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 George’s Thumb.
George’s Thumb is a double black diamond run on Peak 8. There are many rocks through the middle of this run so either enter at the top and go far left or go down Imperial Ridge and enter below the rocks. It’s a fun open space to do big turns and is recommended only for advanced riders. This run is named after George Gruber, a retired ski patroller. In the 1980s, George was assigned to accompany a photographic crew taking publicity photos of the ski area. During a shoot, only George’s thumb appeared in a photo intended for ads. Despite this, the ski area used the photo on the front of the next year’s trail map, and the ski patrol named the area George’s Thumb. This story comes directly from George and his wife, Melissa, with thanks to Mike McCord, and the original story can be found on the Summit Daily.
A sneaky businessman.
In the 1870s and 1880s, while silver mining was predominant in Breckenridge, prospectors continued searching for lode-gold deposits, particularly in French Gulch, north of Breckenridge. Unlike rounded grains, the placer gold here appeared as sharp-edged wires and leaves, hinting at a nearby lode deposit. In 1879, prospector Harry Farncomb discovered a rich eluvial gold deposit in French Gulch, the source of the placer gold. To avoid a gold rush, Farncomb kept his find secret, quietly staked a claim named Wire Patch Placer, and slowly acquired adjacent land. A year later, he deposited 300 troy ounces of gold in a Denver bank, prompting a rush to French Gulch, only for miners to find Farncomb already owned the richest ground. This unit focuses on French Gulch, which can be still explored today.
Mount Gyot at the head of French gulch: View of Mount Guyot at the head of French Gulch, southeast of Breckenridge, Colorado. Title quoted from handwritten caption on card mount: “Mount Gyot [sic] at the head of French gulch.” Original creator: circa 1880s-1903 (Creation); Westerman, Otto. J. Frank Willis Photograph Album. Breckenridge History, Colorado.
French Gulch: Dilapidated buildings occupy an area in French Gulch, near Breckenridge (Summit County), Colorado. Original creator: 1942; Wolle, Muriel Sibell, 1898–1977. Denver Public Library Special Collections, X-3182.
French Gulch dredge dumps: Piles of dredged up material sit in French Gulch, near Breckenridge (Summit County), Colorado. Original creator: 1942; Wolle, Muriel Sibell, 1898–1977. Denver Public Library Special Collections, X-3185.
Wagons haul ore from Wellington Mine and Mill operations in French Gulch, east of Breckenridge: The separating and concentrating mill at the Wellington Mine on the north side of French Gulch, east of Breckenridge, Colorado. Circa 1911. Several two-horse team wagons haul processed ore from the mill. In the foreground piles of lumber and round logs are stacked along the dirt wagon road. Original creator: Circa 1911; Unidentified. Summit Historical Society Collection. Image created by Breckenridge History, Colorado.
Men outside the Blue Hill Mining Company’s boardinghouse at the Minnie Mine, east of Breckenridge: Men stand outside the Minnie Mine and Mill boardinghouse on Mineral Hill in French Gulch, east of Breckenridge, Colorado. The one-and-half story log building featured a shingled, side gable roof and exterior wooden stairs. A wooden boardwalk fronts the building. The Minnie Mine and Mill was owned by the Blue Hill Mining Company from 1890–1904. Original creator: Unknown; Unidentified. Summit Historical Society Collection. Image created by Breckenridge History, Colorado.
Sawmill operations at the Extenuate (X10U8) Tunnel, east of Breckenridge: Piles of logs and finished mine timbers are stacked throughout the property. Original creator: Circa 1900s; Unidentified. Summit Historical Society Collection. Image created by Breckenridge History, Colorado.