MARCH 2006

Breckenridge, GENUINE ROCKY MOUNTAIN NEWS

Team Breckenridge captured first place among the 13 teams from nine countries in the 2006 Budweiser Select International Snow Sculpture Championships at the end of January. It was the first time that the local team has taken a Gold Medal in the event’s 16-year history. Always known for their creativity and usually a people’s choice award winner, their sculpture was the puppy looking in the mirror.

A group of citizens in French Gulch has approached the town about lowering the levels of light pollution in the area. The Victorian style lights that are used in Breckenridge, although decorative, are both energy inefficient and cast as much light up as down. The residents in the Wellington and Vista Point neighborhoods would like to see the town put in something that would allow the locals to enjoy the stars at night.

January saw well above average snow to continue our near record season. As of February 3rd Breckenridge was at 195% of normal snowfall! Besides incredible spring skiing that also means you should be making your plans for this spring and summer as it will be the best rafting this state has ever seen! If you’ve never been you gotta try it! You are at the mercy of the River Gods and nothing between you and the grim reaper but your thin life jacket. Just kidding, but check out the pictures at this website and see if you don’t agree it’s a blast, then make your reservations: click here for more info

If you have never been to Breckenridge in the Spring then now is the time for you to discover what it’s all about. This time of year you can put away the parka many days, and break out the tank top. We have the Bergy Beach and The Beach at A-Basin. You sit in lounge chair coated in sunscreen between runs and lunch includes a frozen concoction in addition to meat grilled on the outdoor BBQ. Check out the Event Schedule click here to find out all the good stuff going on. April is big with discounts on rooms, lifts and two for ones in many restaurants. There are all sorts of competitions to participate in or be a spectator. Come on up and get raccoon eyes with the rest of us.

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

WHY I LIVE HERE…

A non-partisan group called “Our Future Summit” has been organized to give locals a forum to speak their minds on important issues. One of the focuses of the group is to create a vision statement that the county can share. The challenge will be to get enough citizens to respond to make it a true consensus. Getting all the various cultural communities to participate will also be a challenge. Some of the issues of concern are growth, embracing cultural diversity, traffic, I-70 and affordable housing. To get involved click here

Summit County contains nearly 70,000 acres of roadless area that is under review by the Federal Government. Local citizens and the county commissioners are teaming up to put together a cohesive plan that protects what is so precious to those that live here. Public forums are scheduled this month and the commissioners will hold hearings later to put together recommendations for the governor who then forwards them on to the US Forest Service. Some of the biggest concerns are whether ski area terrain, if otherwise roadless should still be considered such and how will keeping areas roadless affect forest health projects and fire mitigation efforts. I won’t be easy but with so little untouched forest remaining it’s a critical issue to all who love the mountains.

The Summit is becoming a much safer place to visit. Defibrillators are being installed in many locations around the county now. They are being concentrated first in the busiest locales like golf courses, conference centers and community centers. All law enforcement vehicles now carry them. Up to 150 devises will be installed in the next year.

How long does it take to biodegrade?
Paper, 2-5 months
Orange peels, 6 months
Cigarette butts, 1-12 years
Plastic bags, 10-20 years
Tin cans, 50-100 years
Glass bottles, 1 million years
Plastic bottles, forever

SCHOOL NEWS…

With an eye to the future the Summit Middle School alpine ski team dominated at the state title meet and both boys and girls teams brought home the championship. Hanna Price won two silver medals and Stefanie Walters had a bronze in the combined slalom and a fourth in GS to lead the girls’ team. For the boys Zach Michieli took a bronze and silver while Dale Moulton earned a bronze in GS and fourth in slalom. Looks like Summit High School will continue to be the team to beat for the next five or six years at least. If you want raise a ski racer you need to move to Summit County.

Speaking of state championships, the Summit High Debate and Speech team took First at State over 25 other schools. This was their third straight championship. Thirty-one members competed in a variety of events, including public forum debate, values debate, creative storytelling and several others. Team President Kate Wrobel took a second and Garrett Hedman also took a second in humorous interpretation. The team now prepares for the national qualifying competition in April and hopefully on to the national championships in Dallas in June. So if you want to raise a lawyer or a politician Summit is a great place for that too.

Summit High is becoming known for its gritty tenacity in a variety of arenas. The thirteenth seeded boys hockey team went out and beat the defending state champs convincingly 4-1 in the first round of the state tournament. To show it wasn’t a fluke they went out the next day and beat the #5 seeded team 6-4 to advance to the “Frozen Four”. Taking on undefeated Cheyenne Mountain High, 21-0-1, was a bit too big of a challenge though they managed to hang tough trailing just 1-0 until the third period. Hard work and pride were the theme this year for the Summit Hockey team, they can now add respectability to that list.

What a disappointment the US Alpine team was at the Olympics, I won’t say anymore. In snowboarding, Shaun White got the gold medal in the Slopestyle and is unbeaten this season. Here’s to the future and let’s hope he gets lots of babes with his medal.

Reckless skiers beware. There is a bill in the legislature to up the fines for violating the Skier Safety Act from $300 to $1000. The fines would apply to a violation of any aspect of the Act which would include cutting ropes to ski in closed areas, snowriding under the influence and leaving the scene of a collision. The impetus was a number of incidents earlier this season where out of bounds riders had to be rescued. I am glad because I have had a few friends run down on the slopes and the perps just rode away.

On New Year’s Day two experienced snowmobilers triggered an avalanche and were killed. Several of their friends were buried too so the situation could have even been worse. If you want to try snowmobiling, and I highly recommend that you do, take a guided tour. Virtually anyone can handle a snowmobile with a little training. A guide will keep you out of danger and if anything goes wrong they can summon help. If you are in need of adrenalin most companies offer an extreme tour. Avalanches are the leading cause of snowmobiling deaths and if you are not an expert in recognizing where the danger lays you could end up like the two guys on New Year’s. Click here

Think snow, always!

*TRAVEL TIPS…FROM HUMBLE BEGINNINGS*

So what’s new to do in The Rockies?
How about a trip to a backcountry cabin where you won’t hear any sounds but those of Mother Nature? The Summit Hut Society and the Tenth Mountain Division Huts offer amazing escapes that will let you know that you are really in the Rockies. The huts are located at various distances from plowed roads, about 3 to 7 miles in most cases. It’s easier than backpacking because you are given a warm place to sleep with lots of firewood, cooking pots and stove and even a sauna in most huts. You bring your food, sleeping bag and a great attitude. It’s teamwork with the other guests to keep the fire stoked and the water pot filled with snow. Yes, you have to rough it a little, you melt snow for drinking water and in some cases the outhouse is really out, doors that is. With no phone or televisions evenings are spent the old fashioned way; socializing, reading a good book, or playing one of the non-electronic board games stocked in the huts. Click here for more information and reservations

At the opposite extreme-how about a gourmet meal at the top of the mountain? Located at the top of Keystone mountain is the highest AAA Four Diamond restaurant in the US. Serving gourmet lunches and six-course dinners Wed-Sun plus Sunday brunch with a huge fireplace and views of Summits highest peaks. If you are going for dinner you will be given a blanket for the gondola ride up. Reservations: 800.354.4386.

At the top of Vail’ gondola is a screaming good time place called Adventure Ridge. It has the most terrifying tubing I have ever experienced. This is space age tubing with a lift, groomed tracks and extra slippery NASA designed, zero friction and fast accelerating tubes. Your heart will jump on every run! Also on top is an ice skating rink, a super safe kids snowmobiling track and for the really adventurous a snow bike trip down the mountain, after dark, with a headlamp. The gondola ride up is free then you pick your fun. The restaurant on top is reasonably priced and tasty. It’s a perfect diversion to top off your winter vacation. Click here for more information

What’s the next big thing in winter sports? Lots of folks are saying the Airboard. It’s like an inflated Boogie board with runners on the bottom to allow navigation. Invented in Zug, Switzerland it’s already well known in Europe. No ski area in Colorado allows it yet but Keystone tried it out for a season. Resorts in Oregon, Idaho and the east actually let you use the lifts and the runs so it may not be long before we see them on Colorado slopes. Click here for more information

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