All Around Breckenridge, Colorado
ALL AROUND BRECKENRIDGE, COLORADO
Summit County: Breckenridge, Frisco and Keystone, with a brief mention of Fairplay
I’ve never skied in my life, so why was I going back to the ski capital of America?
The allure of Summit County–Breckenridge, Frisco, Keystone, Dillon and several other high-altitude towns along the Continental Divide in the Colorado Rockies–came to me on the last hike of my most recent trip to the area. The hike started at over 12,000 feet. That high above tree line, the views were unhindered by trees or twists in the trail. They were spectacular. I could see for hundreds of miles. More impressive than that though was that I could stop at any point along the trail and look straight up at raw mountains–for thousands of feet. With no trees to hold the soil, the mountains around me were scoured down to their granite roots–the highest, most towering roots I’ll probably ever see. For the first time ever, after traveling around the world, I felt small–very, very small. I looked back at the trailhead from 100 yards above it and could barely see our monstrous SUV. There’s a vastness to the scenery in Summit County that puts people in place, yet draws us out at the same time.
There’s a similar vastness in the array of things to do in this historic gold-mining area turned ski resort. Anyone who likes to spend time outdoors will love Summit County, in summer, winter or fall. Anyone who enjoys well-prepared, rich foods will also feel right at home. And anyone who likes to stand open-mouthed at dozens and dozens of fun shops will like it too.
Summit County History
The land Breckenridge is built on has belonged to six nations and eight territories. Founded in 1859, Breckenridge was the first permanent town on the western slope of the Colorado Rockies. In 1936 Breckenridge residents learned that the area around their town had not been included in the Louisiana Purchase or in land ceded by Spain in 1819. The area was US territory only because it was in a tract of land surrendered by the Indians. Colorado Governor Edwin Johnson claimed Breckenridge to be a part of Colorado then, but declared that Breckenridge could be an independent kingdom for three days every year. This happens each August.
Breckenridge was originally named Breckinridge. John Breckinridge, president James Buchanan’s vice president, secured a post office for the town in exchange for having it named after him. When he sided with the Confederacy in the Civil War, the spelling of the town’s name was changed.
Breckenridge once had a navy, as Breckenridge marketing people like to mention. It was launched in 1869. The federal government was offering a large reward to anyone who could find the Northwest Passage. A fast-talking salesmen named Samuel Adams got the town fathers to fund his expedition. As Mark Friester describes it in Blasted Beloved Breckenridge, ‘A congenial group was predisposed for the spiel he gave them, eager for the news he brought of riches and opportunity for the news he brought of riches and opportunities along the river, willing to play a long shot—or, as they appeared to conceive it, a sure thing.’ Within a week of starting out, all but one boat had been smashed, most of the group’s food had been lost in the river and most of the men had returned to Breckenridge. So much for a celebrated navy.
Pure gold was found in Breckenridge on Farncomb Hill in the form of a tangle of fine, sparkling rope. The largest gold nugget ever found in the United States came from this same deposit. More gold was found by panning in Summit County rivers than in any other part of the state. Geologists believe that less than 25% of the gold in this area has been mined.
When the 1859 gold rush ended, in which miners panned gold from area rivers, Breckenridge experienced its first economic downturn. In 1879 a second rush of fortune hunters arrived after silver was discovered in the area. Miners found the valuable minerals this time by blasting the valley walls with concentrated streams of water and by digging through the granite.
In the early 1900s when the area was still booming, a Norwegian immigrant named Peter Prestrud brought skiing to nearby Frisco. He contributed as much to making this a ski destination as anyone by getting the local children hooked on the sport.
With nothing else to sustain its economy, when the gold mines closed Summit County began to die. In 1937 the population of Frisco was 18. By 1960 the population of the much larger Breckenridge had dwindled to 393. But in 1960 the Kansas-based Rounds and Porter lumber company bought up land around Breckenridge. On December 18, 1961 the company launched the Breckenridge Ski Area.
The rest, as they say, is history!
Location of Breckenridge and Frisco
If you come to Summit County from the interstate, you’ll pass through Frisco first. Frisco is 70 miles west of Denver off Interstate 70. Exits 201 and 203 are the exits for this area. You’ll catch Route 9 from here, which goes through Frisco and Breckenridge.
Frisco and Breckenridge sit below the Continental Divide in the Blue River valley. This area has been poetically called the snowy dome of North America. Within 60 miles of Summit County lie over half of all the mountain peaks in North America above 14,000 feet. The numbers given to the peaks between Frisco and Breckenridge were numbered to reflect the miles traveled from one town to the other; Peak 8, the best known today, is eight miles from Frisco.
You can get here from the south on Route 9, in which case you’d pass through Breckenridge first. People coming from Colorado Springs usually arrive in Summit County this way.
Places to Eat
I’m a big believer in leafing through all the tourism brochures I can get my hands on when I arrive in a new town. A lot of them have buy-one, get-one free offers. I’ve found coupons for free bottles of wine, free desserts and free admissions to attractions in these and strongly encourage every tourist to do the same.
Unless health concerns prohibit this, you MUST buy a cookie from the first place I stop on every trip to Breckenridge, Mary’s Famous Mountain Style Cookies, at 128 S. Main Street. Get a cookie with filling; you won’t regret it!
The Horseshoe II Restaurant in Breckenridge has been around since 1978. The food isn’t bad, but I recommend it because the building is full of historic character. It’s been everything from a barbershop with ten-cent baths (hot or cold) to a miner’s supply store to a candy shop since the early 1880s. Notice the mahogany bar and diamond-dusted mirrors on the first floor.
We’ve eaten breakfast and lunch at the Butterhorn Bakery, on the main street of Frisco. It’s been in business for years and has a great name! Up the street from this about a block is another place we enjoyed, the Log Cabin Cafe, on the corner of Second and Main.
At some point on each of my trips to Summit County, I’ve gotten tired of paying more for a meal here than I’d pay anywhere else in the state. The Domino’s on Main Street in Breckenridge beckons each time I visit, and I never resist for long. This may be the most expensive Domino’s in America, but it can still be cheaper than most other Summit County restaurants. On my most recent trip I found a buy-one, get-one free coupon. I was pretty sure I wasn’t going to be able to choke down two pizzas, and past experience has taught me that Domino’s can be a bit dry when reheated, so I asked for extra sauce. The worker forgot my request. I ate the fresh pizza for lunch on Sunday and ate re-heated pizza for dinner that night. All I could think about at work the next day was how I could make the rest less dry that night for dinner. I decided to stop at a different Domino’s (since I live three hours from Breckenridge), explain the situation and ask for a small cup of sauce. I did this, and the guy who was waiting on me immediately offered to make me a new pizza. As much of a stickler as I am for good service, I’d never thought of this. We went back and forth for about three minutes, with me asking for the cup of sauce and the young worker insisting he would make me a new pizza, for free, that would only take seven minutes to cook. I finally wore him down, and he produced a cup of sauce. I thanked him and turned toward the door. He came out from around the counter and said, “Let’s do paper, rock, scissors to decide once and for all if I make you that pizza.” He was pleasant enough, so I agreed. We must have played 15 games before he won. We had all the workers in the store around us, cheering us on. They stayed to visit as I waited the seven minutes for him to make me the new pizza.
This is very minor, but the drinking water in Frisco is exceptional. I imagine it comes from snow melt. My mouth is watering just thinking about it!
Places to Stay
There are several hotels in Frisco by Exit 203 on I-70. These are a mile or less from the heart of Frisco and less than ten miles from Breckenridge. They’re all similar inside—too firm mattress, strong smell of cleaning chemicals in the hallways, free continental breakfast, etc. Alpine Inn (970 668-3122); Summit Inn (970 668-3220); Ramada Inn (970 668-8783); Best Western (970 668-5094); Holiday Inn (970 668-5000). None of the hotels’ web sites in Summit County had room prices on them, so call or e-mail them for details.
Please believe that I’ve tried my best to get inside every bed & breakfast in Summit County. I’ve stayed at the Galena Street Inn, which bills itself as a b & b. We were disappointed with it—it’s not a pure b & b in that it’s not owner operated; the owners are—or were—Denver investors. When we stayed there it was run by a woman who’d majored in hotel studies in college but never learned the importance of having a gracious attitude toward her guests. We considered checking out after our first night. It’s a new, sterile, small hotel that commands higher prices by marketing itself as something it’s not. (1 800 248-9138; www.colorado-bnb.com/galena)
On another visit we stayed at The Swan Mountain Inn, which is equi-distance from Frisco and Breckenridge on the corner of the road that leads up to Keystone (which is also called Swan Mountain). It was billed as having the best breakfast in Summit County; my wife and I agreed wholeheartedly. The problem was, this is a functioning—and popular—upscale restaurant. The guest rooms feel like an after-thought. The smells coming out of the kitchen were tortuously delicious. We ate a very tasty dinner and got a nice discount when our waiter found out we were staying there, but it doesn’t have the nicer-than-home b & b vibe we love. It’s a great place to eat though.
There are two b & b’s in Breckenridge that we’ve wanted to check out and possibly stay in. The Evans House is located about two blocks above Main Street. We found it closed to visitors twice; the third time a worker waved us away through the locked front door. You can find out more from their website (www.coloradoevanshouse.com) or by calling (970) 453-5509.
The other is on the main drag in the heart of Breckenridge—the Bed & Breakfast on North Main Street (www.breckenridge-inn.com; 970 453-2975). It has a great location with cute-looking places to stay. (The inn includes rooms in several stand-alone buildings; some of these have just one room and others have more than one.) We got a price sheet the first time we visited but couldn’t get in to see the rooms. It was pricey. Whether it’s worth it or not, I can’t say.
I found a place in Breckenridge on my most recent visit that will be the first place we call for a reservation on our next visit. The Fireside Inn is at 114 N. French St., two blocks above Main Street. The British owner was very friendly, though he didn’t offer me a slice of the very, very tasty-looking treats he was just pulling out of the oven. The Fireside is a b & b as well as an upscale youth hostel. It has a young, user-friendly feel. (www.firesideinn.com; 970 453-6456)
If I couldn’t get a reservation at The Fireside, I’d try the Sky-Vue Motel in Frisco. It’s in a quiet area between the heart of town and the biking and walking trail we like. (www.skyvuemotel.com; 1 800 672-3311)
Things to See and Do
When commercial skiing arrived in Summit County in the 1960s, the area became popular during the winter months, but as The Complete Guide to Frisco puts it, ‘The Rocky Mountains in summer are just as wonderful, with even more things to do! Summertime in Frisco is blessed with warm days averaging in the 70s and mostly dry, sunny weather with the afternoon thunderstorms coming like clockwork to wash everything off.’ There are loads of things to do in Summit County for the history buff, hiker, fisherman, sailor, skier, biker, shopper, eater and nature lover.
The marina in Frisco is worth a stop during the summer months. Take Main Street east across 9 to either launch your own boat or rent a motorboat, sailboat, kayak or canoe. Even when the lake is covered with boats, this is a relaxing, enjoyable way to spend a few hours. My wife and I pulled our rented boat up on shore several times to hike and enjoy views not accessible otherwise.
A particularly fun place to go in the summer is the Alpine Slide in Breckenridge. Go west on Ski Hill Road from Main Street until it dead ends at the Alpine Slide parking lot. The Alpine Slide is something children will enjoy, but please don’t let them have all the fun! A word of warning—don’t get stuck behind anyone under 14; they go way slower than you’re going to want to go. There’s a fun maze near here, and in the summer mountain bikers can load their bike onto a ski lift to race down the slopes. New additions here include putt-putt golf, a trampoline with harness and bungee cord and zip lines; there’s a 1/2-day pass to all of these. It’s $48 per person, which is ridiculous, but if I were on a family vacation, I’d probably spring for it.
Details were scarce on the Frisco Nordic Center, about a half mile outside Frisco toward Breck. There’s an 18-hole disc golf course here that’s one of the best in the country. It’s free. There’s also a skate park with a lot of ramps and a baseball diamond. If any of these are your thing, or if you’ve ever just wondered how far you could hit a baseball or fling a frisbee at 9,000 feet, bring your gear and pay the Nordic Center a visit.
People go to Summit County to do something—to ski, boat, hike, bike or be a part of the bustle. I get enough bustle from 9 to 5 that when I go out of town I look for quiet places to unwind. In Breckenridge, the Alice G. Milne Park is a good place for this. It’s on the corner of Harris and Lincoln streets several blocks up from the main drag. I don’t know the details about this little park, but it fills half a city block and includes some Victorian houses you can go through. It also has some benches in the sun. I enjoyed looking down on the hustle and bustle of town from here without being a part of it.
A similar park in Frisco is called the Frisco Historic Park, on the corner of Main Street and Second Avenue. It has more old homes than the Milne park—11 original 1880-era saloons, hotels, log homes, chapel and ranch house—and more benches in the sun and shade. It’s right in town but away from the hustle and bustle.
I’d never noticed before that I could hear the sound of water running in streams almost everywhere I went in Summit County. If you come here to unwind, you shouldn’t have much trouble.
An overnight Summit County excursion that’s becoming very popular as more people find out about it involves Colorado’s extensive hut-to-hut system. These are simple cabins, many with rich and romantic histories, that are scattered throughout Summit County and the rest of the state. The cabins are an average of 40 miles apart. People snowshoe or hike from one cabin to the next, then hunker down for a meal they’ve backpacked in and a sound night’s sleep. Special permits are required for this, but if you’re looking for a low-key encounter with nature, this is a must!
The Two Below Zero sleigh ride looked very nice in the brochures. If my wife had been with me on my most recent trip when I first heard about it, I would have done it. Their web page (www.dinnersleighrides.com/info.html) will answer most of your questions. I assume this is a winter-only activity.
I didn’t get to the gold mine tour of the Country Boy Mine east of Breckenridge, but I’ve enjoyed other mine tours in the state. They have the most informative brochure I’ve seen, so if you can find one, pick it up and decide for yourself. The prices were better than I’ve seen at any other mine tour. It looks like it’s about five minutes east of Breckenridge. Their web site is www.countryboymine.com; (970) 453-4405.
One last thing to mention is the free bus service that runs throughout Summit County. The buses are equipped with mountain bike racks during the summer months and ski racks in the winter. If you’re here during a busy ski or summer weekend or just hate to drive, this is for you. You can find brochures with schedules for this service at the visitor centers in Breckenridge and Frisco or go to www.summitstage.com; 970 668-0999. We tried it one weekend and got tired of waiting every time we wanted to go somewhere. Finding free parking that’s close to where we wanted to go has never been a problem.
Hiking and Biking Trails
The book all the weekend hikers in Summit County carry is Mary Ellen Gilliland’s The New Summit Hiker and Ski Touring Guide. This is available in a lot of the shops in Summit County. It describes 50 trails in Summit County that the locals enjoy, use regularly and recommend. Her book is easy to follow and gives a lot of interesting history and facts about the area each trail passes through.
Another helpful hiking resource came from some hikers I ran into coming down Quandary Peak. They print maps from www.summitpost.org before each hike that show topography, altitude and other helpful facts. Combining this with Gilliland’s book takes hiking to a whole new level!
A lot of good trails in Frisco can be reached from the bike trail that connects Frisco with Breckenridge. This trail used to be a train route; like all the trails I’ve hiked on in Colorado that used to be covered with train tracks, the scenery is very pretty. There are a number of signs in Frisco that point to it, it’s visible for much of the drive between Frisco and Breckenridge on the west side of the road and it can be reached from I-70 from exit 201—go east under the freeway about 100 yards and park in the parking lot trailhead on the right. If you bike it to Breckenridge, the trip back to Frisco is all downhill. Road noise from I-70 can be an issue on Frisco trails, so choose paths that head away from the highway.
The last trail I hiked on my most recent visit was the Blue Lakes-Monte Cristo trail outside of Breckenridge toward Hoosier Pass. I recommend this to everyone. If you’re not the hiking type, the two-mile drive to the trailhead is well worth it and you never have to get out of your car. There’s a pretty waterfall here and loads of mining history. (Quandary Peak, on one side of this valley, was named by miners who didn’t know what to make of the molybdenum they uncovered here. They assumed it was valuable but couldn’t find a buyer!) Head south on Route 9 from Breckenridge to just past mile marker 79 and turn right. There are several trailheads about 200 yards in from this road; to get to this one, stay straight on the gravel road. Turn right 200 yards in to reach the Quandary and the McCullough Gulch trailhead. Quandary is one of Colorado’s 54 mountains whose summit is over 14,000 feet above seal level. I recommend both of these, by the way.
Skiing
As I’ve said before, I’m not a skier, but I’ve talked to everyone I know who is to come up with something helpful.
Arapahoe Basin is perfect for day trips from cities and towns around Colorado (e.g. Denver, Colorado Springs, Woodland Park, etc.). It’s where the locals ski. The atmosphere here has been compared to a beach party, with a lot of barbecue grills, hitchhikers, young people and everything that comes with them. It has challenging, fast terrain without the crowds and is often the first resort to open in the fall. The slopes are all blue or black (i.e. the most challenging).
Like A-Basin, Keystone exists primarily to service skiers. Its slopes are as good as any in the state. Keystone works hard to attract conferences to its huge ski lodging in the off-season. That being said, it’s completely utilitarian. The unlimited ski packages people buy include passes to A-Basin and Keystone because these are the cheapest places to ski in Colorado. (These packages also often include unlimited skiing in Breck.) I haven’t talked to anyone who recommends buying these passes.
I haven’t found any lodging in A-Basin, but Keystone is filled with over-sized, charmless ski lodges with a strong industrial aftertaste. A-Basin consists of a lot of slopes and one large A-frame building where skiers collect to get passes, food, bathroom service, etc. There’s so much to do in Summit County that the one-dimensional destinations of A-Basin and Keystone feel like towering disappointments in their one-dimension, but if all you want to do is ski you won’t even notice.
Breckenridge has at least as many slopes as Keystone (which is bigger than A-Basin). The main difference between Breckenridge, Keystone and A-Basin is that Breckenridge’s slopes are next to an actual town, with fun shops, a variety of restaurants, many lodging options and plenty of other things to do than ski. If all you want to do is ski, Keystone or A-Basin are for you. If you’d like to ski in addition to other things, I recommend Breckenridge. Keystone and A-Basin are so close to Breckenridge that you could ski at all three and still enjoy the charm of Frisco.
Shopping
Prices have always been high in Summit County. When Breckenridge was founded, butter cost $2.50 a pound and a dozen eggs $2.50, for example. Today you can find some decent prices at the Frisco Wal-Mart, but nothing in Summit County is cheap.
Please allow me a slight digression.
There are a lot of beautiful views from the parking lots of Colorado Wal-Marts. I can’t tell you how many times I’ve stopped on the way out of one, struck by the mountain beauty. The views from the Wal-Mart in Frisco are no exception.
The one place I’d recommend for shopping has the unflattering name of Junk-Tique. This is a large, barn-like building with a collection of antique stalls and Colorado collectibles. It’s located at 313 Main Street in Frisco; look for the old mail car that was delivered halfway onto the sidewalk.
There’s a lot of shopping in Breckenridge and Frisco, and you can get in quite a walk checking it all out. Walk down Main Street in either town and stop in any of the art galleries, antique shops, candy stores or touristy places that catch your eye. There are plenty.
Summit County Weather
A quick word about the weather. If you’re from Colorado you know how warm the sun here can be. The only time I wear a winter jacket is when I’m going to be out at night for an extended time. I never wear one during the day simply because the sun is almost always out and warms things up nicely. A lot of young guys ski in shorts and a t-shirt, comfortably. As soon as the sun goes down though, temperatures can drop 20 or 30 degrees, literally within five minutes.
One of my most vivid Breckenridge memories was laying in a hammock with my wife one August evening about 9:30. The temperature was in the 30s, but none of the locals were surprised. I read that there are 21 frost-free days in Summit County every year; the average snowfall in Breckenridge is 200 inches per year.
Having said all this, no matter when you go, if you’re the type who wears shorts, bring a pair. If you’re the type who’s always cold, bring a hat and heavy jacket.
Pleasant Surprises
I drove to Summit County from Colorado Springs. The town of Fairplay was a pleasant surprise that I’ll return to as soon as possible. It’s about 30 miles from Breckenridge. The biggest attraction here is South Park City, a restored 1880s town that’s open from May 15 to October 15. (www.coloradodirectory.com/southparkmuseum) There were some fun antique stores, a good coffee shop with very tasty cookie doodle coffee and a fun, 100-year old library that welcomes visitors. If you want to spend the night here, I recommend the Hand Hotel bed & breakfast (www.handhotel.com). I went through all the lodging in town; the Hand had the biggest and nicest rooms, with the lowest prices.
http://www.allaroundcolorado.info/breckenridge.html