BRECKENRIDGE SKI RESORT GUIDE
Images courtesy of Breckenridge
Breckenridge Ski Resort Expert Itinerary
Peak 8, E-Chair, Falcon & Peak 10, Imperial, Horseshoe Bowl
Overview
Peak 8 Base – Colorado Superchair – E-Chair – Hiking to The Back 9 – Falcon Superchair – The Burn – Lunch at Coppertop – Imperial – Horseshoe Bowl – Return to Peak 8 Base
1. 9am – Warming up at the Base of Peak 8
Start your day at the Base of PEAK 8, centrally located and easy to reach from almost anywhere, including the BreckConnect Gondola. Begin by heading up the Rocky Mountain Superchair. Exit right and enjoy a few warm up laps on Duke's Run and Northstar. Work your way up to progressively more difficult terrain by going left off of Rocky Mountain and take Rounders or High Anxiety. Both runs lead to the base of the Colorado Superchair.
2. 10am – Glades off of E-Chair with the Option for Hiking to The Back 9
To make your way to PEAK 9, take Colorado Superchair and exit left for 4'O'Clock. Follow this most of the way and stay to the skier’s right to pick up Crosscut into the base of C-Chair. Take C-Chair up and head right for Volunteer. Pick up double diamond, Mine Shaft, on the skier’s left not long after you start down Volunteer. Follow Mine Shaft to the base of E-Chair.
There’s no end of fun to the left of the E-Chair. Here you will find tree skiing which can be excellent, especially on a powder day. Be sure to catch all of the local favorites — Devil's Crotch off to the left of E-Chair and Windows off to the right. When it is open, the hike-to terrain, referred to as THE BACK 9, will make for a fun experience and provide great training for the afternoon adventures.
To access THE BACK 9, exit E-Chair and head through the access gates. The hike is about 10-15 minutes. As soon you head up, you’ll see stunning views of Peak 10 along with untouched powder fields, waiting for you! There are three main runs accessible from this hike — The Windows, Twin Chute, and The Back 9. The further out you go, the fresher the snow will be. All three funnel back to the base of E-Chair.
Plot your morning from E-Chair.
3. 11:30am – Feel The Burn with Endless Trees off of Falcon
When you've had your full of trees and powder, catch Tunnel to pass the base of the E-Chair. Follow this past the Peak 8 Superconnect mid-loading station where you'll link up with the smooth, easy Sawmill. This should be a welcome rest for your legs. Hop on C-Chair again to reach the top of PEAK 9. Exit left for Columbia; take this trail and stay skier’s right until you come across a traverse called Lower America to bring you to the base of Mercury Superchair.
Ride Mercury and exit left to take Upper Lehman. Follow this all the way down to link up with Falcon Superchair. It's expert terrain only so it should be less crowded, perfect for a few laps on excellent tree runs in an area called THE BURN. Head down Crystal directly underneath the Falcon Superchair. Stay skiers left and drop into The Burn whenever you see a fun line. The Burn will always finish on Upper Lehman which funnels back to the base of Falcon.
Get ready for endless trees on Peaks 9 and10.
4. 1pm – Lunch @Coppertop Bar & Restaurant
When you are ready for lunch, continue past Falcon and look left for a traverse called Red Rover. Red Rover will link into Lower Sundown which will bring you right to Coppertop Bar, just look for the crowds and listen for music.
Coppertop is in Beaver Run Lodge. Here, you can enjoy classic resort fare along with some well-deserved adult beverages.
5. 1:45pm – Afternoon Cruisers on Peak 9
Get ready to experience some spectacular views this afternoon. When you’re ready to get back after it, take Beaver Run Superchair and warm up again down Columbia. Follow Columbia until you hit Lower Sundown, then stay skier’s left to pick up the Peak 8 SuperConnect. Take the SuperConnect the full way. From the top, exit left and take the traverse to the base of 6-Chair.
Though the terrain under 6-Chair will look enticing, take it to the top and hop on the Imperial Superchair to reach IMPERIAL BOWL. If you have it in you, take the hike-to-terrain to get close to an elevation of 13,000 feet, the highest skiable peak in Breck. You don't have to hike, but we highly recommend trying it at least once, the pictures will be worth it! Even if you don’t hike, there are solid laps available in the IMPERIAL BOWL.
When you've had your fun in IMPERIAL, catch Upper 4 O'Clock and follow it skier’s left to the Columbine traverse which will bring you directly to Horseshoe Bowl T-Bar. Scope out some lines while relaxing on the T-Bar. When the snow is good, you can head left or right off of the T-Bar drop in almost anywhere. We like both ends — Stampede, all the way to the skier’s right and Cucumber Bowl to the far left. These are all great areas with trees and everything returns to the T-Bar.
6. 3:15pm – Return to the Base of Peak 8
When your legs can't take it anymore, head to the bottom of the T-Bar and catch Northstar. This groomer will be a nice cool down and return to where you started the day, Rocky Mountain Superchair. If you have more in you, feel free to take a couple more cool down laps but it will be crowded towards the end of the day, so just the one finishing run is our recommendation.
Congrats! You just had an awesome day exploring most of Breckenridge's steepest, deepest terrain. Check out our Après Guide.