Great Western Lodging

Hard to believe but the ski area currently has a deeper base than we had on January 1st this past winter. I know, getting old talking about the continued snows. But fortunately, we are no longer getting 6-12″ dumps each week. At this point, we may see some snow each week, but it is no longer accumulating. Keeping temps cool and not melting a lot of snow up high just yet, but the weather looks to be improving throughout the week, and the Memorial Day weekend looks to be very nice.

Come on over to Breck and check out the annual ski & bike swap in the Riverwalk Center, the driving range (and perhaps 9 holes) opening for the season at the municipal Breckenridge Golf Club, and maybe snag one of the last weekends for 2-for-1 dining options!

Finally, we are starting out the week without a big snow storm on the horizon! Significant snow melted around town this weekend, and looks to do the same all week. Since we’ve had a lot of snow this spring, the mountains are still holding a deep base and there is not a bare spot to be seen. As a result, local mountain bike trails are still several weeks away from being rideable.

Now is a great time of year to get out on the local roads and bike paths and stretch those cycling muscles. The path is currently clear all the way around Lake Dillon. The entire lake loop encompasses several sections, from Breck north to Frisco, then over to Dillon and Summit Cove, up and over Swan Mountain, and the return route from Farmers Korner back to Breckenridge. There are ample free parking lots available in town for you to park, including the large lot by City Market grocery store, the Breckenridge Recreation Center, the large lots by the gondola, and and other free lots in town. Several bike shops are in close proximity to the bike path, including Elevation Ski & Bike and Avalanche Sports. These will offer daily rentals, sales & service.

The section towards Frisco is the most popular, and allows cyclists of all levels to enjoy a safe riding environment with expansive views of the TenMile Range. It is approximately 9 miles to Frisco from Breckenridge, and there is an elevation loss of about 500′. Due to its popularity, the rec path between Frisco and Breckenridge can get very busy on weekends in the summer, so many opt to get an early start to beat the crowds, and sometimes, afternoon thunder storms.

The next section of the path, if riding northbound in a clockwise direction from Breck, takes one from Frisco along the western edge of Lake Dillon before heading east towards the Dam Road, the town of Dillon and Summit Cove. The safest and most direct way through this section is to pass the hospital, and turn right off the path down towards the County Commons and Highway 9. There is a stoplight here and a crosswalk to get cyclists safely across Highway 9 and towards the lake. This next area of the path goes by the Frisco Marina, then along Summit Blvd/Highway 9 before looping back closer towards Lake Dillon. The sections near the lake sometimes provide a glimpse of local wildlife. The section east from here passes a National Forest campground, then parallels the Dam Road before coming through the town of Dillon. Here the path passes the Dillon Amphitheater, then drops down by the Dillon Marina and runs near Highway 6 before coming through the Summit Cove area. Since this section of the county path heads in a predominantly easterly direction, one can often enjoy the benefit of a nice tailwind coming down off of the TenMile and Gore ranges. However, the winds have also been known to change direction multiple times in one ride!

Catch your breath as you pass through Summit Cove, because the next section ascends Swan Mountain Road in two distinct sections. After traversing along some quiet roads in a residential area, the route turns off the road and is once again a dedicated rec path as it climbs the eastern flank of Swan Mountain. This area provides more scenic vistas and a nice rest area with a bench. After nearing the high point of this first section, the bike path then drops downhill and intersects Swan Mountain Road. Although there is a crosswalk and signal, take caution and look for cars when crossing the road. The next section drops down a bit before turning and ascending some switchbacks in the woods to bring cyclists up to Sapphire Point, the highest point of Swan Mountain Road at about 9,500′ (almost the same elevation as Breckenridge!). The bike path continues on the far side of the lot for just a couple hundred yards before ending at the road. At this point, one must descend on the highway. Please use caution here and ride to the side in case cars want to pass. In many cases, cyclists are going 25-40mph here, so most vehicular traffic will stay behind cyclists and allow them to safely use the full width of the lane. Nonetheless, with oncoming traffic and the higher speeds, caution is advised.

After descending down Swan Mountain Road to Farmer’s Korner, there is a stoplight and crosswalk to get cyclists back on the bike path behind Summit High School. From here, retrace your steps for approximately 6 miles back up to Breckenridge. There is approximately 500′ of elevation gain on this section back in to town. During the peak summer months, there is often water available on the bike path, near High Country Furniture and the Breckenridge Building Center.

After arriving back to Breckenridge, relax with a cold beverage, you’ve ridden 31 miles and climbed about 1,700′. Beginning cyclists should allow at least 3 hours for this loop, including stops, while fit locals can tackle it in under 2 hours.

Historically, the last week in April and the first week in May are the slowest weeks of the year in Breckenridge. With the ski season behind us, many seasonal workers moving on, and others taking that well-deserved vacation, many businesses even close down until town picks up again around Memorial Day. As I drove in to work early this morning, looking down North Main Street there wasn’t one car in sight, not even any cars parked in front of Daylight Donuts. As some locals like to say, now is the time to make U-turns on Main Street, not a care in the world! If you are in Breck this offseason, don’t miss out on the Dining Passports, available at the Breckenridge Welcome Center and select restaurants for only a $10 dontation. Check out this great GoBreck article about this dining promotion & participating restaurants.

As we’ve been a bit calloused by snowstorm after snowstorm every week in April, the beginning of a new month brings hope that Mother Nature will cause a pattern shift and perhaps we can enjoy a longer stretch of nice mild weather. But until that happens, there is yet again some snow in the forecast almost each day this week. The culprit is a large low pressure system spinning off the coast of California, and this weather feature looks to be sending some pulses of weather northwest into the desert, Great Basin, and finally, Colorado.

Ominous low pressure system may spit some rain & snow our way this week.

Unlike last week’s powerful storm that dumped over a foot of snow in Breck, this system looks to not have the cold air along with it. So if we’re going to get some moisture again, many of us are hoping it doesn’t stick to the roads and accumulate like it did last week. Moisture is one thing, but having to shovel your driveway and stress about the road conditions is a whole different story. Often during May Breck will start to see the first RAIN showers of the year, though it also typically can snow right up into early June! But since my glass is half full, I’m putting stock in this 10-day forecast, which shows a gradual warming trend with temps in the 50s late this weekend into next week!

Well it’s May 1st but you might not know that when looking out the window today? We awoke to 5″ of new snow and temps in the upper 20s. Snowfall since late February has really been good here in Breck. The ski resort recorded 90″ for March, and another 48″ in the 17 days it was open during April. In late April most of us were still excited to ski, but as May is now here and many of the staff have already taken a short vacation to a warmer climate, we aren’t as excited about the snow. Sure we live in a usually arid, high mountain area, but the fact remains that almost every June up here the weather pattern quiets down and the fire danger increases quickly. So the moisture is welcome, but perhaps not of the frozen variety.

Town Overlook

For those of you who just can’t ski enough days in the season, great spring skiing can still be found at Arapahoe Basin and Loveland Ski Area. Most of us are looking forward to shorts and flip flops. Last weekend we finally enjoyed a mild sunny stretch in the upper 50s and a lot of snow melted around town. Although Memorial Day is usually the kick off to the summer travel season, in Breck we sometimes can get snow during the first week in June, so the middle to latter part of June is usually when tourists start to frequent Breckenridge. The official kick off to summer will take place the weekend of June 14-16, including several great events such as the opening of summer gondola service & the Peak 8 Fun Park (Jun 14), the Town Party (Jun 14) and the infamous Outhouse Races (Jun 16).

Well, another April snowstorm is working its way across Colorado as I type this. Even with 90″ of snowfall during March, our continued favorable weather pattern has provided 12″ of new snow last week, and already 4″ more this week. Forecasting is a very difficult and inexact science, but most models are calling for 3-6″ additional accumulation today through tonight.

With the Easter crowds gone, and no additional major holidays or school breaks, this last week of the ski season here in Breck is looking like some of the best skiing, without any crowds. The mountain is holding up well with a 69″ mid-mountain base and 100% of skiable terrain open. If you missed out on the free Bud Light Concert Series performances last weekend, get on up here for closing weekend to check out 3Oh!3 on Saturday and Matisyahu on Sunday.

We are very excited to ski some fresh snow this last week of the season. Although the season started roughly with some poor early season snow, it is great to finish off the season strong with great snows in February, March and April. We would like to thank all of our homeowners, vendors, suppliers, wholesalers and guests for helping us succeed this winter. Look forward to seeing you up in Breck soon!

Despite calling for a bit of snow later today, the weather forecast for later this week and into the weekend looks great. The longer days and warmer temps of spring are getting more and more people excited about being outside. When was the last time you had a great tan from skiing all day? The last time you had a great day on the slopes, wearing just a light jacket, not all bundled up with your neck gaiter and hand warmers? Well if you’ve never experienced spring skiing, April is the best time to be in Breck. The slopes are in about the best shape of the season, with a mid-mountain base depth now of 67″ and 100% of all terrain open. The big Spring Break and Easter crowds are now behind us, so if you are lucky enough to have a Breck spring trip planned this April, you will see why so many locals think this is the best time of year to be out skiing. And when you’re off the hill, Town is that much more enjoyable with less crowds, some restaurant specials, and much much more going on.

Some of the best entertainment this spring can be found at the base of Peak 8 with the free Breckenridge Bud Light Concert Series. Starting this Saturday, April 2nd, the Mighty Mighty Bosstones will be taking the stage. They will be producing their high energy ska-core sounds which have been entertaining crowds for 27 years. Then on Sunday the 3rd, the SoCal-bred Dirty Heads will be performing their rock/reggae/hip-hop sound that represents positivity and good vibes, with a melodic style that includes hip hop and ska punk genres.

Mighty Mighty Bosstones

Dirty Heads

Best sushi I have ever had in Colorado was at Mountain Flying Fish, right here in Breck. Yes I’ve eaten at Hapa Sushi in Boulder and Sushi Den in Denver. And still, I keep coming back to Mountain Flying Fish for their amazingly savory sushi and creative rolls. Their dragon rolls are some of the best I’ve had, as are their udon noodles and sea urchins. They are located on the third floor of the La Cima Mall shopping center, on South Main Street, near the intersection with South Park Avenue. The restaurant does not seat too many, but their intimate setting is always popular with locals for special occasions. If you time it right and are here in the shoulder seasons (when many restaurant deals can be found), sometimes they offer 30% off all rolls!

Sure enough, March is a month of transitions. The old saying “in like a lion, out like a lamb” typically refers to the fact, in most places in the country, March starts with cold, wintry weather and ends with mild pleasant weather. At almost 10,000′ in the Rocky Mountains, Breckenridge is far from normal for weather patterns. However, the saying held true, as we saw 27″ of new snow the first 5 days of the month. With 18″ from the 9th-12th of the month, and then a fresh 6″ the last 48hrs, Breck has now seen 51″ of new snow during the month. We’ll see what Mother Nature has in store for the rest of the month, but the chances of the month going “out like a lamb” are hard to imagine at this point.

While this season’s snowpack in the Colorado River basin (where Breckenridge and the Upper Blue River basin feed into) is still only 78% of average, and slightly worse than even last year’s paltry totals, the timing of our storms has really been a godsend this year. November and December snowfalls were just about non-existent. Just when local tourism and ski industry officials were nervous about the conditions for our Christmas and New Year’s Holiday travelers, we received a nice round of snow just in time. January was a dud, but then as soon as new booking numbers started to tumble in late January and early February, the snow machine kick started and we saw several weeks of good snow in February. March’s 51″ through the first 18 days has been very well received. The ski area’s mid-mountain base depth is now over 60″, and locals have been ecstatic to finally see some of the more advanced terrain like Lake Chutes and Snow White really hold some good snow.

Although last week’s time change, mild spring-like weather and St. Patrick’s Day festivities had many people thinking about skiing in t-shirts and getting some nice tan lines, winter returned to Summit County this past weekend. Six inches of snow accompanied by some gusty winds has made driving a bit dicey on the I-70 corridor. Fortunately the slopes have been softened up and we are happy to offer the best conditions of the season to our March skiers and riders!

Upcoming Spring Fever events the next 10 days include:

- Thursday, March 20 -> Film Premiere of “Chasing Ice,” a film about climate change. Riverwalk Center, $14 admission. doors open at 5:30p, film starts at 7p. Benefits Team Breck.

- Saturday, March 23 -> Five Peaks Mountaineering Race. North America’s highest ski mountaineering race starting at 9600’ and reaching elevations over 13,000′.

– Sunday, March 24 -> Ripperoo’s Mini World Cup. 11a-2p on Swinger run on Peak 8.

- Sunday, March 24 -> Spring Fever Chili Cookoff. 2-4p on Seven’s patio. $10 per person to taste all chili and to vote.

- Wednesday, March 27 -> Breck Ascent Series race #4. 5:30p from the Beaver Run parking lot at base of Peak 9. Uphill racers will ascend Peak 10 to the top of the Falcon chair.

Although we’ve had 37″ of snow so far in March, with the start of Daylight Savings Time (DST) today, it is exciting to start thinking about longer and warmer days. Already, we are seeing many guests make reservations for their summer getaway to Breckenridge. It is no secret that Breckenridge offers world-class skiing & snowboarding, but more people are discovering that the summer months offer some of the most diverse activities & cultural events.

For most Americans, the summer driving and vacation season kicks off over Memorial Day weekend. In the Colorado highcountry, many of the scenic high alpine drives like Trail Ridge Road and Independence Pass are also usually opened in time for this busy holiday. In Breckenridge, we have seen some snow showers in years past over Memorial Day weekend! Last year however, we had an extremely dry and warm April and May, so many visitors were here early to enjoy our trails and outdoor spaces.

Traditionally, nice summer weather settles in to Breckenridge by the middle or late part of June. This include average daily high temperatures in the 60s, with overnight lows dipping down to the upper 30s. The long summer days allow for many great outdoor activities in the mountains, such as hiking, cycling, golf, river rafting, fishing, historical tours and much more. The weekend of
June 15-16 officially starts the summer with the quirky Kingdom Days celebration, including the now-famous Outhouse Races, and many more free activities that honor Breck’s mining heritage.  The Breckenridge Ski Resort’s gondola will also commence daily operations that weekend, and this free scenic ride takes guests up from town to the base of Peak 8 and the exciting Peak 8 Fun Park. This is a popular spot in the summer time, featuring an alpine slide, an alpine coaster, miniature golf, a maze, super bungee trampoline, and more!

With the Fourth of July falling on a Thursday this year, early reports are showing many guests arriving that Wednesday prior, and staying 3-4 nights for a great weekend. Our little town offers a quintessential Main Street parade, the Firecracker 50 mountain bike race, a 5K running race, fireworks, a free patriotic pops concert, and a ton more. Many of our high alpine trails and 4×4 roads also are usually snow free by early July, and the wildflower season is also in full swing.

As the saying goes, the locals came for the winter, but stay for the summer. Come and see for yourself!

Boy am I glad I had my snowblower repaired last week. Woke up to about 5″ in my driveway, and saw that the ski area reported 9″ new snow. As I look out the office window now, it is still coming down! Breck reported 5″ on Friday, and another 5″ on Saturday. That adds up to 19″ of new snow up on the ski area in March. Just to show you tough the conditions were last March, we already have received more snow the first 4 days of the month than the entire month of March in 2012. With great lodging specials rolled out across town, longer days ahead (DST starts this Sat), and finally some amazing snow conditions, come on up to Breck and see why so many locals came here on a ski trip and have never left!