As kids, some people learn to ride bikes, but as a child, I learned how to read a trail map. My parents, who dressed me in my first moon boots and dropped me off many a morning at ski school, began heading out to the Rockies as soon as their dependants were old enough to leave behind. They'd return home telling me how I would just love Breckenridge's young crowd and vibrant nightlife. On one trip they'd met a young couple adorned with tattoos and brightly colored hair in their hotel hot tub. After seeing that Breckenridge wasn't a place just for well-off middle-aged adventurists, they thought I would fit right in.
And so Colorado became my ultimate unobtainable winter wonderland. In my fantasies it was a series of endless mountains made of powder--white, light, and fluffy. So when my boyfriend recently suggested we make a trip, I jumped at the chance to realize my childhood dream. Like good San Franciscans we got online, booked our trip, and voila! We were going to Colorado to get our ride on.
The whole flight I read about the 147 trails I would find at Breckenridge. I read about the abundant après ski options, about Breck's four peaks with their 3,398-ft vertical rise, and about the 28 lifts and four lodges. I read about the ski school, and I even read about where to shoot pool. But my trip really began when I put my papers down and looked out the window at the Rockies.
The pilot said it was 60 degrees outside, without a cloud in the sky. I gazed out the window again at the Rockies--white and majestic, expansive and vast. They extended as far as the eye could see. I pressed my face against the cool window to get a better look at the snow-capped peaks weaving through brown desert expanses. A force bigger than life itself had created such massive and powerful bodies.
Hitting the Slopes
As it turns out, that force was tectonic activity hard at work 65 million years ago. These forces created the Ten Mile Range surrounding Breckenridge. This range was named by miners for its 10 consecutive peaks situated just about a mile part from each other.
The first lift, built in 1961 on Peak 8, marked the beginning of downhill skiing in the range. The largest of the four, Peak 8, features beginner- to intermediate- terrain on its east-facing lower reaches. More challenging terrain lies on the south-facing ravines between Peaks 8 and 9, and in the numerous bowls above the tree line.
Access to Peak 9, which didn't come until ten years after the first lift opened at Breckenridge, created a vast area for beginners. More experienced skiers and boarders appreciate the tough south-facing plunges toward Peak 8 that make you work hard for your lunch. Peak 9 is now home to America's only double-loading, high-speed, six-passenger chairlift--the Quicksilver Super6. Tree skiers, challenge seekers, and long-run lovers should definitely head over to Peak 10. For ridiculous bowls and pitches of up to 40 degrees, try Peak 7, Breck's most recent addition, where you'll earn your turns by ascending the mountain via the good old-fashioned T-bar method. Between the four peaks, the terrain is roughly 15 percent beginner, 33 percent intermediate, and 52 percent advanced, and of that land 722 acres are bowls.
Back when most resorts were still scrambling to build high-speed chairs, Breck opened its arms to a new breed of snow enthusiasts. In 1985 it was the first major resort in Colorado to welcome snowboarders, and if that weren't enough, the very next year the area hosted the first World Snowboarding Championship.
Snowboarding is an integral part of Breck's spirit. The resort's commitment to the evolution of the sport is solidified through its repeated hosting of major competitions, including the Vans Triple Crown and the Chevy Truck US Grand Prix. The competitions are held on the Freeway Terrain Park on Peak 8, home to a behemoth superpipe that boasts 17-foot transitions and 15-foot walls. The pipe is built and maintained by Vail Resort's newly acquired SUPERpipe DRAGON 2000 machine, one of three of its kind in all of Northern America.
When you buy a single- or a multiple-day ticket at Breckenridge, it is also valid at nearby sister resorts Keystone, Arapahoe Basin, Beaver Creek, and Vail. This is especially handy if you are visiting from out of state and are combining your lift tickets with a lodging package. The flexibility of The Colorado Ticket gives snow lovers access to over 11,000 acres of terrain, over 600 runs, and the chance to ride 91 different chairlifts--all on one single lift pass. You can start in the morning at 8:30 in Breckenridge and after a full day there, head over to Keystone for some night skiing until 9pm. This option allows the serious die-hards to stay on the mountain for a muscle-melting 12+ hours.
Getting Around
If you've got the stamina, the bus is waiting. Grab your lunch, your equipment, and your sense of adventure, and hop on the Summit Stage, the free shuttle connecting Breckenridge with neighboring Keystone, Arapahoe Basin, and Copper Mountain resorts. This shuttle also takes you to the historic towns of Silverthorne, Frisco, and Dillon. The Summit Stage runs continually from 6am to 11pm all year long.
Keep your eyes out as well for the free Ski KAB Express that also shuttles people between Breck and Keystone at regular intervals throughout the day during ski season.
Navigating the mountain is work enough for anyone on vacation. Park that car when you arrive and forget you ever owned one, because once you're in Breckenridge there's really no need to drive anywhere. The city and ski resort offer a variety of shuttle routes that run about every twenty minutes. The different routes bring excited snow junkies to the mountain at all hours of the day and return weary riders to their aprés ski destinations or accommodations. The Town Trolley, a.k.a. theGreen Route, serves the Peak 9 base area, downtown, and most in-town lodging. It runs from 9am to midnight during ski season. The Breckenridge Free Shuttle, a.k.a. theBlue Route, serves skier parking lots and provides access to all Breckenridge base areas and condo locations on Four O'Clock Road and French Street. It runs from 8am to 6pm.
Discovering the Town of Breckenridge
This town is cute, and I mean Norman Rockwell cute. Stroll down Main Street and find restaurants, shops, bars, and most of the town's action. Home to over 80 restaurants, featuring Asian, Southwestern, Jamaican, and French fare, Breck repeatedly wins awards for its dining and animated aprés ski festivities. The population swells come Friday afternoon and on the weekends it proves difficult to get a table--and you just might end up waiting for close to an hour, in the cold. But it's the cold that lends a sense of camaraderie--everyone is there to enjoy the snow and the mountain. This community vibe manifests itself when people on the street smile and say hello, and you may see it when other guests at your hotel invite you to dine with them. It seems even the bus drivers in Breck have a smile to share.
The past 10 years have seen the number of visitors to Breck increase by the thousands. The skyline on the outskirts of town has one of the highest concentrations of cranes that I have ever seen. Vail Resorts has prioritized the creation of more guest accommodations and more employee housing, and in the past three years Breckenridge's housing capacity has increased to accommodate 25,000 people a night. The truly amazing part about accommodating this many visitors is that upon walking through the quaint streets, Breckenridge still feels like a unique and special place. Recent developments occur mostly on the outskirts, preserving the town's antiquity. Keeping Breckenridge small is important to the locals. Gaze up at mountains from town, and you immediately understand why.
Breckenridge's city planners have managed a feat balancing the growth and the preservation of their heritage. Step into the Gold Pan, a saloon on Main, for a good example. It is the oldest continuously operated bar between St. Louis and San Francisco. Its doors opened in 1861 and prospectors were said to have spent many a gold nugget inside its cozy wooden walls. The place still conjures images of a time long-since passed when the mountains called to people seeking fortune and riches, as opposed to powder and huge air.
From Gold Town to Ski Town
Breck was originally settled in 1859 as a mining town, and its roots are still evident. Before gold was discovered in 1860, the Blue River Valley's only inhabitants were the nomadic Middle Park and White River Ute tribes who used the area as summer hunting grounds.
The town assumed the name Breckinridge in 1860. Choosing the name was a political move by townsfolk hoping to get a post office, since then-President James Buchanan's Vice President was named John Cabell Breckinridge. But when Breckinridge switched alliance to the Confederacy during the Civil War, the local citizens dropped the middle "i," and supplanted it with the "e" of today. In the end the plan still worked and the folks got their post office--which at the time was the only such federal facility between Denver and Salt Lake City.
As well as being politically savvy and independently minded, Breck has a legacy of good business fortune. The largest crystallized gold nugget unearthed in Colorado history was discovered in 1887 near Breckenridge by miners Tom Graves and Harry Lytton. The nugget became known as "Tom's Baby," because Graves would carry it around wrapped in a blanket. Originally the nugget weighed 13 lbs., 7 oz., but when it was rediscovered in a bank vault after years of misplacement, it had shrunk to less than 9 lbs. It is now safely on display at the Museum of Natural History in Denver.
The town's historic district is the state's largest, with 110 registered buildings. Over years of growth Breck has maintained an extremely centralized and cozy feel. The quaint town appears in complete contrast to its neighbor, Colorado Springs, which has embraced the modern tendency towards suburban sprawl.
As I left Breck my legs were tired but my spirits were high. The snow had been plentiful, the food and aprés ski delectable, and the people I met had all been helpful and friendly. I will remember the town's independent spirit and picturesque streets hearkening back to the days of the westward expansion. I am confident that many more snow lovers and adventure seekers like myself will have the pleasure of enjoying Colorado's Rocky Mountains Breck-style for many years to come. Rest assured, the town's folk will see to that.•
