If your ski vacation this year makes it to beautiful Summit County be sure to visit the most historic gold mining town in Colorado; Breckenridge. With world-class skiing and snowboarding, the four peaks which surround the town are massive but can actually be tamed.
Peak seven, peak eight, peak nine, and peak ten are all around 13,000 feet high. Each peak can be skied if you have the tools and knowledge.
Breckenridge started out as a gold mining town. Hundreds of families and people came to Breckenridge hoping to strike it rich. After the gold boost of the 1800s people had to wait almost 60-years for the white gold otherwise known as snow. Breckenridge gets lots of snow averaging over 200-inches per year. Many of the buildings here are from the historical gold mine era. The Gold Pan bar in Breckenridge used to be a miners bar from the 1800s, it is one of the oldest bars in the state of Colorado. When you walk through the door you will realize the historical significance.
In 1859 gold was discovered along the blue river, and a base camp was set-up, later to be known as Breckenridge. Breckenridge does contain more than 350 different buildings and structures that still remain. This makes Breckenridge one of largest historic districts in Colorado. During the summer time, the locals run Gold Mine Tours which are quite exciting.
In the year 1860, Breckenridge established the first post office which finally put Breckenridge on the national map. In 1882, the railroad arrived in Breckenridge. Today, you can hike up the trail as the old railroad has been removed, the railroad was very much responsible for the growth and wealth of Breckenridge.
Breckenridge, the ski town, was not established until December 16, 1961. On opening day they had one T-bar ski lift and only one-double chair lift on peak 8. With 17,000 customers in there first year, Breckenridge certainly seemed to have a bright future. Breckenridge was the first Colorado resort to allow snowboarding way back in 1984, their acceptance with snowboarders is still there today. In 1985, Breckenridge hosted the first snowboard world-cup and every year since then, they’ve been hosted major winter events.
In 1997, Breckenridge and Keystone were merged with Vail and Beaver Creek to form Vail Ski Resorts. On your next winter or summer vacation, I hope you’re able to make it to historical Breckenridge, Colorado where you are sure to have a good time.
Enjoy your ski vacation in Breckenridge, CO.
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