Daring Dogs Take A Dip

Dogs from all over Steamboat and Routt County padded their way to the Poochy Paddle Oct. 18, for a refreshing dip in the lap pool. The pool was immediately closed and drained after the event for its bi-annual cleaning. Over 100 dogs chased balls and Frisbees, while getting good exercise and taking a bath at the same time. Hadley Nylen said, "We've never been to the Poochy Paddle. I think our dog will be good and tired." Shannon and Josh Eckhaus wanted their dog to enjoy the afternoon. "We're like his parents. He's our child. We wanted him to have fun."

Aquatics Director Jill Ruppel came up with the idea of the Poochy Paddle. "We love having the dogs in the pool and their 'parents' on the deck, meeting and greeting their neighbors and having a good time. It was fun to see so many members of the community laughing and talking as their dogs were fetching balls and Frisbees."

Marne Roberts loved it. "We've never been here before. We wanted to give it a try. We wanted to see the dogs swimming in the pool. It's such a dog friendly community." Dog and cat food donations were made and delivered to the Steamboat Animal Shelter. Another Poochy Paddle will be held in the spring.

Plenty of pumpkins floated throughout the hot pools for the 3rd Annual Pumpkin Float. Halloween happy kids descended upon the Old Town Hot Springs to find one of 75 pumpkins floating, bobbing, and spinning in the warm water. Kids from throughout the state enjoyed the event, which included painting the pumpkins, face-painting, refreshments, and a goodie bag.

Turnstiles at the front desk will be installed in November, to better control the flow of guests and members. New software and scanners will also be installed to confirm members and the status of memberships. The Old Town Hot Springs is going "green" and trying to streamline memberships, billing, and the newsletter. Please give your email address to the front desk staff at your next visit. Also, make sure everyone in your family has a member picture.

The cost to get in the Old Town Hot Springs for day visitors has gone up, as of Nov. 1. The daily admission price for an adult goes up from $12 to $15, Teens (13-17) and Seniors (65+) get in for $10 which is up from $7, and children 3-12 years old now get in for $7, which is up from $4. Children three and under are still free.

Slide tickets will be sold differently as well. An unlimited slide pass can be combined with the daily admission price: Adults are $20, Teens (13-17) and Seniors (65+) are $15, and Children are $12. An individual, unlimited slide pass can be purchased for $5. Otherwise, individual slide rides are $2. Other prices are posted at the front desk.

Steamboat residents get many out-of-town visitors during the year, who would love to take a dip in the healing waters of the Old Town Hot Springs pools or work out in the fitness center. Members of the Old Town Hot Springs are given a special rate for out-of-town guests. These guests should accompany the member when visiting. If that isn't possible, the member should call ahead to tell the front desk staff that guests of theirs will be coming. For your convenience, passes may also be purchased in advance to give to guests and visitors.

Grab a latte and pull up a chair in the lobby of the Old Town Hot Springs, which is now hooked up for wireless internet access. Executive Director Pat Carney says, "People have been asking for it for years, so we decided to make it available." Click on Old Town Hot Springs to get access when in the lobby. The Dreamboat Café is closed until mid-December.

The Denver Post has named the Old Town Hot Springs one of the best things about Steamboat. In an article, "0 Things We Love About Steamboat," the Post writes, "One of the more family-friendly locations in the state, Old Town was always a welcoming spot for all ages, but it became even more so over the past two years when it upgraded to two giant water slides and remodeled the pools, installing water-spouting climbing and floating toys in the kiddie pools. Adults-only, mineral-springs-fed hot pools and lap pools provide places for quiet relaxation, and decks peppered with lounge chairs and a snack bar that serves reasonably priced lunch items make it possible to make a day of it."
Denver Post, Friday, Sept. 11, 2009

For all 10 things to love in Steamboat, according to the Denver Post, Click Here.

Give a new spin bike a spin. The Spin Room has 16 brand spanking new Schwinn AC Sport Spin Bikes. The old bikes had been in use for 10-12 years and were getting a little worn out, according to Fitness Director Simonne Oliver. "Since Spin is one of our most popular classes, we wanted to make sure our members get the best ride during the season with minimum mechanical problems." Spin classes are: Monday-Friday at 6:15 a.m.; Tuesday/Thursday at 12:15 p.m.; Monday-Thursday at 5:30 p.m.; and, Saturday at 8:00 a.m.

Escape from reality! That's how Colleen Grubbs describes her almost daily visit to the Old Town Hot Springs. She brings her Ipod and hops on one of the cycles or elliptical machines and gets in her workout. This mother of two says she likes to stay in shape as she gets older. Colleen has been a Lifetime member for eight years. She loves doing the machines and looking outside. She says the Old Town Hot Springs is convenient, it's nice and big, and everyone is always welcoming. She also loves to take a break from her workout and chat with her friends.

Elementary and Middle School kids will descend upon the Old Town Hot Springs for the 2nd Annual Pentathlon on Thursday, Nov. 12. The event is held when the kids are out of school for Parent-Teacher conferences. The cost is $25 for five-person teams competing in three grade divisions: K-2, 3-5, and 6-8. Boy, girl, and mixed teams are allowed. Team members climb the slide stairs, they race down the water slide, run the width of the shallow pool, paddle a kayak on a course in the lap pool, and swim or kick 25 yards which is one length of the pool. The Pentathlon is from 10:00-noon. Teams must register by Nov. 9. Pick up a registration form at the front desk.

The last Flick 'n Float for the year is Friday, Nov. 13. The movie is Ice Age. The event starts at 6:00 p.m. with unlimited slide rides. The movie starts around 7:00. The cost is $10/members and $12/non-members. Bring your own tube or flotation device.

Outdoor maintenance workers are needed at the Old Town Hot Springs to prepare the grounds for the winter. You can work a trade for a membership. Landscaping and clean up is needed on the property. For details, call Trudy at 879-1828, ext. 23. An information sheet on trade options is available at the front desk, or on the website. Click Here.

Some parts of the Old Town Hot Springs are closed for the winter. The Shallow Pool (with the crab feature), the Kiddie Pool, and the Deep End with the diving board are all closed until Spring 2010. The waterslide is closed until Thanksgiving weekend. After that, it will be open Fridays and Saturdays only, through mid-December. The slide will then be open from 4:00-8:00 p.m. during the Christmas holidays through mid-April, when the mountain closes.

The lap pool was utilized differently this summer, in an effort to better accommodate Old Town Hot Springs members, and Steamboat Springs Team Lightning (SSST, the local swim team). OTHS Staff condensed the hours that SSST had access to the lap lanes, while at the same time gave the entire lap pool to the swim team (7:30-10:00 a.m., M-F, June 8-July 17). The pool was rented by the swim team. Other lap lane usage included Masters swim, school groups, swim lessons, kayakers, and scuba training. Reactions were mixed as members got used to the new schedule.

The OTHS hosted a Lap Lane Usage Meeting in an effort to hear concerns and accommodate everyone. Board members, staff, and nearly 20 members showed up to the meeting. Aquatics Director Jill Ruppel presented charts and graphs showing lane usage throughout the year, as well as comparisons with other facilities around the state. Swim Team Board President Brad Piske thanked the pool for their support and gave a short presentation on the swim team. There are 139 kids and nine coaches, all of whom are members of the facility.

The majority of members in attendance commented that the lap schedule took some getting used to at first, but that they soon realized that the adjustment was worth it. John Ward said he thought there would be too much of a conflict if two lanes were left open while swim team practiced, as too many people would want those lanes. By having swim team in and out in the morning, it left more lanes available during the day.

Many members agreed that good communication was crucial. The lap lane schedule was posted poolside, on flyers, on the website, and in the monthly newsletter. Jessica Feinerman said the OTHS staff let people know when the team was going to be there and people planned accordingly. George Danellis agreed, adding that he thought the overall swim experience last summer was better.

Tom Scrimgeour supported the Masters program and their use of the swim lanes. He also thought there was efficiency with having all of the swim team kids there at once.

Bill Jameson represented his wife, Evzena, saying their opinion is that no user group should be allowed to take all eight lanes at once. Brad Piske commented that other parts of the facility, such as the exercise classroom, are programmed so that they are not available to members all of the time and that the lap pool isn't any different. He thinks it is wrong to be able to access lanes all hours of the day, and that that would be an inefficient use of water. The staff and board members present took all comments into consideration and will revisit the issue in January.

The historic heart pool is an Artesian well, which means the water naturally bubbles out of the earth. Around 220 gallons a minute comes out of the ground, at 102 degrees, 365 days a year. The Crawford family was the first to discover the hot pool, when they settled in Steamboat in the 1880s. Before that, the Indians were frequent visitors. The waters are therapeutic for you, and these natural waters feed into all of the other pools. A breakdown of the mineral content of the water is available at the front desk.

The Old Town Hot Springs is offering a Masters Swim Workout for kids. It is led by a coach, and held for competitive swimmers who can swim 200 yards without stopping. The class begins Nov. 2 and continues on Mondays through February, from 4-5:00. The cost is $30/month for members and $12/workout for non-members. Please register at the front desk.

The Flu Season is upon us and the Child Care room at the Old Town Hot Springs takes this very seriously. The new policy is that every child who enters the room must go straight to the child care bathroom and wash their hands with soap. Adults are also encouraged to wash their hands frequently as well as use the hand sanitizers located throughout the facility.

Child Care cards are on sale Nov. 9-13. The cost of one card is $30. Buy two cards for $29 each. Buy three cards for $28 each. Buy four cards for $27 each. Please bring your receipts to the Child Care room if you pay at the front desk.

The Child Care room is available for special events and gatherings. Birthday parties are especially welcome. Cost is $40.00 for rental fee during the off hours plus a $30.00 damage deposit (refundable on the same day). For details, call Diane at the pool at 879-1828, ext. 21. Or click here to view details on the website.

Birthday parties are not allowed in the lobby. Part of the lobby area is leased to the Dreamboat Café, to be used by patrons of the snack shop. The rest of the lobby area is for pool members and guests. Party areas can be rented in the child care room or on the upper deck.

The massage therapists at the Old Town Hot Springs are offering a fall season special for members only through November. They will knock $10 off a one-hour or one-and-a-half hour massage, now through the end of November. The cost is $50/one-hour and $80/1.5 hour massage. This price cannot be used to purchase gift certificates.