Breckenridge, CO

On Wednesday the 14th I had the opportunity to ski the Breckenridge Resort in Breckenridge, CO. Breckenridge is four peaks (7, 8, 9, and 10 North to South); each peak can be mostly divided by experience level horizontally. The lower elevation runs are mostly beginner/intermediate runs, with the exception of Peak 10, which is an almost exclusively expert runs with 3 hybrid intermediate/advanced runs. The bowls are all expert double diamond with several "extreme terrain conditions" runs off the South end of Peak 8; 8 was closed on Wednesday so I was left with Peak 7 (about 12,700') for the high altitude stuff. Peak 9 has a multitude of available tree and chute skiing via foot access only to the Chutes. I didn't make it up there unfortunately, so I can't give any feedback on these runs.

I only hit the lower elevation runs on Peaks 7 and 8 once earlier in the day and they were crowded (lift lines on the Rocky Mountain and Independence Superchairs hovered around 30 minutes most of the day for anyone not using the singles lines). After talking with several friends familiar with the mountain, they confirmed that a lot of beginner and intermediate skiers regularly populate the lower half of the ski area. The lower elevation runs were pretty decent. Beginner and intermediate skiers had groomed runs to ski on that had a ½-2" layer of powder on the top of them, making them nice and smooth to ski on.

As soon as I got to the T-Bar, 6, and Imperial Express lifts, the lines and the crowds all but evaporated. With 8 closed, I stuck to 7 for most of the day. Peak 7 used to be foot access only, requiring skiers to boot it up the mountain from the top of the Peak 7 T-Bar. My guess is that the snow was relatively untouched back then since not too many people would want to hike ¾ mile with a 600' elevation gain at 12,000', and those that did would be limited in the number of times they could do it. Now that the Imperial Express lift is in though, anyone can ride the lift to 12,800', and glide down the ridge between the two peaks until they hit the traverse. This means more runs in a day for me, but it also means more people on the run and more runs for those people too.

Traverse from Peak 8 to Peak 7

The result? Some really chewed up snow down the face of Peak 7. It was a good ride though; I hit it four times, running Magic Carpet twice, and CJ's and the Southern leg of Y Chute once each. They are all about 1100' vertical drop runs at about 45° in the upper 2/3 of the run and every one had the same snow quality, with only a small ice patch on Y Chute.

View East from CJ's

While the powder was chewed up, it was powder (up to ankle deep in some places) and the face of Peak 7 faces mostly East sloping down to face Southerly, so the wind (about 30mph) blowing out of the West put a lot of snow over there and the mountain blocks the ski area and from the gusts pretty well. I was also pleased that none of the runs had that granular snow the wind can produce- it was nice and fluffy (or chunky, depending on the run's popularity). Peak 8 is still a foot access only bowl and has a 100' elevation gain in 300 feet of climbing to summit (steep) with an additional ½ mile of available entry points; those same friends confirmed that it tends not to get as tracked out as 7 does as you circle the bowl.

View from the top of Y Chute

Toward the end of the day I got over to Peak 10 and hit The Burn. This is a nice glade run down the Northern slope of the ridge that forms Peak 10. It had been pretty well skied, but since it wasn't too steep the chunky powder here wasn't as much an issue. The trees on this run are spaced far enough apart that the run is still fun to ski with a little bit of speed without having to worry about hitting a tree at every turn. For those advanced/expert skiers interested in skiing the trees but with limited experience, the mid-section of this run would be a good place to get some practice; it is an expert run though, so make sure you have the skills necessary to make quick turns on some steep terrain and ski in varying conditions under control. For those familiar with skiing the trees, the run is challenging enough that you can have a good time too. If you want something steeper, ski North to South down the face of the ridgeline; if you are new to tree skiing, want to slow down, or want take the run with a little more gradual descent then run the length of it down the ridge (West to East). It'll give you a longer run and you won't have as steep a terrain to work through.

PRICES: An adult single day lift ticket is $92.00. Children's (5-12 years) single day lift tickets are $49.00. Seniors' (65+ years) single day lift tickets are $82.00

OVERALL: Nice runs with some light powder throughout. If you are a beginner/intermediate skier who doesn't mind some crowds, the trails are not boring, offering you enough variety and challenge to make it interesting without being overly intimidating; be aware that warmer temps will likely mean softer snow and a loss of that powder layer for a while.

Chewed up deep stuff on Peak 7 (no review for Peak 8 or the Horseshoe Bowl). If you are an advanced/expert skier, you'll have fun at the top and find plenty of challenging runs for an in-bounds ski area with fewer skiers to compete with for lift access. Be aware that the warmer temps are going to affect you too, and the dynamics of the way you ski the warmer snow will a lot different; avoid early morning runs when the snow is still iced over from the night before- hit the mountain after 1100 hrs.

You may want to wait until temps drop and more snow falls before going up there for the price of a lift ticket. While the ski areas do a good job of avalanche control, be aware on the higher altitude runs of the increased avalanche potential following a new snow on top of refrozen pack.