Breckenridge: Hiker's Haven
Written: Mar 08 '05
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Product Rating:
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Pros: Expert terrain
Great town
Proximity to Denver
Cons: Beginner/intermediate terrain crowded
Hiking required for extreme terrain
The Bottom Line: A good spot for experts not too far from Denver. Can get very crowded for beginners and intermediates.
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| mmilne-s's Full Review: Breckenridge |
I went to Breckenridge in early March, 2005. I was there on a Friday, as well as the first weekend of Colorado's March Break. Having read some reviews, I was concerned about the crowds. However, if you are an expert skier, you have nothing to worry about. Let me explain.
Breckenridge is spread over four peaks, but the more important difference is between the upper and lower terrain. The lower terrain on Peaks 7-9 is relatively flat, almost exclusively blue and green runs. From what I hear, this area gets devilishly crowded. However, I never encountered it.
The reason is that if you're an expert skier there's no reason to frequent these areas after the first run of the day. There are three great areas where I never saw major lines, and the locals told me were usual uncrowded:
1) Peak 10: this has blue to double-black terrain. Great groomed cruisers first thing in the morning, and some nice steeper bump runs thrown in. Cimarron, a black run where they hold races, was usually groomed and a blast first thing in the morning.
2) E and 6 Chairs, in the valley between Peaks 8 and 9: a pair of old double chairs, that were deserted even on the weekends. E is all double-black, all bumps, all the time. Some good gladed lines as well if you're willing to look for them. 6 is a little more tame, with groomed and ungroomed black runs.
3) the T-Bar. This accesses vast bowls to either side of the lift. It's pretty much all double-black, but at the same time nothing so crazy you need to worry about going over a cliff. A few times I had to wait 10 minutes or so for the t-bar but other times midday it was virtually empty. The best thing about the t-bar as well is the hiking available off Peaks 7 or 8. Peak 7 offers fresh tracks days after snowfall if you're willing to make the 30-45 minute hike from the t-bar. The hike up Peak 8 is more of the same, but also gives you the Lake Chutes--the hairiest lines on the mountain, and the only terrain at Breck classified as "extreme". If you keep to skier's right at the bottom, it's only a 20 minute hike to ski the Lake Chutes again.
Apparently they're talking of putting a chair to the top of Peak 8. This will eliminate the hike but also eliminate the joy of earning your turns with fresh powder three days after a dump.
In summary, Breckenridge's layout helps separate experts from the rest. This is a very good thing for the experts, but from what I hear, makes it very crowded for the rest.
Recommended:
Yes
Level of Experience Needed: All
Best Time to Visit: March
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Epinions.com ID:
mmilne-s
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Reviews written: 4
Trusted by: 0 members
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