Skiing in Breckenridge

In the winter skiing is king at Breckenridge, but shopping and dining are great for filling up the evenings after the lifts close. Be sure to walk along the full length of Main Street. This is the only way to see all the shops and get a feel for the "real" Breckenridge.

Quick Tips:

We like to get to the slopes early in order to beat the crowds and get the best conditions. Try stopping for a hot chocolate around 10:30 in a mountain top lodge and then ski while everyone is at lunch. The drive to Breckenridge from Denver is spectacular. Try to make the drive during the day for the best views. Traffic is bad on Saturday morning heading to the mountains and on Sunday heading back to Denver.

Best Way To Get Around:

Public buses work well in the Town of Breckenridge. Just be sure that your lodging is near a bus route. A car is best to get to neighboring resorts such as Keystone or Copper Mtn

The location of this resort is fantastic for skiing. It is located on Maggie Pond in the Village base area of Breckenridge resort. From the ski locker room in the resort, it is about 200 yards to the base of Quicksilver lift and access to the entire mountain. At the end of the day, you can ski to the door.

The resort consists of 1 bedroom units and studio units. Units are smaller than at most Marriott timeshares. We have stayed here twice in studio units. One was a corner unit and felt rather small, even for only two adults. The other felt more roomy. Both units had a small balcony. Some units will overlook the ski area and Maggie's Pond. Others overlook the street.

There is a nice collection of amenities including a heated outdoor pool and hot tubs. There are indoor facilities for those not wanting to brave the cold walk to the pool. There is a nice lobby area with several lounge rooms. The underground parking lot comes in very handy during a snow storm.

NOTE: This is a Marriott timeshare that is not in the RCI system. It was apparently not built by Marriot, but was purchased and refurbished.

Beaver Creek is one of the most luxurious ski resorts in the world. Service comes first at Beaver Creek. This includes attendants who load your skis on the shuttle bus, escalators that lift you from the bus unloading area up to the ski slope, and helpful mountain guides all over the resort. In spite of the enphasis on service, the skiing is excellent.

It would take several days to explore all the trails that Beaver Creek has to offer, but here are a few highlights from my point of view. The easiest skiing is at the very top of the mountain above the Spruce Saddle lodge. It is not often that novices get to spend the day above 11,000 feet. There is a road-like trail that provides a winding way down from the top. Intermediates will find a wide variety of trails all over the mountain. Red Tail is a steep, blue favorite heading sown the side of the montain from Spruce Saddle, while Gold Dust is the most popular way down to the base.

Taking the interconnect over to Bachelor Gulch and Arrowhead is worth the time for intermediate skiers, but allow plenty of time to coast on some of the fairly flat connectors. Thes two areas are usually less crwoded, but avoid them in warmer weather, since they are a little lower and don't hold up to the sun as well. But with good snow, there are some great runs over there.

Over all this is an enjoyable mountain to ski. But, don't let the plush hotels and pampering service fool you. There is plenty of challeging ski terrain here.

Copper is a fun mountain to ski as long as it is not crowded. All abilities should have a great time here. One nice feature is that the ability levels are pretty much divided up over the mountain. The far right end of the mountain is extensively green trails, while the middle section is predominantly blue. The expert trails are in the back bowls and to the left. We stuck mostly to the blue trails and found them to be wide and interesting. On our visit, the snow conditions were a little crusty and icy due to sparse natural snow that year. Other areas, like Breckenridge and Beaver Creek apparently had better snowmaking and better conditions during the lack of natural snow. Next time we plan to save Copper for a week day during a good snow period.

This was our fourth trip to Breckenridge, which is one of our favorite ski areas. There is an excellent variety of skiing terrain for all ability levels, with skiing spread over three main base areas and four separate mountain peaks.

Let’s start with the base areas. If you park in the large skier lots, you can take a free shuttle bus to any of the base areas. If you are staying in town, the base area you choose might be determined by its accessibility from you lodging. You can ski to any part of the mountain from any other part, but it might be easier to start where you think that you will ski the most. All three areas have full services, including rentals, ski school, and tickets. The Village Base Area is essentially in downtown Breckenridge and is surrounded by condos, shops, and restaurants. The main lodging nearby includes The Village of Breckenridge Resort, Marriott’s Mountain Valley Lodge, and the new hotel/timeshare at Main Street Station. The Village Base is often referred to as "Maggie’s" by the locals, after Maggie’s Pond, which is located here. The Quicksilver Super 6 high-speed lift departs from this base and serves all skiing abilities. Start here if you plan to ski mostly on Peaks 9 and 10. The Beaver Run Base Area is only a short distance away from the Village. It is located at the huge Beaver Run Resort, but shuttle busses also unload and depart from here. Beaver Run Super Chair takes intermediate and advanced skiers directly to the top of Peak 9. Beginner skiers can take an easy ski around the corner to the Quicksilver Super 6 chair. The Peak 8 Base Area is furthest away from the town and is away from all the hustle and bustle. It is accessible mainly by shuttle bus from anywhere in town or by skiing over from Peak 9. Peak 8 is a good place to start if your lodging is along Ski Hill Road. Five lifts depart from the Peak 8 base, serving all abilities on Peaks 7 and 8.

Breckenridge is a huge ski area with something for everyone. We will take a tour as you look at the mountain from left to right. Peak 10 can be accessed from the top of Quicksilver lift or by following the signs from the top of Peak 9. Peak 10 is not the place for beginners or lower intermediates. Most of the trails run along an exposed ridge giving fantastic views, but also exposing you to strong winds at times. This is my favorite part of the resort, with wide-open, groomed slopes that are rolling and relatively steep. Also, a maze of advanced trails takes you in and out of trees on the side of the ridge. Between Peaks 9 and 10 is an excellent beginners area with a variety of long, flat trails. This is where most of the beginner ski school classes go. The new Tenmile Station day lodge, located at the top of Quicksilver lift, is a great place for a break as long as you avoid the lunch time rush on busy days, Peak 9 is probably the busiest part of the mountain and is an intermediate heaven. Get there early to experience the velvet grooming on most of these trails. The relatively new Mercury Super chair allows you to ski Peak 9 without having to go all the way down to crowds at Beaver Run or the Village. The steep canyon between Peaks 8 and 9 is one of many expert slopes. Peak 8 is a good place to go when your group consists of skiers of varying abilities. Both green and blue slopes come together at the base of Peak 8 and your extreme skiing friends can join you there or meet you at the Vista Haus day lodge up top. Up above the fabulous views from the Vista Haus is the open bowl skiing served by the T-bar as well as the walking access to Peak 7. Peak 7 will soon be home to five or six new intermediate trails. As of January 2002, these trails had been cut, but there was no lift access.

The skiing conditions at Breckenridge are generally excellent due to the high altitude. (IMPORTANT NOTE: With a base altitude of 9600 feet, you really do need to be aware of the effects of altitude on your endurance and your health.) Snowmaking is extensive to provide cover for early seasons and dry spells. We have skied there at various times from Christmas until late March and found conditions always good. Of course whims of the weather gods will determine whether you have an abundance of fresh powder. Enjoy!