With 2,908 skiable acres, 187 trails, and 235 lifts Breckenridge Ski Resort offers a variety of terrain for all levels from beginner to expert. If you’re not sure where to start, read on for a breakdown of beginner to expert hike-to terrain so you can get the most out of your days on the mountain.
The days are getting longer. It’s starting to get a little warmer. Birds and other animals that haven’t been seen too much in the last few months are starting to make their way back from their various winter haunts and people across the country are counting down the days until that one precious week in March when schools see fit to cut the children loose. That glorious week also known as spring break is almost here. It’s a time to get away, step out from the busy lives that each of us leads and let go for a week. For those coming to Breckenridge to shred, March is a great time to let it out and throw down just a little bit. Here are some ideas on how to fill your nights (and days) this Spring Break in Breckenridge.
Party: Isn’t partying what spring break is all about? In a one-mile stretch of town Breckenridge there are a lot of restaurants and bars, almost 100 in fact. There is no shortage of places to go for a meal, drink, entertainment and plain old good times. From Apres’ to late night, Breckenridge has a spot for everyone. Almost every night in March there is live music, trivia games, comedy, killer deals and plain good times. A great resource for finding the best deals and events in the local restaurants and bars is imnotatwork.com. Check it out and start planning your good times now.
Relax: Spending all day slaying powder is hard work and weather you decide to rip some turns or not there is nothing better than a massage, body wrap or any spa treatment to ease achy muscles and recharge a tired spirit. There are many spas all over Breckenridge so these is no shortage of different types of massages and spa treatments. Check out our recent blog on spas in Breckenridge for some great spa options in town.
Music and Arts: One of the coolest things that Breckenridge has done in the past few years is ramp up town’s cultural offerings including the creation of the Breckenridge Arts District or CreateBreck.org. Breckenridge has the second largest arts district in Colorado and Breck Create has done some very good work to bring in a variety of performing acts that span from rock bands to art exhibits to events. This March events such as the Banff Mountain Film Festival and bands like Donovan Frankenreiter, Comedy performances like Sandra Bernhard and much more are on tap. Click here to see the full lineup of events produced by Create Breck.
Try something besides skiing: Spring is still winter in Breckenridge and skiing is why it is so popular here in March. Of popularity comes with a price and that can be crowded slopes especially in March. Of course regardless of the crowds, you should ski and ski a lot! But consider taking a day to try a different winter activity like dog sledding, snowmobiling or cross country skiing. All of these activities are perfect to try in Breckenridge. Here is a great blog on things to in Breck without skis.
March is a fantastic time to visit Breckenridge. It is a time when everything is open and town is clicking on all cylinders. Spring Breakers rejoice! There is so much to do in Breckenridge. In fact we wrote a blog all about that. Here are 100 things to do in Breckenridge this winter.
Don’t’ forget if you haven’t booked lodging for you Breckenridge spring break adventure yet visit http://www.breckenridgediscountlodging.com/.
Independence SuperChair |Peak 7
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.
Breckenridge Spring Finale