Skiing in Breckenridge, Colorado - everything you need to know
I started skiing when I was only four years old, and since then, I went skiing several times every season. When I was still living in Europe, I skied mostly on ski slopes in Italy, Austria and France, but when I moved to the United states of America, more precisely to Ohio, I realized that ski slopes in this part of the United states are too flat, so I had to find good ski resorts in other states.
Last winter, a friend recommended me to check out a ski resort in West Virginia, called Snowshoe, which is situated a driving distance from me - four hours away, so I decided to take my first American ski vacation there. And it was so amazing that I wanted more, so I started looking for a ski resort for my second ski vacation.
Supposedly, ski slopes in the Western United states are much better, so I decided to give Montana a try - I went to a ski resort, called Big Sky, and after going there, I realized that skiing in Europe will never be the same again. I mean, where in Europe can you find a ski resort with over one hundred ski slopes where most runs are suitable for intermediate and advanced skiers?
Since I loved Big Sky resort so much, I was debating about going there again next year, but after some careful thinking, I decided against it. I wanted to find a ski resort as awesome (or even more awesome) as Big Sky, and I was successful.
I have read on several forums that the place, called Breckenridge ski resort in the Colorado's Rocky mountains is the best place you can go to for some great skiing. And this is exactly where I went (after convincing a few friends to come with me). how did I like it? Feel free to read more about my experience below.
And despite the fact that the pictures that I took, turned our pretty good, I have to say that the pictures really do not do justice to this place. It is even more beautiful when you see it with your own eyes!
This is the view from one of the slopes. The white peaks in the ditance are the Rocky Mountains, or 'Rockies, as locals like to call them. Despite the fact that the weather was perfect, there were not many people on the slopes.
Getting there and best time to go
Colorado has plenty of amazing ski resorts, and all of them are pretty close together. If you have not heard of Breckenridge before, you surely have heard of Aspen (think of Dumb and dumber movie), Vail, Beaver creek or Keystone. And all of them are relatively close to the Denver airport, which is a major airport in the area, and your best (and cheapest) option to fly to.
Breckenridge ski resort is situated about two hours away from Denver airport. If the weather is good, that is. On the way there, we were caught in a blizzard and it took us almost four hours to get there. On the way back, the weather was perfect and the drive took us two hours and ten minutes. Like I said, the weather in Colorado is incredibly unpredictable.
The conditions on our way to Breckenridge ski resort were not the best and I was glad we arrived there in one piece. But the next day was surprised us with clear skies, and no sign of a blizzard.
The way to the resort is so simple that you will not even need a GPS to get there! To get to Breckenridge from the Denver airport, follow the I - 70 West for approximately eighty miles, then exit the highway in Frisco. Follow the road for twenty more miles - it will take you directly into Breckenridge. From there, it will be easy to find a way to your hotel or wherever you will be staying. I will write more about different accommodations in Breckenridge in one of the following chapters.
It is strongly advised that you rent a car with a four wheel drive. The place we stayed at was not accessible without a four wheel drive, and most of the cars you will see on the road, will have four wheel drive.
Regarding the best time to visit Breckenridge ski resort, I would say the following: Avoid major holidays. One of my acquaintances was there during President’s day, and the line at the bottom of the ski lift was forty minutes long!
Your visit will also greatly depend on the weather, which is, like I said, extremely unpredictable in Colorado (well, just like in Ohio, basically, so I should be used to it by now). It might be sunny and warm for a part of the day, and then the clouds will roll in in just a matter of minutes, the temperatures will plummet below freezing, and the snow will start falling. But like one of the locals that I met on the ski lift told me - unpredictable weather is just an unavoidable part of your Colorado ski vacation.
Places to stay
During my three ski trips in the United states of America, I realized that ski vacations here are ridiculously expensive. We are talking about spending close to two thousand dollars per person for a week in a ski resort. I mean, the slopes are more than amazing, but it can be a pretty big expense.
Breckenridge has quite a few resort hotels, and if you stay in the ones that are affiliated with Breckenridge, you get an early entry to the ski slopes - you will be able to enjoy the freshly groomed snow for thirty minutes earlier than the general public. The catch with these hotels is that they are really expensive.
Your cheapest bet is to gather a few of your friends and rent a condo - you will be sharing the cost of the place. And, meanwhile still on the pricey side, staying in a condo will be way cheaper than staying in one of the hotels.
Me and my friends stayed in the Sky Watch complex, and it offered the ski in - ski out option, which is what we were looking for. If you are not familiar with the ski in - ski out term, let me explain it to you.
Imagine a ski vacation where you do not have to worry about finding a parking spot, paying for parking, possibly having to take a shuttle and hauling all your ski equipment with you at the same time. Well, this is all possible if you stay at the place that offers ski in - ski out. It is, of course, more expensive, but totally worth it.
Staying in such place will literally allow you to step out of the door, put your skis on and ski down to the ski lift! Pretty amazing, right? The only thing to watch for is at the end of the day, before the lifts close. You have to remember how to get to your place, otherwise you will be stuck at the bottom of the hill and you will have to walk up to your place.
So, our condo at Sun Watch was pretty amazing. The spot in a covered garage was included in the price (but unfortunately our enormous Ford Expedition did not fit in there, mainly because of the ski rack on the roof, so we had to park the car outside), and so was the hot tub, and there were several cool restaurants just below the complex, my favourite one was definitely Robby’s tavern. We also got an access to ski lockers, which means that we were able to leave our skis there and not having to leave them in the condo, which would mean melting snow everywhere.
The condo had two big rooms, two bathrooms, a well stocked kitchen and a living room. We had three TVs and a ton of board games, although we did not get to play any because we were just too tired after all the skiing. The kitchen had coffee machine with some coffee already provided and there were some drinks in the refrigerator as a welcome gift from our hosts.
The only downside of this place was that there was no washing machine and dryer in the condo, however, there was a coin operated laundry room in the building. Well, one dollar to wash and dry your clothes is not too bad.
This was the view from my room. Look at the size of these icicles! The building that you see in the back, is another ski in - ski out complex.
Where to eat?
You have several options to eat on the mountain. On our first day, we ate at a restaurant in the middle of the ski slopes, called Ten mile station, and the other days we ate at lodges at the bottom of each mountain peak. The food in all these restaurants was surprisingly good. Which surprised me, because food at European ski slopes left me unimpressed.
The previously mentioned Robby’s tavern is a great place for dinner. Try their salad with caramelized bacon (best thing I have ever tried), their french fries are also superb, and they have a fairly good selection of beers.
Another good place for dinner is the Breckenridge brewery, but you will have to drive down to the town of Breckenridge for that. Their Mediterranean salad with shrimp makes the trip worth it, and their trout with coconut lime rice will leave you asking for more.
Lift tickets
Hopefully, you will not be as shocked as I was when I heard the lift ticket prices in Breckenridge. When I was still living in Europe, I thought that a lift ticket that costs forty Euros per day, is way too expensive. Well, I guess I was spoiled. One day adult lift ticket in Breckenridge will cost you no less than one hundred and fifty nine dollars. Yeah, that is a lot. And there is no discount on a two day pass, which will cost you three hundred and eighteen dollars.
And that is not all - if you buy your lift tickets less than seven days in advance, it will be even more expensive. But after skiing there for a week, I have to say that it was worth every single penny.
Renting the ski equipment
In Europe, I have my own ski equipment. Because when people in Europe go skiing, they usually always drive to the ski resorts, and there is no need for flying there. But United states of America are a different story. If you have bad luck like me, and the nearest decent ski slope is a three hour flight away, it just does not make sense to have your own ski equipment, not even in the long run.
Because if you are flying to your destination, you have to pay to check in the ski equipment separately, and if you have seen any of the videos of airline employees and handling the baggage, you might not want to do that. When I bought my skis back in Europe, I made a very informed decision, because I consider buying a top quality ski equipment as an investment. And this is the reason why I would never fly with my 700 Euros worth skis.
Well, it is common to rent your ski equipment in the ski resorts in the United states of America anyways. And ski resort areas usually offer several different ski equipment rental shops, so it can be hard to choose the one you want to rent your equipment at.
I was pretty lucky in Breckenridge, because one of my acquaintances was there before and she recommended me a place where she rented her ski equipment - it is called Blue River Sports ski rentals and you will find it in the downtown Breckenridge. The rental of skis, ski poles, ski boots and a helmet cost me twenty nine dollars per day.
I would strongly encourage you to make a reservation for your ski equipment in advance on line. First of all, it will be cheaper if you book in advance, and secondly, they might not have enough ski equipment during busy ski days. When making a reservation, you need to provide some information about you, such as your height, weight and shoe size and your skill level, so the employees will be able to find you the right skis. Included in the price is also fitting of the ski shoes, so you get the pair that is as comfortable as possible.
Just be careful - you can only rent skis, ski boots, poles and helmets. You either have to have your own goggles (regular sunglasses will work too, but only in sunny weather), ski pants and ski jacket and gloves, or buy them on the spot, which will easily cost you five hundred dollars or even more. Also, if you decide to rent your ski equipment on the mountain, it will be much more expensive due to the convenient location. The ski rentals in town usually all have very similar, much lower rates than the ones up on the mountain.
More about the fabulous Breckenridge slopes
Breckenridge offers something for literally every level of skier. So whether you are an absolute beginner or an expert, looking for double black diamond slopes, this place will not disappoint you. By the way, if you are a beginner, I would strongly recommend you to take ski lessons for the first day. Their instructors are some of the best, and you will not have to worry about getting lost on the mountain, and you will gain a lot of new skills and knowledge.
Breckenridge ski resort has several peaks, and you will find slopes for all skill levels on most of them. The skill levels are marked as follows: green slopes are for beginners, and most of them are almost flat enough that you will stop in the middle if you do not push yourself forward. Slopes that are marked blue, are for intermediate skiers, but beginners will have fun on them as well.
The view from the ski lift that took us to Peak 6.
And then, last but not least, my favourite type of slopes - the blacks. The regular black slope can easily be done, but then you also have a black diamond, which is for the skilled skiers only, and the double black diamond, which you should not attempt under any means if you have any doubts in yourself. You really need to be confident to do the double black diamonds safely. If you are not, it is not safe, and also, what is the point of being scared for your life while trying to reach the bottom of a terribly steep slope?
Most of the peaks at the Breckenridge ski resort usually look like this: the green slopes are situated at the very bottom, the blues above them, and the black slopes are either on the side or on the very top of the mountain.
And if you are a beginner and you are worried about accidentally ending up on a black slope, I have good news for you. The intersections on the slopes are very clearly marked with a slope name and the colour code (green, blue or black).
Some of the ski lifts only take you to the black terrain for advanced skiers, and they are clearly marked. Before you enter the lift, you will see the sign that says: This ski lift serves black terrain only.
My favourite peak at Breckenridge ski resort is definitely the top of the Peak Eight. That point is also the highest ski lift in North America and, as you can probably imagine, the view from up there is simply amazing. I was about to say ‘breathtaking’, but the shortage of breath is most likely just the effect of high elevation in this case. Needless to say, this is area for advanced skiers only. Once you reach the top, you can either simply ski down, or walk to the very top of the peak.
By walking, I mean carrying your skis on your shoulder and trying not to slide back down because that would mean a terrible domino effect for the people behind you. I am glad I went to the top, but the view really is not that much different from up there. But it certainly is a pretty impressive achievement, and I am proud of myself for doing it.
This is Peak eight. Now imagine the view from up there.
Dealing with high elevation
Like I mentioned before, I have never been at such a high altitude, let alone ski at such an elevation. And I was pretty optimistic about all that. I have heard several times before the trip how higher elevation affects you - you will feel heavy and tired, and when breathing, you will feel like you are not getting enough air. When walking faster (or running, but good luck with that), your lungs will burn and you will have to stop and gasp for air every few feet. But I was sure that such things only happen to others, not me. Oh, how wrong I was!
When we walked to the top of Peak Eight, I realized that I should have listened to everybody who was warning me about all these high altitude effects. The walk itself to the top of Peak eight would be hard even without having to carry the heavy skis on my shoulder. With the skis, it was even more exhausting, it was super hard to keep my balance, and I felt like I am not getting enough air in my lungs, regardless on how deep my breaths were. In fact, the more deep breaths I took, the more light headed I felt.
Yes, walking to the very top of Peak eight was hard, and at some point, I just wanted to give up and go back. The only thing that stopped me from doing that, were the other skiers behind me. The way up is so narrow that it is impossible for two people to stand side by side. But I am so glad we went to the very top. I mean, the view from the end of the ski lift was pretty spectacular as well, but I think being at the very top counts as a bigger achievement.
I hope I did not scare you with all the talking about the high elevation and trouble with breathing. Well, even if I did, there is a solution for you. Most of the stores are selling bottled oxygen, and it costs nine dollars and up, and this was the first time I have seen something like that. I did not try it though, and I somehow regret it - I want to see if it actually helps and how does it feel to breathe in pure bottled oxygen.
Like I said, meanwhile I did not feel big effects of altitude when skiing downhill, they became pretty obvious when I had to push myself forward with the ski poles to reach the ski lift, or, even worse, on catwalks (which are flat areas that horizontally connect two ski slopes).
Despite the trouble with high altitude, I had a time of my life at Breckenridge ski resort!
Some random advices for the best ski experience in Breckenridge
Bring warm clothes. Thermal clothing is a life saver. Ski socks are a warm and comfortable alternative to wearing multiple pairs of regular socks. Also bring a scarf, sunblock, sunglasses (or ski goggles), and another life saver - balaclava, which will make you look like a bank robber, but it will keep your face warm. Hand warmers also come in handy when the temperatures drop, and you can also put them in your ski boots to keep your toes warm.
Drink enough liquids. Usually, when skiing, I do not really feel the thirst. I think the reason for that might be the cold weather. So what I did this year, is set a reminder on my phone for every hour, so I remembered to drink a sufficient amount of water throughout the day.
Get a trail map. Whether it is the printed version or the map on the Breckenridge ski resort mobile app, because it is impossible to navigate almost two hundred ski slopes without it. Well, you could rely on asking other people for directions, but I prefer to have an actual map with me.
Things to do nearby
Breckenridge offers plenty of things to do when you are taking a break from skiing. One of the things you can do is tour a working gold mine! Apparently, this area in Colorado is the place where the gold rush started, and when driving to Breckenridge ski resort, I saw several working gold mines.
If you are looking for some tasty food and some cool beer choices, then heading to the Breckenridge brewery is the thing for you. Their salads are amazing, and the vanilla infused beer was one of the best beers I have ever tried.
If it is not too cold outside, stroll through the town of Breckenridge. Its storefronts will definitely amaze you, and you can also buy some cool souvenirs for you, your family and friends there.
A few words for the end…
Yes, it is expensive. Yes, it is in the middle of nowhere. And yes, despite all this, it is totally worth going to Breckenridge, Colorado! I had a blast skiing at Breckenridge and I hope I can return for more fun in the snow in the upcoming years. And I hope that this post helped you with your ski vacation planning. Have fun!
