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 Anchored by a town that boasts a large historic district, Breckenridge can lay claim to the elusive tag of "ambiance" that so many resorts pursue. Dozens of restored Victorian structures hold a wide variety of pubs, restaurants, boutiques, shops, coffee houses, delis, and more. The architecture downtown may be a bit at odds with the modern buildings at the resort itself, but that hardly matters. It's the real town that counts. Likewise, there's a real, big-shouldered mountain above it, spanning four interconnected peaks with a lift-served vertical just over 2500 feet. Shoulder your boards and hike up almost another 900 vertical feet to Imperial Bowl or the bowls on Peak 7. More than half of the resort's terrain is rated advanced or expert. This wasn't always the case, but as the mountain expanded up and out, steep high alpine terrain became available. In fact, the resort recently installed a high-speed six-pack on Peak 7, which opened up 165 acres of much-needed intermediate terrain. The chair, the second six-pack at Breck, brought the total lifts to 27. While the most spectacular terrain is available only by hiking, which may be a chore for low-altitude visitors (and a source of relief to locals), there's still plenty of exciting stuff that's lift-served. Chair 6 and the North Bowl T-bar offer up lots of challenge, and there's more to be had off the Falcon SuperChair. Beginners have "only" 13 percent of Breck's terrain on which to play-but that's nearly 290 acres. And freeriders, whether on one board or two, have two terrain parks with a history dating back to 1984, when Breckenridge became the first major Colorado resort to allow snowboarding. You'll work up an appetite exploring the mountain, and there are eight on-mountain dining spots to satisfy it. But the town is close, and with more than four dozen local restaurants, finding a tasty treat is not a problem. The same can be said about lodging. In addition to the full-service Beaver Run Resort there are a several lodges, inns, and condo clusters that are ski in/ski out, and more that are within walking distance of the slopes. A bit further afield but still close at hand in and around town are any number of properties at different price points. Off-slope fun With a full slate of events and activities throughout the season, Breckenridge (the resort) offers plenty of action. But there's a lot going on in town, too. First off, there's a busy club scene where you can keep going (if you can) until two in the morning. There's a more sedate side to the nightlife, too, just in case 2:00 a.m. is far past your bedtime. Many clubs and bars offer live music, from jazz to blues and almost anything else. If your tastes run to more outdoor pursuits, there's the Breckenridge cross-country and snowshoe center on Ski Hill Road, with 28 kilometers of double-track; or the Gold Run Nordic Center on Tiger Hill Road, with 14 kilometers of groomed trails for all abilities. Snowmobile and dogsled tours are available in the Summit County backcountry. And the Breckenridge Recreation Center is a state-of-the-art facility with indoor and outdoor activities. Fill out your day at the Breckenridge Ice Rink, enjoy a dinner sleigh ride, or take in live theater at the Backstage Theater. The Summit Activities Center can arrange most of your outdoor adventures at no additional cost.
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Ski Report
Colorado
