Issue #3 2021/22
> edwardjones.com | Member SIPC
Local Team, World Class Service In Breckenridge Robin L Drabant, AAMS® Financial Advisor
Robin focuses on higher net worth clients with more complex financial needs. She is currently taking clients with a million or more in investable assets. edwardjones.com/robin-drabant robin.drabant@edwardjones.com
Kelly Garoutte
Financial Advisor
Kelly makes investing approachable. She focuses on educating clients on the investment process and preparing for retirement. edwardjones.com/Kelly-garoutte kelly.garoutte@edwardjones.com
Lara Saperstein
Branch Office Administrator Lara is the friendly, professional voice on the other end of the phone. She seamlessly helps our clients with all of their administrative needs. edwardjones.com lara.saperstein@edwardjones.com
Conveniently located at Main Street Station: 505 S Main Street Suite B-4-A Breckenridge, CO 80424 970-423-6141 2
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INTRODUCING...
NESTSEEKERS COLORADO BRECKENRIDGE
·
VAIL
·
ASPEN
We are thrilled to announce our partnership with NestSeekers International - a game-changing firm in the rapidly expanding global real estate marketplace. The firm’s hybrid tech & brand enabled model has inspired a new wave of thinking in the industry, and its approach to daring and unconventional marketing has elevated and revolutionized the way people think of real estate. This partnership will allow us to expand into the Vail and Aspen markets and continue to represent the most spectacular properties in Breckenridge. We look forward to assisting you on buying or selling luxury homes in some of Colorado’s most sought-after destinations.
LEA D I N G LU X U R Y R EA L ES T A T E B R OK ERAG E I N B R EC KEN R I D GE, VA I L A N D A SP E N. TOM DAY tom@tomdayrealestate.com | 970.389.1801 BO PALAZOLA bo.j.palazola@gmail.com | 850.687.0700
Last season, we lost 12 people in Colorado to avalanches. Check the forecast before heading into the backcountry. Download the Friends of CAIC mobile app today!
Search for "CAIC" on your phone's app store
Join or Donate in support of avalanche safety Memberships start at only $35 per year
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KEEPING YOU ACTIVE IS WHAT WE DO
Vail-Summit Orthopaedics & Neurosurgery has advanced our treatment and rehabilitation plans to the highest level by serving one of the most active sports populations in the country. In fact, many of our surgeons serve the prestigious US Ski Team.
FRISCO URGENT CARE IS OPEN EVERY DAY until 7pm!
ACCIDENTS DON’T WAIT FOR OFFICE HOURS
Receive quality, convenient, and cost-effective orthopaedic urgent care. Top Orthopaedic & Sports Medicine Specialists More Convenient and Cost-Effective than the ER Walk-Ins Welcome
FRISCO • VAIL • EDWARDS GUNNISON • CRESTED BUTTE TELLURIDE • GRANBY
Clinic Hours: Mon-Fri 8am-5pm 970.668.3633 | vsortho.com
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970.477.4454 | vsourgentcare.com
YOUR MOUNTAIN SPIRIT 4
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P
Two Locations Same "Award Winning Beer"
Open everyday 11 AM-10:30 PM for indoor and outdoor seating
#GetLost
at one of our two taprooms in Breckenridge New Main Steet Taproom | 520 S. Main Street Brewery & Taproom | 68 Continental Ct. Unit B-12 www.brokencompassbrewing.com
publisher’s greeting
Life is sweet in Breckenridge, Colorado!
I cannot imagine living in a more beautiful place. I have enjoyed the bounty of Breckenridge for over 30 years, but that is only half the time that the Breckenridge Ski Area has been open, and many people have made this community their home for an even more extended amount of time. To open this issue, our team says, “Happy Birthday, Breckenridge!” Sixty years is an incredible milestone.
Breckenridge has a vibrant history dating back to the Native Americans who called this slice of heaven home during certain parts of the year. Mining was a boom that soon became a bust but created the infrastructure of today’s downtown and our mountain byways. The end of World War II ushered in a “White Gold Rush,” bringing ski industry adventurers to our town. These snow and outdoor-loving chionophiles have shaped our town into a community. In this issue, we talk with a few of these pioneering individuals: Ski industry settlers; kids who grew up embracing everything ski bum; and folks who have settled down and raised families that are now raising families here in the nooks and crannies of our mountain kingdom.
Along the streets of our community are exceptional restaurants and businesses, both new and old. We talked to some of those entrepreneurs who set up shop and stayed. In this special celebratory magazine, we bring to you stories from our community, the people who live in and love our town. If you’re new, welcome! If you have been here a while, our local writers and photographers hope you enjoy the stories and images in this magazine and on our website. Sincerely, Holly Battista-Resignolo
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DOING OUR PART. IT ’S PRE T T Y SIMPLE , RE ALLY.
We’ve all got a job to do.
OUR FUTURE
DEPENDS ON US ALL.
Breckenridge is a truly special place. And all of us who call it home have to continue doing our part to preserve and protect it. Our small-town charm. Our wildlife. And the nature that surrounds us. Together, we’re on a mission to ensure everything we love about Breckenridge remains for us to enjoy now and into the future. You with us?
BLikeBreckenridge.com
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Contents 12
CONTRIBUTORS
14
KINGDOM NOTES
18
60 YEARS OF BRECKENRIDGE
24
BRECK ETIQUETTE
26
BRECK MADE
28
NON-PROFIT NOOK
30
TRAIL
32
ENTREPRENEURS
34
WELLNESS
36
FAMILY
39
PEOPLE OF BRECKENRIDGE
48
INTERVIEW WITH AN AVALANCHE SURVIVOR
52 54 56 58 64 68 70 72
HOMES & REALTY STAY SOCIALLY SEEN DINE LOCAL COOK LOCAL THE SCOUT CALENDAR LAST CHAIR
Cover Image: Snowplow by Carl Scofield
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Scott & Anne Lindblom are local agents specializing in luxury and mountain properties in Summit and Park County.
If you are interested in buying or selling real estate in the mountains, don’t wait. Give us a call to make your real estate dreams come true.
LIVE THE MOUNTAIN LIFE.
Scott & Anne Lindblom – Luxury and Mountain Property Specialists Scott M. Lindblom C: 970-485-4065 E: scott.lindblom@cbmp.com Anne V. Lindblom C: 608-345-2734 E: anne.lindblom@cbmp.com LindblomGroupe.com
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137 Main Street | P.O. Box 1598 Breckenridge, CO 80424
Stay at the best location in Breck published by
MTN Town Media Productions publisher
Holly Battista-Resignolo communications
relax
Gaynia Battista contributors
Shauna Farnell, Liam Doran, Leigh Girvin, Carl Scofield, Courtney Kenady, Alexandria Nicole, Robyn Nicoli, Holly Resignolo, Elaine Collins, Pepper Hamilton, Dori Welch, Lisa Blake advertising sales
Noelle Resignolo visionaries
Liam Doran, Carl Scofield, Lindsay Sevec, Elaine Collins, Linda Rokos Watts design
dine
John Kernaghan cover image
Snowplow - Carl Scofield method behind the means
Publications Printers get more
Please visit us at MountainTownBreckenridge.com to subscribe to our publication released two times per year. promote you
Contact our corporate office or request a Media Kit: Email: MTNTownMagazine@gmail.com Office Phone: 970 485 0269
celebrate BeaverRun.com 970-453-6000 10
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features
If you would like us to consider you or your business for a feature, please contact us at 970 485 0269 or email us at mtntownmagazine@gmail.com 2022 MTN Town Magazine. All rights reserved. No portion may be duplicated, in whole or in part, without the written consent of its publishers. Every effort has been made to ensure the accuracy of the information contained in this publication. The publisher assumes no responsibility for accuracy of information or omissions from the material provided. MTN Town Magazine cannot be held liable for the quality or performance of goods and services rendered by the advertisers published in this magazine.
WE INVITE YOU TO SHOP BRECK ( SHOP LOCAL~ SHOP SMALL )
Independent businesses are the heart of our high streets and the pulse of our local community.Our unique boutiques and services are finding creative ways and are going to extraordinary lengths to stay open. They’re counting on us to get behind them and remember that where you shop matters to our mountain town. THANK YOU FOR VISITING BRECKENRIDGE
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Contributors
LIAM DORAN Liam is a full-time professional photographer specializing in action
sports, landscape, wildlife, and travel. He shoots commercial and editorial assignments around the world but is always happy to be home in Breckenridge with his friends and family. Follow Liam’s adventures at @liam_doran_outdoors
LISA BLAKE
Lisa Blake is a freelance writer and children’s book author living in Breckenridge, specializing in food writing and ski resort and wellness content. She is happiest on her mountain bike, yoga mat, or in a raft with her husband, son, and pug. Her work has been featured in Purist, Yoga + Life, and 5280 Magazine. Find her at lisablakecreative.com.
JOHN KERNAGHAN Born in New York, raised in Pennsylvania, but always finding his
home in the mountains, John came to Breckenridge in 2019 to chase his passion for snowboarding. John is now a freelance graphic designer and our Design Director. When the snow isn’t flying John can be found rock climbing on one of the many epic crags around Summit county or skateboarding at the Breckenridge Skatepark. You can follow his design work at jdk3design.com.
ALEXANDRIA NICOLE
Alexandria Nicole lives in Breckenridge, with her family, and operates Majestic Mountain Tile & Stone and her Property Management Company, Unforgettable Vacations LLC, while devoting time as the Founding Chairwoman of The Social Equity Advisory Commission and acting Facilitator of Colorado-based Solidarity Talks.
ROBYN NICOLI Robyn lives at 9,600 feet elevation here in Breckenridge with her
tasting team (aka husband David and teenage son Jacob). She is the chief recipe developer, photographer, writer, and burnt pan-washer for Butter and Air. Cooking is her creative outlet, and any skills she has developed come not from culinary school but from a lifetime of finding yummy-looking things in newspapers, magazines, restaurants, and the internet, and being curious enough to try making them at elevation in her home. butterandair.com`.
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DORI WELCH
Dori was born and raised in Breckenridge, where she continues to create a life treasuring the outdoors with her family. A nurse since 2005, she works in various areas of the local hospital. As a champion of health, Dori has also branched into Board Certified Nurse Coaching to support people in their inherent wellness. Dori has a lifelong passion for writing within a variety of content and enjoys being a part of the Breckenridge mountain community.
CARL SCOFIELD Carl Scofield lives in Breckenridge, CO where for over twenty-five
years he has created a successful career as a full-time freelance photographer. His work has been published both nationally and internationally in many books and magazines including Ski, Skiing, Powder, Outside, Sunset, and many others. Balancing work and a lifestyle that allows him to enjoy his passion for living, travel, art, and adventure have been some of his greatest talents. carlscofield.com
SHAUNA FARNELL
A Colorado native, Shauna Farnell loves every self-powered means of mountain exploration. She launched her journalism career at the Summit Daily Newspaper in 2000 and after traveling the world as a media correspondent for the International Ski Federation, plus a few years in New York City and Denver, is thrilled to be back in Breckenridge full time.
ELLEN HOLLINSHEAD A fixture in Breckenridge since 1985, Ellen along with her husband, local character, and town councilman Jeffrey Bergeron have found a way to spend almost every day on skis during the winter, which she defines as generously as possible. “I usually start skiing the minute the snow flies, about the start of October, and I’ll ski six days a week through mid-April.”
LEIGH GIRVIN
Leigh Girvin moved to Breckenridge with her family in the early 1970s when the streets were dirt and the rock piles left by dredge boat mining towered over town. As a child, she attended Breckenridge Elementary and graduated from Summit High School. Seeing dramatic changes over the decades, Leigh dedicated her adulthood to the protection of trails and open space, and later to historical preservation. Leigh’s particular interest is in Breckenridge’s modern history, from the economic decline of the early-20th Century through resurgence as a ski town.
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Kingdom Notes
Connection & the Power of Unity - After the Protest In the words of Bahá’u’lláh “So powerful is the light of unity that it can illuminate the whole earth.” This quote truly resonates with me because I too believe that togetherness is so profound that it can shift the global dynamic of humanity.
On June 1, 2020 the citizens of Summit County, CO took action and gathered in the streets of Breckenridge, to stand as one for the Solidarity Walk, no one knowing that the power of love and connection felt in that moment, would still be serving as a catalyst for change today. Phil Lindeman, News Director for Krystal 93 expressed while recalling that powerful day “We hear of Summit County as being a bubble, where the trauma and pain we see in big cities and on TV doesn’t exist. But we’re all human and Summit locals are not immune to heartache. I like to think we live in a nation where a peaceful march can have a meaningful, lasting impact long after the streets clear. We’re seeing that now in Summit, with Solidarity Nation, and the work being done by locals who will not let that first day of June 2020 be just another day. Sara Gacnik, English Arts Teacher for Summit High School said “The Solidarity Walk was such a unifying experience of love in our small mountain community, against a national backdrop of racial reckoning and the COVID-19 pandemic. I was so humbled in both the moment and the aftermath of that experience, especially in the connections we were able to forge as a collective community of caring and passionate people. Through these connections, I have met so many amazing new neighbors in Summit County, and am honored to be part of ongoing efforts and conversations to improve the culture of our community.” In my opinion, The Solidarity Walk served as both a beautiful reminder that we are one, as well as, being a 14
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call to action highlighting the fact that if we want change, it’s up to us collectively to make it happen. My way of moving forward the energy of that day, and taking action, is by creating the documentary “After The Protest”, a film meant to educate and inspire it’s viewers on how peacefully protesting is a powerful tool for sustainable change and how by initiating conversations and creating action plans, we can move change forward. Rob Espitia, After The Protest Director states, “The opportunity to contribute to the vision of “After the Protest” has been something I’ve been looking forward to since Alexandria first reached out. Seeing the support that other pieces like our community’s Solidarity Talks has created, one can only wonder the impact that this documentary can bring to those who are ready to receive the message. My team and I enjoy working on projects that actually move the needle for the viewers and can’t wait to perform our role in this movement.” It is with forming these connections in congruence with the collaboration of various voices that we cultivate the unity we need to move forward and create the world we want to see. “After The Protest” is a film that aims to share our human desire for oneness and inspire its viewers to join us on this journey of creating a better future and illuminating the whole Earth. If you wish to join us in funding for unity and learn more about “After The Protest” visit sites.google.com/view/after-the-protest by Alexandria Nicole
60 Years in 60 Objects: New Exhibit Celebrates 60th Anniversary of the Breckenridge Ski Area
By Leigh Girvin
When the Breckenridge Ski Area opened on December 16, 1961, few could imagine what it would be like today. A new exhibit by the Breckenridge Heritage Alliance explores sixty years of ski area history represented by 60 objects. Covering all six decades of the resort’s existence, artifacts as small as a coin and large as a chairlift tell the stories of Breckenridge. Visit “60 Years of Breckenridge Ski Resort History in 60 Objects” at the Breckenridge Welcome Center, 203 S. Main Street. The interactive exhibit invites the viewer to add their stories and explain how the objects inform their own Breckenridge experience. “There is something for everyone,” commented BHA Executive Director Larissa O’Neil. “There are snowboards and skis, clothing, trail maps, and a few items that are sure to surprise.” When the COVID pandemic cut funding to the BHA, O’Neil pivoted the organization’s priorities. “To showcase 60 objects in conjunction with the anniversary, that was a great opportunity to highlight a major milestone in the ski
area’s history. And we could do it with a smaller price tag than what we would have spent if a professional exhibit firm was involved. Because we’re doing this exhibit in house, it’s been staff intensive.” The exhibit doesn’t follow typical chronological museum displays. Instead, artifacts and carefully curated vignettes tell stories from our shared history. A significant challenge was securing the more unusual items and following up with donors “near and far, there were many rabbit holes,” explained O’Neil. “There is such a variety of artifacts that we had to get creative in terms of how each item is displayed, secured and interpreted.” The exhibit will be on display for at least six months starting December 16 at the Breckenridge Welcome Center, 203 S. Main St. The exhibit is free and open during business hours, Tuesday through Sunday, 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. For more information about the BHA and its offerings visit www.BreckHeritage.com , call 970-453-9767 or stop by the Welcome Center.
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Kingdom Notes
Breckenridge Ski Resort Spring Skiing Beginning in late April, intermediate-, advanced- and expert-level skiers and riders can celebrate spring and get on the snow long after many resorts have closed for the season, with access to signature high alpine terrain throughout May across Peaks 6, 7 and 8. Warmer weather, long sunny days, goggle tans and the occasional spring
powder day - what’s not to love?! Heads up! There is no beginner terrain available during late spring operations and terrain is best suited for intermediate-level and above. All on-mountain operations are weather and conditions dependent, and subject to change. Stay tuned for more information closer to the spring season.
Things to Know... Public health orders are continuously coverings will be required in all evolving. Please check in with public public indoor spaces, including health orders before heading out to public facilities, businesses, restauknow what to expect in and around rants, and other common spaces. town. • Masks are required on public • Face Masks/Coverings are REtransportation throughout Summit QUIRED in indoor public areas. Due County at this time. to an alarming increase in reported Learn more about Summit County COVID-19 cases in the community, Public Health Orders and business Summit County has reinstated a protocols head to: countywide mask mandate. Face www.summitcountyco.gov/1326/Public-Health-Orders
Caravan App Caravan is an app that connects Denver riders and drivers with others looking to carpool to high country mountain resorts. Caravan is an environmental and social platform that connects passengers for free while excluding any type of monetary transaction. Through Caravan, ride-sharing will reduce the amount of emissions and congestion on the
I-70 Mountain Corridor at peak travel times. A round trip from Denver to Breckenridge can cost up to $75 and results in more than 110 pounds of carbon dioxide. Whether you want to save money or save our environment, there’s no reason not to carpool to the mountains! Find a car pool or create a carpool here: www.goi70. com/carpool/carpool-caravan
Breckenridge Ski Resort Parking Drive-up with four or more people in your vehicle and receive a $5 discount at any of the Breckenridge Ski Areas pay lots. www.breckenridge.com/explore-the-resort/about-the-resort/getting-here.aspx
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Locals' Choice
BEST BOUTIQUE Featuring
SHOP IN-STORE & ONLINE Denver Highlands • NEW! Frisco • Breckenridge • Avon • Edwards • Steamboat Springs RUBYJANE.COM | VALLEYGIRLBOUTIQUE.COM
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60 Years of Breckenridge
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A Photo Essay Images by Carl Scofield and a collection of old memorabilia from Bob Atchison.
Above: The original poster advertising the Breckenridge Ski Area. Right: Early 1960's lift tickets, logos, a newspaper clipping of a couple on Main Street, and an image of Main Street looking South.
Top Left: The Bergenhoff aka "The Bergie" day lodge and restaurant. Bottom Left: Ski Package Advertisement and Breckenridge Lands Brochure Cover. Right Page: 60's Fashionistas and a view of the Town of Breckenridge way back when.
Breck Etiquette 7 leave no trace principles to keep breck and the world beautiful The Leave No Trace Seven Principles are the bedrock of the Leave No Trace program. They provide guidance to enjoy our natural world in a sustainable way that avoids human-created impacts. The principles have been adapted so they can be applied in your backyard or your backcountry.
Plan Ahead and Prepare • Know the regulations and special concerns for the area you’ll visit. • Prepare for extreme weather, hazards, and emergencies. • Schedule your trip to avoid times of high use. • Visit in small groups when possible. Consider splitting larger groups into smaller groups. • Repackage food to minimize waste. • Use a map and compass to eliminate the use of marking paint, rock cairns or flagging.
Travel and Camp on Durable Surfaces • Durable surfaces include established trails and campsites, rock, gravel, dry grasses or snow. • Protect riparian areas by camping at least 200 feet from lakes and streams. • Good campsites are found, not made. Altering a site is not necessary. • In popular areas: • Concentrate use on existing trails and campsites. • Walk single file in the middle of the trail, even when wet or muddy. • Keep campsites small. Focus activity in areas where vegetation is absent. • In pristine areas: • Disperse use to prevent the creation of campsites and trails. • Avoid places where impacts are just beginning.
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Dispose of Waste Properly • Pack it in, pack it out. Inspect your campsite and rest areas for trash or spilled foods. Pack out all trash, leftover food and litter. • Deposit solid human waste in catholes dug 6 to 8 inches deep, at least 200 feet from water, camp and trails. Cover and disguise the cathole when finished • Pack out toilet paper and hygiene products. • To wash yourself or your dishes, carry water 200 feet away from streams or lakes and use small amounts of biodegradable soap. Scatter strained dishwater.
Leave What You Find • Preserve the past: examine, but do not touch cultural or historic structures and artifacts. • Leave rocks, plants and other natural objects as you find them. • Avoid introducing or transporting non-native species. • Do not build structures, furniture, or dig trenches. Minimize Campfire Impacts • Campfires can cause lasting impacts to the environment. Use a lightweight stove for cooking and enjoy a candle lantern for light. • Where fires are permitted, use established fire rings, fire pans, or mound fires. • Keep fires small. Only use sticks from the ground that can be broken by hand. • Burn all wood and coals to ash, put out campfires completely, then scatter cool ashes.
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Respect Wildlife • Observe wildlife from a distance. Do not follow or approach them. • Never feed animals. Feeding wildlife damages their health, alters natural behaviors, and exposes them to predators and other dangers. • Protect wildlife and your food by storing rations and trash securely. • Control pets at all times, or leave them at home. • Avoid wildlife during sensitive times: mating, nesting, raising young, or winter. Be Considerate of Other Visitors • Respect other visitors and protect the quality of their experience. • Be courteous. Yield to other users on the trail. • Step to the downhill side of the trail when encountering pack stock. • Take breaks and camp away from trails and other visitors. • Let nature’s sounds prevail. Avoid loud voices and noises.
LET US HELP YOU
BUY SELL OR
YOUR PROPERTY
Local Experts on Local Living
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Breck Made 3 mindful makers brightening our days
Breckenridge Cabin Candle Christopher Simoni was living in a mining cabin on Baldy, burning candles for winter warmth when he started feeling the toxic commercial candles’ effects. Petroleum-based wax, chemically produced fragrances and harmful lead in the wicks were behind his nausea, sore throat and itchy eyes. Simoni began experimenting with natural soy candles scented with essential oils. Successful farmers markets progressed into wholesaling and online sales. A private chef by trade, Simoni, 49, says he applies similar fundamentals when candle making.
by Lisa Blake
breckcandles.com
“Candles follow the same basic principles of food,” he says. “Find balance and harmony with quality ingredients.” Simoni humbly launched Breckenridge Cabin Candle in 2015, crafting candles for every season, mood and holiday. Find his responsibly sourced candles in shops around Summit County, in Aspen and Beaver Creek and at breckcandles.com.
Nitto Mountain Knits
nittomountainknits.com
Lacey Von Riedel picked up her first pair of knitting needles in 2018. After lessons from her life-long knitting mother and a year of trial and error, Nitto Mountain Knits was born. Driven by her newfound love and inspired by nature’s brilliant hues and patterns, Von Riedel, 36, creates warm cozy winter beanies known for their
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incredibly detailed stitching. Nitto (the Japanese noun for “knit”) hats are composed of 100% merino wool and acrylic yarns and faux fur poms, all ethically sourced and hand dyed. Look for her popular custom matching hats for the whole family and a new line of mittens and hand-sewn home goods launching in 2022.
Breckenridge Soap Co. Renee Bartnick was teaching middle school special education when she had her first son. She began looking closer at ingredients in her new family’s meals and skincare products and officially launched Breckenridge Soap Co. in 2011. Bartnick’s Etsy store quickly spawned local collaborations with Paragon Lodging, where she created specific scent blends for the company’s luxury home rentals. Guests began requesting her handcrafted soaps for their own homes and the
breckenridgesoapco.co
business snowballed from there. Today, Bartnick, 42, sells wildly popular foaming soaps (you may have used the rosemary-spearmint blend at Blue River Bistro), bar soaps and intensive moisturizing salves. Free of harsh dyes, fragrances and preservatives, her products call on organic oils, wildcrafted yarrow, Colorado-harvested honey, fresh herbs and the purest organic essential oils. Find her earth-conscious products at shops county wide and at breckenridgesoapco.com.
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Non Profit Nook
Breckenridge Outdoor Education Center by Lisa Blake There are few area nonprofits that have been around as long and have made as huge of an active-living impact as the Breckenridge Outdoor Education Center (BOEC). Since 1976, the hands-on group has changed lives, connecting at-risk youth, those with autism, amputees, cerebral palsy, down syndrome, mental illness, multiple sclerosis, PTSD, traumatic brain injury and more to outdoor experiences. The Colorado 501(c)(3) nonprofit inspires people of all abilities to discover new places, learn new skills and rekindle their spirit in the Rocky Mountains. BOEC is funded through special events and contributions from foundations, businesses and government agencies. Thanks to essential partnerships with Breckenridge Ski Resort, Keystone Ski Resort, Copper Mountain, the Frisco and Breckenridge Nordic Centers and the Town of Breckenridge, BOEC is able to host high-quality affordable and accessible programs. Celebrated winter offerings include adaptive skiing — one of the longest running programs in the country, serving 1,300 people a year — and snowboarding, camps and retreats, veteran
Smart Bellies
programs and Nordic skiing and snowshoeing. These opportunities to get out on the snow and connect with others make a huge impact for adults and youth routinely excluded from outdoor sports due to a disability or a special need. Anyone with any type of disability can attend adaptive recreation camps and retreats. Programs are broken down into specific needs, age and ability levels and custom group programs include all meals, activity instruction, 24-hour supervision, special equipment and transportation. Summer months are filled with wilderness adventures such as rock climbing, canoeing, white water rafting, hiking, team initiatives and ropes courses. BOEC is a vocal proponent of Leave No Trace environmental ethics and partners with equipment manufacturers in research and development for adaptive technology. The next time you see an adaptive BOEC skier or snowboarder cruising down the mountain, give them a smile, a nod or a high-five and know that nonprofit magic is in the air.
• Sponsor a BOEC event • Make a corporate donation • Attend the Banff Mountain Film Festival Feb. 25–26, 2022 (all proceeds support BOEC’s programs) • Intern, volunteer and assist with the on-hill ski program
Feel-Good Fact:
BOEC serves 2,800 individuals and provides nearly $260,000 in scholarships annually.
Get Out There
Sound like something you or someone you know could benefit from? Simply contact BOEC and they’ll find an experience that is perfect for you and your needs. 970-453-6422, boec.org
smartbellies.org
by Lisa Blake The energy is high, the music is bumping and the assembly line is buzzing with feel-good doing-good vibes. Smart Bellies volunteers are set up in a swift flow at long tables stacked with food in the nonprofit’s new space off Huron Road in Breckenridge. The industrial no-frills workshop churns out meals for Summit County students and families in need. Both coming from a nonprofit background, Sarah Schmidt and Margaret Sheehe launched Smart Bellies when they saw a Facebook post about elementary students struggling with food security and schools grappling with funding. Smart Bellies began as a weekend food program, filling backpacks with nutritious snacks and meals for kids to take home, and has since expanded to providing snacks for Summit County classrooms, along with weekend food supplies and holiday meals for families. Bags are filled with nutritious, kid-friendly meals — think ingredients for spaghetti or tuna mac casserole — to get families through the weekend. 28
Ways to Give
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Funded by donations and grants and run by a consistent stream of community volunteers, Smart Bellies is making a huge local impact. The goal is to eliminate childhood hunger in Summit County and organizers make it easy to sign up and receive these benefits with very few questions asked. They also work with teachers and administrators to identify students who might need a little help. There’s no requirement for families to prove they’re in need. It’s that simple: Sign up. Receive bags of food. Smart Bellies offers many ways to get involved. Sign up to be a snack sponsor and contribute as little as $15 each month that will help put snacks in classrooms. Donate food or money to Smart Bellies or volunteer to shop, pack or deliver bags of food to doorsteps each week. Margaret and Sarah bring unwavering positive attitudes and joy to every facet of Smart Bellies and they welcome volunteers with open arms and gratitude.
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Trail
Trail We Love Pennsylvania Gulch by Lisa Blake
Find solitude and stunning vistas on this lightly traveled xc-ski trail. Freshly fallen fluff and a brilliant bluebird day call for some The trail meanders with Pennsylvania Creek on a gradual backcountry bliss — the kind of quiet and introspection incline before opening up to a pristine meadow of willows, that unfolds on trails less traveled. We love Pennsylvania brush and beautiful red-tinted rocks. Gulch for its proximity to town and abundant views of Stop to take in the Ten Mile Range views behind you and Peak 10, Pacific Peak and Crystal Peak. to check out the old cabin along the way. Keep heading To get there, travel 3.4 miles south of Breckenridge on east and enter into the forest again before coming to Highway 9. Turn left onto Blue River Road. Proceed about another opening. The trail eventually ends, but there are 0.2 miles then turn right on Royal Drive. Go right at the spurs off to the left and right if you’d like to extend your junction. Proceed about 0.2 miles and turn right on Regal exploration. Circle then turn right on Coronet Drive. (Dizzy yet?) The You’ll gain around 700 feet in elevation — a drop in the trailhead is 0.5 miles down next to an information kiosk. bucket for the seasoned skier, though be sure to pack There’s limited parking so go early or later in the day. extra water and energy bites to make sure you’re properly The dog-friendly locals trail begins with some uphill fueled. On the way down, revel in expansive valley views winter wonderland cardio. If you’re not into Nordic skis, and majestic Pacific Peak and Peak 10 waving from the snowshoes or insulated waterproof boots will do just fine. west. Along this five-mile out-and-back journey, you’ll find fraIt’s experiences like this that make winter in Breckengrant pines, wildlife tracks and plenty of peace and quiet. ridge so magical.
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Entrepreneurs
40 Years of Friendship, Skis and Snowboards Blue River Sports & Mountain Wave Celebrate a Milestone by Holly Battista-Resignolo
In the fall of 1975, two good friends, Dave and Scott, moved to Breckenridge. There were no stoplights. There was no Peak 10, Peak 7, or Peak 6 (at least with ski trails on them), no snowmaking and no triple, quad or heaven forbid, double-loading-six-pack chairlifts. Snowboarding was still in the future. Gas was $.57 a gallon. Main Street was the only paved street in Breckenridge and indeed, most everyone knew everyone else. Life was good.
While spending their winters making turns, they financed their lifestyle with various construction jobs while assuring friends and family that their college degrees would eventually be put to use. In the fall of 1982, they put up all their savings to open a ski rental shop across from the base of Peak 9. With just four employees and a handful of skis, Blue River Sports began. Then, in 1993, with the growth of snowboarding, a third friend, John, joined the operation creating Mountain Wave Snowboards. All three started families in the 1990s. Der Steiermark Building 600 S. Park Avenue, Peak 9 Base Area www.blueriversports.com
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The friends modeled their shops around a simple concept: treat customers the same as they liked to be treated on their own vacations. After 4 decades, it’s still easy for them to come to work and share their joy of the snow.
Blue River Sports is celebrating its 40th season this year. Gas is approaching $4 a gallon and there are several more lift-served peaks for people to enjoy. They will employ over 30 full-time people, run over 1,700 sets of equipment and help more than 25,000 guests enjoy the slopes in Breckenridge and Summit County this season. That is a lot of skis and snowboards. The most important part? Life is still good, after 40 Years the three friends are still friends! And now they have created a new generation that is continuing their traditions and enthusiasm for the sport.
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Wellness
In a healthcare pinch: Should you go to the ER or urgent care? by Dr. Patricia Dietzgen, D.O
When a sickness or injury comes on suddenly, your first instinct is to get it taken care of as soon as possible. However, a trip to the emergency room isn’t always the best option. An Urgent – but not true emergency situation is a condition that doesn’t need treatment right away but should be evaluated within 24 to 48 hours. Then there are situations where you should go straight to an emergency room. Understanding the difference will help you get the right care at the right time and also may save you money.
Examples of care needed that isn’t an emergency but requires prompt medical attention include: • Minor injuries and cuts • Sore throats and earaches • Frequent or severe coughs • Frequent urination or a burning sensation when urinating • Acute pain such as sudden back pain without traumatic injury. • Cuts and lacerations. • Closed fractures or possible fractures. • Sprains or strains. • Minor dislocations such as fingers and toes. (Hip and shoulder dislocations should go to ER.) • Cast or wound dressing problems. • Painful, swollen, or injured joints such as knees, elbows, and shoulders. • Sports injuries: knee, shoulder, and foot and ankle injuries. Your primary care doctor knows your health history, and if there are other medical conditions that need to be
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taken into consideration when making a diagnosis. If your symptoms come on gradually or you already know the diagnosis call your primary care doctor first. Minor illnesses or injuries should almost always be treated at an urgent care facility or your primary care doctor’s office. If you are not able to get an appointment with your primary care doctor, consider walking into an Urgent Care facility, freestanding emergency rooms are not urgent care facilities. Freestanding ERs offer the same treatment options as those that are directly connected to in-patient hospitals. That means their pricing and billing structure is similar, too.
Medical or mental health conditions that require immediate medical attention and a trip to the ER include: • Chest pain or pressure • Severe stomach pain that comes on suddenly • Decrease in or loss of consciousness • Severe shortness of breath • Severe headache that comes on suddenly or is accompanied by nausea • Sudden numbness, tingling, weakness or loss of movement in the face, arm or leg, especially on only one side of the body • A situation where a person is in immediate danger to himself, herself, or others For certain emergencies, such as severe bleeding, heart attack, or stroke, calling 911 is always the right decision because paramedics can often begin delivering life-saving treatment on the way to the hospital.
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Family
Mountain Top Children’s Emporium Come think outside the box with the Mountain Top Explorium! Formally known as Mountain Top Children’s Museum, MTE is a community resource designed to promote informal learning through interactive exhibits and educational programming. After several years of fundraising and searching for a new home the Mountain Top Children’s Emporium will
www.mountaintopbreck.org
be settling into space on the lower level of the Mountain River Lodge to provide playful experiences that inspire and educate children, sparking a passion for lifelong learning. Programs include Summer Day Camp, Kids Night Out, After-School Programs, Community Outreach, Birthday Parties and Special Events.
Breckenridge Grand Vacations Community Center & South Branch Library In 2010, the Town of Breckenridge purchased a 100-yearold, Mission Revival-style schoolhouse building that originally held a school and then Colorado Mountain College with one classroom dedicated to the community as the town’s library. When CMC expanded and moved into their new space off of Airport Road, folks were unsure of how the stately, historic building would be used. This dilemma led to a project that grew into the Breckenridge Grand Vacations Community Center, serving as a hub for people in Breckenridge to house the South Branch library, the Breckenridge Heritage Alliance archive room, “The Speakeasy” movie theater, a multipurpose space, as well as offices for The Breckenridge Film Festival. 103 S Harris St, Breckenridge www.summitcountylibraries.org
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Celebrating 60 Years in Breckenridge with Trygve Berge and Sigurd Rockne By Leigh Girvin
Friends since their youth. Competitive ski racing buddies. Ski instructors. Mischief-makers. Co-founders of the Breckenridge Ski Area. Trygve Berge and Sigurd Rockne came to Breckenridge in 1960 and helped create the community we know today. And they are still here. As ski town Breckenridge celebrates its 60th anniversary, we are honored to profile these Sons of Norway. Breckenridge, Colorado, in 1960 was “the ugliest town I’d ever seen,” said Sigurd Rockne. He and Trygve had just arrived to construct Bill Rounds’ lumber yard. Buildings in town hadn’t been painted in fifty years. Streets were dirty. Junk stacked everywhere. “And the rock piles,” Sigurd shakes his head. Breckenridge’s biggest eyesore, acres of rock piled tens of feet high, extended from the south end of town for miles northward. River cobble left behind by the dredge boat mining platforms that upended the river bottom in search of gold. Brecken40
ridge long-timers learned to blot them out: Look Up, they’d say. For newcomers, the rocks blighted an otherwise lovely landscape. When Trygve and Sigurd arrived, Breckenridge was nearly a ghosttown. The surviving population held a tight grip onto the only economic generators: a school, the County Courthouse, one operating mine and three gas stations. Would the new recreation economy revive the town? Two years prior, the Rounds & Porter Lumber Company of Wichita, Kansas, stealthily started buying up huge parcels of cheap land, thousands
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of acres of old mining claims and placer ground. With the coming of Dillon Reservoir, better highways and a tunnel under the Continental Divide, the company foresaw a demand for vacation cabins. Ralph Rounds, Sr. brought his sons Bill and Dwight (Doc) to check out Breckenridge. Bill immediately took to the place. The free-spirit of the rough western town appealed to him. And he saw opportunity. A lot of opportunity. Bill was a skier. His wife Callie’s step-father, Whip Jones, founded the Aspen Highlands Ski Area. The Highlands opened in 1958, the same year
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Rounds & Porter started investing in Breckenridge. Bill, Callie and the children skied at Aspen Highlands from the beginning and Bill learned a lot from Whip. Trygve and Sigurd taught at Stein Eriksen’s Ski School there. Drinks in the bar, dinner after skiing, and soon the young Norwegians became friendly with Bill and Callie. Before anything could be developed in Breckenridge, the market needed a lumber yard. Bill hired Trygve and Sigurd in 1960 to build it. Trygve Berge and Sigurd Rockne met in middle school ski racing at their home town of Voss, Norway. Trygve’s background in gymnastics and ski jumping made him a natural. Sigurd’s athletic skill and daredevil attitude propelled his young racing career. But the races were amateur level only. “We’d work all week and race on weekends. There was no money in it,” recalled Trygve. As ski competition evolved, the men excelled. During his racing career, Trygve specialized in downhill. Awards 42
include the 1954 Norwegian downhill championship, winning the Holmenkollen combined, fourth place in the 1955 NorAms at Squaw Valley, and a spot on the 1956 Norwegian Olympic Team. According to his induction profile in the Colorado Ski Hall of Fame: “He remembers racing downhill in the 1956 Olympics in Cortina, Italy, because the course was so difficult that no one else wanted to tackle the challenge.” Sigurd competed in the Norwegian championships in 1953, ’54, and ’55 when he beat legend Stein Eriksen in the downhill race. Breaking his leg just before the 1956 Olympics, Sigurd missed the team. But the men’s relationship with Stein Eriksen paid off. Eriksen grew the skiing industry as a sport in the United States and he needed instructors. Few Americans knew how to ski, much less teach. Trygve and Sigurd’s unique skills earned them special visas to instruct. In the off-season, they were builders and stone masons.
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Bill Rounds came to Breckenridge that September 1960 to inspect the new lumber yard. Trygve asked him: “What are you going to do here in the winter?” “Do you think we can ski here?” Bill replied. The Norwegians enthusiastically agreed. Sigurd and Trygve love to tell the story of that September day. They piled into an old Willie’s Jeep. Up the mining road on Peak 8 they bounced, past the squatty lodgepole trees that only recently regrew after the miners cleared the forest. Near timberline they could finally see the mountain. Parking where the Colorado Chair terminates today, they started hiking toward the top of Peak 8. Bill got sick and threw up. Concerned about impacts from his polio and the high altitude, Trygve and Sigurd wanted to turn around. “We’ve seen enough,” they offered. They could already envision the new ski area. The rolling terrain and northeast aspect were perfect for skiing. “No, no, we’re going all the way to
the top,” Bill insisted. It took a while. Back at the Jeep, Trygve remembered: “Bill pulled out a bottle of Cutty Sark and we had a toast to the new ski area. And that was the very beginning. That was Sigurd and me and Bill, all three of us there.” The permit came swiftly from the U.S. Forest Service, thanks in part to the Rounds’ family’s deep pockets and connections through their vast timber holdings. Cleared for construction in early 1961, planning escalated. Bill offered the Ski School to Trygve and Sigurd. “They made it very special,” observed Carol Rockne, Sigurd’s wife. “They were famous because those crazy Norwegians had a ski school in Breckenridge.” Sigurd and Trygve set the tone from the beginning. Breckenridge would be all about fun and sharing the joy of skiing. Trygve entertained the weekend crowds with his famous flip on skis. Sigurd jumped over cars. Together, they invented Breckenridge’s winter carnival, Ullr Dag (now called Ullr Fest). Despite the ugliness, the slow start, the financial sacrifices, and the challenges, Trygve and Sigurd made Breckenridge their home. “We thought there was more opportunity here,” explained Trygve. “The Ten Mile Range is beautiful. We felt more like home here than Aspen.” Through the years, Trygve continued the ski school until Aspen Ski Corporation bought Breckenridge Ski Area. He also owned and managed two ski shops and equipment rentals. Sigurd found success in the restaurant
business. His first venture, The Roc Mine, was the happening spot in town, known for good food, funny characters (himself included), and swinging jazz. Now in their 80s, Trygve and Sigurd still get together to reminisce. Sigurd’s favorite stories revolve around the early crazy days in Breckenridge. Shootings in town. Knock out fights. Unruly guests at his Roc Mine Restaurant. The parachute jumps to announce the grand re-opening of the Gold Pan Saloon. Throughout the tellings, Sigurd is laughing. It’s contagious. When he speaks of crawling across the floor to escape gunshot coming into the bar, you can’t help but join him in laughter, even though you know it wasn’t funny at the time. The difficult times, the challenges of growing the ski business, fade into fond memories. The first season -- when it was called the Peak 8 Ski Area and no one knew where that was -- skiers were sparse, and so was the money. “The first week in January we had only one couple the whole week from Monday to Friday,” recalled Sigurd. “The second season it was so cold, 57 below,” Trygve remembered. “A couple from San Francisco in the old 10th Mountain outfits with the white uniforms and the square-toed boots, they were the only two on the mountain. They went up the lift to the half-way point, they came down Ego Lane and they closed the ski area after that. They had to give up. I don’t think we’ve had that cold ever since.” Looking back, could they ever envision what Breckenridge would be today? “We didn’t really expect it
to be like it is today, one of the most visited ski areas in the world. I know we have maybe too many people at some times,” said Trygve. “It’s hard to imagine,” continued Sigurd. “When we first came, there were no houses, nothing.” Ever upbeat, ever laughing, they temper their nostalgia. “It’s been a wonderful place to raise kids,” Carol chimed in. “It has been very rewarding. Everything I’ve done I’ve been trying to promote Breckenridge because it has been my home,” added Trygve. “And I can still ski home on Four O’Clock.”
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Ski Bumming Your Way to Success by Following the Scott Rawles Method By Leigh Girvin
Being a successful ski bum requires talent, timing and luck. By following the example of Breckenridge’s Scott Rawles, you too may find yourself skiing around the world, nine months of the year. Rawles’ career arcs from winning athlete to promoter, elite coach to Hall-of-Famer, all while wrapped in the cloak of a proud ski bum. How to be a Ski Bum, Step I. Launch From a Solid Platform Scott Rawles came from a ski-loving family and learned to ski as a boy in Montana. In 1979, at age 20, he followed friends to Breckenridge to - guess what? - ski. Soon his brothers arrived. Friendly competition between Kirk, Mike and Scott honed his talent through the years. Kirk remembered: “We relished the fact that someone would try a new trick, because that meant we had to step up our game.” The Rawles brothers excelled at moguls, aggressive skiing down a bump-covered slope maintaining a fine balance between speed and control. Competition requires a trick or two, like a helicopter or spread eagle, landing back in the bump field and continuing with composure and style. Scott gravitated to competition when he skied with other athletes on Breckenridge’s steep bump runs. “I was as good as those guys.” Another draw of competing in the Pro Mogul Tour? The winner took home a new Saab car. Step 2: Stand Out A denim Tuxedo cut-away emblazoned with silk-screened bananas caught his eye at a yard sale. And it was only 25 cents. Henceforth, he was the “Banana Man.” Friends followed his fashion trend with equally garish jackets. “It was gaper day, every day. People dressed up and acted crazy every single day,” Scott commented. Rawles followed up his flash with outstanding skiing skills, earning him solid ski model credentials, magazine and brochure covers. “It was an amazing time to be here. Like-minded people here to have fun, party, ski, live the mountain lifestyle. It was a unique place to live.” 44
Step 3: Be Able to Afford It Scott’s timing was impeccable. Breckenridge was still gritty in the 1980s. His ramshackle Marlboro Cabin on Main Street lacked heat. For eight years he paid just $58 a month rent, plus the annual expense of ten cords of firewood. Cheap rent was “one of the main reasons I could live the lifestyle and focus on my skiing. I wasn’t making that much with my competitive skiing, but I was making enough to be able to pay 58 bucks a month,” he laughed. “Back then, you made as much money to play as much as you can, and work as little as you can. We truly were ski bums at that point. It was all about being on the mountain as much as possible.” Step 4: Be Really Good at It Over Scott’s competitive mogul skiing career from 1981 to 1994 he enjoyed 7 career wins, 20 podiums and 5 top three overall season rankings. His favorite highlight? “The first competition I won was on Mach I at Breckenridge.” In the early 1990s, Scott took off 18 months from competition to coach. When he returned, he won 1 event and 4 podiums. “I started applying what I was teaching to my own skiing.” Step 5: Get Someone Else to Cover Your Expenses Competitive athletes enjoy a number of perks, including prize money and sponsorships. When the Pro Mogul Tour lost its sponsors, the Rawles brothers stepped in, finding new support and organizing 42 different mogul events, many televised on ESPN and MTV. It allowed Scott to continue his competitive career. Step 6: Go Professional Coaching skiers naturally followed. With the birth of his son Zach in 1989, Scott sought a more reliable income. Scott started at Team Breckenridge working under high-level freestyle coaches John Dowling and John Loeffler. They put 14 athletes on the U.S. Freestyle Ski Team. That success led to a position on the U.S. Freestyle coaching staff.
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Scott’s teams won 5 world championships, twenty medals, the Nation’s Cup three times, created four world champs, and earned him the USSA International Coach of the Year award on three occasions. His U.S. athletes’ wins over four Olympics racked up seven medals, including Hannah Kearney’s gold. Scott recently wrapped up 5 years coaching the China National Team. For his fifth Olympics at Korea in 2018, he qualified two athletes from China. To sit with Scott Rawles is to understand another aspect of his coaching success: a calm and reassuring presence. Step 7: Love the sport “My success as a coach is because of my love and passion for the sport. I remind my athletes how fortunate you are to be in the mountains doing what you love. I bring the joy of the journey. People are so focused on results, but if you don’t enjoy the journey to get there, what’s the point?” For Scott’s 2020 induction into the Colorado Ski Hall of Fame, Breckenridgian and former Olympian C.J. Mueller recalled: “It was an amazing adventure for him to go from local ski bum to being head coach for the best mogul team in the world.” Added Arapahoe Basin CEO Alan Henceroth: “He never forgets how skiing is so much fun. That’s the root of everything we do.” What does Breckenridge mean to Scott, his life and career? “Breckenridge means everything to me. I met Jacque here, my son was born here. The most quality people I’ve ever met in my life were here in Breckenridge, and still live here. I had so much support for my ski career and as a human being. I’m truly blessed.” And does he mind being called a ‘ski bum’? “I view it as a compliment.”
Dave & Liz Hartman Raising a Family and Full Life in Breckenridge Before magazines and websites were touting mountain towns as an ideal location to live and raise a family, Liz and Dave Hartman were pursuing their passions living the coveted ski bum lifestyle. Let’s clarify the word Ski Bum. According to Colorado Ski Country USA, the Ski Bum is an individual who eschews responsibilities, financial security, and basic creature comforts for the bliss of carefree skiing. Maybe at the beginning of their pursuits, there was some ski bumming but as time rolled forward they morphed into ski industry professionals. As a longtime Breckenridge resident, I have gotten to know Dave and Liz through our children’s mutual relationships. The Hartman’s are one of the larger families in the commu-
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By Holly Battista-Resignolo
nity raising three daughters and a son below the peaks of the Breckenridge Ski Resort. Dave Hartman was born and raised in the Denver Metro Area. He decided to try out the central plains when he went to Doane College in Nebraska. After graduating, the Rocky Mountains pulled him back to the slopes of Colorado. Dave had spent plenty of time in the mountains growing up. His dad had purchased a condo in Breckenridge’s Gold Camp development along Ski Hill Road and he came up through his formative years. In the ski season of 70-71, Dave bought his first pass for $40 after mowing lawns all summer and has years of memories skiing all around the state. Dave’s dad ran the dog track where
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Dave ran the concessions and then moved on to work at Winter Park Resort’s restaurants. He was living up at the resort’s day lodge, Snoasis. A buddy was working F&B at Copper Mountain and reached out to him to ask if he knew anything about Breckenridge. The ski area was concessioning out a restaurant at the top of Peak 8. Dave contacted the boys he knew running Aspen (Aspen owned the resort at that time) to inquire about securing the outlet. Elizabeth Hartman also grew up in Denver and attended University here in Colorado. She is one of nine siblings. She met Dave and married in 1986. Three days after they married they moved up to Breckenridge. After winning the Breckenridge Ski
Area concession contract at the top of Peak 8 Dave, Liz, and a whole crew built the original Vista Haus where they lived and ran the restaurant. There they made everything from scratch. Their Bakers would arrive at 6 am prep up 50 pizzas for the day, bake all of the pastries, bread, cinnamon rolls, pies, prepare chili, and more. Everything was produced by Liz, Dave, and their crew. Their food became well known across the mountain. Liz fondly recalls those times. She was 25, married, owned a snowmobile, woke up to incredible views, and was having a ton of fun. Who could ask for more? During that time they had two daughters, Katie and Megan, and built a house on Peak 8. Their concession contract soon thereafter came to an end. It was the early 90’s and they were preparing to purchase Shamus O’Tooles and continue in the restaurant business. The contract fell through, which ended up being a blessing, as they now had four children and the restaurant business requires intense commitment to keeping things going at all times of the day. The couple bought Woodwinds Property Management and secured their first HOA contracts. Liz stayed on with the Ski Resort and worked year-round for nine years in the ticket office. She was able to secure daycare and medical insurance for the family while Dave built the property management company. Liz then went back to Denver during that time and secured her Master’s in Psychology. Scan the QR Code to Continue Reading:
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Interview With an Avalanche Survivor by Dori Welch Spring Fever
In a small town, people have a tendency to know names, recognize familiar faces and cross paths in various areas of life. Jeff Meyer moved to Breckenridge from Minnesota in 1997. A competitive snowboarder who mowed lawns all summer to buy his first snowboard, he eventually turned winning competitions into a career. He won the Vans Triple Crown in 2003 and appeared on Discovery Channel’s Stunt Junkies doing a 120ft flaming rail slide, among other TV and video appearances. If you ask anyone who has been around awhile, they generally know who he is. In 2006, Katie Knudsen caught Jeff’s eye at a local bar. After introducing himself and chatting her up, they realized they were from the same Minnesota town. While they had never met at home, the two had even graduated from the same high school a few years apart. The pair grew their relationship and they married in 2010. I first encountered Jeff Meyer at Colorado Mountain College in 2000 while we worked toward associate degrees. Over the next two decades we occasionally crossed paths in the backcountry, lived in the same neighborhood, and had kids attending the same daycare. Though privy to local tragedies through my work, I had not learned of his near-death experience in a fatal avalanche accident until collaborating to tell his story. Raised around avalanche disaster stories and education to prevent them, I arrived at the interview with curiosity and a knowing empathy. As a young child, I attended the daycare where Jeff’s child and my own would end up sharing a classroom decades later. Daughter of professional ski patrollers / Colorado Avalanche Information Center forecaster at the time, I can easily recall a day being sent home with another parent because mine were responding to an out-of-bounds avalanche that tragically took four lives. Over the years of my father’s career with the CAIC and teaching avalanche education, I was able to see and hear the event professionally presented many times. 48
The snow science plus the humanity side of the many tragedies I learned about throughout my childhood and into adulthood fascinated me, and Jeff’s story immediately hooked me in on many levels. As a professional snowboarder, Jeff and his comrades used snowmobiles to access untouched slopes with their snowboards in the backcountry. Through the years, Jeff started focusing on the sport of snowmobiling itself and sought education specifically for snowmobile avalanche safety. He purchased all of the safety gear and practiced with his friends. Snowmobiling recreationally remains high on his list of favored activities. On April 9th, 2018, Jeff had a considerably fun spring day on his snowmobile with a group of friends, including his frequent riding partner, Fritz Boehm. A storm had just moved through Colorado leaving fluffy powder covering Rabbit Ears Pass, a popular recreation area about 25 minutes away from Steamboat Springs. Before leaving the Rabbit Ears parking lot to go ride, the group went through a routine avalanche transceiver check. Jeff explained the safety check: “One person turns their beacon to search mode and makes sure each person in the group is transmitting. Then that person switches to transmit and someone checks to make sure they are transmitting, and off we go.” While Rabbit Ears Pass is not a notorious area for avalanche terrain, there are places to get into potential
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trouble. As a good habit, most backcountry groups who recreate together maintain a routine check no matter where the activity is taking place, to ensure consistency. The group headed into the powder fields. “I recorded a lot of footage,” Jeff said. “I actually stayed up late making a video straight from my iPhone, there’s a lot of Fritz having a blast that day. He got to see it that night.” While the group covered many miles and laid fresh tracks for several hours, Jeff and Fritz decided to ride again the following day on terrain closer to home. “We didn’t leave it all out there,” he said, referring to having more energy and excitement for the next day. “It was probably going to be one of the last good days of the season.” Jeff paused. After a few moments of silence his voice was softer as he reiterated, “I am really glad I finished that video from Rabbit Ears. It shows how much fun Fritz was having on his last full day on Earth. I am happy he got to see it, too.” Tears in his eyes, he leaned back in his chair and began to recount the events of the following day. Jeff and Fritz met at the parking area at the end of French Gulch Road near Breckenridge at about 9:00am on April 10th. Blue skies and sunshine greeted the riders, and the temperature was expected to climb above 40 degrees. The storm had moved on two days before but temperatures had stayed cool, potentially preserving some fluffy snow to carve turns into.
After unloading their snowmobiles, the two took off up a trail on Humbug Hill that eventually leads to a meadow where many trails meet. Jeff had been to a place up the Middle Fork of the Swan River and knew they had a chance to find some good stashes of snow. Part way up, they stopped for a break in another meadow. “We chatted about life, and what kind of things Fritz wanted to do,” Jeff said, looking into the distance while recalling the conversation with his friend. “He had some money saved up and planned to eventually buy a plot of land for his toys, and to get more toys. For the moment, he was just out for a good time.” Whether it was confidence left over from the day before, the knowledge each of them was wearing a transceiver, or the excitement to get fresh snow, neither rider brought up doing a beacon check that day. Jeff and Fritz continued to make their way up the Middle Fork, eventually coming to a drainage where they saw remnants of a prior avalanche. “We saw the debris and discussed how it was good it had already slid,” Jeff said. “However, with that potential safety in mind, we still agreed to cross the drainage and into another area while riding one at a time.” Jeff went first. “I cut across the drainage and came over a hill. I laid out a few turns. It was only a minute or two and I thought Fritz would be behind me. When he wasn’t there, I immediately turned around to go see where he ended up.” “AVALANCHE!” Jeff crested the ridge between the two drainages and spotted Fritz below, helmet off, working on getting his sled unstuck. In the same second, Jeff saw the snow above them release. “AVALANCHE!” he shouted as loud as he could. As he turned his sled downhill and hard left attempting to flee, he caught a glimpse of Fritz’s face as he, too, tried to escape to safety. The next agonizing moments filled Jeff with terror as he focused on getting into a group of old trees he had just passed. “I couldn’t see behind me,” he reflected, eyes wide. “I had the throttle squeezed all the way open, and I didn’t care if I crashed the sled into the trees. I just needed to get to them and not get hit from behind, at any cost.” As every layer of the entire season’s snowfall slid by,
Jeff likened it to a river. “It wasn’t a cloud, and it wasn’t chunks like concrete, even after the debris settled. It was a steady, huge river just slipping straight down the drainage.” Thoughts raced through his head about his family, his wife Katie, and their 3-yearold son, Knut. With the pain of the memory looking fresh on his face, he described the fear. “It was overwhelming. I knew if something happened to me, I would feel so guilty, and I would miss them so much.” He looked away from me and down at the table. When the river of snow had stopped, Jeff yelled out to his friend and called for him on the radios they were wearing. “Fritz! FRITZ!” There was no reply. Without hesitation, Jeff’s avalanche training clicked into action. “I immediately took out my beacon and switched it into search mode. Something flicked across the screen that may have been a number. I thought I had a signal from Fritz and hoped I would find it again.” Jeff traversed the debris field on his snowmobile, holding his transceiver over the snow. It kept searching, but no signals were popping into view. He discovered Fritz’s snowmobile partially buried and leaning against a tree. He quickly checked around and under it. He found Fritz’s tunnel bag separated from the sled, but there was no other sign of Fritz. “I was speaking out loud to myself the entire time. I could not figure out what I was doing wrong, or why the signal wasn’t connecting to my beacon. After about 15 minutes and 4 passes over the debris I told myself, if there ever is a time to call 911, now is it.” The 911 call was placed at 11:09am. The operator informed Jeff that
the SOS signal from his phone gave them a good idea of where he was located, and he was able to confirm. While he waited for help to arrive, he continued his frantic, but controlled and calculated, search. “I turned the transceiver off and on again. I tucked my phone into my hat and set it to the side, in case it was causing some sort of interference. I got out my probe for attempts at a blind strike. The field was huge to keep running across, and I tried to keep drinking water as I went. I kept listening out for the help that was coming.” As he searched, he was struck by the sting of suddenly being very, very alone. “I was having another fun day with a friend, and in a split second he was just gone. He was gone! I couldn’t find him, and I was looking as hard as I could. Time was passing too quickly, but also so slowly. I wanted to be anywhere but there. I told myself I was never going in the snow again. I was moving to Arizona. I had fears of what the future held... Is this somehow all my fault? Is this going to give me PTSD?” As Jeff scrambled over the snow, he heard a helicopter in the distance. “It was the most welcome sound I have ever heard.” The Flight for Life helicopter landed at the bottom of the debris field and Jeff was there to meet them. Two people and a rescue dog got out. The rescuers introduced themselves as members of C-RAD, or Colorado Rapid Avalanche Deployment. One of the rescuers started the dog on a search, while the other began a transceiver and Recco search. Within ten minutes the helicopter was dropping off another C-RAD team, and they began to assemble.
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With help at his side and exhausted from running up and down the debris field, Jeff collapsed into the snow. The magnitude of what was happening was hitting him like a freight train. Without the distraction of searching for Fritz, it began to come up hard and fast. He began screaming into the snow. Jeff had experience with struggling around significant grief and already actively sought and received counseling. “I resisted dealing with the loss of my daughter Charlie,” he said, voice cracking. He stopped to reflect on his baby girl he had for a day in 2012. “I thought I could handle that loss with stoic masculinity. It didn’t work. I continually distracted myself by going in the terrain park as much as I could, then I started noticing that I had to apologize to people a lot for angry outbursts. Deep depression set in, making it difficult to get out of bed.” When I asked if the loss of Charlie directly affected his choice to accept the tough feelings in the back country instead of pushing them away, he gave a long pause and a deep breath. “YES,” he said loudly. “I already knew that wasn’t a healthy way to deal with such huge emotions. So, when I felt this wave come up, I let it take over instead of pushing it down. In the moment, I chose to fall onto the sword.” Before the second C-RAD team had started searching, the dog alerted over a section of debris. Within minutes the rescuer had skinned up to the site. He put his probe into the snow then yelled firmly and loudly, “STRIKE!” Everyone sprang into action. At the insistence of a rescuer, Jeff helped dig and pull Fritz out of the snow. “I told them, I don’t want to see him, I don’t want to see him. One of them took the time to tell me he had been in my place, and how much of a difference in closure it had made for him to help with the recovery. I trusted what he said, and it turned out he was absolutely right.” Shaking and dreading what he might see, Jeff accompanied the rescuers to where the probe had struck. The party dug about four feet into the snow to get to Fritz. He was quickly declared deceased. Jeff said until that moment, he realized though his mind had told him the chances for Fritz were basically zero, his heart had still been holding onto hope. “Maybe
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he was in a tree-well with a pocket of air just waiting for us to find him,” Jeff said, almost as though he still hoped the story would end differently today. “But it was too much time. I knew it had been way too much time.” As they pulled him out, Jeff immediately noted how good Fritz looked. “He looked asleep. Nothing looked wrong with him, he looked perfectly intact.” While sobbing, Jeff hugged him and kissed his friend and told him how sorry he was. He says those moments of getting to say goodbye made a huge difference in how he coped. “We loaded him onto the helicopter, and he got to just fly right out of that valley. He just flew away, and I never saw him again.” The rest of the rescuers made their way out. The Mountain Rescue group on the ground had staged at a trailhead off of Tiger Road, just north of Breckenridge. This was the shortest distance on snowmobiles to the accident site. Jeff helped get the skiers out who had flown in, giving one a tow behind his snowmobile. They came across the ground team, who had been unable to reach the remote location. They all reconvened at the bottom. Jeff was overwhelmed with the amount of people and vehicles at the trailhead. Most of all, he was astounded by the compassionate professionalism and support from the rescuers who came to his aid. “A mission controller said to me, ‘You are never going to see these people again, and certainly not all together.’ He walked me to every person there, and I got to shake the hand of every single volunteer.” This helped Jeff feel some sense of closure from the immediate trauma, and deal with the next steps. As they packed up, Jeff thought to ask about why their transceivers had not picked up Fritz’s signal. It was then he was informed that Fritz’s transceiver had not been turned on. A rescuer said matter-of-factly, “When we checked, his transceiver was in the off-position.” Jeff felt a huge weight lift off of him. He could go home knowing he had done everything he could do with what he had in the moments Fritz was buried. He had executed the search correctly with his training. He also felt the immediate sadness of it, as he knew it would have given him a fighting chance. “Nothing was wrong with him. He had no trauma or even a small broken
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bone. I had seen where his last location was. He wasn’t extremely deep, and I had been very close.” After another few seconds of silence Jeff said firmly, “The checks at the parking lot are important. I won’t ever forget to ask everyone to participate in a beacon safety check.” A volunteer gave Jeff a ride home, another gesture he found incredibly kind and helpful in this time. As they made their way back toward town, Jeff’s phone got a signal. He finally got to hear a familiar voice – his wife Katie’s. Aftermath / Takeaways At work in her shop on Breckenridge Main Street, Katie Meyer received a text from a neighbor. “They asked if Jeff was snowmobiling and told me there had been an avalanche. I wasn’t worried at first. Jeff snowmobiles all the time and knows the backcountry inside and out. He takes all of the avalanche safety seriously.” She sent a text to her husband to confirm he was picking up their son from daycare, then returned to her work. Time passed, and Katie realized she hadn’t received a reply. An uneasiness crept in. “I honestly don’t remember the timeline very clearly, it turned into a blur.” Katie caught her breath, as though trying not to cry. Mustering up the strength only a spouse of an extreme athlete would understand she said, “I know that the possibility of him not coming home is real. I love who he is, and a big part of him is his love for these sports and activities. I’ve always told myself if he met his end in the backcountry, it would be doing something he loved.” Steadying her voice, she went on, “I think I was already arranging for someone else to get our son when I got a call from Search and Rescue. They told me they had Jeff and he was okay, but they wouldn’t answer me about his friend. I figured that could only mean something terrible.” Upon reuniting, Katie immediately noticed the sunburn. While searching and stashing his phone in his hat, Jeff had exposed his bare head to the spring sun and bright reflection of the snow. “He was burned from the back of his neck up and over to his chin. It was like a visible mark of everything else he had been through that day.” As the heaviness of the accident moved into their home that night, Katie recalled the support that poured
in from the community. “Friends kept our son so we could process what had happened, and other friends came over to be with us. The Hangar, a local pizza place, heard about the accident from The Crown, the coffee shop next to my store. The Hangar sent pizza right to our door. In an overwhelming and emotional situation, the love that people demonstrated was amazing.” The day after the accident, Jeff was giving his account to a Colorado Avalanche Information Center forecaster for a report when his son Knut came home from spending the night with friends. The gravity of the situation hit Jeff again, and the reminder of his thoughts of throttling his sled as fast as he could toward the trees to save his own life. “He didn’t totally understand the situation of course,” Jeff said of his young son, “but he was shaken because he knew something scary had happened to Daddy. I couldn’t help but imagine what he would be thinking and feeling if it had been me.” He visibly shuddered at the thought. Bruce Edgerly, Co-founder and Vice President of Backcountry Access, Inc., the company who makes the popular transceiver the Tracker, says transceivers not being turned on is its own pandemic. “Besides wearing it just one layer off of your body, I have another rule when it comes to wearing the transceiver. Put it on, turn it on. Take it off, turn it off.” Edgerly pointed out that checks should also be done while still at the cars versus just leaving the trailhead, where people may not want to turn around to get a forgotten transceiver or retrieve new batteries. He carries an extra transceiver in his car in case someone forgets theirs or it has an issue. He also carries extra batteries. Edgerly said beacon checks are important even after a meal break. “Last season I was caught breaking my own rule, as I had taken off my transceiver
at lunch. It was discovered because of the check when we were headed back out.” He laughs, “I did hear about that for the rest of the trip, though.” He highlights the value of batteries, and the relative miniscule cost of going through batteries versus potentially saving a life. “The transceivers really go through the batteries slowly. It doesn’t save anything to wait to turn on the transceiver at your destination. It only leaves room for error. I keep my transceiver next to my bed, to easily put on over my bottom layer. Put it on, turn it on. Take it off, turn it off.” While he rarely runs into this issue, Edgerly also outlined the true danger of the use of obsolete analog technology for transceivers. They have a slower signal, which can cause anything from missed marks to false alerts of multiple burials. “It is worth it to upgrade with the new technology,” he insists. Almost exactly two years following the accident that claimed Boehm’s life, two snowmobilers lost their lives just days apart in the Tetons. Neither rider had turned on their transceiver. As a longtime respected member of his local mountain community, Jeff Meyer is quick to point out the resources available and the supportive environment. “From the rescuers to the volunteer who drove me home, for what it was, they could not have been any better. People may not be aware of some of the support that is out there, including grief counseling through Bristlecone, and other places like Building Hope. This community is really incredible, and with mental health being highlighted in recent years, I want people to know just how much support and resources are out there.” Jeff also advocates for avalanche education and safety. “I had taken the Avy 1 course twice, and I have now taken it a third time. Between the training and practicing, the action of
For avalanche education resources visit: www.avalanche.state.co.us/education/ www.backcountryaccess.com/learn www.backcountrybabes.com/backcountry-classes/ www.avtraining.org/ www.coloradomtn.edu/
searching was automatic in a time of incredible stress.” The courses not only prepare for tragedy, but more importantly greatly help prevent and avoid it. Education on how to read avalanche and weather forecasts, examine the snowpack, measure a slope angle, among other valuable information is readily available to backcountry recreationists. “Take advantage of it,” Jeff advises, “and continue to. I’ve learned that continuing avalanche education is as important as conditioning your physical body, to best prepare for the season. The entire experience was eye-opening, and humbling. You can never have too much education on it.” Each year avalanches claim the lives of approximately 26 people in the U.S. The recreating victims are frequently people with high level skills. Avalanche forecasters and educators work hard to help people enjoy the back country as safely as possible. Learning to read the forecasts and understand a moderate risk is important. For perspective one forecaster said, “If going out to the bar on a particular evening came with a moderate risk of getting killed, would you still go that night?” Human factor contributes to each disaster, and educators always point out the common ones. Advocate for beacon safety checks, every time. A false sense of safety with transceivers and other gear such as Float packs and Avalungs can contribute to deadly choices. If you have any doubt, always speak up in your group. Compared to life and safety, batteries are cheap. Jeff again leaned back in his chair. Gazing down at the water of French Creek flowing near his Breckenridge home he said, “For almost 25 years, this community has been really good to me. That day really highlighted just how great the community support can be. I want people to know how supportive it is, and what’s out there. It’s worth it to reach out.”
For mental/emotional health support visit: www.buildinghopesummit.org/ www.summitfirc.org/en/health-wellness/ www.1degree.org/v
Always #KnowBeforeYouGo Download the CAIC App
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Homes & Realty
Shopping for a Home in the Winter by Holly Battista-Resignolo
Buying Real Estate in the cold winter months is a good thing and one of the best times to buy. Some people are reluctant to buy a home during the winter months but cold weather and snow tell you so much about a home in our high alpine environment. You might not be able to see the yard but most sellers have images to show you what a home will look like in the summer months.
The Cold weather can show you how well a home is constructed, insulated, heated, and maintained. This tell-tale time of the season has a large impact on the real value of the house. Here are some things to look for when purchasing a home during the height of the winter: 1. Heating Costs - will indicate how well a house is insulated and what
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you can anticipate paying each year. Always ask for utility records. You can also see how well the furnace keeps a home warm during the colder months. 2. Yard and Driveway Snow Removal Driveway size, walkways, and their orientation will allow you to see if access is a safety issue. A large driveway may need a lot of time to clear. Is it steep? How does it access the road? Is there adequate space to store snow if the driveway is being plowed? These questions may be a mystery if you search for a home in the summer months. 3. Sidewalks and Entry locations - look for overhanging snow and potential melt-freeze locations around entryways. There may be safety issues for you and your guests. Snow shed off of roofs is nothing to fool around with.
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4. Condition of Doors and Windowsyou will be able to tell if windows and doors are up to snuff. Drafts are easy to detect on cold winter days versus the summer months. 5. Roofs - Uneven snow on the roof can show you how well the insulation is working within the house. Shoveling the roof often can indicate problems with ice dams and water backing up into the house. Large Icicles can also indicate insufficient insulation and loss of heat through the roof.
Winter lasts a lot longer in Breckenridge than at lower elevations. Seeing how your home performs during the colder months might help you change your tune about looking for your new home when it is warm. Wintertime is a great time to buy!
Photo: Carl Scofield
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Stay
Grand Colorado on Peak 8 by Holly Battista-Resignolo
www.grandcolorado.com
What’s better than a ski and snowboard vacation? A vacation that allows for ski-in and ski-out accommodations with adventurous amenities. That is exactly what you will find in Breckenridge at Grand Colorado on Peak 8. This slope-side resort is a vibrant escape with impeccable high-end residence accommodations complete with plush living spaces and spacious kitchens.
As you enter the stylish open lobby complete with bar, entry to a fantastic spa, and comfortable lounge area you will be greeted by the GC8’s extremely knowledgeable and friendly front desk and concierge associates. There is no pretension here, when you walk in you immediately feel like a part of the ambiance and action of the Breckenridge Ski Resort. This is relaxed luxury. Family and friend groups will find a fantastic rooftop bar and lounge, delicious restaurant and tavern, a slopeside pool and an amazing hot tub deck elevated above it all for great views of the ski area. Aquatic opportunities abound
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so bring a bathing suit and prepare to prune as you people-watch with a cocktail in hand.
Access to town is a Gondola ride away but you may find there is so much to do that you go no further than the slopes of Peak 8. Private movie theaters, escape rooms, game room, skating rink, and activities-to-go will keep everyone entertained. We loved Apres on the rooftop lounge. Take in 360degree views of the Continental Divide, Baldy, and each peak and bowl of the Breckenridge Ski area.
Dinner and Drinks at Robbie’s Tavern, followed by fun in the GC8 Gameroom capped off with a soak in the Hot Tubs was a highlight during our getaway. Stay for a week, a weekend, or become an owner and turn your visit into a healthy habit through fractional ownership at this coveted mountain resort.
PARADISE
Has an Address!
MTN METRO REAL ESTATE KATHY CHRISTINA
BROKER/OWNER 970-389-1321 www.mtnmetro.com 411 S. Main Street, Breckenridge
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Breck Film Fest
Ullr Fest
Wake Up Breckenridge
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Dine
Local 58
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Image: Rootstalk Breckenridge
Cocktails From touring the award winning spirit’s production facility to indulging in world-class cuisine, Breckenridge Distillery is truly an adventure for the senses. Whether you have time for the full experience at the Distillery on Airport Road, or you’re simply curious about tasting its award- winning spirits while strolling Main Street, the Distillery makes it easy, fun and delicious to discover what it’s all about.
9 ways you can experience the Breckenridge Distillery:
TEXAS-STYLE BBQ LUNCH The Distillery’s daily Texas-style BBQ lunch features Baby Back Ribs, pulled pork sandwich, smoked prime rib, smoked chicken and BBQ combo platters. Classic sides include buttermilk potato salad, poblano coleslaw and Distillery BBQ beans. DINNER BY CHEF DAVID BURKE Internationally acclaimed chef David Burke remains a creative consultant for Breckenridge Distillery Restaurant’s [BDR] menu. His style combines sophistication with playfulness. BDR offers a contemporary steakhouse atmosphere with an upscale mountain dining experience. Their family-style menu features a 45 ounce Tomahawk RibEye, 20 ounce Kobe New York Strip and other seasonally focused dishes. As always, the menu revolves around local produce, comfort foods with a twist and shareable dishes meant to encourage interaction and conviviality. Enjoy Happy Hour with $10 plates. COCKTAILS If it’s edible, chances are Liquid Chef Billie Keithley has made a cocktail out of it. And that’s one of the reasons she loves working for the Distillery so much. Because of the Distillery’s special liquor license, Keithley can’t go out and buy spirits and cordials elsewhere, so she creates them herself. Products like amaros, bitters, vermouth and liqueurs are all made in-house. “Which means we can put our own twists on them,” she said. Keithley and Bar Manager Connor Bovich are creating schnapps, shrubs, syrups and juices, among other fresh products, for every specialty cocktail. Popular menu staples include the Obi Wan Old Fashioned, made with Breckenridge Port Cask Whiskey.
FREE SHUTTLE RIDES There’s no need to drink and drive when you can drink and ride. The Breckenridge Distillery wants its guests to drink responsibly, which is why it offers a free shuttle for customers with pick-ups and dropoffs anywhere within town limits. The shuttle fits up to 14 people — all you have to do is call the Distillery at 970445-8613 to book your ride. TASTINGS The Breckenridge Distillery offers one of the most highly awarded craft bourbons on the market and you can try it for free. Guests are offered two complimentary samples from a limited menu and have the option to upgrade their tasting to try their highend spirits. A great way to explore their award-winning line of hooch.
with mouth feel and finish. You will hand bottle your creation and complete the experience with a customized label. Reservations are required, breckenridgedistillery.com/tour. PRIVATE DINNERS IN DARK ARTS SOCIETY This intimate dining experience in the Distillery’s exclusive whiskey lab is an experience like none other. Parties of up to 12 people can reserve the Dark Arts Society private room featuring old barnwood, leather couches, and a view of the bottling production area of the Distillery. This exclusive, private dining area comes with a personal wait staff and can be used for families, micro-conferences, executive meetings or small parties. For a private dining experience, email restaurant@breckdistillery.com.
AFTER HOURS TOURS
MAIN STREET TASTING ROOM IN DOWNTOWN
Breckenridge Distillery offers guests a VIP experience during their After Hours Tours. Use your senses to experience the inner workings of how these hand-crafted spirits go from grain to bottle while learning about the history of whiskey and how the distillery was founded. Guests also have the opportunity to try spirits that have yet to be released to the public. Tours begin at 6:15 p.m. by reservation only. Book a VIP tour at breckenridgedistillery.com/tours.
In the heart of downtown Breckenridge, get a taste of not only the Distillery’s spirits but also a taste of what the Breckenridge Distillery is all about. From merchandise to personable, knowledgeable staff, this small tasting room is a glimpse of what you can experience at their main location on Airport Rd. Learn more about current hours and offerings at breckenridgedistillery.com
FOUNDER’S LAB Nerd out with our distillers and become a master blender for a few magical hours. Breckenridge Distillery’s distillers are experts in nosing, flavor categorization and pairing substrates together to create a whole that far exceeds the expected sum of its parts. Guests will be taught to break down aggregate flavors while building a whiskey blend complete
Eat
Amazing Grace
www.amazinggracebreck.com 213 Lincoln Avenue, Breckenridge
From the minute you walk in you are embraced by warmth. An old Artistic Oak wood stove cranks out the heat while the Eatery’s back kitchen draws you closer with the aroma of fresh baked goods, brewing coffee and breakfast on the griddle. Grab a paper, a seat at one of their eclectic table set-ups and a fresh steaming cup of coffee on a chilly morning and you might feel like you just skinned into your favorite backcountry hut. However, this hut is stocked with your own chef and an array of healthy menu items to help jumpstart your day. Amazing Grace is located in the heart of Breckenridge in an old Victorian Cabin on the corner of Lincoln and French Street. The building housed the town’s first natural grocery store, back in the early 80’s and 90’s, until Monique Merrill purchased it and transformed it into the quaint and quirky cafe that it is now.
The emphasis? Highly nutritious foods that are great for you, the environment and taste, well, Amazing. Their Scones, Biscuits, Cookies and Muffins all melt in your mouth and are produced with all natural ingredients. Breakfast is served from 7am - 3pm and includes five menu selections from the Rainforest Crunch Granola to my favorite, the B.O.B - Basic Organic Breakfast, with scrambled eggs, cheese, spinach and tomato accompanied by thick slabs of their fresh baked whole wheat bread toasted and buttered just right. Selections of veggie sausage or chicken apple sausage are available to compliment the dish. The restaurant offers Gluten Free and Vegetarian options as well. A huge lunch menu included sandwiches on their fresh bread selections, burritos, and some yummy, filling salads. Try Jaime’s Turkey Salad; avocado, cranberries, natural turkey and sprouts are tossed with mixed greens and finished with a raspberry vinaigrette. You will give thanks for this lovely meal. We love Meg & Tony’s Not-chos where blue corn tortilla chips are layered with black beans, spinach, cheese, salsa, avocado, shredded carrots and zucchini. As a top world adventure racer, Monique knows that nutritious foods will fuel you up and carry you further. Her staff are also a group of athletes and passionate outdoors people who also carry the belief that good food and good people will enrich your lives and send you out on a high note after a stop in at Amazing Grace. by Pepper Hamilton
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Breck Eats cozy winter restaurant roundup
The Crown Snuggle up on the fireside sofa with a hot spicy chai or a boozy warm apple pie. This hip, loungy Main Street staple is where locals gather to catch up, where work-from-anywhere ninjas create and where happy hour unfolds over microbrews and art shows.
by Lisa Blake
thecrownbreckenridge.com
Breckenridge Nordic Center
breckenridgenordic.com
After you get your fill of gliding on the Nordic Center’s legendary groomed cross-country trails, mosey into the Oh Be Joyful Lodge and find the intimate Black Forest Tavern. Thaw out inside the rustic Peak 8 hangout and fuel your next adventure with homemade soups, bratwursts and snacks.
Robbie’s Tavern Kick the snow off your boots and belly up to the bar at this locally owned slopeside bistro perched at the base of Peak 8. Sip on famous margaritas and loaded bacon Bloody Marys while you take in all the ski season action. The green chili and shareable plates of hot fries and flatbreads will warm you from the inside.
robbiestavern.com
Mom’s Baking Co. Nestled just off Main Street on Lincoln Avenue, owner, operator and chief baker Ema Landis keeps regulars coming back with her flaky sweet and savory strudels, hearty quiches, baked oatmeal and some of the best coffee in town. Settle into the comfy blue velvet couch and soak up the European vibes.
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Briar Rose Chophouse
briarrosechophouse.com
Happy hour in the Briar’s historic back bar is a winter treat. Named after a booming 1900’s silver mine, the pretty pink building boasts timeless small plates and martinis in a classic old-west steakhouse setting. You can’t go wrong with the Mountain Manhattan made with Breckenridge Bourbon.
Myla Rose This laid-back, off-the-radar den is tucked away inside the Lodge by the Blue five miles south of Breckenridge. Myla’s deck stares out over 14,265-foot Quandary Peak and the quaint corner bar and lobby fireplaces are the perfect post-snowshoe or xc-ski hideaway. Dig into comfort dishes such as the smoked pheasant chowder with wild rice or the craveable Wisconsin cheese curds.
Aurum
mylarosesaloon.com
aurumbreckenridge.com
Next-level fine dining and Colorado-sourced ingredients are enhanced by the gilded glow of this gorgeous dining space. Slide into cocoa leather benches or sit at the inviting community table in the opulent bar area and order Sazeracs and Negronis. Don’t miss the daily happy hour where snacks are half off. Indulge in the Parker House Rolls with house cultured honey butter and the French onion burger with caramelized onion jam and roasted garlic aioli.
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Cook Local
High Altitude Dirty Chai Sourdough Cinnamon Rolls by Robyn Nicoli
Vibrant with buttery chai spice and a sweet coffee kick, High Altitude Dirty Chai Cinnamon Rolls are soft, pillowy, and good to the last scrap. INGREDIENTS CHAI SPICE MIX • 2 tsp ground cinnamon • 2 tsp ground ginger • 1 tsp ground cardamom • 1 tsp allspice • 1 tsp nutmeg • 1/2 tsp cloves • 1/2 tsp finely ground black pepper DOUGH • 3/4 cup whole milk (low-fat ok) • 2 tsp chai spice mix • 1 cup ripe/active sourdough starter • 1 large egg, at room temperature • 1/4 cup (4 TB) salted butter, melted and cooled • 1/4 cup granulated sugar • 3 1/4 cups all-purpose flour • 1 tsp instant yeast* • 1 tsp kosher salt FILLING • 6 TB salted butter, melted • 1 cup light brown sugar, packed • 1 TB chai spice mixture • pinch of salt • 1/4 cup all-purpose flour ICING • 2 cups confectioners sugar, sifted • 1/2 tsp Chai Spice Mix • 1/2 tsp vanilla extract • 2 TB butter, melted • 2 TB brewed espresso or strong black coffee
NOTES
*you do not strictly have to use yeast in this recipe, particularly if your sourdough starter is very active, but it does better ensure a light and fluffy roll. If you wish to make these ahead of time, you can freeze the rolls prior to baking. Simply place the cut rolls on a piece of parchment on a baking sheet and freeze until firm (15-30 mins), then wrap tightly in plastic wrap and store in 64
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a plastic bag for up to two weeks (any longer and you risk the yeast dying). When you’re ready to bake, place them in a buttered pan and allow them to defrost and finish rising (this will take several hours). Alternatively, you can freeze the rolls after baking (but before icing). Allow the rolls to come to room temperature before reheating.
INSTRUCTIONS
• In a small bowl, mix together the spices for the chai spice mix; set aside. • In a small saucepan set over medium heat, combine the milk and 2 tsp of the chai spice mix. Heat, stirring constantly, for a minute or two, until the milk is steaming and the spices fragrant. Remove from heat and set aside to let the milk cool slightly. • In the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, combine the sourdough starter, egg, butter, sugar, warm spiced milk, and yeast; mix until combined. Add the flour and continue to mix until the flour is absorbed and you have a sticky dough. Remove bowl, cover, and let rest for 15-30 minutes. Sprinkle the 1 tsp salt on the dough, work it in until distributed, and let rest 15 more mins. • Return the dough to the mixer, this time fitted with the dough hook. Knead on low speed for 3-5 minutes, until the dough becomes smooth and firm (alternatively, you can knead by hand for 10-15 minutes). Transfer dough to an oiled bowl, cover, and allow to rest in a warm spot for approximately 3 hours, until puffy and roughly doubled in size. • While the dough is proofing, make the filling: combine brown sugar, 1 TB chai spice mix, salt, and flour and mix until the mixture is thoroughly moistened. • At the end of the dough’s first proof, transfer it to a lightly floured surface (I like to use a silicone mat for this). Gently using a rolling pin or your hands, shape it into a rectangle approximately 15"x20" and about 1/4 inch thick. Be patient here, as excessive manhandling can deflate your dough too much. If the dough resists stretching and is bouncing back, allow it to relax for 10 minutes or so and try again. • Spread the melted butter evenly over the dough, followed by the sugar & spice mixture, leaving a small (approx 1/2 inch) border around the edges. Starting from a short end, carefully roll the dough into a log. Roll away from you, gently pulling and tugging to ensure a tight roll with no gaps. If the ends of the roll splay out, simply tuck/pat them in so they are roughly flat. Pinch the seam at the bottom to seal it (it helps to wet your fingers with water for this). • Using a very sharp knife, slice the log into twelve even pieces. Butter a 9"x13" pan or two 9" baking tins or pie plates. Place the rolls in the pan(s), spacing them evenly. If baking the same day, allow the rolls to rest an additional 2-3 hours, until expanded by at least 1/3 and nicely
puffy. If you plan to bake the next day, cover the rolls and refrigerate them overnight (plan to take the rolls out about 2-3 hours before you bake and allow them to come to room temperature and finish rising). • When you’re ready to bake, preheat the oven to 400 degrees F. Bake the rolls for 20-25 minutes, until golden brown. If you are concerned about the dough being done all the way through, check the internal temperature – they are cooked through at approximately 190 degrees F. Allow the rolls to cool on a rack for a few minutes prior to icing. • While the rolls are baking, make the icing. In a medium bowl, whisk together the sifted powdered sugar with the chai spice mix, brewed espresso, melted butter, and vanilla. Mix, adding additional espresso as needed until you reach your desired consistency (I like to keep the icing fairly thin and drizzle/pour it on, but if you prefer a thicker, frosting-like icing, keep it thicker, adding more powdered sugar if needed). Drizzle or spread the icing on the warm rolls and serve immediately. • The rolls are best eaten straight away, within a day or two at most, unless you’re freezing them (see notes, below). Store at room temperature in an airtight container.
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breckenridge dining
Exceptional Food & Legendary Service A Local Favorite Since 1989
Visit our beautiful, historic Victorian home for seasonal, chef-driven cuisine featuring Colorado game, fresh seafood, and local produce Happy Hour 4-6, Dinner at 4:30 130 S. Ridge St., Breckenridge www.hearthstonebreck.com 970.453.1148 {reservations recommended}
OPEN 7 DAYS A WEEK ALL SEASON LONG JOIN US FOR BREAKFAST, LUNCH AND DINNER ANY DAY OF THE WEEK! 7AM – 9PM DAILY
SUSTAINABLY ROASTED ETHIOPIAN COFFEE, FRESH BAKED PASTRIES, AND GRAB-AND-GO ITEMS 7AM – 6PM DAILY
LOCATED INSIDE COLORADO’S #1 HOTEL, GRAVITY HAUS BRECK 605 South Park Avenue, Breckenridge, CO 80424 gravityhaus.com @gravityhaus
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cabinjuice.com @cabinjuice
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unravel.coffee @unravelcoffeeco
La Cima Mall 520 S Main Street Breckenridge
www.sanchotaco.com
. Handcrafted in Breckenridge, Colorado .
breckenridge dining
higgles ice cream
100 n. main street #207 breckenridge, co 80424 www.higglesicecream.com
Breakfast, Lunch, Baked Goods, Beer, Wine & Lavazza Coffee
Wedding Cakes & European Pastries
100 N MAIN STREET . BRECKENRIDGE. (970) 453-4473
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Adventures Beyond the Breckenridge Ski Resort
Photo: Elaine Collins
By Shauna Farnell
Perhaps you’re not into downhill pursuits (skiing or snowboarding), or you’re simply in the mood for another sort of adventure. Don’t worry; winter thrills come in many forms around here.
Fat Biking Bundle up and get ready to ramp up your heart rate, because pedaling on the snow with one of these big but surprising lightweight bikes brings a surge of adrenaline all its own. It’s no secret that Breckenridge is home to some of the world’s best bike trails and there’s no reason why snowpack should keep anyone from exploring on two wheels year-round. 68
Several ski and bike shops in town rent fat bikes, including Alpine Sports, Avalanche Sports and Ridden., the latter of which also offers guided fat bike tours. The best option for your first foray into fat biking is Gold Run Nordic Center, which rents fat bikes starting at $15 per hour and offers a variety of beautiful trails to explore. The groomed bike path
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between Breckenridge and Frisco is also a great option for newbies. Be sure to wear a helmet (a ski helmet works great) wherever you ride and be mindful of staying on designated fat bike routes, as the trails are also shared with Nordic skiers and snowshoers.
Sledding A go-to favorite among families everywhere, the 2020-21 winter welcomes a brand new sledding hub – Runway Sledding Hill on the north end of the Airport Road parking lot. The place is not on many people’s radar just yet, so there’s plenty of room to spread out and send it. On the other side of town lies Breck’s core sledding
hill, Carter Park, where dozens of sledders can always be found sailing down the park’s open hillside and across the soccer field below at potentially high speeds. The crowds can get thick here, so be sure to wear your face covering and mind the six-foot physical distancing guidelines. Yes, you have to slog up the hill on
foot with your sled in order to come down, but the urge to one-up your last descent will power you for hours on either hill. Sleds can be purchased at City Market or Breckenridge Market and there’s usually a few left behind at the base of the hill for public use.
Ice Skating On the south end of town, Stephen C. Ice Arena is home to many a nail-biting hockey game starring players of all ages, but throughout the day, the indoor and
outdoor rinks present peaceful gliding grounds. Admission and skate rentals start around $10 for kids breckenridgerecreation. com.
Snowmobiling Attention, motor heads. If you love the feeling of a powerful machine doing most of the work for you and steering its purring engine through pine forests, aspen groves, blanketed valley floors, powder fields and ridge lines, snowmobiling is a must-do. In and around Breckenridge, Good Times Adventures offers two-hour guided
tours through the Swan River Valley, over Georgia Pass and the Continental Divide. Also, Breckenridge Snowmobile and Colorado Snowmobile rent rigs for unguided exploration on Vail Pass and surrounding areas and High Country Snowmobile has an in-town meeting point with tours on the north side of Summit County.
Dog Sledding The experience of zipping across a winter wonderland pulled by a team of Siberian Huskies can only be described as otherworldly. Good Times Adventures offers six-mile tours through the striking, snow-covered expanses of the Swan River Valley.
Guests get a chance to ride in the dogsled as well as actually run the dogs (the part where you get to yell, “Mush!”). What do you wear for this sort of thing, you’re wondering? Think Eskimo. Tours are $140 per person and must be booked in advance.
Horse-drawn Sleigh Rides You roll into town and your inner soundtrack is instantly filled with “Dashing Through the Snow.” We get it. Live the dream and line up a romantic, scenic or big sleigh ride through the
White River National Forest outside of Breck at Golden Horseshoe Sleigh Rides or head up around the ski resort with views of the twinkling town below with Breckenridge Stables.
Nordic Skiing BRECKENRIDGE NORDIC CENTER Enjoy a fun cross-country skiing and snowshoeing day on their trail where experts can teach and guide you through the Breckenridge mountains. Ski rentals and multiple-day passes allow you to save money. Their company even provides man-made snow for early-season skiing! breckenridgenordic.com GOLDRUN NORDIC CENTER Scenic vistas and friendly service just 3 miles north of Main Street. Explore groomed and natural ski, snowshoe and fat bike trails serviced from a beautiful public clubhouse. goldrunnordic.com
Snowshoeing Simply imagine hiking with big shoes on. The beauty of snowshoeing, other than that it’s basically only slightly more challenging than walking, is that it can take you anywhere. The miles upon miles of trails in and around Breckenridge are fair game. Both the
Breckenridge and Gold Run Nordic Centers rent snowshoes of all sizes and are home to miles of snowshoe-specific routes. Several shops in town also rent snowshoes, including Carvers, Avalanche Sports and Charter Sports.
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Calendar
January VNTR Birds Backcountry Basics January 3, 2022 VNTRbirds tailored this Backcountry Basics course for women who are new in the backcountry. Open to both skiers and splitboarders. This is a great precursor to your Avalanche Level 1 course. vntrbirds.com Intermediate Backcountry Tour with Mapping & Navigation January 4, 2022 Do you have experience in the backcountry, but looking for guidance on trip planning and choosing the right terrain? Maybe you want to find a crew of like-minded women to explore the backcountry with. Come join VNTRbirds for our Intermediate Backcountry Tour and enjoy a day on the skin track. vntrbirds.com Breckenridge International Snow Sculpture Championships January 24 - February 2, 2022 Breckenridge’s International Snow Sculpture Championships is a world renowned snow sculpting competition where 1 2 teams from around the world descend on Breckenridge, Colorado to hand-carve 20-ton blocks of snow into enormous, intricate works of art. Artists are only allowed to use hand tools, creativity and inspiration to bring their ideas to life. No power tools allowed! Teams sculpt countless hours across five days (totaling around 96 hours), resulting in a temporary outdoor art gallery in historic downtown Breckenridge!Join us at the 2022 International Snow Sculpture Championships Carving Week: January 24-28, 2022 Viewing Week: January 28-February 2, 2022 Breckenridge Creative Arts Classes + Workshops January through April, 2022 Whether you are a local or visiting Breckenridge, BCA has a class to stoke your creative spirit. Registration is now open for all classes and workshops. New classes for the winter season include For Mountain Makers: Professional Development Series, Teen Painting, Family Mug Making, and Family Fiber Arts. www. breckcreate.org Breckenridge Creative Arts Second Saturdays Activities January through April, 2022 Join BCA the second Saturday of each month, January through April, at the Quandary Antiques Cabin from 10 am -1 pm for free family-friendly arts and crafts activities. www. breckcreate.org
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February Breckenridge Creative Arts Artists-in-Residence February 7 - May 2, 2022 BCA’s Artist-in-Residence program offers regional, national, and international artists of all disciplines an opportunity to focus on process rather than product while engaging with the local community in a meaningful way. Artists-in-Residence is hosted at the Robert Whyte House on the Arts District Campus. For a full schedule of artist-in-residence: www.breckcreate.org/artists-in-residence 2022 Live Banff Mountain Film Festival February 25 - 26, 2022 The 2022 Live Banff Mountain Film Festival is scheduled to take place at the Riverwalk Center in Breckenridge. The Breckenridge Outdoor Education Center (BOEC) will bring a collection of some of the most inspiring and thought-provoking action, environmental and adventure mountain films with the Banff Mountain Film Festival World Tour. This exhilarating and provocative exploration of the mountain world features film footage from the highest peaks and other far-flung corners of the world, as well as adrenaline-packed action sports. All proceeds support the BOEC’s programs for adaptive recreation and outdoor education. Breck Film Society: Oscar Shorts February 25 – March 3, 2022 Breck Film Society meets once a month in the theater or online and offers high country unique films from all around the world. Oftentimes actors and filmmakers are available for live Q&A’s enhancing the film experience. www.breckfilm.org/bfs
March
Breck Film Society March 15, 2022 + March 27, 2022 (Annual Benefit/Oscars) Breck Film Society meets once a month in the theater or online and offers high country unique films from all around the world. Oftentimes actors and filmmakers are available for live Q&A’s enhancing the film experience. www.breckfilm.org/bfs
April
Breck Film Society April 5, 2022 Breck Film Society meets once a month in the theater or online and offers high country unique films from all around the world. Oftentimes actors and filmmakers are available for live Q&A’s enhancing the film experience. www.breckfilm.org/bfs
May
Breck Film Society May 10, 2022 Breck Film Society meets once a month in the theater or online and offers high country unique films from all around the world. Oftentimes actors and filmmakers are available for live Q&A’s enhancing the film experience. www.breckfilm.org/bfs
A charming mountain town. With its own tubing hill, beginner ski-ride hill, Nordic center & sleigh rides.
TownofFrisco.com
Main Street Of The Rockies
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Last Lift
Glory Days on the T-Bar
by Ellen Hollinshead
Before the internet, webcams, cell phones, there was the radio. My daily ritual was to catch the first snow report on Krystal 93 and then simply look out the window to see if it conflicted. In those days, the early 90’s, we lived in a condo close to the base of 8 and therefore the most accurate snow totals were found on the deck chairs out on our porch. These were my glory years, when I easily racked up a hundred days at Breckenridge along with my free-theheel Peak 8 posse. Most locals skied Peak 8, because Peak 9 was often busier with all the base area lodging and easy terrain. A five minute walk in my telemark boots up Ski Hill Road to the base of 8, and I was quickly on my way to the T-Bar, my favorite lift in all of Colorado. The T-Bar is not for everyone, especially for snowboarders who have trouble figuring out how to ride it. Even skiers of different heights can find it challenging. Couple that with the blustery winds that rip across the side of your face and turn the alpine 72
bowls into slabby technical skiing or whiteout firm buff, and the T-Bar quickly weeds out the faint of heart, which is why I loved it. I could usually count on running into my buddies at the T-Bar, and we were easy to find since Laura, Sara and I all wore matching Patagonia one piece suits (warm and so comfortable – these need to make a comeback!) Sue and Dave worked late nights and usually showed up for the midday shift. But in those days, the mantra ‘there are no friends on a powder day’ was very true. We never waited for friends, too hard when there were rarely lift lines and if there were, yelling single was much easier back then since there weren’t metal barriers and a quick duck under a rope got you to the front of the line. So many days like this one. Two inches on the radio, five more on my porch. The maze was empty, despite it being a weekend. All the alpine fast guys were already up there – CJ Mueller, Pup and Kopicky’s gang, and of course my tele skier tribe of Caren
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Mapes and Leslie Ross (competitive Tele skiers), Paul Parker (who wrote the book on telemarking), Bonnie and Connie - to name a few. We all knew each other, but socializing wasn’t the point, it was all about getting back on the T-Bar as fast as possible. My hubby, who had a morning TV show, would show up later in the day for a few ‘hikes’ up Imperial and Peak 7, (today all lift accessed.) And this was what he and I loved so much about the T-Bar. A half hour hike got you to the summit of Imperial, usually with no one else around, and then untouched powder down Whales Tail, to a short bootpack up to the 7 summit. One glorious run down Magic Carpet, and back to the T-Bar for more. I don’t ski Breckenridge as much anymore, it has gotten crowded and I’ve discovered the backcountry. But the T-Bar and all the unique higher terrain hold a special place in my heart. I was incredibly lucky to have my glory days when I did - the right time, the right place, with all the right people.
Extreme Family Fun - MTN Style!
EXPERIENCE BRECKENRIDGE DISTILLERY World's Highest Distiiery
Extreme Family Fun - MTN Style!
Throw Axe's and have some Fun!
Throw Axe’s and have some FUN! 105 S. Main Street Breckenridge, CO 80424 970-771-4450
105 S. Main Street SCAN FORBreckenridge, CO 80424 MORE INFO 970-771-4450
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Brecken r idge Outf it ters is a n O r vis endorsed f ull ser vice f ly f ish i ng pro shop a nd outf it ter located i n beautif ul downtown Brecken r idge Colorado. We offer numerous g uide t r ip options 365 days a yea r. W het her you a re a world class a ngler or just wa nti ng to lea r n, we offer a wonder f ul exper ience a nd is a g reat activit y for t he enti re fa m ily. 101 N.Ma in Street #B Brecken r idge, CO 970 - 4 53 - 4135 wwwbreckenridgeoutfitters.com
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