Breckenridge Colorado Ski + Gear Suggestions

Our Breckenridge Colorado Ski trip was one for the books, that’s for sure. We discovered the best Breckenridge Colorado Ski Resort and affordable ski gear.

BRECKENRIDGE COLORADO SKI

For those of you not familiar with Breckenridge, it is a beautiful town in Colorado, rich in Gold Rush history and at the base of the Rocky Mountains Tenmile Range. Although there are year-round outdoor activities, you guessed it; it is a popular ski destination.  That’s a given, considering there are an average 300 sunny days a year.  Above all else, Breckenridge has this fantastic ability to make you, the tourist, feel right at home.

OUR FIRST TIME SKIING

Cecil and I visited Breckenridge almost three years ago, in early 2016. We decided we wanted to ski and couldn’t have picked a better place than Breckenridge. The problem was, we’d never skied before. Yep, we fell more times than I care to admit. At one point, I fell so epically hard; a large bruise appeared on my hip the next day as a badge of honor. My skis went flying in the air, and the next thing I knew, I was on the ground with snow on my face, grunting as I struggled to get up. When I finally got up and dusted off the snow, I looked back at Cecil with a massive grin on my face and asked: “did you see that?”  We had to learn to ski one way or another.

Thankfully, Breckenridge has a ski school. They teach you all the basics and spend hours teaching you how to get the hand of Pizza and French fries. See what I mean below.

Photo below: Cecil on a green slope, aka beginners slopes. The second day this guy skied blues (advanced slopes), and on the last day, he tried a black diamond (for the seasoned, skiers). Yes, he is insane; that and very athletic, thankfully.

We eventually got the hang of it.  Pizza to stop. French fries to go fast. If you’re not familiar with these terms, then you’ve probably never skied, and I highly recommend the ski school. Essentially, french fries means forming parallel lines with your skies to go fast, and pizza is forming a V, touching the front tips of your ski to slow down and, hopefully, stop.

Photo below: Our second-day skiing we had sunny weather and excellent skiing conditions. We were quite sore from falling the previous day, but we were so excited to get back out on the slopes. 

Before we get into the details, first, let me clarify something.

Winter is hard for me, and I genuinely struggle to stay warm daily.  Every winter, I dread the cold.  Without the freezing temperatures of winter, though, snow would not exist.  And without snow, skiing would be impossible.  With the ski trip, naturally, staying warm was a concern for me.

It turns out; I was worried about nothing.  With the proper gear, you may even get hot while skiing.  Now, the temperature does drop quite a bit, and when it is below freezing, you will get col,d. But because skiing is so much fun, you will barely notice it.

So, if you shiver with a slight windchill like me but want to try skiing, I would tell you to go for it. But be prepared with proper gear.  If I can do it, so can you.

Below is the budget, details of our trip, and gear suggestions to stay warm.

Photo below: Our last day, skiing in sixteen-degree weather.

BUDGET: $2,000

I based the budget on research and my knowledge of skiing, which was non-existent. We went over it.  (Sad face).  Mainly because I didn’t think about including the initial investment of our ski clothes, and I budgeted $80 per person for ski passes, which is the price the website had listed. The ski passes were $100 a day per person. Yikes!

Pricey! The passes were more expensive on the days we went. Go figure.  At the end of our trip, I did my accountant thing and calculated our final number, at $2,450.

Below is the breakdown of a ski trip cost for two people with five days and four nights of lodging.

Round-trip flight: $150 + $50 for car rental.  This price was for us both.  Yep! It was an amazing price. To this day, I keep an eye on flights and lodging using these tools to get good deals on prices.

Ski gear: $500.  The final price for our gear was including a 10% off purchase, plus discounts for buying in the middle of summer (off-season).

Lodging: $600.  We paid a little extra for accommodations because of the prime location. See details in “where to stay.”

Ski Rental: $250

Ski Passes: $600.  The ski pass price was the hardest to swallow, but that’s the price you pay to get on the slopes.

Food: $250.  When we arrived, we went to the local market and got food for snacks, breakfast, and lunch. It saved us some money.

Souvenirs: $50.  A coffee cup for Cecil and two beanies.

I wish I could tell you skiing is a cheap sport, but it isn’t.

The photo below: New coffee mug. Notice the elevation, which reminded me of how tired we were the first day.  Allow your body time to adjust to the elevation.  Skiing in high altitudes when you are not used to it will wear you out.

GEAR AND EQUIPMENT

To walk around in town.

As with anything, use your judgment when it comes to visiting a city in the winter, or skiing.  Wear what feels comfortable. I highly recommend packing a parka, a chunky scarf, fleece leggings, and snow boots.

The parka, chunky scarf, and fleece leggings will keep you warm, and the snow boots will keep you from slipping and falling. Trust me; you need snowshoes. I’ve included some budget-friendly items below.

To ski.

If skiing for the first time, and don’t want the commitment of purchasing ski gear, then rent. Ski gear is expensive, but if skiing more times, it’s worth the initial investment.  To get a decent discount, buy it off-season. My one recommendation to save money is to plan your trip well in advance.

Ski Jacket Our ski jackets are Columbia brand.  They both have a thermal layer that keeps us cozy and warm even on the snowiest of ski days. I bought mine in the color purple and Cecil’s in the color grey.

Ski Pants. Aka, my sexy pants. That’s what I call them because they are not sexy at all. Haha. They do keep me warm, so I am not complaining. These pants have a waterproof layer inside that goes over the ski boot.  Snow never gets inside my pants (no matter how many times I fall), and boy am I grateful for this feature.

Ski Gloves You need these. No ifs, and, or buts about it.

Ski Goggles  In the slopes, the snow is bright and can damage your vision. A good pair of ski goggles is essential because they help you see a lot better and protect your eyes. Two brands we trust and bought gear from are Oakley and SPY.

Beany  The cutest accessory to my ski outfit is a beany.  Although sometimes it may be too chunky under a helmet. My recommendation regarding the helmet is when in doubt, wear it. Skiers who are professionals also wear them so don’t be shy.

Rental

Rent skis, ski boots, and ski poles at any local shop.  We rented ours from the shop in the resort we stayed at, and the prices were reasonable.  Cecil and I want to save some money to buy our own one day, though.

 

WHERE TO STAY

When it comes to lodging, I always research before booking anything. The top thing I look for in a hotel or Airbnb is location. By the way, I am giving you $29 off your very first trip when you book through Airbnb using the link provided.

Location when skiing is important to me because I don’t want to walk a mile in heavy ski boots to get to the chairlift. I want to be as near as possible. For this reason, we stayed at Beaver Run Resort.  Conveniently located at the base of peak nine, Beaver run is a true ski-in, ski-out resort.  We would put on our boots, walk out, put on our skis, and we were ready to ski. When our ski day came to an end, we would ski down the mountain and ski to the locker room door. It was awesome.

Photo below: The view from our room.  On a clear day, the mountain views were beautiful.

WHERE TO EAT

Our plane landed in Denver, Colorado, which meant we had to drive a couple of hours to get to Breckenridge.  On our way out of Denver, we found a little gem of a restaurant called Acorn.  A small modern industrial restaurant with a lively vibe. Brunch, by the way, was delicious. And because it’s always five’clock somewhere, we had drinks.

Acorn

Top left: Drinks before lunch. Top right: Shrimp and Grits. Bottom: a jalapeno martini with a cuttle little rosebud.

The Motherload.   A yummy restaurant with a great atmosphere, The Motherload is a must.  They are known for their burgers, by the way. And their live music and cozy vibe make you feel right at home.

Lunch.  Try any restaurant on the slopes. There are more than a few, and they all serve lunch and drinks. Yes, please! Plus, the views from the mountains are unbelievable.

We ate lunch or had drinks at two different places on the slopes.  They were on our way down, so we stopped. For the most part, though, during lunch, we would ski down and fix sandwiches in our room.  Thankfully our room had a big fridge and small kitchenette, where we were able to stock food for breakfast, lunch, and snacks.

The photo below: Cecil having coffee. Not pictured: my hot chocolate.

We did try a Mexican restaurant suggested by two guys who have been going to Breckenridge since they were kids.  It was not good, and we should have known better, me being Mexican and us being from Houston. Haha! But we had to try it because Mexican food is Cecil and I’s favorite food.

WHAT TO DO

In the winter.  Cecil and I have been to Breckenridge Colorado only in the winter, so I can’t speak for summer activities.   The main outdoor activities during the winter season are skiing, snowboarding, fat biking, winter fly fishing, ice rock climbing, and dog sledding.

We only partook in skiing, and we thoroughly enjoyed it.  Although fly fishing sounds exciting and I’d like to try it one day.

A TRIP TO REMEMBER

Looking back on our Breckenridge vacation, I don’t regret a thing.  Maybe that we didn’t stay longer, but that only means we will have to go back.

Breckenridge downtown is adorable, with Victorian charm.  I highly recommend a visit during the day if you have time.

Since our first skiing adventure, Cecil and I have been skiing to other beautiful places, and every time, they are a blast.

Our ski trips are the most memorable vacations Cecil and I’ve taken. There is something special about the challenge of skiing beside my best friend that fills my heart to the rim. I love the windchill on my face as my skis glide on the bright powdery snow, down the mountain. We’ve giggled, we’ve fallen, we’ve learned, and we’ve grown together. We have made some incredible memories while on mountain peaks.

As it turns out, I love skiing so much that I am willing to freeze my tooshie off for a couple of unforgettable days on the snow.  I’ve even considering, buying skis because I would love to ski for as long as my legs and body let me.

What about you? Have you been skiing? Better yet, have you been to Breckenridge? Let me know in the comment below.

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Thank you so much for reading!

With love and gratitude,