Steamboat Springs is a town of roughly 14,000 nestled in the Rocky Mountains of northwest Colorado. Located in Routt County (population 25,000), Steamboat Springs is the county’s major population center. The county’s economy traditionally was heavily reliant on cattle ranching, agriculture, and energy extraction (coal). However, over the past few decades, the area’s natural beauty and recreational amenities have spurred a boom in the recreation and tourism industries, with a concomitant growth in service-sector, hospitality, and construction jobs. The beginning of this upswing in population and economic vitality can be traced to the 1970s with the first major expansion of the Steamboat Springs ski area. Skiing plays a major economic, cultural, and recreational role in the community.