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| Breckenridge Resort |
| Breckenridge as seen from Keystone Resort. |
| Resort History: |
The conception of building a ski resort in Breckenridge began during the
late 1950's when Bill Rounds of the Porter and Rounds Lumber Company
became interested in bringing skiing to the valley. He created a
organization called the Summit County Development Corporation led by
Claude Martin and Bill Starks. A report was issued by the U.S. Forest
Service in April of 1961, which recommended terrain below timberline on
Peak 8. According to Martin, initial plans called for four ski lifts, a four
passenger gondola, air strip for executives, motels, lodges, apartments, ski
shops, and restaurants.
The Peak 8 Ski Area opened on December 16, 1961 with one Heron
double chair and a midway unloading station and one short learners T-bar.
Ticket prices were four dollars for an adult and two fifty for children.
Attendance ranged in the neighborhood of 17,000 skiers.
The following year a 375-foot Constam double chair was installed up the
"Mach One" trail. This season marked the first Ullr Dag festival, which
included a ski parade, competitions and aerial tricks demonstrated by ski
school instructors. The festival came about because the majority of the ski
school instructors were Norwegian.
In 1965, Chair 2 was installed by Heron, which terminated near the top of
the current Colorado Super Chair. A base lodge was completed on Peak
8, but the structure was short lived. An explosion destroyed the building
shortly after completion. While an exact cause was never determined, a
gas leak was suspected.
By 1967, Harry Baum from Arapahoe Basin was in charge of operations
at the ski area and later purchased the resort. That same year, a poma lift
was installed near the summit of Chair 2 to what is now the summit of
Chair 6, serving high alpine bowl terrain. Skier visits topped over
140,000 people.
In 1970, Aspen Skiing Company purchased Breckenridge and Baum was
retained as the manager. During the summer of 1971, two new double
chairs were installed on Peak 9, along with multiple ski runs. The total
cost of the expansion was 4.5 million dollars. In 1972, the popular C
Chair was built with runs Union, Minnie, and Siverthorn Cutoff. Ticket
prices topped six dollars per day with skier visits at 271,000 people.
By 1978, A, # 4, and D Chair were all installed providing access on Peak
9. That same year, Aspen Skiing Company was sold to Twentieth
Century Fox, which had vast profits from the hit movie Star Wars.
During the late 1970's, the alpine slide was constructed providing summer
on-mountain activities. Chair 6 was installed in 1979, which provided
easier access to some of Breckenridge's bowls. New runs included
Quandry, Too Much, Steilhung, and Frosty's Freeway.
The season of 1980-81 marked a big drought for Breck when only 86
inches of natural now fell. Skier numbers fell to 195,000. Almost half the
previous season.
The following summer, Breckenridge heavily invested in snowmaking
operations to prevent poor conditions seen the previous year. The
world's first high-speed quad was installed at the base of Peak 9 during
the same year. The Doppelmayr Lift Company from Austria constructed
the quad. To celebrate this milestone, Doppelmayr brought over a special
brass band from Austria.
By 1983, ticket prices reached 19 dollars per day, with skier visits at
673,00 people. The E Chair was installed, provided better access to
some of Brecks more challenging mogul runs off of Peak 9. The following
season, the infamous T-bar made it's debut up the Horseshoe Bowl; the
old poma lift then retired. Ownership of Aspen Skiing Company changed
when the Crown family purchased the operation from Fox in 1984.
Peak 10 opens for the first time the in 1985 with a new Poma quad chair
called the F Lift. The chair was converted into a high-speed lift for the
following ski season. Runs on this hill were named for WW II planes by
mountain manager Jim Gill.
late 1950's when Bill Rounds of the Porter and Rounds Lumber Company
became interested in bringing skiing to the valley. He created a
organization called the Summit County Development Corporation led by
Claude Martin and Bill Starks. A report was issued by the U.S. Forest
Service in April of 1961, which recommended terrain below timberline on
Peak 8. According to Martin, initial plans called for four ski lifts, a four
passenger gondola, air strip for executives, motels, lodges, apartments, ski
shops, and restaurants.
The Peak 8 Ski Area opened on December 16, 1961 with one Heron
double chair and a midway unloading station and one short learners T-bar.
Ticket prices were four dollars for an adult and two fifty for children.
Attendance ranged in the neighborhood of 17,000 skiers.
The following year a 375-foot Constam double chair was installed up the
"Mach One" trail. This season marked the first Ullr Dag festival, which
included a ski parade, competitions and aerial tricks demonstrated by ski
school instructors. The festival came about because the majority of the ski
school instructors were Norwegian.
In 1965, Chair 2 was installed by Heron, which terminated near the top of
the current Colorado Super Chair. A base lodge was completed on Peak
8, but the structure was short lived. An explosion destroyed the building
shortly after completion. While an exact cause was never determined, a
gas leak was suspected.
By 1967, Harry Baum from Arapahoe Basin was in charge of operations
at the ski area and later purchased the resort. That same year, a poma lift
was installed near the summit of Chair 2 to what is now the summit of
Chair 6, serving high alpine bowl terrain. Skier visits topped over
140,000 people.
In 1970, Aspen Skiing Company purchased Breckenridge and Baum was
retained as the manager. During the summer of 1971, two new double
chairs were installed on Peak 9, along with multiple ski runs. The total
cost of the expansion was 4.5 million dollars. In 1972, the popular C
Chair was built with runs Union, Minnie, and Siverthorn Cutoff. Ticket
prices topped six dollars per day with skier visits at 271,000 people.
By 1978, A, # 4, and D Chair were all installed providing access on Peak
9. That same year, Aspen Skiing Company was sold to Twentieth
Century Fox, which had vast profits from the hit movie Star Wars.
During the late 1970's, the alpine slide was constructed providing summer
on-mountain activities. Chair 6 was installed in 1979, which provided
easier access to some of Breckenridge's bowls. New runs included
Quandry, Too Much, Steilhung, and Frosty's Freeway.
The season of 1980-81 marked a big drought for Breck when only 86
inches of natural now fell. Skier numbers fell to 195,000. Almost half the
previous season.
The following summer, Breckenridge heavily invested in snowmaking
operations to prevent poor conditions seen the previous year. The
world's first high-speed quad was installed at the base of Peak 9 during
the same year. The Doppelmayr Lift Company from Austria constructed
the quad. To celebrate this milestone, Doppelmayr brought over a special
brass band from Austria.
By 1983, ticket prices reached 19 dollars per day, with skier visits at
673,00 people. The E Chair was installed, provided better access to
some of Brecks more challenging mogul runs off of Peak 9. The following
season, the infamous T-bar made it's debut up the Horseshoe Bowl; the
old poma lift then retired. Ownership of Aspen Skiing Company changed
when the Crown family purchased the operation from Fox in 1984.
Peak 10 opens for the first time the in 1985 with a new Poma quad chair
called the F Lift. The chair was converted into a high-speed lift for the
following ski season. Runs on this hill were named for WW II planes by
mountain manager Jim Gill.
| Skiing off of Peak 9 |
| 10 Mile Station Cafeteria |
| Chair 6 Terrain |
| The trail: Crystal |
| The bottom of Peak 9 |
| Overlooking Peak 7 |
Peak 8 installs its first high-speed quad in 1986, replacing chair #1. The
lift is called the Colorado Super Chair. Later that season, a large
avalanche toccurs on the Peak 7 Bowl, killing four skiers. Rescue efforts
take days and news of the incident spreads across news stations. The
terrain was considered out of bounds.
Skier visits topped 1 million people for the 1987-88 season. That same
year, Breckenridge is sold to Victoria Ltd of Tokyo, Japan. Local
residents were glad to welcome new owners. Many believed that Aspen
exploited Breckenridge's revenue to support their own ski areas.
In 1990, the Mercury Super Chair was installed (now renamed the
Beaver Run Chair). For the opening celebrations, astronauts John Glenn,
Alan Shepard, Scott Carpenter, and Gordon Cooper attended. Lift
tickets are now 36 dollars.
By 1993, Ralston Purina purchased the ski area long with Keystone and
Arapahoe Basin. Between all three ski areas, they logged over 2.6 million
skier visits.
Vail Resorts (VR) purchased Breckenridge in 1996 along with Keystone.
Now VR owned Beaver Creek, Vail, Arrowhead, Breckenridge and
Keystone. That same year Poma was contracted to install the Snowflake
double chair. This lift has a 45 degree turn about mid-way up the lift line.
Vail's first major improvement was the replacement of the Quicksilver
Quad with a double loading six-passenger chair built by Poma. This
remains the first and only double loading lift in America.
In 2002, the long awaited Peak 7 terrain was developed. A
six-passenger lift was installed to provide adequate capacity. The area is
utilized by intermediate skiers that enjoy groomed terrain. The Peak 8
Super Connect was also installed this year by Poma. This quad replaces
Chair 4.
For the 2005-06 season, the Imperial Express was built. This is now the
highest lift in North America, taking the crown from Loveland's Chair #9.
The lift tops out at over 12,840 feet.
To facilitate development at Peak 7, Shock Hill, and Peak 8 a new
Leitner-Poma gondola opened during 2006. This system eliminated
transport buses from the downtown parking areas to the ski area. To
better integrate with the new developments, the Independence Express on
Peak 7 was lowered to the midway station of the gondola. This now
provides skiers a quick access to Peak 7 terrain.
lift is called the Colorado Super Chair. Later that season, a large
avalanche toccurs on the Peak 7 Bowl, killing four skiers. Rescue efforts
take days and news of the incident spreads across news stations. The
terrain was considered out of bounds.
Skier visits topped 1 million people for the 1987-88 season. That same
year, Breckenridge is sold to Victoria Ltd of Tokyo, Japan. Local
residents were glad to welcome new owners. Many believed that Aspen
exploited Breckenridge's revenue to support their own ski areas.
In 1990, the Mercury Super Chair was installed (now renamed the
Beaver Run Chair). For the opening celebrations, astronauts John Glenn,
Alan Shepard, Scott Carpenter, and Gordon Cooper attended. Lift
tickets are now 36 dollars.
By 1993, Ralston Purina purchased the ski area long with Keystone and
Arapahoe Basin. Between all three ski areas, they logged over 2.6 million
skier visits.
Vail Resorts (VR) purchased Breckenridge in 1996 along with Keystone.
Now VR owned Beaver Creek, Vail, Arrowhead, Breckenridge and
Keystone. That same year Poma was contracted to install the Snowflake
double chair. This lift has a 45 degree turn about mid-way up the lift line.
Vail's first major improvement was the replacement of the Quicksilver
Quad with a double loading six-passenger chair built by Poma. This
remains the first and only double loading lift in America.
In 2002, the long awaited Peak 7 terrain was developed. A
six-passenger lift was installed to provide adequate capacity. The area is
utilized by intermediate skiers that enjoy groomed terrain. The Peak 8
Super Connect was also installed this year by Poma. This quad replaces
Chair 4.
For the 2005-06 season, the Imperial Express was built. This is now the
highest lift in North America, taking the crown from Loveland's Chair #9.
The lift tops out at over 12,840 feet.
To facilitate development at Peak 7, Shock Hill, and Peak 8 a new
Leitner-Poma gondola opened during 2006. This system eliminated
transport buses from the downtown parking areas to the ski area. To
better integrate with the new developments, the Independence Express on
Peak 7 was lowered to the midway station of the gondola. This now
provides skiers a quick access to Peak 7 terrain.
| The new Imperial Express |
| Looking over Peaks 9 and 10. |
| Breck's famous T-bar |
| Current Resort Stats: * |
| The new BreckConnect |
* Elevations: Top: 9,600' Base: 12,998' Vertical Drop: 3,398'
* Ski Runs: 146; Beginner: 15% Intermediate: 33% Expert: 52%
* Skiable Acres: 2,208
* Lifts: Total: 2; Types: 1 Eight-Passenger Gondola, 2 Express 6-Packs;
7 Express Quads, 1 Triple, 6 Doubles, and 13 surface lifts
* Lift Capacity: 36,680 people/hour
* Average Snowfall: 300"
* Hours of Operation: 9-4pm Weekdays, 8:30-4pm Weekends
* Typical Season Dates: Mid-November to Mid-April
* Snowmaking Acres: 565
* New This Season: The development at Peak 7 opens including the
realignment of the Independence Express on Peak 7.
* Resort Contact: Website: www.Breckenridge.com
* Area Owner: Vail Resorts
* Ski Runs: 146; Beginner: 15% Intermediate: 33% Expert: 52%
* Skiable Acres: 2,208
* Lifts: Total: 2; Types: 1 Eight-Passenger Gondola, 2 Express 6-Packs;
7 Express Quads, 1 Triple, 6 Doubles, and 13 surface lifts
* Lift Capacity: 36,680 people/hour
* Average Snowfall: 300"
* Hours of Operation: 9-4pm Weekdays, 8:30-4pm Weekends
* Typical Season Dates: Mid-November to Mid-April
* Snowmaking Acres: 565
* New This Season: The development at Peak 7 opens including the
realignment of the Independence Express on Peak 7.
* Resort Contact: Website: www.Breckenridge.com
* Area Owner: Vail Resorts
| The Quicksilver Quad, the world's first high-speed quad built by Doppelmayr. |
| Pros and Cons to Skiing Here: |
|
| Insider Tips to Skiing Here: |
Recently, Breckenridge tallied the most skier visits of any single resort in
Colorado. This is evident if you ski here during peak weekends. The key
to skiing Breckenridge is to avoid the crowds. If you are an expert skier,
Chair 6, E Chair, Falcon Express and the T-bar offer trails that are
typically not crowded.
On a wind-less day, advanced intermediate skiers enjoy runs off of Peak
10, served by the Falcon Express. Gladed runs like the Burn offer
consistently decent snow and a challenging pitch. If Peak 10 is windy, try
lower intermediate runs off of the Beaver Run Express or take the new
Peak 8 Super Connect lift to Peak 8.
Breckenridge also offers a great place for beginner skiers to advance their
skills. With the addition of the Quicksilver six-passenger lift, the uphill
capacity of the learners slope on Peak 9 has drastically increased. Peak 8
also offers great skiing for first timers off of Chairs 5 and 7.
If you are staying in Summit County, be sure to visit Keystone, Arapahoe
Basin and Copper Mountain.
Colorado. This is evident if you ski here during peak weekends. The key
to skiing Breckenridge is to avoid the crowds. If you are an expert skier,
Chair 6, E Chair, Falcon Express and the T-bar offer trails that are
typically not crowded.
On a wind-less day, advanced intermediate skiers enjoy runs off of Peak
10, served by the Falcon Express. Gladed runs like the Burn offer
consistently decent snow and a challenging pitch. If Peak 10 is windy, try
lower intermediate runs off of the Beaver Run Express or take the new
Peak 8 Super Connect lift to Peak 8.
Breckenridge also offers a great place for beginner skiers to advance their
skills. With the addition of the Quicksilver six-passenger lift, the uphill
capacity of the learners slope on Peak 9 has drastically increased. Peak 8
also offers great skiing for first timers off of Chairs 5 and 7.
If you are staying in Summit County, be sure to visit Keystone, Arapahoe
Basin and Copper Mountain.
| Copyright © coloradoskihistory.com All Rights Reserved. *Resort Stats Current for 2008-2009 Sources: The Colorado Ski Museum Picture Credits: Brad C. |
| Breck's Alpine Slide |
| The Snowflake's angle station. |
| The Horseshoe Bowl |
| Old Breckenridge Trail Maps: |
