Breckenridge, GENUINE ROCKY MOUNTAIN NEWS

Early next year Breckenridge will be holding the grand opening of its new Welcome Center on Main Street next to the Blue River Plaza. Formerly a coffee shop and some condominiums the town discovered to everyone’s surprise that hidden in the walls of the very ordinary structure was a perfectly preserved 1880’s log cabin. Now fully restored this cabin will be the centerpiece of the historical exhibit within the Welcome Center. The Welcome Center will provide information and booking for activities as well as an interpretive center for local history and our unique alpine environment

The Arts District of Breckenridge is continuing to improve. The district goes from the Backstage theatre past the Whyte House, and across Main to the Riverwalk. Join us this winter for a full schedule of workshops for all ages including writing, beading, painting and many more. The workshops are excellent for all skill levels too. Upcoming for the district are the restoration of the Fuqua Livery Stable on Washington St. and the addition of the Quandary Antiques building which will be relocated from Ridge and Adams Streets. The Fuqua restoration is made possible by a grant from the State Historic Fund. Across the street the Tin Shop will also be restored and used as an artist studio. Also on the drawing board is an arts campus, more details on that will be released soon.

Vail Resorts is already working with the town of Breckenridge on final approval for the development of the base area at Peak 7. When granted, marketing and sales of Peak 7 properties could proceed. If all goes as planned construction will begin on roads and other infrastructure next summer with construction of the residences to commence in ’08. The money and transfer taxes from the sale of the Peak 7 development will in part fund the construction of the gondola, which will take people from town to Peak 7 and then onto 8. The construction of the village at Peak 8 hopefully will not be far behind. This will be a world-class project that will vault Breckenridge into the elite of resorts. It will sell fast and prices will go up quickly. Contact me now to be at the forefront as information is released.

Three time national champion skeleton racer and Breckenridge resident Katie Uhlaender took the bronze medal in the opening race of the World Cup Races in Calgary last month. Please cheer her on as the Olympics draw near.

More good info can be found at: http://www.BestoftheRockies.com.

WHY I LIVE HERE…

Our new hospital opens just outside of Frisco this month. The St. Anthony Summit Medical Center will be a level 3 trauma center meaning that trauma surgeons will be on call 24 hours a day, reducing the number of patients requiring a trip to Denver. The hospital also features 25 beds for inpatient care, a birthing center and an emergency department that is four times the size of the old facilities. Also in the emergency room is a special decontamination room that can be used in case of chemical or biological hazards. The best part about the new hospital is its reflection of its community. The main entryway and waiting areas were designed to feel more like a luxury mountain home than an industrial building.

If you want to give a gift that really matters this Christmas consider a $50 donation to Advocates for Victims of Assault. $50 will buy a night of shelter for an abused person or a parent and their children. AVA have been helping people in Summit County get out of abusive relationships since 1980 and in 1996 opened a safe house for women and children. Last year the AVA provided over 500 nights of shelter as well as a 24-hour crisis hot line, legal assistance, support groups and prevention education. If you would like to donate call 970-485-0074.

Fourteen people and one business were recently honored for their contributions to the community. Every year the Summit Foundation holds a banquet to recognize the contributions of people who give freely, both monetary and time-wise. One high school student, Garrett Headman, was rewarded for his 100 hours a year of volunteer work. Blue River Sports was given an award for their years of equipment donations and fundraisers for local ski clubs and handicapped ski programs. Another gentleman, Bill Baker was honored for his work on the Twilight Program that helps kids who have dropped out get their high school diploma. These are just some examples of the types of people that choose Summit County as home. More information about the Summit Foundation: www.SummitFoundation.org

Another great program that is expanding this year is the Adopt an Angel. Begun by the Silverthorne Police Department, the event is going county wide. Ornaments are placed on a tree with information about the age and gender of a child in need of a gift because the family needs help. People pick up the ornament and return it with an appropriate gift. Parents can then come by to select a gift to give their kids on Christmas. Last year Silverthorne distributed over 300 gifts so it will be amazing to see how many families will be touched this year. If you want to participate call 970-262-7320.

Thanksgiving always brings out the best in Summit County and this year was no different. Many folks living in a resort area like this have moved away from their families and may even have to work on the holiday. In answer to the need local businesses and organizations sponsor free Thanksgiving dinners. It’s an opportunity for those who are away from home and perhaps alone to get some holiday warmth and home cooking and maybe make some new friends. The Blue Moose restaurant teamed up with a dozen businesses in town to serve over 500 free meals, the Frisco recreation center served several hundred and the Elks in Silverthorne did a like kind affair. What a great way to celebrate the season of giving.

SCHOOL NEWS…

If you are a second homeowner in Summit County or another part of the Colorado Mountain College district and are interested in continuing your education, good news. If you take a limited number of CMC courses you could rate a discount on tuition. Even better news, the second homeowner program is available to everyone. The published out of state tuition rate is $231 per credit hour, this modified rate program allows you to pay only $82 per credit hour if you only take up to three credit hours per semester.
Check out their online courses at: http://www.coloradomtn.edu

Four Feet of Snow since Thanksgiving! And there is more on the way!! This is like mid-March in early December. Put away the rock skis for this year. If I don’t answer my cell phone leave a message; you know where I am.

With all the new snow you can expect the avalanche danger to be extremely high for quite some time. We had early season snow with a warm period in early November and that gives the new snow a perfect surface to slide on. Up to the minute avalanche conditions can be found at: http://geosurvey.state.co.us/avalanche.

Once again fifth graders ski free in Colorado. An awesome program sponsored by Ski Country USA gives fifth grade students 72 days of skiing at 24 different resorts for free, no kidding. Go to www.coloradoski.com/5passport for more information. Also included are discounts on rentals, lessons and lift ticket for the parents. Your application must be postmarked by January 31st, but why wait and miss all the incredible snowriding going on right now? If you are Passport holder from last year you can do the Sixth Grade Graduate program with all the same bene’s for $59, but you need to register by the end of the year. What a great state, what a great sport! Also check out www.Breckenridge.com for United Airlines ski free promotion.

The US Women’s Ski Team is poised to take over the #1 spot in the world from the Austrians. Hiring several Austrian coaches probably didn’t hurt. Nevertheless last year the US team moved up to second in the Nation’s Cup standings behind the strong skiing of men Bode Miller and Daren Rahlves, but also on the depth of the women’s team. The women have 4 skiers with at least ten years of experience and a bevy of depth behind that. They are consistently pushing the Austrians off the podium on a regular basis. Look for a strong showing at the Olympics in two months. You can see the women’s World Cup races at Aspen, December 9-11.

Think MORE SNOW!

*TRAVEL TIPS…FROM HUMBLE BEGINNINGS*

Midnight, outside a quaint Victorian storefront it’s late January and about ten below zero on the thermometer. A group of young adults and one older woman are laughing and piling snow, packing it with their mittens, and then piling some more. As you overhear them discussing how they are going to shape the head and helmet and how to texture the beard you realize that this is going to be some kind of artwork.

Twenty years ago a few locals in the little Colorado Ski Town of Breckenridge thought it would be a fun addition to the Ullr Fest Winter Carnival to have a competition making sculptures out of snow. No one really knew what they were doing and the common reaction was “what’s it supposed to be?” Most of the subjects were snowflakes, skiers or Ullr, the Norse God of winter and honoree of the carnival. Back then Breckenridge was fairly unknown compared to Aspen and Vail. In 1980 Main Street had as many vacant lots as stores and no curbs or stoplights. The lodging was haphazard condominiums constructed with paper walls and shag carpet. Many of the locals lived in old mining shacks without plumbing or electricity. My, how things have changed and the sculpture competition is a reflection of how far Breckenridge has come.

As the popularity of Breckenridge grew, serious artists began to come up from schools in Boulder and Denver and create truly stunning pieces of snow sculpture. Themes evolved to include things like a lady in a champagne glass and three leaping dolphins that stood about fifteen feet tall. Soon most locals were too embarrassed to display their creations anymore. This led to the idea of bringing the world’s best to Breckenridge for a championship every year. It turned out some of the best already lived in Breckenridge and the local teams have won many awards, not just in the hometown but also in competitions all over the world.

If you come for the whole week you will witness an amazing phenomenon. To make a championship caliber snow sculpture start with a ten foot by ten foot by twelve-foot high wooden form. Fill it with pure white snow. But you don’t just fill it; human feet must pack it as you go, with boots on of course. In Breckenridge this is done by dozens of volunteers working through the night. After leaving it to season for a night or so, what you have when you remove the form is a white block weighing about twenty tons. Until you have witnessed it you cannot imagine what these will look like in three days time.

What transpires is magical.

The teams begin cutting out the rough form of their creation with handsaws, no power tools are allowed. All the cuts must be strategically planned and a degree in engineering is a plus. Otherwise the whole structure can end up in a heap not suitable for making a snowman. Teams must also plan how far to take their creation each day; the final shape must come together the last night before the judging or a warm day can eat through your sculpture like acid. The teams work straight through the night before and the detail work is done with tools as delicate as a dentist’s. Some of the final creations are unbelievably intricate. Few places on earth can you witness art being brought from the raw to the dazzling before your eyes.

Teams come from the expected places to compete. Traditionally cold climates like Russia and Minnesota always come but Mexico also sends a couple of teams. One year the Jamaican team practiced in an industrial freezer to acclimate themselves. It wasn’t enough; they dropped out before the judging because of the cold.

From a contest where mainly locals walked around enjoying each other’s crude artwork, the International Snow Sculpting Championships now draws over ten thousand spectators each of the final two days. Just as the competition has reached world-class level, the town is now home to world-class entertainment, dining and accommodations. Breckenridge has slope side mansions, golf course luxury homes and four-star condominium villages to rival any mountain resort. The formerly forgotten Peak Eight base area will see a Beaver Creek style development in the next few years. If you haven’t been to Breckenridge before, or maybe not for a while, the snow sculpture week is a perfect time to find out why it is North America’s second favorite ski town.

Contact Me if you need further tips on where to stay, eat or play.