When the side country area opens at Steamboat Resort in mid-January, this second season of inbounds access to the Fish Creek Canyon expansion will see mapping and signage dialed in for safety.

Ski Patrol Director Jon Feiges said changes and improvements this season to the upper left section of the ski resort map includes adjusted run names for better communication between skiers and patrol. The new sign posts are installed, and new signage is on the way from the resort sign shop.

“It is really because the original existing names weren’t being reflective and didn’t allow patrol to be able to differentiate where someone was if we were looking for them,” Feiges said. “We learned a few things as we went through (last) season. People were getting confused where they were, and some zones were so large and did not have separate names applied and were not in line with historical names.”

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Ski patrol worked with longtime local skiers who frequented the Fish Creek Canyon area when it was out of bounds and then worked with the ski resort map maker, Feiges said. So, this year the map adds the double black diamond run names Nostrils, Granola Bowl and Bird’s Beak.

Nostrils is a small chute area with a rock in the middle, so it looks like a left and right nostril, Feiges said. Granola Bowl, as he was told, is “where the hippies used to hang out,” he said with a laugh.

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“It was too big of an area for us to differentiate, so we wanted to get more localized,” Feiges said.  “All those (new run names) are actually existing names that came from history.”

Now in his 24^th season on ski patrol, Feiges said the Fish Creek Canyon expansion “definitely saw significant use” during its first inbounds season in 2023-2024.

“Based on skier tracks in that area, it’s getting skied fairly heavily,” he noted. “The locals that I know who were hesitant to ski in that area now feel more comfortable with access.”

Bird’s Beak is where skiers and riders have to start the long path for an up to 30-minute walk on Hike Out and also where ski patrol can reach driving uphill on snowmobiles in case of a rescue or injury call. That important patrol rescue intersection is the reason the Fish Creek Canyon expansion access does not open until mid to late January, as it did last season, Feiges said. The rescue route needs sufficient coverage of snow for safe snowmobile access.

Some double black diamond run names including Endless Gully and Ultimate Glades were repositioned for historical accuracy and to make sure enough of the area was named for better communication with patrol, Feiges said.

Although the 2024-25 ski area map features updated visual orientation in the expansion area, the upper boundary above Mahogany Ridge Express and the alignment of Edge of the World run next to the lift were not physically changed, Feiges said. Ski patrol personnel collaborated with Colorado-based illustrator and graphic artist Stefan Bast to more closely depict some of the three-dimensional aspects in a flat map.

“We worked with him getting names in there, and he tweaked the look of terrain to look a little steeper because we want to try to be accurate with that.” Feiges said.

The ski patrol director noted that the more accurately depicted hike to the top of the expansion area can be 5 to 15 minutes depending on snow conditions and skier fitness.

“The first time we didn’t get it on the map like we wanted to,” he said of depicting the hike up.

The run name Milk Run that appeared on the map last year was removed because longtime locals said that did not fit as an accurate historical name, Feiges said.

Feiges said he expects the Fish Creek Canyon expansion side country area to open approximately Jan. 20 and to remain open through the end of the ski season as it did last year. Ski patrol stresses that that all people using the expansion area should ski or ride with others and, during their first visit to that section, go with people who are knowledgeable and experienced in that area.

“No matter where you are on the mountain, always ski with a buddy because it is more fun and safer,” Feiges advised. “Pay attention to the signage. We have clear markings for areas that become cliffs, but we don’t necessarily rope all the cliffs off. Obey all closures; we cannot stress this enough.”

The resort website notes, “Certainly not for the faint of heart, Mahogany Ridge and especially Fish Creek Canyon are for advanced/expert skiers and riders only.”