The snow sports activities group assembled on the Howelsen Hill terrain park Saturday for the primary group rail jam of the season — the Turkey Jam.

The group rail jams are completely free and open to the general public, and with the Turkey Jam happening earlier than the opening of Howelsen Hill and Steamboat Resort, the occasion was a particular strategy to get on the snow early.

Steamboat Springs Winter Sports Club snowboard coach and Turkey Jam occasion coordinator Laura “Lo” Ying stated it was good to see younger athletes who compete in disciplines like Nordic mixed give the rails a shot. Some skiers even strapped on a snowboard for the primary time. 

“We get really excited at the beginning of the year because Howelsen is not open to the public and the mountain is not open yet, but everyone is excited to slide on some snow,” Ying stated. 

In preparation for the Turkey Jam, SSWSC coaches and athletes labored onerous within the week previous to arrange the rails and create the lips. Athletes even had an opportunity to coach on the terrain park. 

The lack of snow and up to date rain was a slight concern, however the group managed to arrange a protected house for the 5 rails within the park. Ying defined that the snow’s excessive moisture content material truly made it simpler to assemble the lips. 

Carter Einfeld, a 15-year-old snowboarder with SSWSC, was one of many athletes to set the rails and find out how the terrain park will get put collectively. He stated it took quite a lot of onerous work, and whereas some rails have toes on the backside for stability, others don’t and take far more care to stabilize. 

“We had set spots where we had to put them in so that gave us something to go off of,” Einfeld stated. “I would say it came out pretty well but just was a lot of digging and a lot of setting up the lips.”

SSWSC huge mountain skier Gavin Murphy, 16, stated the Turkey Jam was an effective way to ease again into the winter season. He confirmed up in denims and a T-shirt to tackle the rails in model, and he can’t wait to get again out for the subsequent group rail jam. 

There shall be three extra rail jams this winter — two at Howelsen Hill in January and February, and a closing one on the resort in March. 

“I’m super stoked and grateful the rails are out here, and I get to hike them because I’ve been waiting for snow for a while,” Murphy stated. “Obviously, I was super excited. I came straight from work with no snow clothes or anything. I’m super grateful the club put this out for us.”