Bike season is right around the corner and we invite you to join us tomorrow (May 18) for the Town Challenge Kickoff Party. Learn more about the Town Challenge MTB Race Series and socialize with fellow biking enthusiasts. The party will take place from 5 PM to 7 PM at Mountain Tap Brewery. Attendees will be able to purchase season passes at a one-time-only discounted rate and enjoy food and drink specials. Don't forget to bring a friend! Anyone who brings a first time racer to the event will receive an additional $5 off their season pass. There is no better way to celebrate the season while we wait for our local trails to dry out. We look forward to racing with you again this year and hope to see you tomorrow.

It's golf season in the Yampa Valley and Haymaker officially teed off for the summer today with the opening of the pro shop and practice facility. The range is open daily from 9 AM to 6 PM to help fine tune your golf game, with the golf course officially opening on Thursday, May 25. Tee times will start at 7:30 AM on opening day and can be booked online or by calling the pro shop. In addition, the course is gearing up for a number of exciting programs and events this summer. Registration is open for all Junior Golf programs, as well as, Haymaker's first two tournaments of the year, the 3-Club Scramble and Haycup Open. Stay tuned for more details on Local's Week, which is scheduled from June 1-7. This fun local celebration will include giveaways, discounts, free clinics and much more!

Gardening season is upon us and the Yampa River Botanic Park is ready to help jump start your summer gardening. The annual Spring Plant Sale is taking place June 2-3 at The Green inside the park. Featuring perennials for the intermountain west and pollinator-friendly plants, natives, specialty alpines, and other favorites will all be on sale. The sale will be open for members only on June 2 from 10 AM to 2 PM and for the public on June 2 from 2 PM to 4 PM and June 3 from 10 AM to 2 PM, or until plants sell out. Routt County Master Gardeners will be on hand to answer questions and help you make the perfect selections for your garden. Inventory will be limited, and plants will sell out, so become a member today to get first access to all these amazing plants.

Thanks to the warmer temperatures this week, the Howelsen Hill Rodeo Grounds is drying out and the practice arena is now open and will be groomed several times a week for riders. The warmer weather has allowed crews to begin work on several facility upgrades including underground utility work and the installation of the new "Gold Buckle" seating area on the front of the main grandstand. The main arena will remain closed through at least next week while these projects are completed.

As spring slowly progresses across the valley and the terrian starts to dry out, please respect trail closures and prevent long-term damage by staying off wet and muddy trails. Our Open Space and Trails crew is monitoring the city trail network and will mark trails open when appropriate. At this time, all city-maintained Emerald Mountain singletrack trails are closed due to muddy conditions. With warmer weather forecasted, several of the lower mountain trails may be ready to open soon, but we ask that you continue to respect these closures until notified otherwise.

As we reach peak runoff flows in the rivers and streams, many of the tunnels and underpasses along our local trails remain flooded. Detours have been put in place for your safety, and we ask that all trail users follow the detour signage to safely navigate around the high, fast moving water. As flows decrease, and these areas begin to dry out, crews will remove the detours and reopen the trails.

We all enjoy doing what we love, and when your job is fun, it really doesn't feel like a job does it? Parks & Recreation is currently hiring a number of part-time and seasonal positions that offer end-of-season bonuses and other perks like ski/skate passes and housing opportunities. Join our team and enjoy what we all love about Steamboat Springs, community and the outdoors!

The Steamboat Springs Chamber recently released the first edition of the Local Link, an email newsletter that helps connect the Chamber with our community. The email will focus on the Chamber's efforts as a Destination Organization, sharing how they communicate with visitors, information on special events and their impacts, and more. Tourism impacts everyone, whether you work directly with visitors or not. That's why the Chamber is working to bring more visibility to their efforts and engage with more residents. Get in the know and sign up for the Local Link mailing list today!