Breckenridge, CO

Several weeks ago I had the opportunity to visit one of the premier ski destinations in the lower 48 states. Having never been there I tried to approach my visit with an open mind. Not as easy as it sounds. If you have not heard of Breckenridge and you ski or ride, I need to know where you are getting your Cool Aid.

Although there are moments when they may be at odds with one another the resort and town provide a perfect combination for destination skiers. There is so much to ski on the mountains I could have spent a week exploring. The town probably needs a month.

Unfortunately, time was not a luxury I had. Nonetheless, I made some rounds and after experiencing it first had I completely understand why Breckenridge rates so highly in the periodicals that attempt to quantify visitor satisfaction year, after year, season after season.

ripping down the Y chute – Peak 7

Q1: What are you looking for in a ski vacation?
Q2: Are you traveling with a diverse group?
A: Find everything in one stop shopping at Breck.
Mountain First
The place is absolutely gi-normous. The breakdown…
• 2,358 acres of inbounds terrain (that is the size of some small towns in New England)
• 150 new acres this season (size of small New England ski areas)
• 147 trails (which is actually a completely meaningless statistic because you can basically ski everything you see inside the marked boundaries)
• Base/town elevation of 9,600 feet
• Summit elevation 12,998 feet (Peak 8)
• 300+ inches of average annual snowfall
• 37,880 persons per hour lift capacity
• The highest lift serviced terrain in the lower 48 (the Imperial Express Super Quad)
• 18 lifts in total (including a new gondola this season that whisks guest from town up to the Base of Peak 8)
• An Eastern exposure means skiing in the Sunshine
At Breckenridge the most difficult decision you have to make very well could be where to ski or ride next.
The Imperial Express

Have you ever gotten the feeling while at some special place that you are walking around on a movie set? That is Breck! Seriously, the area attracts everyone into snow sports.
Case in point: I was at a Citgo Station and crossed paths with Shaun White (the Flying Tomato) who won an Olympic gold medal in the Superpipe (snowboarding) and was seen in the X Games of recent. He was actually there training, as are most of his contemporaries.
Why Breck you may ask? Simple – it is the only mountain that provides a competition quality superpipe on a day in and day out basis. The mountain crew goes over the park, found at Peak 8 on a nightly basis. Plus, it is also one of the more amusing spots I have ever been lucky enough to click into the skis. The place feels like fun.
S.G. Tangent: I think the US Ski Team is tabling a byelaw to ban their athletes from Breckenridge, CO it may be too much temptation for some to handle given the new stringent “off the snow” rules.
The Whale’s Tail – between Peaks 8 & 7

Back to the point.
The Ski Guru was not there to meet celebrities. Nor did I care to ride a Superpipe. I went for the skiing experience. Breck did not disappoint in the least. Knowing I had a limited timeframe (one day on the slopes) to get as much of what they had to offer I explored my options.
The result: I discovered The Big Mountain Experience program. It is basically a day with a guide/ski school instructor on the mountain. It is worth every penny if you are crunching minutes and into bagging vertical feet.
I got hooked up with a local named Franz. He moved to Breck before the town cleaned up its act. So he had some stories. He has won powder 8 competitions just to point out a few bullets on his long skiing resume. It was an entertaining day on the snow.
SNOW there was! Through the BME program I was able to ski everything Breckenridge had to offer (expert and otherwise) in a day.
Well not everything, but more than I ever could have expected. I actually had to call it early (2:45 pm) because I was absolutely whipped. Of course, I blamed my fatigue on the altitude (a viable excuse for New Englanders), the fact that I sit in front of flat screens 50 hours a week at the office, and the Patriots game against the Chargers the evening prior.
looking down into the town of Breck

Regardless, Franz did not offer me any skiing advice, nor did I ask for it. But at the end of our day he turned to me on the last chair and said, “Ethan, you ski very well. Thank you for the keg duty today.” As a skier whose has been on the slopes with many skilled athletes, I took that as a compliment. I think he had fun. I know I did. If you want to rip Breck in a day or two The Big Mountain Experience is the only way to go.
Franz, and what he claims to be the second oldest tree on the property – I have no reason to challenge this factiod

Basics on Breckenridge
For years I have had a somewhat feigned interest in visiting the mega resort. The word on the chair is that it is mostly an intermediate mountain. This is true; there is a plethora of green and blue terrain. As much as anyone can handle, it would take a week to ski all of it.
Breck also has a reputation for some of the best teaching programs available. It is easy to understand how this math adds up.
In example: If the S.G. were going to embark on the career path of professional ski instructor then an international destination the sees the second most skier visits in the nation annually seems like a good pick. Never mind the community is on fire with new development and the town below the mountain absolutely kills it.
What I did not expect was the amount of terrain that demanded upper level ability.
a view of Peak 8 from the hike across Peak 9

The visible aspect on the mountain is unbelievable. From the summits of their various peaks you feel like a strong gust of wind may blow you right into the town below. Still you are standing far above it (3,000+ vertical feet). The views are spectacular. The mountains of the resort operate with a smooth pulse and it never skips a beat. For its immense size the resort is surprisingly easy to navigate.
Some of the most hip spots the Guru found on his trip (with help from the BME).
The Windows: Not so easy to locate. Steep tree lines on the skiers left from the summit of Peak 9. To get there you need to be able to find your way to the “E” double chairlift. Wildly entertaining terrain!
The Peak 9 Chutes: Ever more difficult to access. Hiking required, which will be laborious if you are not in extraordinary shape at that altitude, but OH SO Worth It! There were still bounties of fresh windblown powder days after the most recent substantial snowfall event.
The Peak 7 & 8 summit bowls: Just utterly jaw dropping impressive. These are avalanche control zones and for good reason.
The only part of the mountain that was not open the day a skied was the Lakeside Chutes, off of Peak 8. They looked awesome and even though it would have been the icing on the cake I survived, actually excelled, without.
if you can find this sign you are in for some good snow

The Town of Breckenridge
I pulled in never having been there before. Not knowing where to go, football on the television and several hours to burn before my room was prepped (and the Patriots kick off) I started asking around. I ended up being told of a place called “Fatty’s” which is owned by some fellow that moved out years ago from Chicago. A den for Bears fans that will have the game on dozens of television sets.
Sounded perfect, so I dawned my Pattitude (throwback jersey) and set out on foot. If you can walk around Boston, Breck is a piece of pie. It still posses a lot of heritage, and also provides the finer things (shopping & dinning) some may be looking for on a ski vacation.
During my short stay I fear that I cannot do this place justice. The take away is that Breckenridge runs neck and neck with Steamboat as the best ski town I have ever visited. Everything you could ask for is there. Here is a short list of spots that I found.
• Sports Bar, friendly local crowd – the aforementioned Fatty’s
• Late night dive – Browns, which was a brothel during the gold digging days.
• Brew Pub – The Breckenridge Brewery.
• Fine dinning – The Hearthstone
• Wine and Tapas – The Cellar
I could go on, and on. But all you really need to know is that the Ski Area and Town combo that Breckenridge provided was Exceptional! Go check it out and explore for yourself.
Breckenridge is not going anywhere. In fact there are numerous plans to continue terrain expansion. Get out there this season, there is still more than enough time to get a trip together. Or mark it on the radar for those ahead. It really should be a stop on every skiers list.
I cannot wait for a return visit.
For more Breck photos check this LINK
Think about skiing,
photos ~ S.G.
looking back at the powder in the Peak 9 chutes