Big improvements will be ready for this winter!

With the winter season just around the corner our major fall re-model projects are heading towards completion. These will significantly enhance and update two of our most popular vacation rental properties:

MOVING MOUNTAINS CHALET
To those of you who have stayed here before you will notice big changes:

Exterior:
Repaired and replaced stucco. New stone and timber finishes. New main entry door with timber roof accents.

Lower Level:
Revised entry layout. Moved boot dryers and ski racks to garage. Created coat closet. Changed layout of rec. room. Set up movie room with 50" big screen TV and surround sound. Added fus-ball table (replaces table tennis table). Added PS-2 games system.

Main & Upper Level:
New alder wood trim throughout. New alder interior doors. New carpet, wood flooring and floor tile througout. New lighting fixtures.

Bathrooms: New tile in all bathrooms. New bathroom vanities and fixtures. Replacement of bath-tubs with walk-in showers in two bathrooms. Master bathroom rebuild with addition of a steam shower.

THUNDERHEAD CHALET
The first of a multi-phase improvement program is well underway.

Phase 1 includes: new hardwood flooring in the kitchen, dining and great room areas, new living room furniture, new dining table and chairs, new kitchen range, work surfaces replaced with solid granite countertops, new high thread-count linens and bedding upgrades.

On the horizon for next year: bathroom upgrades, new carpet, additional fixture and fittings upgrades.

Another big season on the horizon?

From Steamboat Pilot & Today Newspaper 10/19 —

Wednesday night’s storm could signal the beginning of a good ski season in Steamboat Springs.

Joe Ramey, a National Wea­ther Service meteorologist in Grand Junction, said Thursday that another storm is expected to dump more snow on the area this weekend. And although that snow will melt by early next week, Routt County residents should keep their shovels handy in the coming months.

Despite National Weather Service reports in September that predicted above-average temperatures and average precipitation for the Steamboat area through February, Ramey said Routt County could be in store for a winter similar to that of 2005-06.

“We are heading into a La Niña winter, which bodes well for Steamboat Springs. Our studies indicate that the area should get hit with lots of snow in December and early January like it did two years ago,” he said. “That’s what we’re hoping for.”

More than 400 inches of snow fell on the Steamboat Ski Area in the winter of 2005-06. It was the fourth snowiest winter on record for the ski area.

Winter could begin to settle in this weekend, Ramey said.

“The beginnings of the next system already is following on the storm’s heels,” Ramey said. “The clouds already are moving in.”

Ramey said a Pacific cold front should settle over the Yampa Valley on Saturday and drop temperatures into the low teens.

“This one packs a punch,” he said. “It looks like the first taste of winter.”

Whats New in Steamboat?

The sale of Steamboat Ski Resort to Intrawest, a market leader in resort development, has sparked a wave of development and improvements.

$40M Mountain Improvements in next 3 years:
As we write, earth is being moved and concrete foundations poured for on-mountain additions that will include the Christie Peak Express, a high speed 6 passenger chairlift that will significantly improve uphill capacity and speed from the base of the mountain.

The new lift's lower terminal will be approximately where the lower Headwall terminal sits, with an angle station (unload capabilities only) just above the top of South Face, before continuing to the top of Christie Peak where Christie II currently unloads. Christie Peak Express will have a length of roughly 4,700 feet and a capacity to move 3,200 people per hour, which is 400 more per hour than the Gondola. The new express lift will cut the ride time to the summit of Christie Peak by more than two-thirds, from 15 to a swift 4.8 minutes.

In addition, five magic carpets (Tenderfoot, Colt, Filly, Tumbleweed and Sidewinder) located throughout the base area will be upgraded, realigned and lengthened. The new Preview lift, using the repositioned Southface lift, will be realigned to conform to the re-grading of the beginner terrain, extend further up Headwall and increase capacity from a double to a triple chairlift.

The resort has embarked on a comprehensive re-grade of the Headwall area. Currently under the plan, the Headwall amalgamation of multiple fall lines and cross traffic will be divided into three distinct and unique trails offering a grade of between 9% to 21%, with the majority falling in the 15-17% zone.

In association with the re-grade, the beginning trails of Main Drag and Boulevard, located off of Christie Peak, will be merged into one trail significantly improving the width (to 40 feet wide) while maintaining a constant 10% grade, considered ideal for beginner/novice skier/riders. A forty foot platform is wide enough to comfortably handle larger volumes anticipated from the new six-passenger lift, while giving novice skiers/riders the feeling of a mountain trail as opposed to a catwalk.

Snowmaking: Steamboat's snowmaking system will undergo more than $1 million in improvements as pipe throughout the base area is replaced extensively on Headwall, Main Drag/Boulevard as well as the resort's primary pipeline. Currently in use on Vogue, the new pipe, ultizing the latest in snowmaking technology, is lined with concrete and rated to last an average of 50 years, twice as long as existing pipe and able to handle pressure upwards of 700 pounds per square inch.

New low energy, high-efficiency snowmaking guns, which use 30 percent less energy than conventional guns while producing the same amount of snow, will be added to the resort's arsenal. The system covers 375 acres of top-to-bottom terrain (3,600 vertical feet) or a total of thirty-five trails.

10 Years of "Moving the Mountains.."

We're pretty excited to be heading into our 10th winter season!

From life on a busy charter yacht in the British Virgin Islands we ran aground in the Rocky Mountains in 1998. Some thought that we had crossed to the "other side" and were now working on a "Steam Boat". Others knew better...

We are proud to have built up a collection of the finest vacation homes in Steamboat and with this we continue to expand the option of also enjoying our unique full-service catered chalet package as the perfect solution to your next family or group vacation. The Moving Mountains dynamic duo (Robin & Heather) grew into a team and they added a couple of kids & dogs for good measure. It's
been a busy 10 years!

For a quick trip down memory lane here are the highlights:

April 1997:
Robin & Heather decide late on a Thursday night to spend their next week off in Steamboat Springs on Saturday. They fly out on Saturday arriving in Steamboat during the first week of mud-season. The mountain is closed, the town is deserted, and they like what they see.

After a week of property tours they did not find what they were looking for but were convinced that Steamboat could be the place.

Sept 1997:
Another trip to Colorado and after a week they had still found nothing. On the last afternoon they stumble upon a home with six bedrooms and 8 bathrooms that seems perfect! They fly home to put a business plan together. Many late nights on the phone and at the computer follow.

Dec 1997:
With family investors onboard they fly to Steamboat to close the deal and set up the house. Everything for the house is purchased off the showroom floor and Moving Mountains Chalet is set up for rental in 3 weeks. Robin & Heather return to the islands to continue working on ESII.

Winter 1997/08:
Modest rental income trickles in as the Craigens begin marketing operations for the opening of their full-service catered chalet the following winter. The website is constructed and marketing materials sent out to past guests.

Summer 1998:
Robin & Heather sell everything including their beloved J24 sailboat "Jambo!" and move to Colorado amidst clouds of uncertainty. Neighbors of the Moving Mountains Chalet protest the application for a B&B permit and they are denied by Planning Commission.

Winter 1998/9:
The Craigens arrive in Steamboat Springs and slowly win public support for their concept. Eventually they gain approval despite strong opposition from some neighbors and begin operations at Thanksgiving. The first winter is a slow one as they work to get the word out about their new ski lodging. First big break comes in the Spring of '98 when the editor of SKI magazine comes to stay and loves the catered chalet idea. She announces that Moving Mountains Chalet will feature in the first issue of the next winter as an "Inn of the Month".

Summer 1999:
Robin & Heather are getting nervous after a summer with very low occupancy and a trickle of winter inquiries. The September issue of Ski Magazine hits the newsstands in August and suddenly they are swamped with inquiries. The review could not be better and the coming winter is suddenly selling like hot-cakes! Chocolate lab puppy "Lola" joins the MM Team.

Winter 1999/00:
The second winter season is a sell-out! Robin & Heather are joined in Colorado by first-mate, Kevin, and so begins the growth of the fledgling business. They survive the Millennium New Year and are kept very busy.

Summer 2000:
Steady B&B bookings keep rooms filled on summer weekends. Robin & Heather are offered the management of a second home in the same neighborhood. Mountain High Chalet is added to the inventory and first-mate Kev. gets to run his own operation. Robin & Heather move out of residence at Moving Mountains Chalet to live two doors away at the new "Staff House".

Winter 00/01:
First season with two homes is a modest success but the rave reviews keep telling us that we're doing the right thing regarding the catered lodging packages.

Winter 01/02:
Winter bookings look strong until 9/11 Terrorist attack when suddenly the whole world seems like a different place. The winter is a disaster for all in Steamboat and the business clings to life. Robin & Heather discover that their staff will grow by one in July 2002 with the arrival of a little girl.

Summer 2002:
Summer of babies and puppies. Five weeks before the arrival of their daughter, Lola gives birth to a healthy litter of 8 chocolate lab puppies. On July 18th a beautiful daughter, Maddie, arrives changing their lives forever. One puppy stays with the family and is named Ellie.

Winter 2002/03:
Two crews of staff care for our guests as we begin to hand over responsibility for day-to-day chalet operations to new staff members. Business is still shaky in the aftermath of the terrorist attacks but once again guest feedback and repeat bookings inspire us to keep going.

Winter 2003/04:
More chalets are added including Edelweiss Chalet, one of Steamboat's premier rental homes. Our focus on luxury home rentals appears to be paying off as more guests than ever try full-service packages.

Winter 2004/05:
Encouraged by repeated requests and strong market research the decision is made to also offer the full-service package in Big Sky, MT. A great collection of luxury rental homes is assembled and a new program is offered. Bookings do not materialize and the program is cancelled after one season. Robin & Heather decide to keep the focus closer to home in Steamboat.

Summer 2005:
Robin & Heather begin their most ambitious project yet - the construction of a custom designed duplex that will be added to their rental properties inventory in December 2006.

The day after they break ground Heather has a second child and they welcome their son, Sebastian, "Chili", into the world.

Winter 2005/06:
Will be remembered as the third biggest winter of the last 30 years, and one of the toughest construction winters in recent memory. After a long dry fall, and good early progress, activity on the construction project grings to a halt as the contractor battles the relentless snowfall. In February the foundation slab is poured and framing of the structure finally begins.

Summer 2006:
"The longest summer of our lives". Having terminated our contractor in March after a series of delays and errors Robin & Heather took on the role of General Contractor to finish construction of the Bear Chalets - two four bedroom chalets with combined square footage of over 9000 sq.ft.

Moving Mountains is offered the management of a spectacular new home called the See Me Lodge also under construction.

Robin & Heather move the office of Moving Mountains out of their home and into commercial space at the base of the mountain.

Winter 2006/07:
Bear Chalets are completed just in time for first guests in December 2006. The See Me Lodge was completed in Janaury 2007 and began accepting guests who gave it rave reviews.

Winter 2007/08:
Another busy winter is ahead of us. The prospects for Steamboat look great with the sale of the ski area to Intrawest, an industry leader in resort development.

Record $$ are committed to on mountain improvements including a new 6 passenger high-speed chairlift from the base area. Redevelopment of the entire base area will take place over the next five years bringing Steamboat to the forefront of US ski destinations. Moving Mountains appears well positioned to cater to the needs of the many new visitors that are expected in Steamboat in the coming years.

We look forward to seeing you here!

The Moving Mountains Blog

Welcome to the blog from Moving Mountains in Steamboat Springs, CO.

I will try to keep you updated on the latest and greatest from Steamboat and also provide additional insight into our many lodging options available for you winter or summer vacation.

Robin