Breckenridge peak 6 proposal

BRECKENRIDGE — Featuring a realigned lift and more accessibility, the latest version of Breckenridge Ski Resort’s Peak 6 expansion proposal now rides on the results of a pending environmental impact statement and the approval of the U.S. Forest Service.

Resort representatives presented a comprehensive and up-to-date look at the plan to the Breckenridge Town Council during a work session Tuesday in anticipation of the release of the draft EIS, expected this spring.

“The big change is the realignment of the lift,” Breckenridge chief operating officer Pat Campbell said. “The lift has been extended down into Peak 7 ski terrain. That was to provide much-improved access.”

The proposed expansion would add a single six-person lift and 450 acres of new terrain to the resort.

The lift, a 8,200-foot high-speed detachable chair, would begin on Peak 7 and continue to a load-only mid-way station located on Peak 6 that would allow guests to continue to access Peak 6 terrain without returning to Peak 7.

The revised plan with a two-stop lift allows skiers and riders to access Peak 6 from lifts on Peak 7 and Peak 8 as well as the T-bar.

In the original plan, Peak 6 was accessible only by a fairly flat catwalk cutting through the trees from Peak 7.

“We have a lot of these catwalks and snowboarders have a difficult time with them,” said Gary Shimanowitz, director of mountain operations. “I thought that was the last thing we needed at Breckenridge was a 10-percent grade catwalk.”

The expansion would include 70 acres of cleared runs, 280 acres of lift-served terrain above tree line and another approximately 100 acres of advanced hike-to terrain.

The proposal offers intermediate-level bowl skiing, something not currently available at Breckenridge.

“It provides a more alpine experience for those middle-level (people),” Campbell said.

Of the high-alpine terrain in the proposal, 79 percent would be intermediate.

A restaurant at the mid-station on Peak 6 is also included in the current plan, though Campbell said it would not be built in the first phase of construction.

The need for expansion
The expansion is intended to offset overcrowding problems on Breckenridge’s other mountains by dispersing skiers and riders over more terrain, according to ski resort representatives.

Breckenridge has been ranked the most-visited or second most-visited ski resort in the country for several years. It tends to compete for the top spot in number of skier visits with Vail Mountain, a resort with more than double the terrain.

“We feel like we really need this project to accommodate the visitation,” Campbell said. “(Peak 6 terrain) will disperse people further out from the core of the mountain.”

Breckenridge can currently accommodate nearly 15,000 skiers and snowboarders per day comfortably, but on peak days the resort might see as many as 20,000 skiers. The Peak 6 expansion would increase the resort’s comfortable carrying capacity by approximately 1,100 skiers per day.

Campbell told the council the project was not geared to increase visits, only to mitigate crowding problems and create a better skier experience.

The expansion would fall within the resort’s existing boundaries, which extend onto Peak 5.

The draft environmental impact statement is expected from the Forest Service this spring. Its release will be followed by a 45-day public comment period, after which the Forest Service will put together a final EIS and the White River National Forest supervisor will deliver a record of decision on the proposal.

A 45-day appeal period will follow the record of decision.

Breckenridge representatives said if the project is approved, they intend to begin work during the summer construction period following the decision.