Rising up steeply from the south side of the Yampa River, this section of Emerald Mountain is named for Norwegian ski jumper Carl Howelsen, the “Flying Norseman” of Barnum and Bailey’s Circus. Carl arrived in Steamboat in 1913 and introduced the townspeople to ski jumping and recreational skiing. By the 1930s, Howelsen Hill facilities included slalom and downhill courses and a “boat tow” consisting of two sleds pulled up the mountain by a cable powered by a Model T engine and transmission. In 1947, a combination chair/T-bar lift to the top of Emerald Mountain was installed and was one of the longest lifts in the U.S. at that time. A 90-meter jump was installed by 1950. In 1954 the T-bar/chairlift was shortened to serve only Howelsen Hill.
Howelsen Hill
