Moving Mountains — Local services in Steamboat Springs

As my best friend Adam and I drove into Steamboat springs it’s like you’re entering a vortex: it’s the second fastest growing mountain town in the country, with wide streets that used to be filled with cattle and steep mountains that rise up from behind buildings.

As she explained how to arrive, Kelly at Moving Mountains was also explaining to me over the phone a few quirks about the home. Doors that open funny, how to turn on the fireplace..etc. MM’s style of communication is like an experienced waiter: there for anything you may need ahead of time, quietly in the background if you don’t.

Our home was Rustler’s Lodge, a swish chalet ideal for groups who want to explore the great outdoors and come home in style: everything was exactly as advertised, with the exception of the warmth that you get the moment you walk in. We arrived in the evening and the lights were dimmed, carpet was fluffed, a hot tub was pre-heated to 102. Clinically, I refer to this as the "feeling of premium": the sensation that your host has thought of all the little things.

I joked that the booking process and pre-arrival communication was so easy and clear, and check-in was so seamless, that I could have just as easily departed the next day happy, having experienced a kind of beautifully choreographed art! A feeling that you are in highly capable hands.

But perhaps more important than the home itself, is the team and culture of Moving Mountains: every person you interact with “gets it“ which is to say, they anticipate and are willing to go to any length to solve a challenge (they actually view these as opportunities LOL). Shout out to Paul who drove one of MM’s own ski shuttles (included in the stay by the way, I have never seen a vacation rental company do this before). Simply pop open the MM app and you’ve got your own uber: a wonderful example of how technology is used to improve the guest experience without replacing the human side.

The next morning MM referred us to Stagecoach ice fishing company where we caught too many fish to count and, thanks to our guides Tom, Rich, and Sean. We felt like we were hanging out with the 3 coolest dudes in town.

From Tom’s Iditarod days, I learned that when you are in the middle of the hardest dogsledding race arguably hardest test of endurance period, no matter how hard it gets, you are still the only one who can get yourself out. No one else is going to do that for you. What a sound lesson for life! I don’t think I’d ever have found these guys my own. Lean on MM's local expertise and relationships to get the most out of your stay.

We had an in-home chef that evening (highly recommended) and all recited poems in honor of the Scottish poet Robby Burns. I laughed so hard and maybe cried. And we ended the day in the hot tub recounting the day and planning our next trip.

Adam and I have been through just about everything with: studying abroad together, working together at my father’s shop, the sudden passing of his dad. And when we vacation together and when we look back on life, what we really live for are those special moments that stand out. These life memories or Ups -- far surpass any downs. And wow, when you think about the outcome of a job well done what an incredible calling it is for a family company like MM to bring those precious moments home.

I arrived thinking MM was among the best vacation Rental companies in the world. But am leaving realizing that as pioneers in this field, they are actually talking about some of the greatest hospitality leaders...

Where do I start?! I cannot say enough praise about the entire Moving Mountains staff. From the moment we booked the Black Bear Chalet, we were in direct communication with an actual human at MM. (No automated messages or bots!)

We were a group of 10 visiting Steamboat Springs for a winter wonderland getaway coming from Los Angeles, Scottsdale, San Diego, Sacramento, Austin and Denver. I’m a bit of a control freak (lol) so I took the reins when it came to planning the 5 days we were there. In reality, I didn’t need to plan anything as MM had it all covered. They provide you with a simple login to their portal which included EVERY little bit of information we needed for an enjoyable stay.

The first person I was in contact with was Mallory — a true gem! She was more than helpful providing information about all the things Steamboat. She arranged for all of our lift passes to be at the house upon arrival and also had all of our gear (skis, snowboards, helmets, poles, etc…) delivered to the house. That created such a relaxed arrival for all of us after a long day of traveling! All we had to do was show up — the best!

Another AMAZING service MM offered us was the complimentary shuttle for all of Steamboat. It truly was as easy as can be. Open the app and then request or schedule a ride. All of the drivers were very kind and enjoyable to ride with. They don’t require gratuities, but they each offered a QR code to pay via Venmo if you chose to - which we did because they deserved tips. Being a group of 10, it was so easy to not have to worry about who was driving the rental cars or where we were going to park. It was also so nice to be dropped off right at the lifts — again no hassle.

The Black Bear Chalet itself was VERY clean and VERY well maintained. It was fully stocked with all things kitchen related, plenty of sheets and extra bedding, Mrs. Meyers dish and laundry soap, board games, etc. Probably the best part of the home was the elevator — for those of us staying on the 3rd floor, it made the luggage transport a breeze! There was also a heated boot rack which was dreamy. (It sucks putting your feet into cold, wet boots. Lol)

As mentioned, we were all coming in from different cities and all had different arrival/departure times. MM was able to accommodate for an early arrival and a late check out. So nice!!

I will 10000% be staying at another Moving Mountains property in the future. We truly had such an amazing stay. The ONLY thing I would change would be to book directly through the MM website. I found the house on VRBO and booked through there (not realizing it was managed by MM) and was charged extra booking fees — not by Moving Mountains but by VRBO.

All in all, 10 out of 10 stars!

THANK YOU again to all of the Steamboat Springs Moving Mountains staff…. especially Mallory, Hannah, Stephanie, Jill, Kameron, Diana, Doug, Eric, Brenton and anyone else I may have missed. You guys are rockstars!!

Sara Day (Stayed at Black Bear Chalet...

We just finished a 6 day trip to Steamboat and I can’t speak highly enough of our experience with Moving Mountains. The home we rented was excellent as we had 12 people including three teenagers and 3 children under 7 years old plus adults. This was a Bavarian styled home. The layout of the home was terrific with three floors including a separate kitchen and living room in the lower ground floor. That floor had a bedroom with queen bed and one with two bunk beds so you can have a separate family with its own living quarters and kitchenette if desired. All of the bedrooms and bathrooms had plenty of linens and towels. The walls are also thick so we never heard noise when kids were playing in the living room or watching TV. The kitchen was excellent with espresso machine built into the cabinets, double oven, microwave that also functions as convection oven, nice storage and plenty of cookware. They also had enough silverware to host a small soup kitchen :). The kitchen had plenty of spices as well. The house came appointed with plenty of dish soap, laundry detergent, shower/conditioner. They have a giant TV in the main family room with YouTube TV which was excellent.

This home also had a terrific hot tub and surprisingly an indoor steam room which was so fun after skiing. They had an outdoor grill with two propane tanks where so many rental units come with just one and you run out of gas at the wrong time.

Most importantly, the service was impeccable. Every time we called the office, Stephanie, Deb or Jill were so helpful. They were extremely quick to respond to a couple of small maintenance related items including fixing the steam room nearly immediately when we arrived (small issue we couldn’t address). The shuttle drivers were so friendly and responsive and the app made it so easy to use. You really don’t need a car when you rent from Moving Mountains.

When I commented to one of the managers about the great service they said “we literally try to move mountains for our guests” and they really showed it this week. We will 100% be using this company again on our next trip...