Skiing in Breck for the 1st time (Denver, Lakewood: rentals, house)

[snoop06]

We have a group of 6 that are heading up to Breckenridge for the first time to do some skiing in the next couple of weeks and I was hoping for some suggestions and tips from those in the know.

We have 1 non-skier, 1 first time skier, 1 novice skier, and 3 fearless skiers.

Looking for recommendations on where the best place to rent ski's is, good places to eat or grab a beer, places for the non-skier to visit while the rest of us are skiing, and any other things that would be good for us to know.

tia for any advice!!
-Lea

[SheridanL]

Kenosha Steak House on 301 Main Street is my personal favorite for eating and drinks. The menu has a great variety (regardless of the name) and, it has the best deck that looks to the west and I always go out there (most do) even if it's snowing.
Anyone who isn't skiing can just walk Main Street to the different shops. It is a very walkable town with lots to see!!
I am a fan of live webcams ...I have the Breckenridge live web cam on my computer all of the time. Google it and you will see what the town looks like!!

[Kylehuckabee]

id yahoo reviews on kenosha. not so good. Breck's Main street is the hotspot, plenty of restaurants and bars and stores and lots to do (generally after 4pm haha). Theres a cool absinthe bar, some fine coffee spots,and good restaurants (try lucha's burritos). If thats too boring for the die hard skiers they can always take their lift ticket down to Keystone and night ski till 8pm. (thats where i work) or hit up the local's chill resort Arapahoe Basin for some good no frills skiing. The snow here has been HORRIBLE this year, but you'll have a good time anyways

[Fuzz]

Places to rent skis: I've heard good things about Norway Haus on Main Street in town. Precision Ski in Frisco is the one I refer people to since they have great service (it's on the way from Denver to Breck).

Places to eat: I don't go to Breck to eat often enough to know. You could eat at the restaurant at the top of Keystone (you take the gondola up).

For non-skiers: Hang out in town, walking along Main Street, the plaza, the river, etc. If that's not enough (and if the weather's nice), drive up to Boreas Pass (park at the gate and walk along the road for fantastic views), drive along Lake Dillon (especially on Swan Mountain Road), catch a play at the local community theater, go snowshoeing (local sports stores can probably rent snowshoes and give trail recommendations). Look in the local paper (Breckenridge & Summit County Colorado | SummitDaily.com News) for events, e.g. concerts.

For skiers: Beginner/intermediate skiers can just follow the trail ratings (Peak 7 has a lot of rolling blues which are barely more than greens for the most part). For advanced/expert skiers: Lake Chutes, Horseshoe/Contest/Cucumber Bowls, Whales Tail, all of Peak 7 Bowl (including Art's). The thing about Breck is that even though different places may be rated the same, they do not ski the same -- you really have to look at the terrain (from above and below) to find the steepest lines. For instance, Imperial and Art's are both rated double-black, but Imperial is really like a blue-black while Art's has lines approaching 45-50 degrees. E Chair has good steep bumps, but coverage is often sketchy (especially this season). Wind is often a big factor in determining where the good snow is at Breck -- so read the terrain and weather patterns.

[RedSoxFanGoingWest]

Great advice so far.

I agree with Sheridan on Kenosha. I think the food is good and if its a nice day, the deck can't be beat.

My other suggestions for food:

Fattys - great atmosphere, great lunch specials
Eric's - good food, reasonable prices, great place to catch a game
Breck Brewery - good food and local beer
Quandary - very good food, nice outdoor patio
The Goldpan - oldest bar west of the Mississippi / an experience if nothing else

Fuzz, has some good recommendations for the non-skiers. Main St. offers some nice local shopping. There are usually activities going on in the plaza (center of downtown.) Boreas Pass rd is an easy walk (from the parking lot) to some really spectacular views of Breck. You can check out Breck's calendar for events that may be happening when you are there. You could also take a drive into Frisco. Another nice downtown area.

Events in Breckenridge - Breckenridge Colorado Events | Breckenridge.com

[5thIndian]

I have visited Breck several times in the past 3 years. Here is the best I have found-- If you aren't locked in to your lodging yet, I can recommend you stay at Beaver Run. Stayed there last Dec and to me it has many things that will work for you, especially because you have a mixed group. It is huge (many units) and so has great hottubs and pools and for the non-skier lots of nice comfy sofa places that are really nice to sit and read, play pool, or people watch. Also, it is right on the slopes, ski in and ski out, has (I think 2) restaurants, and for your rentals, there is a rental shop right there too. There is also a good size game room, computer area, outside fire pit, slopeside cafe, and it is also right in the beginner area where your first timers will be (peak 9). Also, the service was the best I have ever had on any ski vak. truthfully. Need more wood?...they are there in a flash with plenty--comes with room. Lastly, when wanting to go anywhere, you just call the front desk and they send the van to your building in minutes. AND they pick you up whereever you are in town too. I think Beaver Run is 5 or so blocks from town - so you could walk there too, but it was so cold that we took the van. (we had cars there- but the van was easier, we didn't have to deal with the parking issue in town) Enjoy!

[Brill]

Fuzz - thanks for the tip on Art's Bowl, I never been that far over on peak 7, I will have to check it out. I like wide open steeps.

OP - For intermediates, I like the blues on peak 7 and peak 9. Peak 8 is usually pretty crowded, so I usually avoid it.

For advanced, there are some double diamonds off of peak 10. I haven't been back there yet this season as I'm suspecting iffy coverage. Like Fuzz said, the steeps on chair e are nice, but coverage is iffy there too. I did ski devil's crotch and mine shaft in late January and coverage was decent. There is some hike to terrain on peak 9, never hit it myself, but might be worth checking out. Some decent blacks off of chair 6 and the t-bar, stuff off of chair 6 has been thin in coverage to far. Horseshoe bowl is one of my favorites. Lake chutes are worth a go too as well as any of the peak 7 bowls off of the imperial lift.


As I type this, I mentioned some thin spots, but Breck has got some snow in the past few days, so things might be in a bit better shape.

[snoop06]

Thanks again to everyone for all of the advice!!!

I was getting a bit frustrated trying to research for our trip and figured the best place to look for information would be from locals and those who've experienced it firsthand...and I was right!

This may be a silly question, but is it better to do shopping for groceries in Denver or there in Breck?

[Fuzz]

Originally Posted by snoop06

This may be a silly question, but is it better to do shopping for groceries in Denver or there in Breck?

Prices may be slightly lower in Denver (can't be sure since I don't shop in Denver), but don't know if the additional time, distance, and gas to detour off I-70 to shop in Denver are worth it. There's a full-service City Market in Breck (just past the round-about as you're about to hit town). There's also a full-service Safeway in Frisco right after you exit off I-70 to get to Breck.

[wanneroo]

Originally Posted by Fuzz

Prices may be slightly lower in Denver (can't be sure since I don't shop in Denver), but don't know if the additional time, distance, and gas to detour off I-70 to shop in Denver are worth it. There's a full-service City Market in Breck (just past the round-about as you're about to hit town). There's also a full-service Safeway in Frisco right after you exit off I-70 to get to Breck.

Mile marker 264 on I-70 right before you head up into the foothills in Denver(Lakewood), there is a King Soopers and Applejacks(the largest liquor store in Colorado), right off the exit on the south side.

Yes it is cheaper in Denver, not by a huge sum, but is cheaper. This supermarket is right on your way so it is convenient.

You can probably look it up on google maps if need be.