Breckenridge Ski Resort review from parking, to trails,
and day-to-night experiences.
*This is a continuation of resort reviews for EPIC Pass holder resorts*
One of the best parts of living in Colorado is the access to world-class ski resorts and some of the best skiing in the country. Most of the time the snow is considerably great, the sun is shining bright, and the drive to the mountains is not too bad of a trek if you are coming from Denver. I just started snowboarding when we moved out here, so this is my third season, however, my husband has been skiing/snowboarding his whole life. Naturally, I asked him for his profesh opinion on the ski resorts we frequent the most.
So, let's get to it! This review is on Breckenridge
Check out my other posts for Vail, Keystone, and Beaver Creek!
Driving & Parking.
As we know by now, driving on I-70 on a weekend SUCKS. If you do it right, you leave your house by 5:00 a.m. and you should have smooth sailing into the mountains. Breckenridge is the second closest resort (for Epic pass holders) and is approximately 1 hour and 30 minutes from Denver. You hang a left on route 9, travel about 20 minutes, and you will find yourself landing in Breckenridge.
As far as parking goes, Breckenridge offers several options. If you want the ease of getting out of your car and walking to the gondola, you can park at either gondola lots for roughly $20. If you don't feel like paying the big bucks and are willing to walk, there are some side street options that aren't as costly as the gondola lots. This will require walking and remembering where you park. If you are chillin' and not rushing around, you can park at the free parking lot. This requires you to park and catch the bus to the gondola. Then, you can take the gondola to the base and it will bring you to either Peak 7 or Peak 8. You can also get to Peak 9 to start the day, but I only have done that when we stay up there, so if you're looking for info on that, ya on ya own.
The Mountain.
Breckenridge is great for people from out of town whether you are visiting or if you have friends in town that haven't experienced Breck before. If you are just heading up for the day to ride, it can be annoying, BUT!! the town is awesome - we'll get to that later.
As far as the ski mountain goes, it is expansive yet congested a lot of the time. It has lots of lines and waiting around. Personally, for the amount of time you are actually riding, it just isn't worth the lift waits. The runs seem to be super short and before you know it you're back in the lift line. Most of the day is spent waiting for the ski lift or making your way across a cat track. Speaking of cat tracks, due to how many there are, it just doesn't seem super snowboarder friendly. Unless you know exactly where you are on the mountain and can keep your speed up and even so, you'll still have to unstrap and skate sometimes. Which hey, I guess it's not terrible if you're into cardio.
The mountain is BIG and it is very spread out. You can find spots away from the crowds, but it takes a lot of effort to get to or it is in expert terrain such as Peak 10, which is basically all double blacks. Tree skiing is pretty good on Peak 10, especially The Burn trail (Peak 10, Black). On the opposite side of Peak 10 are the double blacks - you have to face a long cat track there.
Breckenridge does offer really great bowl skiing that is steep and lots of great hikes to some technical terrain - which is my husband's favorite part about Breck. On a powder day, Breckenridge is really fun. There are also fun groomers off of Peak 7, but Peak 7 usually has lots of people there. However, on a good note, they did just put in a new chair lift which should hopefully help mitigate some of the traffic! Some of the restaurants at the base, Sevens (Peak 7) and T-Bar (Peak 8) are fun for a midday snack and drink.
Fav Trails: Horseshoe Bowl, Peak 8 bowl, Whales Tail, and Peak 6 are some of the best out there.
The Town.
Breckenridge does have one thing going for them and it is their town. If you want to feel like you just walked onto a Hallmark movie or fell into a snow globe, please visit Breck. The town is so charming, has a small town feel, with lots of cozy, eclectic stores and restaurants to peruse. Some of my favorites are:
BoLD - Favorite restaurant. Mediterranean inspired cuisine. Great happy hour. Consistently good food and drinks. Cozy atmosphere. Great price point.
Coffee Depot - Great coffee and snacks. Far end of the strip.
Blue River Bistro - Buy one, get one apps & martinis. Upscale, polished atmosphere. Great tomato bisque soup. Awesome espresso martini.
Modis - I just imagine pulling up with my horse in the 1800s and walking into this old saloon/hotel. I'm unsure what it was back in the day but it's the vibe I get. Come here for some live music and to enjoy a drink for après ski in a quaint lil' establishment.
Giampietro - cute bar, right at the beginning of the strip & close to the Gondola, decent pizza at a reasonable price.
Final Review.
(drum roll plz...)
3 stars (skiing), 4.5 stars (town).
Breckenridge is great for tourists and showing friends around. It has such a great town that is full of life day and night. It is awesome to stay for the weekend and have fun wining and dining the night away.
Overall, the ski mountain is so freakin' annoying. It is a struggle to feel like you're getting some good skiing in after waiting in the lines and navigating around the mountain. It does offer great trails, steep bowls, and large terrain to explore, but I have found myself becoming less and less happy each time we go. It used to be our favorite but sadly, we have moved on.
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