Credit: Liam Doran/Vail Resorts
Tree Runs in Breckenridge
Deep in the forest, dodging trees like bullets, heart pounding, legs burning, waist deep in pow, and a massive smile stretched across your face that you can hardly contain. What’s better than shredding powder stashes in the trees all day long? I’ll go ahead and answer that for you. NOTHING. If you’re a tree run fanatic, check out a few of our favorites at Breckenridge.
PEAK 6 | ■ ♦
Take a super hard skier’s right off the Kenosha SuperChair and work your way over to the area between Xanadu and Lost Cabin. This zone is between two lifts and a little harder to get to, but you’ll be rewarded with solitude and tons of untouched powder, even days after a storm.
PEAK 7 | ■ ♦
When hopping off the top of Independence SuperChair, you can make a quick 15 second scurry up to the warming hut and access Ore Bucket. Most riders use this as a short cut to the Kenosha SuperChair on Peak 6, but you can drop in here for some fun trees and then pop back out onto Monte Cristo or Wanderlust.
Also off the Independence SuperChair is Lower Forget-Me Not. Same thing, most people use this as a way to get to the T-Bar, but you can drop in between this and Claimjumper to catch some fun turns in the woods. Close by, directly below the T-bar lift, between Northstar and Claimjumper, there is a tree run gully that’s awesome to ride and a local favorite. This one tends to get a little more traffic because it is right next to the T-Bar lift line, so try to his this early in the morning.
A great beginner tree run to try on Peak 7 are the trees north of Swan City. It’s not too steep and you’ll pop back out right at the base by the Grand Lodge on Peak 7. This is a wonderful spot to take a quick break from the slopes and warm up at Sevens restaurant. You could also soak in the beautiful view of the peaks while lounging slope side on a deck chair.
PEAK 8 | ■ ♦ ♦♦
Take the Rocky Mountain SuperChair and check out the area right under the lift between Little Johnny and Duke’s Run. There are some really nice trees in here and Little Johnny is a bump run, so generally a lot of people avoid this area.
If you’re coming off the T-Bar, we recommend Alpine Alley. This is the ridge line run the follows the cornice into the Horseshoe Bowl. Follow this, but stay skier’s left and follow the trees just along the cornice and at last minute drop into the South end of Contest Bowl. You’re welcome.
If you’re ripping it up with the kids and want to challenge them with a fun tree run, check out Rip’s Ravine. It’s a Kids Adventure Zone and they can play around in the trees under your supervision.
6-CHAIR | ♦
The whole South side of this lift is loaded with countless tree run pop-ins, where you can dip into the glades between the designated runs and pop out on another one. These are awesome because you don’t have to commit to doing a full-on tree run, just pop back onto the run if your legs get tired. Breckenridge is a big mountain with skiers of all levels, so make sure to look both ways and slow down when darting in and out of the woods, to keep yourself and others safe on the hill.
One of our favorites routes is the often underutilized area you’ll find when you take a hard skier’s left off 6-Chair. Get on Upper Four O’clock like you’re headed back to Peak 8 Base, but stay skier’s right and follow the trees back to Frosty’s Freeway and get back on 6-Chair. But be careful, there are some death defying cliffs faces if you go too hard right. This actually makes for the longest run you can take off of 6-Chair AND you can find some trees that not a lot of riders look for. If you’re confident in your skills, you can hit the Southern Cross and Lower Psychopath runs. The trees are pretty tight in here and it can get steep, so be mindful.
PEAK 9 | ■ ♦
Take Beaver Run SuperChair or C-Chair and head over to the zone between Gold King and Volunteer. This is a nice, long strip of trees that are great when you want to try a tree run, but your friends don’t. You can keep an eye on their progress down the mountain and still stay together, because skiing with friends is the best.
E-CHAIR | ♦♦
Make a hard skier’s left and just under the lift, there is a tiny gate into the Windows area. There is some challenging terrain in here comprised of tight trees and hidden gullies, but the beauty is that this deters most riders and you can find freshies up in here days after a blizzard. Just be careful, take your time and explore this gem.
PEAK 10 | ♦ ♦♦
The obvious answer here is the infamous area called The Burn. Can you feel it? You will after skiing it. The whole North side of Peak 10 is a fantastic tree run area. The trees get really tight at the bottom and you come out onto Lehman run with a fair amount of beginners trudging along, so slow down and look uphill when popping back out.
The south side of Peak 10 is a great spot too. However, the flaw and beauty of this area is the very long, flat and slow Flapjack run to get back. If you snowboard, stay away! Unless of course you’re alright with walking back out or unstrapping and skating for a while. Hence, why a lot of people avoid this area. However, it’s a diamond in the rough because you’ll have the place to yourself and can almost always find powder stashes.
A sweet pop-in/pop-out spot can be accessed along the catwalk that isn’t even labeled on the map anymore. Take a hard skier’s left off the Falcon SuperChair and then between the switch backs on this service road, drop in and get some trees. This will shoot you out way up on Upper Lehman.
There are tons of awesome tree runs full of freshies at Breckenridge Ski Resort. For your reference, here is a map of Breckenridge Ski Resort. One way to ensure you get all that powder is to get up early and beat the crowds. The next time you visit Breckenridge Ski Resort, check out one of these tree runs! If you’re looking for ski in/ski out discounted lodging, click here!
*Only attempt tree runs if you are confident in your skills. Please be aware that not all runs are the same and there are always risks in the trees. Skiing with friends is always a good idea when exploring the trees. Always be cautious of your surroundings. Stay safe and have fun out there!
