Posted Wednesday, Jan. 04, 2012
Powder Power: Breckenridge turns 50
Jane Tarlow wants to scare me. The Breckenridge ski instructor dares me to call the Colorado resort "family friendly." And she does it as only a seasoned ski instructor can -- while guiding me to the highest lift-serviced terrain of any ski resort in North America.
"There is amazing terrain up there," she smiles, leading me to a remote T-bar lift. "Let's go check it out."
Where to Stay
One Ski Hill Place, rooms from $370, 877-354-6747, www.OneSkiHill.RockResorts.com
Where to Eat and Drink
Breckenridge Distillery, 970-547-9759,
www.breckenridgedistillery.com
Modis, 970-453-4330, www.modisbreck.com
Relish, 970-453-0989,
Twist, 970-547-7100, www.twistbreck.com
What to Do
Breckenridge Ski Resort, lift tickets from $63, 970-453-5000,
Jane is the sunniest thing on the mountain today. Above the tree line, at nearly 13,000 feet, blowing snow scours my face, creates mini moguls and generally imitates the Arctic tundra. Below, in the expansive Horseshoe Bowl, a lone skier carves perfect curves on his descent. The storm chases us back down into the trees where we can hide from the wind and later check in with the family.
And there are lots of families here -- including mine. Breckenridge manages to bridge the beginner-to-expert range of abilities with easy-going, something-for-everyone appeal.
Turning 50 this year, Breckenridge remains a down-to-earth vacation destination. Plans for the 50th include half-off lodging deals and strictly-for-fun extras like free ski photography taken on the mountain. But there is one exception. Blazing a more luxurious trail is the new One Ski Hill Place at Peak 8, and its opening has created an entirely new hub on the mountain.
The peak-roofed, wood-clad lodge models a Swiss chalet, albeit in McMansion proportions. Inside, the effect is residential, with a fireplace in the multilevel lobby and apartment-like suites featuring full kitchens, glass showers and gas fireplaces, with lots of rustic stone and timber accents. Wood floors withstand wet boots, and residency includes access to a ski locker room for stowing gear, as well as two pools, a large slope-side hot tub, two-lane bowling alley, pool table and media room. A free shuttle takes guests to town as does the gondola, also free and running throughout ski hours, just out the door.
But, like all good real estate, it's the location that leads. Within an hour of checking in with a family entourage of five, our snow-happy brood has clicked into our bindings, and we are off to explore the 2,358 acres and four peaks of the ski area.
Downhill runs aren't the only amenity out the hotel door. When Seth, my 11-year-old, tires of parallel turning, we ditch the skis for another of Breck's new draws, an Alpine roller coaster.
Picture a plastic, sled-like car riding twin rails downhill through hairpin curves and dizzying spirals going up to 25 mph on the force of gravity alone. A hand brake allows riders to slow down, but we are having none of that. Seth and I scream our way down the hill, while skiers riding a neighboring lift watch and wave. We immediately join the clique of kids who have been lapping the ride, known as the Gold Runner Coaster, for hours.
"This is my fifth time," testifies one 8-year-old ahead of us, sporting pink from fleece hat to Kamik boots. "It's way funner than skiing."
After a second go-round, we join the après-ski crowd in T-Bar, an actual bar with dozens of beers on tap after the on-mountain T-bar and other high-speed seated lifts have closed. The place is thronged and redolent of barbecue smoke from the grills that have been running outside all day, responsible for the luscious carnitas tacos we scarf down over tales of mountain conquests.
It's still snowing -- the forecast predicts a mega-powder day tomorrow -- when we settle into the swimming-pool-proportioned hot tub, sitting like snow monkeys allowing drifts to settle in fluffy piles on our heads.
If ski resorts were judged by the authenticity of the locale alone, Breckenridge would grab the gold. The historic mining-era town packs frontier-era storefronts with ski and bike gear, rather than furs. A new tasting room for Breckenridge Distillery recently opened, pouring some of the smoothest whiskeys west of Bourbon County, Ky. The dining scene ranges soup-to-nuts in diversity, sometimes on the same menu, which works best at Modis, offering tender Colorado elk tenderloin as well as homey pho noodles. The highly lauded Relish, home to hits like pecan-crusted trout and grilled pork porterhouse, recently spun off the more comfort-food-driven Twist, serving venison stew and buffalo burgers.
After some late-night bowling in the private alley at One Ski Hill, we wake the next morning to 26 inches of powder. It will wreak havoc on us later, shutting I-70 just as we commute to the airport in Denver. But skiers live in the moment, waking up before the sun to be ready for first tracks in virgin snowpack. It will swamp intermediate skiers and give experts a quad-burning challenge. And remind me of Jane, who called skiing, "a mind-body-spirit sport when it all comes together." Epic snowfall, we find, provides the bond.
Freelance travel writer Elaine Glusac always, mysteriously, gains weight on every ski trip.
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