Avoid Lift Lines Like a Local
January 2, 2016 / in Breckenridge Skiing / by Lauren Parker
Crowds, endless lift lines and wasting time… oh my! Who wants to spend half the day waiting in line when you could be bombing run after run with no one in sight? Here is an insider’s guide on how to get away from all those people and have an epic day skiing on the trails less traveled. From the busiest to the least crowded Breckenridge peaks, here are some tips and tricks on where to go.
For reference, here is a map of Breckenridge Ski Resort.
PEAK 8 | ● ■ ♦ ♦♦
The base of Peak 8 can get pretty congested, so try to avoid this area on weekends or busy holidays. Heading to more difficult terrain is how you will be able to avoid crowds on Peak 8, but if you’re not quite ready for those high alpine bowls and double black diamonds, have no fear. There are plenty more ways to avoid people while cruising easy and intermediate terrain. Check out our tips on Peaks 9, 7 and 6 below.
The Colorado SuperChair tends to attract heavy lift lines. The secret here is to head left at the top, and hit all those black and double back diamond runs that face the south side. Then, you can load up on the mid-point of the Peak 8 SuperConnect and keep lapping those black diamonds. Not too many people utilize this. Bonus: These trails are located in a valley, so on cold days this is a good spot to keep out of the wind and stay a little warmer.
From this area, you can catch 6-Chair, which will give you access to black and double black diamond runs with minimal people around. If you’re feeling extra adventurous, take the Imperial Express SuperChair to the summit of Peak 8 and revel in terrain accessed by the highest chair lift in America.
Hopping on E-Chair to get to the north side of Peak 9 is also a great option where you will have access to awesome double black diamond runs. This also happens to be the easiest way to get from Peak 8 to Peak 9. No cat walks, woohoo!
If you don’t want to deal with the Colorado SuperChair at all, just head over to the Rocky Mountain SuperChair where there is a little more difficult terrain directly under the lift, which usually means less people.
PEAK 9 | ● ■ ♦ ♦♦
Peak 9 has a lot of amazing intermediate terrain, so if you want to avoid the face-melting double black diamonds as well as the crowds, read on.
The base of this mountain can get fairly busy because ski school is over here, so stay up a little higher. Skip the Quicksilver Lift and use the Mercury and the Beaver Run SuperChair where you can shred blue runs all day like it’s your job. There are a ton of different blues you can take down so you can keep switching it up.
PEAK 7 | ■ ♦ ♦♦
This mountain is chock full of fantastic blue bombers. Who doesn’t love those? Cruising down a run with a permanent grin, eyes tearing up from the wind against your face, and heart beating out of your chest…seriously one of the best feelings in the world. The Independence SuperChair is a six-person high-speed lift. Even if it looks like a fair amount of people in line, the lift has the capacity to move a lot of riders quickly, so the line is typically under four minutes.
PEAK 6 | ■ ♦ ♦♦
This entire mountain is a great way to avoid crowds at Breckenridge. Peak 6 has above tree-line blue runs, which allow skiers of all levels to get the high-alpine experience without being scared for your life on the way down. There are some awesome 10-minute hikes to black and double black diamond runs for the thrill-seekers out there that will absolutely get you away from the crowds.
PEAK 10 | ♦ ♦♦
Just like Peak 6, Peak 10 is definitely a place to go to avoid other skiers and snowboarders. The bottom of the Falcon Chair is not a base area with bus stops unloading the masses onto it, so it’s a pretty safe bet for avoiding crowds. For years and years, Peak 10 had some blue/black runs which brought more visitors, but they’ve designated the entire mountain as black diamond. The runs are the same but it intimidates a lot of people, which means more POW for you!
Enjoy easy access to Breck’s best terrain when you stay slopeside at the Grand Lodge on Peak 7 or The Grand Colorado on Peak 8. Find the best lodging deals in Breckenridge and family-friendly ski-in, ski-out lodging with these Grand Lodge on Peak 7 promotional rates.
