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 Duke’s.
This unit is named after a run that is named after a man named Paul Duke. He volunteered for the 10th Mountain Division in World War 2, eventually becoming a resort manager when Breckenridge first opened up in the 1960’s. It has been said that he rescued two employees from the Peak 8 fire that took place on January 10, 1966. Becoming a local hero, the run that was originally named Tenderfoot was renamed as Duke’s Run in 1972. The top of Duke’s is a steep and typically icy black diamond, turning into a blue on the bottom half. You can get here by following the catwalk Columbine, which can be difficult for snowboarders who are still learning how to keep their speed on flat sections.
The foundation of ski culture.
I’ve basically already told you. The theme of this unit is the 10th Mountain Division, a special forces that was developed for fighting in the high alpine during World War 2. Camp Hale in Colorado was built centrally for training these soldiers all over the Rockies. After the war, these soldiers were looking for the excitement of what they were trained for, and many of them became the foundation of the ski and outdoor industry, founding resorts all over North America, the Sierra Club, and more. You can find out more by watching the documentary below.
https://cdn.embedly.com/widgets/media.html?src=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.youtube.com%2Fembed%2FofwgUgXrAec%3Ffeature%3Doembed&display_name=YouTube&url=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.youtube.com%2Fwatch%3Fv%3DofwgUgXrAec&image=https%3A%2F%2Fi.ytimg.com%2Fvi%2FofwgUgXrAec%2Fhqdefault.jpg&key=a19fcc184b9711e1b4764040d3dc5c07&type=text%2Fhtml&schema=youtube
THE HISTORICAL ARTWORK.
From top to bottom:
Dog team bringing supplies: Three soldiers on snowshoes during training maneuvers near Camp Hale, Colorado, with two teams of six dogs and sleds. Original creator: Circa 1943–1944; Wikane, J. Harry (John Harry), 1915–1999. Credit to 10th Mountain Division Resource Center, Denver Public Library, TMD351–2017–237.
Card game: Eight Tenth Mountain Division soldiers sit on the ground playing a card game. All are wearing khaki uniforms and caps. Original creator: Circa 1943–1944; O’Rourke, Phil Credit to 10th Mountain Division Resource Center, Denver Public Library, TMD-794.
March from Camp Carson to Camp Hale: Soldiers with rucksacks and mules with cargo rest during the march from Camp Carson to Camp Hale. Original creator: Circa 1943; George Seddon. Credit to 10th Mountain Division Resource Center, Denver Public Library, TMD351–2017–345
From top to bottom:
Dog team bringing supplies: Three soldiers on snowshoes during training maneuvers near Camp Hale, Colorado, with two teams of six dogs and sleds. Original creator: Circa 1943–1944; Southworth, William A., 1921–2003. Credit to 10th Mountain Division Resource Center, Denver Public Library, TMD351–2017–237.
Card game: Eight Tenth Mountain Division soldiers sit on the ground playing a card game. All are wearing khaki uniforms and caps. Original Creator: Circa 1943–1944; O’Rourke, Phil. Credit to 10th Mountain Division Resource Center, Denver Public Library, TMD-794.
March from Camp Carson to Camp Hale: Soldiers with rucksacks and mules with cargo rest during the march from Camp Carson to Camp Hale. Original creator: Circa 1943; George Seddon. Credit to 10th Mountain Division Resource Center, Denver Public Library, TMD351–2017–345.
