Welcome to my new blog! My name is Dustin Eldridge and I’m a freshman at Colorado Mountain College’s Steamboat Springs campus. It’s my second semester here and it’s great to be in the swing of things. I live in the dorms which are perched atop a hill sitting over the Yampa Valley. The campus has one of, if not the best, views of the entire valley, including the resort. I love to snowboard and that is a huge part of the reason I moved to Steamboat. At Colorado Mountain College, I have an amazing mountain ten minutes from my door, and when I get back, I get to go to classes that deal with the things I love. I’m working towards an Associates of Arts as well as a Snowboard Guide Certification. I also enjoy many types of music, politics, psychology, and much more. I will tell you it’s awesome to get college credit while snowboarding, but CMC also offers a huge array of other classes suited for almost every interest. If you love anything outdoors, Colorado Mountain College is the place for you. Get ready for some awesome posts over the next week; you’ll learn all about my four day outing into the winter backcountry for my Snow Orientation course, next week is time for some Avalanche Safety training, and after that were heading to Jackson Hole, Wyoming with the CMC Backcountry Club. Should be a great couple weeks. I hope you join me for the ride! I’ll leave you with a video of mine from riding Steamboat this past January. You may need to see the ski movie G.N.A.R. to understand some of the humor. Although it hasn’t been the best winter in Steamboat, it still has been a fun one! Unfortunately, I have to buy an upgrade to post videos on here, but I will post the link instead. Cheers! http://vimeo.com/36461637
Steamboat Livin'
Life as a Colorado Mtn. College Student in Steamboat Springs, CO
Hi Dustin—-I am thinking of sending my son Roberto to the school next Fall to make up some credits and then maybe transfer to Fort Lewis. He is Italian and American, and so we really want to know what it is like getting there, especially in the winter. He is going to have to fly in and out of the Denver airport so we wanted to know how he can get there from your campus, or maybe the Leadville campus. Can you tell us what it is like (dorms, food, internet, etc.) we would really appreciate it!! (Sandra)
Sandra,
There are a couple different ways to get to Steamboat from Denver. There is an airport shuttle, which is about a three hour drive. Around half of this is on a two-lane highway, so that is something to consider in the winter if you plan on driving yourself. However, the drive on the two-lane is mellow, with only one mountain pass crossing. Also, there are two regional airports within half an hour of Steamboat, and I have heard from fellow classmates that this is actually cheaper than taking the shuttle. One of the airports is called Yampa Valley Regional Airport, and I believe this is the one that takes the flights from Denver. I’m sure the options for Leadville are similar (the drive is similar), although I believe the closest airport is around an hour away. The food provided by the school is good, nothing fancy. Breakfast is my favorite meal because you can get an omelette made to order. Everything else is buffet-style. The dorms themselves are also pretty basic, besides the view. The view from the campus is one of the best I have witnessed, and being able to see it each day is an amazing privilege. The internet in the dorms is slow, but you can upgrade to Comcast for an additional fee. If your son loves the outdoors, either Steamboat or Leadville will be a great place. There are some amazing outdoor classes offered by both campuses, as well as any other sort of class your son would need to transfer to Fort Lewis in the future. I hope this helps! Let me know if you have any other questions.
Hey, thanks for the quick reply! I guess we really want to make sure it is a “happy” place, meaning that students get along and they aren’t too bored or anything. Roberto is an aspiring snowboarder I(he is good but still learning) so that aspect is going to be perfect for him! So is it wireless in the dorms and classes? Is the upgrade a school offering? ( He needs good internet but not too much Warcraft, if you know what I mean ;D
Steamboat is undoubtedly one of the friendliest places I have ever been in Colorado. And I would have to say Colorado is a very friendly place overall. In Winter, the mountain is my main source of entertainment, but once it starts getting warmer the amount of stuff to do greatly increases. Also, the Student Activities Council up here does a great job of offering free activities for all students every day of the week. We’ve had free bowling, free hot springs, free pizza, free coffee, free trampoline night and so much more. The entire campus is fitted with wireless internet. The internet is offered through Xfinity but the school provides all the information needed to sign up for it, including prices. Steamboat offers great opportunities for anything outdoors. I suggest asking Roberto what kind of activities he wants to be doing out here (mtn. biking, fishing, backpacking, kayaking, hiking, skateboarding, etc.) and then start compiling some of the necessary gear. This will be the best bet for staving off boredom. Steamboat offers amazing opportunities for adventure, and the right gear is usually the only thing holding people back from getting out into the wilderness.
Thanks, Dustin—That helps a lot with my questions. I’m sure Roberto will see you there next Fall!