Springmeier, Breckenridge (206 at Wedgewood Lodge)
by Julia Anna Moore Hello friend, Welcome to the Wedgewood Lodge, slope-side, next to Snowflake Lift. Snowflake is a one-of-a-kind two-person lift that has a mid-load station and 70-degree turn to put you at Peak 8. It’s personally one of my favorite lifts of all time especially when snow is quietly falling, blanketing the landscape in Colorado’s legendary white powder. We’re extremely stoked that you have chosen Breckenridge, and even more so that you’re staying with us. We pride ourselves in being a long-standing boutique experience, with studio spaces to three bedroom townhomes. We’re still family-owned and operated and specialize in group travel and weddings. Whether you’re here for the ski season or a summer getaway, we are only a few blocks from Main Street and just a stones throw from the slopes where you can ride and hike. We renovated in 2023–2024 and within that renovation we decided to customize each and every space with unique historic photographs curated by me (Jules)! The artwork in your unit is unique to you and contains a piece of Breck’s history. In addition, you’ll see some of my own photographs sprinkled throughout the space. Each unit is also named after a run somewhere in Breck’s 3,000+ acres, with the story behind it explained below. Unfortunately, we only have 52 units, so a lot of runs were left unmentioned but we hope that you get to explore as much as you can. At Wedgewood, we love where we live and want to display how far the town has come. Thanks for coming, and enjoy your stay. How to get to Springmeier. In the summer of 1961, the first runs on Peak 8 were built, Springmeier being one of them along with Callie’s Alley, Rounders, Spruce, and others. When you ski this run, you’re skiing a part of Breck’s history. To get there, you can take Snowflake Chair from our backyard and then transfer to 5-Chair or Colorado SuperChair. It’s a fun family zone, rated as a green run but a bit harder than Peak 9’s Silverthorne and Red Rover. You can also learn how to tree ski here as long as they are open. The gap in time. This unit is focused on finding photos of a lost time period in Breckenridge. In between the golden days of mining and the ski resort opening in the 1960’s, Breck almost disappeared due to population decline. A group of individuals kept the town alive, but there is not a lot of photo documentation of this time period between the 1920s and late 1950s. Here is a few things that I was able to find. From top to bottom: COLORADO ANNEXATION — Strip of “No Man’s Land.”: Published Tuesday 7 July 1936, Original creator: Queensland Times. Queenslands Times, found on Trove. Relics of the boom days in gold mining: A man and boys pose on the engine of a mine tramway at an abandoned mine near Dillon (Summit County), Colorado. The mine shafthouse and ore cars are nearby. Original creator: Published July 1925; Dunning, Harold M.. Denver Public Library Special Collections, X-62393” Colorado & Southern buildings (narrow gauge): Depot. Photographed: Breckenridge, Colo., February 22, 1934. Original creator: Published 22 Feb, 1934; Perry, Otto, 1894–1970. Denver Public Library Special Collections, OP-6380 Flag raising Aug. 1936 by Gov. Johnson in which the disputed strip of land was formally annexed: This view of a flag raising ceremony outside of the Summit County Courthouse in Breckenridge, Colorado, includes the large scale two story brick structure, with a hipped gable roof and a cupola with paired sash windows on each of its four sides. The building’s sills, lintels, upper string courses and pendants are of local stone. The main cornice of the building is dentiled, and the projecting entry to the left has frieze work in the upper pediment. The lower pediment, topping a striped canvas awning, has “Summit County” on its base. A large crowd is in the foreground, surrounding a wooden flagpole with an American flag at the top and a Colorado state flag being hoisted. A professional movie camera on a tripod is in the left foreground Original creator: August 1936; Unidentified. Denver Public Library Special Collections, X-912 View of Ten Mile Range from Ore Bucket Lodge, Breckenridge: View from Ore Bucket Lodge over Breckenridge residences, Summit County, Colorado, shows the Ten Mile Range in the distance under cloudy skies. Original creator: 1940–1966; Wolle, Muriel Sibell, 1898–1977. Denver Public Library Special Collections, X-5552” Monte Cristo Gulch on Hoosier Pass: A herd of sheep walk near a dilapidated log cabin in Monte Cristo Gulch near Breckenridge, in Summit County, Colorado. Original creator: 1953; Wolle, Muriel Sibell, 1898–1977. Denver Public Library Special Collections, X-3566
Cimarron, Breckenridge (205 at Wedgewood Lodge)
by Julia Anna Moore Hello friend, Welcome to the Wedgewood Lodge, slope-side, next to Snowflake Lift. Snowflake is a one-of-a-kind two-person lift that has a mid-load station and 70-degree turn to put you at Peak 8. It’s personally one of my favorite lifts of all time especially when snow is quietly falling, blanketing the landscape in Colorado’s legendary white powder. We’re extremely stoked that you have chosen Breckenridge, and even more so that you’re staying with us. We pride ourselves in being a long-standing boutique experience, with studio spaces to three bedroom townhomes. We’re still family-owned and operated and specialize in group travel and weddings. Whether you’re here for the ski season or a summer getaway, we are only a few blocks from Main Street and just a stones throw from the slopes where you can ride and hike. We renovated in 2023–2024 and within that renovation we decided to customize each and every space with unique historic photographs curated by me (Jules)! The artwork in your unit is unique to you and contains a piece of Breck’s history. In addition, you’ll see some of my own photographs sprinkled throughout the space. Each unit is also named after a run somewhere in Breck’s 3,000+ acres, with the story behind it explained below. Unfortunately, we only have 52 units, so a lot of runs were left unmentioned but we hope that you get to explore as much as you can. At Wedgewood, we love where we live and want to display how far the town has come. Thanks for coming, and enjoy your stay. How to get to Cimarron. Located on Peak 10, this run is steep, fast, and fun. It’s a wide open cruiser with loads of rollers and flat sections. It’s groomed most of the time but check the groom report before going out. According to Summit Daily, “Cimarron might refer to a movie, an early Western town or a Spanish descriptive term. “Cimarron,” the movie, produced by RKO Radio Picture Co. in 1931, came from an Edna Ferber novel about the old West. Cimarron, the town in New Mexico, was the classic Old West, shoot ’em up, wild frontier town located on the Santa Fe Trail, the scene of countless mining and ranch-war incidents. The term, in Spanish, also describes a mustang (a wild horse) as wild and unbroken, maybe a reference to the steepness of the run. So, take your pick — sort of matches up with a nearby, but probably little known, run called Bronc.” With the spirit of wide open runs and wild horses. Even in the days of early mornings and difficult jobs, people still found their way to enjoy the mountains. Many of these places you can still visit today such as Uneva Lake and Upper Blue Lake. Of course, there were always tourists as seen in the second picture below. From top to bottom: Uneva Lake, one mile long, 10,000 ft above sea level: On Uneva Lake in the Ten Mile Canyon, Colorado, two couples sit in a rowboat paddled by a man with a beard, with two other people in a boat nearby. Title quoted from handwritten caption on card mount: “Uneva Lake, one mile long, 10,000 ft above sea level. Original creator: circa 1880s-1903 (Creation); Westerman, Otto. J. Frank Willis Photograph Album. Breckenridge History, Colorado. Snow-Shoe party in the Rocky Mountains, Breckenridge, Colo, April 10th, 1884. Snow 4 feet deep: A group of people pose on long wooden skis. They hold long wooden poles for balance. The women wear hats and ankle length ruffled skirts and long wool overcoats. One small child is seated on a sled. The snowy mountain peaks of the Tenmile Range are in the background. Title quoted from printed caption on card mount: “Snow-Shoe party in the Rocky Mountains, Breckenridge, Colo, April 10th, 1884. Snow 4 feet deep. Original creator: April 10th, 1884; Churchill, W.D.. Summit Historical Society Collection. Image created by Breckenridge History, Colorado. Upper blue lake, 11,000 ft above sea level. 1/2 mile wide, stocked with Mountain Trout: A group of men, women and children on an outing to Blue Lake, south of Breckenridge, Colorado. Some people sit on rocks, while others stand in the talus or scree field near the water’s edge. In the background is a mountain cirque. Original creator: circa 1880s-1903 (Creation); Westerman, Otto. J. Frank Willis Photograph Album. Breckenridge History, Colorado. Tourists starting for the Mountains: A group of women sitting astride horses or burros are about to begin their recreational tour into the mountains of the Tenmile Range, west of Breckenridge, Colorado. The women, all wearing hats, are dressed in bodice coats or jackets and long skirts. One boy holds the reins of the two burros, while two men stand nearby. Behind the group is a wooden, simple gable structure. Original creator: circa 1880s-1903 (Creation); Westerman, Otto. J. Frank Willis Photograph Album. Breckenridge History, Colorado. No Title: No Description. My description: Three people appear to be setting up camp in the dry Colorado mountain environment. A white tent is in the background while two people tend to a fire. This could potentially be a surveying trip. Original creator: Mary Marks; Summit Historical Society Collection. Image created by Breckenridge History, Colorado. Glass plates owned by Utah State University Libraries, Special Collections and Archives (USU-SCA). Stereoview card by the Kilburn Brothers, captioned “Camping Out, Col.”: Stereoview card showing a group of men and women near a canvas tent. Seated at a cloth-covered table are two women and two men having tea. Caption printed under the photograph on the frontside of the card: “2951. Camping Out, Col.” Handwritten on the reverse “Hayden Survey?” and stamped “Photographed and Published by Kilburn Brothers, — — Littleton, N.H.” Original creator: N/A; Photographed and Published by Kilburn Brothers. Agnes Miner Collection; Gift, Colorado Springs Ghost Town Club. Breckenridge History, Colorado.
Silverthorne, Breckenridge (126 at Wedgewood Lodge)
by Julia Anna Moore Hello friend, Welcome to the Wedgewood Lodge, slope-side, next to Snowflake Lift. Snowflake is a one-of-a-kind two-person lift that has a mid-load station and 70-degree turn to put you at Peak 8. It’s personally one of my favorite lifts of all time especially when snow is quietly falling, blanketing the landscape in Colorado’s legendary white powder. We’re extremely stoked that you have chosen Breckenridge, and even more so that you’re staying with us. We pride ourselves in being a long-standing boutique experience, with studio spaces to three bedroom townhomes. We’re still family-owned and operated and specialize in group travel and weddings. Whether you’re here for the ski season or a summer getaway, we are only a few blocks from Main Street and just a stones throw from the slopes where you can ride and hike. We renovated in 2023–2024 and within that renovation we decided to customize each and every space with unique historic photographs curated by me (Jules)! The artwork in your unit is unique to you and contains a piece of Breck’s history. In addition, you’ll see some of my own photographs sprinkled throughout the space. Each unit is also named after a run somewhere in Breck’s 3,000+ acres, with the story behind it explained below. Unfortunately, we only have 52 units, so a lot of runs were left unmentioned but we hope that you get to explore as much as you can. At Wedgewood, we love where we live and want to display how far the town has come. Thanks for coming, and enjoy your stay. How to get to Silverthorne. This unit was named after the family of Silverthorne, early businesspeople of Breckenridge. This run is one of the most infamous green runs, perfect terrain for newcomers to skiing and riding. Accessible by Quicksilver Chair at the bottom of Peak 9, and comes in at 0.7 miles long, which for beginners is a very long run! There are many designated rest stops, slow zones, and features kids areas such as the Haunted Forest. I would recommend that all skiers and riders are able to stop and turn before heading into the Haunted Forest, though. Silverthorne ends with a steeper section marked by a yellow slow sign, known by the locals as Ballet Hill. If you want to avoid this steep section, simply turn left before the slow sign to the catwalk named King’s Way. Chicken or the egg? Silverthorn (Martha) or Silverthorne (Town)? I’m not totally sure what is named after who, but here we are with loads of overlap. These Colorado pioneers came to Breckenridge, and in Breckenridge they stayed. They owned businesses in town such as the hardware store. The Finding/Silverthorne home was built in about 1880 and can be found on 300 North Main Street. Read the history of how the family came to Colorado, written by daughter Agnes Finding Miner. From top to bottom: Studio portrait of Breckenridge resident Agnes Eleanor (Finding) Miner: Studio portrait photograph of Agnes Eleanor Finding, daughter of Charles and Martha (Silverthorn) Finding. She wears a bow high in her hair. Handwritten on the reverse is “Mrs. Agnes Miner (?) Breckenridge”. Original creator: 1880s-1890s (Creation); Unidentified. Agnes Miner Collection; Gift, Colorado Springs Ghost Town Club. Breckenridge History, Colorado. Studio portrait of Breckenridge resident Martha (Silverthorn) Finding: Studio portrait photograph of an elderly Martha (Silverthorn) Finding wearing a woven hat adorned with roses, ribbon and metal brooch with small chain. Her dark bodice is constructed of an embroidered high-neck collar and vertical flat pleats and lacing down the front placket. The simple pleated shoulders are trimmed with fabric buttons. Original creator: 1880s-1900 (Creation); Unidentified. Agnes Miner Collection; Gift, Colorado Springs Ghost Town Club. Breckenridge History, Colorado Portrait photograph of Charles A. Finding: Studio portrait photograph of Breckenridge resident and business owner Charles Augustus Finding. Mounted on cream card embossed with “D.B. Chase” and “Denver, Colo.” Original creator: circa 1880s (Creation); Chase, Dana B. (1848–1897). Breckenridge History, Colorado. Charles Finding in the doorway of his hardware store on Main Street, Breckenridge: Charles A. Finding (left) and another man stand in the doorway of Finding’s redstone-front hardware store. A coal burning or parlor stove is visible through the open door. Etched in the glass window above the doorway is “C.A. Finding”; painted across the window frame are the words “Stoves, Tinware, Steam & Gas Fittings, Rope, Iron, Steel and Nails”. The reflection of buildings across the street is visible in the large storefront windows. Adjacent the sidewalk and street is a standing water spigot. Quote from handwritten text on the reverse: “Finding Hardware Store — Mrs. Miner’s father”. Original creator: 1890s (Creation); Unidentified. Agnes Miner Collection; Gift, Colorado Springs Ghost Town Club. Breckenridge History, Colorado. A dog asleep in the parlor room of the Finding house on Main Street, Breckenridge: A dog is asleep on the carpeted floor of the parlor in Charles A. and Martha (Silverthorn) Finding’s house on Main Street in Breckenridge, Colorado. Circa 1893. The room is furnished with area rugs, a secretary desk, a bookcase and a wicker rocking chair in the bay window. Anchoring the room is an ornate cast iron parlor stove. Decorative items throughout include framed pictures and photographs, porcelain plates supported on easels, seashells and vases. Doilies, antimacassars and tasseled cloth runners cover chair backs and tables and heavy tasseled curtains drape the opening to the adjacent music room. A large book is displayed on a metal book stand, probably the Family Bible. Original creator: Circa 1893; Unidentified. Summit Historical Society Collection. Image created by Breckenridge History, Colorado. C.A. Finding residence, Breckenridge 1890: The Finding family poses by the fence, near the open cutworked gate, at their home in Breckenridge, Colorado. A saddled horse and two dogs pose with them. Holding the horse’s reins, Mrs. Finding is in a corseted black bodice with jockey points, black leather gloves and riding hat. The girls stand outside the fence. Agnes, the future founder of the ‘Sister’s Mustard Seeds’ charitable organization, wears a white frock and ribboned straw hat. Behind her is a birdbath with a spraying fountain.
Whale’s Tail, Breckenridge (311 at Wedgewood Lodge)
by Julia Anna Moore Hello friend, Welcome to the Wedgewood Lodge, slope-side, next to Snowflake Lift. Snowflake is a one-of-a-kind two-person lift that has a mid-load station and 70-degree turn to put you at Peak 8. It’s personally one of my favorite lifts of all time especially when snow is quietly falling, blanketing the landscape in Colorado’s legendary white powder. We’re extremely stoked that you have chosen Breckenridge, and even more so that you’re staying with us. We pride ourselves in being a long-standing boutique experience, with studio spaces to three bedroom townhomes. We’re still family-owned and operated and specialize in group travel and weddings. Whether you’re here for the ski season or a summer getaway, we are only a few blocks from Main Street and just a stones throw from the slopes where you can ride and hike. We renovated in 2023–2024 and within that renovation we decided to customize each and every space with unique historic photographs curated by me (Jules)! The artwork in your unit is unique to you and contains a piece of Breck’s history. In addition, you’ll see some of my own photographs sprinkled throughout the space. Each unit is also named after a run somewhere in Breck’s 3,000+ acres, with the story behind it explained below. Unfortunately, we only have 52 units, so a lot of runs were left unmentioned but we hope that you get to explore as much as you can. At Wedgewood, we love where we live and want to display how far the town has come. Thanks for coming, and enjoy your stay. How to get to Whale’s Tail. This run is a double black diamond in the saddle between Peak 7 and Peak 8 with a 604-foot drop. You can access it via the highest chairlift in the world, Imperial Express Chair. Beware the cornices at the top giving you a boost in speed when you hop into the bowl. This run is extremely popular, and for good reason. It offers gorgeous views of the entire mountain and town below. The origin of the name is not very clear, but the area was originally called White Whale. It’s thought that because the pattern of melting spring snow on the rock resembles a whale’s tail, it was renamed to what we see today. The is expert-only and hike-to terrain. The high alpine. The theme of your unit is the high alpine wildlife of Colorado. If you have kids or kids-at-heart on your trip who love animals, this is a great opportunity to learn more about what lives here and maybe go on a scavenger hunt. Be sure to thread lightly and stay on trail as wildlife at high elevations such as moss is extremely sensitive. Some folks have always been fascinated with Colorado’s flora and fauna such as Edwin Carter, an early mid-1800’s naturalist who wanted to preserve species for the future by practicing taxidermy. He believed that all Colorado animals would be extinct by the end of the 19th century due to pollution caused by mining. While many species survived the pollution, some did go extinct due to other numerous reasons and other species numbers plummeted. Nowadays, some species are protected in hopes that they can recover from human activities. If you would like to learn more about Edwin Carter, visit the museum in town. Chappell: Mountain goat study needs to continue: The Rocky Mountain goat population of Colorado has two main herds, the Gore Range herd with about 150 goats and the Continental Divide herd with about 225 goats, and they have one great friend named Alex Chappell, who has devoted the last two years researching the goats. Original creator: 1994; Mark Fox. Summit Daily. The Yellow Bellied Marmot: Fauna Facts. Original creator: 1982; Unknown. The Mountain Ear Gray Crowned Rosy Finch (Leucosticte Griseinucha): This illustration was extracted from the vintage book: Contributions to the natural history of Alaska. Original creator: Circa 1874 to 1881; Turner, Lucien McShan. Mountain sheep in a freight car: Big Horn sheep eat probably hay on the snowy ground outside Denver and Rio Grande Railroad freight car number “3438” in Colorado. A ram stands inside the car. Original creator: [between 1917 and 1926]; C. Bancroft. Denver Public Library Special Collections, Z-5739 Colorado state flower (the Columbine): Artistic studio view of Colorado’s state flower, Columbine; shows five blooms on four stems with black background. Original creator: [1900–1920]; McClure, Louis Charles, 1867–1957. Denver Public Library Special Collections, MCC-1936. Denver (Colo.) Ptarmigan in Winter, The Spirit of the Colorado Rockies: Newsletter produced everty two months by the City of Denver highlighting the civic, administrative, and informational aspects of government within the City. Original creator: 1924; Clark Blickensderfer. Denver Public Library Special Collections, C352.078883 D4373muX3
Snow White, Breckenridge (308 at Wedgewood Lodge)
by Julia Anna Moore Hello friend, Welcome to the Wedgewood Lodge, slope-side, next to Snowflake Lift. Snowflake is a one-of-a-kind two-person lift that has a mid-load station and 70-degree turn to put you at Peak 8. It’s personally one of my favorite lifts of all time especially when snow is quietly falling, blanketing the landscape in Colorado’s legendary white powder. We’re extremely stoked that you have chosen Breckenridge, and even more so that you’re staying with us. We pride ourselves in being a long-standing boutique experience, with studio spaces to three bedroom townhomes. We’re still family-owned and operated and specialize in group travel and weddings. Whether you’re here for the ski season or a summer getaway, we are only a few blocks from Main Street and just a stones throw from the slopes where you can ride and hike. We renovated in 2023–2024 and within that renovation we decided to customize each and every space with unique historic photographs curated by me (Jules)! The artwork in your unit is unique to you and contains a piece of Breck’s history. In addition, you’ll see some of my own photographs sprinkled throughout the space. Each unit is also named after a run somewhere in Breck’s 3,000+ acres, with the story behind it explained below. Unfortunately, we only have 52 units, so a lot of runs were left unmentioned but we hope that you get to explore as much as you can. At Wedgewood, we love where we live and want to display how far the town has come. Thanks for coming, and enjoy your stay. How to get to Snow White. This unit is named after one of the hard to reach expert runs on Peak 8. Packed with face shots after a big storm, this is an extremely steep experts only bowl that leads to other difficult tree runs such as Double Barrel and Boneyard. Snow White is hardly open early season. Over the years. I picked Snow White to name this unit because of how lucky you have to be with the conditions to have a great run, and how difficult it is to get there anyhow. You also have to be a good skier or snowboarder. Snow White represents the amazing feats of human beings in the Rockies. From top to bottom: Mount Tillyann near Breckenridge: Denver, South Park and Pacific (DSP&P) railway between Boreas Pass and Breckenridge, Colorado. In the background is Peak 8 of the Tenmile Range. In the 1880s-1900s, Breckenridge locals called the mountain Peak Tilly Ann, named after Matilda Silverthorn and Ann Remine, the two young women that allegedly first climbed Peak 8. Original creator: circa 1880s-1903 (Creation); Westerman, Otto. J. Frank Willis Photograph Album. Breckenridge History, Colorado. Mountaineering training: Four Tenth Mountain Division soldiers practice rock climbing skills, including hoisting bundles with ropes. In the foreground, a soldier holds one end of a rope and a bundle is suspended above his head. Behind him, another soldier is holding a rope; farther back, another is rock climbing. Mountain and valley below in background. Original creator: circa 1943–1944; Southworth, William A., 1921–2003. 10th Mountain Division Resource Center, Denver Public Library, TMD-727. A man on a snowy mountain slope near Montezuma, Colorado: A man with snowshoes or skis stops to look at the view as he hikes through the trees on a mountain slope. He wears a beret, overcoat with scarf and mittens, and pants tucked into high boots. Snowy mountain range in the background. Probably Montezuma or Peru Creek area in Summit County, Colorado. Original creator: 1920–1929 (Creation); Sayre, Robert H. Robert H. Sayre Collection. Breckenridge History, Colorado. From top to bottom: View of Quandary Peak and the Tenmile Range, southwest of Breckenridge: View looking southwest from Boreas Pass, above Breckenridge, Colorado. Pictured far left is Quandary Peak, the highest summit in the Tenmile Range. Original creator: Unknown date; Westerman, Otto. Summit Historical Society Collection. Image created by Breckenridge History, Colorado. An avalanche in the Rocky Mountains: Three prospectors are on a sheer cliff during an avalanche in the Rocky Mountains, probably near Leadville (Lake County), Colorado. One man clings to a rock while another man grasps him by the belt. Rocks are in mid air over the canyon, and a hat is in motion with the snowslide. Shows a rifle on the rock ledge. Original creator: 1880–1890; Barnard and Graham. Denver Public Library Special Collections, Z-4030. Gray’s Peak number one: Men and women pose with horses beside a mountain stream near the summit of Gray’s Peak in probably Clear Creek County, Colorado. The women ride sidesaddle on horses; they wear fitted shirts or jackets, long skirts, and hats or bonnets with elaborate decorations. The men wear suits and derby hats, one holds a walking stick, another holds a small telescope, others recline on a hillside. Snow is in rock crevices on Torreys Peak in the distance. Original creator: 1884–1892; Stiffler, George W. Denver Public Library Special Collections, Z-2548.
Briar Rose, Breckenridge (303 at Wedgewood Lodge)
by Julia Anna Moore Hello friend, Welcome to the Wedgewood Lodge, slope-side, next to Snowflake Lift. Snowflake is a one-of-a-kind two-person lift that has a mid-load station and 70-degree turn to put you at Peak 8. It’s personally one of my favorite lifts of all time especially when snow is quietly falling, blanketing the landscape in Colorado’s legendary white powder. We’re extremely stoked that you have chosen Breckenridge, and even more so that you’re staying with us. We pride ourselves in being a long-standing boutique experience, with studio spaces to three bedroom townhomes. We’re still family-owned and operated and specialize in group travel and weddings. Whether you’re here for the ski season or a summer getaway, we are only a few blocks from Main Street and just a stones throw from the slopes where you can ride and hike. We renovated in 2023–2024 and within that renovation we decided to customize each and every space with unique historic photographs curated by me (Jules)! The artwork in your unit is unique to you and contains a piece of Breck’s history. In addition, you’ll see some of my own photographs sprinkled throughout the space. Each unit is also named after a run somewhere in Breck’s 3,000+ acres, with the story behind it explained below. Unfortunately, we only have 52 units, so a lot of runs were left unmentioned but we hope that you get to explore as much as you can. At Wedgewood, we love where we live and want to display how far the town has come. Thanks for coming, and enjoy your stay. How to get to Briar Rose. Briar Rose is a fun and mellow blue run, but sometimes has moguls. If you’re not a fan of bumps, check Breckenridge’s groom report before heading to the mountain so you don’t get into something that you don’t love. I’m not sure how this run on Peak 9 was named, but there is a wonderful restaurant named Briar Rose Chophouse and Saloon in town that you must check out. Reservations are recommended. The Briar Rose run connects back into Country Boy which leads you back to Ten Mile Station, the lodge at the top of Quicksilver Chair. Daughter of Robert W. Foote. The theme of this historical gallery is about a girl named Ella Foote who lived in Breckenridge in the early mining days. She appears in one of the most famous pictures of Breck during the “Big Snow” of 1898–1899, peering through a snow tunnel that had been built by residents. See if you can spot this photo in your gallery. Ella’s father, Robert W. Foote was a prominent Breckenridge businessman, owning Denver Hotel on Main Street and becoming the first general manager of Wellington Mines Company. There was a mine named the Ella Mine, assuming that it was named after her. He held office as the mayor twice among other public service and political accomplishments. But enough about her father; Ella Foote wrote the history of Breckenridge at 11 years old for a school assignment which ended up being published in the local newspaper The Summit County Journal and became a talking point for the town because it was still a bit unclear if Breckenridge was intentionally spelled as we know it today, or if it was supposed to be Breckinridge. You can read part of her essay in the original newspaper here. If you want to learn more about how Breckenridge was named, see this article by Breck History. The newspaper archives dropped Ella Foote after the early 1920’s and I couldn’t find further information about her after an alleged marriage to the name Theobald. If you know of Ella’s further whereabouts, let me know. THE HISTORICAL ARTWORK. From top to bottom: Ella Foote on horseback Main Street: Young Ella Foote poses with her horse on top of a snowbank in front of R.C. McKillip’s Livery and Feed Store on the east side of Main Street in Breckenridge, Colorado. A horse drawn sleigh with passengers is stopped near the livery entry. The building with the bell cupola is Fireman’s Hall. Original creator: Circa 1899; Unidentified. Summit Historical Society Collection. Image created by Breckenridge History, Colorado. Ella Foote peers through a snow tunnel: “In this most celebrated image (above) of Victorian Breckenridge, young Ella Foote peers through a snow tunnel across Main Street during the Great Winter of 1898. That year it began to snow on November 27, and continued until February 20, 1899. Snow rose to the rooftops, people exited buildings through second story windows, and tunnels were dug across roads to allow foot traffic. The trains were helpless against 40-foot snowdrifts and Breckenridge was completely cut off from the outside world for 79 days.” Original creator: Circa 1898–1899; Unidentified. Summit Historical Society Collection. Image created by Breckenridge History, Colorado. Denver Hotel on snow covered Main Street, Breckenridge: The Denver Hotel on the west side of snow covered Main Street, Breckenridge, Colorado during the “Big Snow” event of 1898–1899. Snowfall totaled over 32 feet that winter; it was so deep it reached the hotel’s second-floor balcony. The two-story wood frame building featured paired gables and a shared false-front with the words “DENVER HOTEL”. The Post Office shares the hotel’s covered portico. Next door is a false front building with signs announcing “Bankrupt Stock” in the storefront windows. Original creator: 1898–1899; Unidentified. Summit Historical Society Collection. Image created by Breckenridge History, Colorado. Ella Foote uses wooden skis to cross a snow drift on Main Street, Breckenridge: Young Ella Foote, dressed in an overcoat, bonnet and scarf, uses a pole for balance and wooden skis or snow shoes to cross over a enormous snow drift in Breckenridge, Colorado, during the “Big Snow” of 1898–1899. Tunnels were dug through enormous snow drifts to allow passage to buildings on both sides of Main Street. In view above the snow pile is the false-front of R.C. McKillip Livery and the bell tower of Fireman’s Hall. Left foreground shows part of the Denver Hotel’s covered portico. Original creator: Circa 1899; Unidentified. Summit Historical Society Collection. Image created by Breckenridge History, Colorado. People under