Sundown, Breckenridge (411 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 Sundown. Sundown is a blue run that can be accessed by any of the lifts on Peak 9. It’s a less bust blue run and you can cut over onto Lower American to then hit the terrain park if it’s open. Sundown is like an easier version of American but still has a relatively steep pitch, so its a more difficult blue. You can also watch ski races here on occasion. I have no idea why this trail was named Sundown, but you’re definitely going down. Watch the sunset over Bald Mountain. Congratulations, you have probably the best view of Bald Mountain (Baldy) ever. This wonderful corner unit features a balcony view of town and the gorgeous mountain that hugs it. Look inside at your living room wall, and you can see Baldy over the years. From top to bottom: Breckenridge, Colorado: This view, from Sugar Loaf Mountain, of Breckenridge, Colorado, looking south, includes the tracks of the Colorado and Southern Railroad in the foreground, and the town beyond. Snow covered Bald and Boreas Mountains and their foothills are in the background. Original creator: [1900–1908?]; E.C. Peabody.. Denver Public Library Special Collections, X-1970. A woman outside George Watson’s house in Breckenridge during the Big Snow of 1899: A woman wearing a hat and fur-collared coat stands at the end of a deep trench cleared in the snow outside of George Watson’s house in Breckenridge, Colorado. Looking east with Barney Ford Hill and Bald Mountain (Mount Baldy) in the background. Handwritten caption on the reverse: “View from y’d at G.B. Watsons April 20th ‘99’. Original creator: 1899 (Creation); Unidentified. Agnes Miner Collection; Gift, Colorado Springs Ghost Town Club. Breckenridge History, Colorado. Snowy landscape view of houses and buildings in Breckenridge, looking east at the railroad tracks on Ford Hill: Snowy landscape of Breckenridge, Colorado looking east at the railroad tracks on Barney Ford Hill, with Bald Mountain in the background. Smoke rises from the stovepipes on wood frame buildings and houses. In view on the west side of Main Street, from left: the back of Denver Hotel’s two buildings side-by-side; an unidentified structure with an angled roof; rear view of the Arlington Hotel, including the backside of its curvilinear false front; J.A. Turk and Company drugstore and saloon; and other structures and houses. Original creator: Circa April 1899; Unidentified. Summit Historical Society Collection. Image created by Breckenridge History, Colorado. Men stand on the steep, snow-covered side of Bald Mountain, east of Breckenridge, Colorado: Two men stand on mine dump tailings or talus field on the side of a steep, snow-covered mountain. Caption at bottom of image: “Alpha — 7:30 6/3/22.” Probably the 7:30 Mine on Bald Mountain, east of Breckenridge, Colorado. In the distance is a view of the Ten Mile Range. Original creator: 1922 (Creation); Sayre, Robert H.. Robert H. Sayre Collection. Breckenridge History, Colorado. Breckenridge: In this view of Breckenridge, Colorado, looking southeast, the school, Fireman’s Hall, dwellings and false fronted commercial buildings are interspersed with evergreens. The sheds, depot and freight cars of the Colorado and Southern Railroad are in the foreground, and snow covered Barney Ford Hill and Bald Mountain are in the background. Original creator: [1890–1899?]; Westerman, Otto. Denver Public Library Special Collections, X-1966. The old miner, Mt. Baldy near Breckenridge: watercolor; 10 x 15.5 in., Denver Public Library Western Art Collection. Original creator: Unknown; Perrin, J., artist. Denver Public Library Special Collections, C79–99 ART.
Boreas, Breckenridge (408 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 Boreas. You can get to Boreas on Peak 8 by riding down Columbine catwalk and dropping into Rounders. Make sure you hand lookers-right and get ready for some steep areas. This trail is narrow and has loads of bumps and is rarely groomed. Be sure that you’re an advanced skier who enjoys mogules before attempting this run. Beautiful Boreas Pass. Nowadays this road is a scenic drive and great place to recreate. In the past, it was the lifeline to the town where all supplies and mail needed to come through. Originally called Breckenridge Pass in the 1860s and later renamed, it’s 22 miles long at over 11,000 feet in elevation. It went from footpath to stagecoach road to railroad to what you see today. It’s partially closed during the winter months, but can be a great place to go snowshoeing or skiing if avalanche conditions allow. During the summer, it’s a beautiful place to hike, camp, and visit abandoned buildings. Be sure to follow Leave No Trace Principles at all times and enjoy the scenery. Snow tunnel to the post office on Boreas Pass during the Big Snow of 1899: A man stands on top of the snow where a tunnel has been dug to access the Boreas post office, on the Boreas Pass route to Breckenridge. A shovel leans against the tunnel entrance, above a sign is stuck in the snow with the words: “Post Office”. Printed on the lower right corner of the photograph is: “50 ft. Tunnel to P.O.” Handwritten on the reverse: “Top of Boreas Pass” and “Miner[?]”. Photographer’s stamp: “O. Westerman. Photographer, Breckenridge, — Colorado.” Original creator: 1890s (Creation); Westerman, Otto. Agnes Miner Collection; Gift, Colorado Springs Ghost Town Club. Breckenridge History, Colorado. Hook-Eye Curve near Breckenridge: View of Boreas Pass and “Hook-eye Curve” near Breckenridge (Summit County), Colorado. Shows Denver, South Park, & Pacific railroad tracks, a trestle, snow fences, a snowshed and the town. Original creator: [1880–1910?]; Jackson, William Henry, 1843–1942. Denver Public Library Special Collections, WHJ-1423. Railroad snow shed on Boreas Pass after the Big Snow winter of 1899: View looking through the wood-framed railroad snowshed on Boreas Pass, along the Boreas Pass route from Como to Breckenridge, Colorado. Handwritten on the reverse: “Snowshed — Boreas Pass” and stamped “O. Westerman, Photographer, Breckenridge, — Colorado.” Original creator: 1899 (Creation); Westerman, Otto. Agnes Miner Collection; Gift, Colorado Springs Ghost Town Club. Breckenridge History, Colorado. House top of Boreas Pass: View of the abandoned Denver, South Park, and Pacific Railroad Company section house in the ghost town of Boreas on the summit of Boreas Pass in Summit County, Colorado. Shows a building with a cross gable roof and hewn timber outbuildings. Mountains are in the distance. Original creator: 1967; Al Bachman; gift; 1998. Denver Public Library Special Collections, Z-12854. Clearing snow off railroad tracks on Boreas Pass during the Big Snow winter of 1899: Along Boreas Pass, east of Breckenridge, Colorado, men look downslope in the direction of a rotary snowplow on the snow covered railroad tracks. Visible are dark plumes rising from the train locomotive chimney/smokestack. Handwritten on the reverse: “Clearing Boreas Pass Big Snow 1899.” Original creator: 1899 (Creation); Unidentified. Agnes Miner Collection; Gift, Colorado Springs Ghost Town Club. Breckenridge History, Colorado. Boreas Pass: The tracks of the Colorado and Southern Railroad pass over Boreas Pass, near Dillon, Colorado, in Summit County. A snowshed covers the tracks; evergreen trees grow on the hillside below the shed. Original creator: Circa 1900; Unidentified. Denver Public Library Special Collections, X-7721.
Wirepatch, Breckenridge (410 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 Wirepatch. You can get to Wirepatch by riding the Independence SuperChair on Peak 7. It’s one of my favorite blue runs with wide open spaces and big rollers. You can have fun with family and friends or do some graceful turns on your own. Be sure to not stop below a roller so you’re visible to all other riders. I’m assuming that this run was named after The Wire Patch Mine, which was opened 1882 near Breckenridge. It was mostly mined for gold, but of course picking up other materials. Time before I-70. Before there was a straight shot from the Front Range through the mountains, we had to do a lot more work to get around. While during the summer humans could travel on foot, by horse or donkey, and eventually by locomotive relatively easily, winter posed different challenges. Avalanche risk and storms hampered travel plans, and even with the rise of personal vehicles, it was still difficult to reach Breckenridge before the construction of Eisenhower Tunnel near Loveland Pass. 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. The rotary snow plow and several train engines are stopped in a deep drift of snow covering the railroad tracks on Barney Ford Hill, east of Breckenridge, Colorado, in April 1899: A well-dressed man stands on a rock overlooking the tracks, while shovelers dig out debris buried under snow that could damage the rotary’s blades. View of snowy Tenmile Range in the background. Original creator: 1899 April. Unidentified creator. Jack train loaded with Ore: A dog guides a line of burros hauling ore in pack saddles, Summit County, Colorado. Original creator: circa 1880s-1903 (Creation); Westerman, Otto. J. Frank Willis Photograph Album. Breckenridge History, Colorado. Hiram King on horseback at Peak 8 reservoir west of Breckenridge: Hiram “Hi” King on horseback at the Peak 8 reservoir about one mile west of Breckenridge, Colorado. Original creator: Circa 1896–1900; Unidentified. Summit Historical Society Collection. Image created by Breckenridge History, Colorado. Men pose by the railroad locomotive stopped at Rocky Point, east of Breckenridge: Denver, Leadville & Gunnison (DL&G) Engine Number 113 pauses on the railroad tracks at Rocky Point cut, above the town of Breckenridge, Colorado, on the way to Boreas Pass and Como. Railroad workers sit on or stand beside the locomotive’s metal frame pilot (also known as a “cowcatcher”). Another man, finely dressed in a suit and bowler hat, stands off to the side with his hands on his hips. The Denver, South Park & Pacific (DSP&P) operated Engine №113 from 1885–1889. Original creator: 1889–1899; Unidentified. Summit Historical Society Collection. Image created by Breckenridge History, Colorado. Eisenhower Tunnel: View of scaffolding and concrete forms during construction of the Eisenhower Memorial tunnel in either Clear Creek or Summit County, Colorado. Snow and mud dot building materials under an open section of the roof; men work at the side. Original creator: 1970–1980; John Gordon. Denver Public Library Special Collections, [Z-108].