![]() ![]() Main Street was the only street that was paved. “I just really liked the funkiness and rusticness of the town at the time. “Once I got here and I hiked up Peak 8 and checked out the town for a few days, I just knew this was where I wanted to be,” Ahern said. Patti Ahern, who also started as a lift operator in the ’70s, moved to the area from Connecticut in 1976. “As time went on, it was quite obvious that (Breckenridge) was going to become a very integral part of the ski industry.” “When I first came over here, there were maybe two buildings on my route to get to Ski Hill Road,” Hamilton said. Hamilton, who grew up in Como, recalled driving to Breckenridge in just 25 minutes. Hamilton said the new lifts made skiing more accessible by making it much faster to get up the mountain, which encouraged more people to try the sport. ![]() “The quad detachable idea, although it developed in Europe, they wouldn’t allow them to build anything greater than a triple, so Quicksilver lift, the Doppelmayr, was the first detachable quad in the world, and that was a significant change in the way things happen in Breckenridge,” Hamilton said. He said one of the most important changes to the mountain was the introduction of the detachable quad chair. Mather Archives, Breckenridge Heritage Alliance Changes over timeĮmployees who have been with the resort since the 1970s have seen how the mountain itself has progressed over the years.ĭoug Hamilton, senior manager of building maintenance, started his career at Breckenridge as a lift operator in 1974. … It’s just crazy what happened in these 60 years.”Ī view of Breckenridge Ski Resort’s Peak 8 is pictured in 1965. We didn’t know it was going to be that huge. “It’s proof that we did the right thing,” Berge said. The first Ullr Dag was in 1963, and the event continues today as Ullr Fest.Īs for how popular the mountain has become, Berge said it simply goes to show that the founders had the right idea. ![]() So the directors of the ski school - Berge and Sigurd Rockne, who also helped to found the ski area - came up with the idea of Ullr Dag to draw people to Breckenridge. There was a week in early 1962 when there were only two paying customers on the mountain - a couple on their honeymoon. “Ultimately, it’s amazing how quickly … that Peak 8 Ski Area went from just being an idea to a reality.”īreckenridge opened in 1961, a year before Vail Mountain opened in 1962.īut Breckenridge wasn’t an instant success. We don’t think Breckenridge should be able to get their ski area before we get our permitting and our design and our ski mountain open first,’ and so there was this little battle between Vail and Breckenridge as to which mountain would open first,” O’Neil said, adding that Breckenridge was originally named Peak 8 Ski Area. “Vail went to the Forest Service and said, ‘Wait, wait, wait, that’s not OK. pushed back, saying they were planning to open their own ski resort around the same time. ![]() Once momentum for a ski area began taking shape, The Vail Corp. Mather Archives/Breckenridge Heritage Alliance Make sure to check out what events are going on when you are in Breckenridge.A postcard shows the original ski runs on Peak 8 of Breckenridge Ski Resort.ĭr. Breckenridge also host events year-round such as The Budweiser International Snow Sculpture Championships, Uller Fest, concert series and more. With more than 30 bars, pubs, and restaurants on Main Street, Breckenridge has something for everyone from a casual atmosphere to dance clubs. Today, the now-historic buildings are home to fabulous restaurants, boutiques and other après ski hang-out spots. A true vestige of the past still remains within one special building: the Gold Pan Saloon at 103 North Main, established during the 1859 gold rush, this is one of Breckenridge’s original businesses and the oldest continuously-operating bar West of the Mississippi. It wasn’t until 1961, when Breckenridge became a popular vacation destination for thousands of skiers each year that the town grew and prospered. Once the quest for gold faded, however, its residents moved on in search of new ventures and the population dipped to a mere 400. Breckenridge was originally a mining community, which swelled into a booming town after the discovery of gold in 1859. ![]()
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