The Mountain
Situated along the Ten Mile Range in the heart of the Colorado Rocky Mountains, Breckenridge has four distinct base areas and 2,358 acres of terrain—making it easy to find the perfect conditions for every ability level. Peak 7 on the north end of the resort is a myriad of expertly groomed blue runs for intermediates while neighboring Peak 8 has a little something for everyone including access to the Imperial Express SuperChair and Breckenridge’s high alpine terrain for thrill-seekers. Peak 9 is the place for beginners and intermediates, while Peak 10 is the destination for advanced and expert skiers. The Peak 8 SuperConnect and BreckConnect Gondola make it easy to get between the village and different base areas, but grab a trail map before you head out for optimum efficiency.
Breckenridge is part of the Vail Resorts’ family, which introduced EpicMix at all of their resorts a few seasons ago, making it simple to track your ski and snowboard adventures. Utilizing Radio Frequency scanners at the bottom of each lift and RF technology built into every season pass and PEAKS Card, EpicMix allows you to track the number of days skied, vertical feet and the lifts you rode as well as earn pins and collect points. It’s easy to set up your EpicMix dashboard and you can automatically upload your stats to your Facebook and Twitter profile.
www.epicmix.com
Powder Day
On a bluebird powder day, proficient skiers and riders should head up to Horseshoe Bowl, North Bowl and Whale’s Tail on the Imperial Express Super Chair, the highest chairlift in North America. Here you will find wide-open, double-diamond powder skiing. If steeps are your thing, head left from the top of the chair and work Easy Street and the rest of the Lake Chutes. This area can also be accessed by the T-Bar on Peak 7, but be warned, if you stumble getting on the surface lift on a powder day, you will be heckled and sent to the back of the line by your peers.
Because this area is above tree line, visibility can be compromised during snowstorms. If this is the case, Breckenridge’s gladed tree runs off the back of Peak 9 and E-Chair are a good alternative. For the experienced and fit, there is excellent hike-to, inbounds terrain off the top of E-Chair. Once the bowls get tracked out, head over to the Falcon Chair and ski The Burn or the countless black diamond runs that Peak 10 has to offer.
Groomers and Family
Corduroy lovers, beginners and families will feel right at home at Breckenridge with not one, but two distinct areas to explore. For cruising on perfectly manicured groomers, aim your skis toward Peak 7 where you’ll find only blue runs. Serviced by the Independence SuperChair, Peak 7 has limitless options for intermediate skiers and riders. Skirt the northern most boundary of the resort on Monte Cristo or rip fast laps on Pioneer. Whether you want to be mellow or work on your GS turns, this is the place for you.
Peak 9, home to Breckenridge Ski & Ride School, is the best bet for beginners and never-evers. In addition to the friendly terrain perfectly suited for learning and practicing, Peak 9 has two base areas (The Maggie and Beaver Run) and numerous rental shops that make getting on the slopes stress-free. Once there, a web of green and blue runs make their way around and down the mountain, allowing you to progress at your own pace and comfort level.
Breckenridge is also a playground for independent young rippers because of the Kids Adventure Zones scattered around Peaks 8 and 9. Little ones can zip into Ripperoo’s Forest, the Haunted Forest and Dragon Trail to explore plenty of kid-friendly adventure terrain.
Park/Pipe
If terrain parks and halfpipes are what you seek, then Breckenridge is your Mecca. With five parks and two halfpipes that are consistently ranked in the top three by industry leaders year after year, Breckenridge has freestyle terrain for every ability level. If you don’t believe us, ask any of the professional skiers and snowboarders who call Breckenridge home including 2010 Winter X Games Ski Slopestyle gold medalist, Bobby Brown, and two-time Winter X Games Superpipe champ, Steve Fisher, among others.
Of the five parks, the Freeway Terrain Park on Peak 8 is the most notorious as it plays host to the Winter Dew Tour every December. This park is the most advanced and features a 22-foot Olympic-size halfpipe. While it may be a bit much for the recreational skier, it’s worth a visit simply for the opportunity to watch the world’s best park and pipe athletes training and competing in person.
Just above the Freeway Terrain Park, intermediate freeriders will enjoy the Park Lane Terrain Park which features a wide variety of jumps, boxes and rails. On the other side, closer to the Peak 8 base, is the Trygves Park created for beginning freeriders with smaller jumps and features to allow for a safe and fun area to learn and progress into the larger parks. Moving south to Peak 9, you will find two more parks—Bonanza and Eldorado—as well as the 14-foot Gold King pipe, all designed for beginner and intermediate shredding.
