Ski resort highlight
While it may seem a little odd to be thinking about snowboarding or skiing in the August heat with late summer in full swing, it can be a natural time to do some winter adventure/vacation planning. Just like you might excitedly plan a summer vacation on a frigid, gray winter day, it is fun and inspiring to plan for a winter adventure on a warm, bright summer day, especially if you are seeing mountains in the distance with some lingering snowfields on them. Even though I love summer, my mind is never far from winter, snowboarding, and daydreams of gnarly terrain and epic powder runs!
This fall, winter, and spring are widely predicted to be very influenced by a super El Niño weather cycle (and potentially one of the strongest El Niño’s on record). So, while this will likely create warmer, drier, and less snowy conditions for us in the Pacific Northwest, Idaho, Montana, and other more northerly parts of the U.S., it will hopefully create better than average precipitation and some big snowstorms for the Sierra’s of California, Wasatch of Utah, Rockies of Colorado/New Mexico, and other centrally located areas of the U.S. - ski resorts in these states are salivating about the possibility of a huge winter for the 2026-27 season!
With that in mind, I would like to highlight one resort (and region) likely to benefit from this year’s powerful El Niño – Breckenridge (and Summit County), Colorado.
Breckenridge has a lot to offer!
*5 mountain peaks in the ski area with 2,908 acres of diverse terrain and 187 named trails to explore and enjoy.
*A fun and authentic mountain town with a vibe that’s laid-back and adventurous while possessing historical roots and charm.
*Has many lodging options and non-ski diversions like: snowmobiling, ice-skating, snow tubing, and dogsledding.
*Has the highest elevation lift in North America – the “Imperial SuperChair” which ascends and drops skiers and boarders off at around 12,800 feet! You may need to acclimatize a little bit to the high altitude!
*Breck usually averages about 300+ inches of snow annually (the 2013-14 season totaled 388 inches) - this El Niño-charged winter may push totals over 400 inches?!?!?
*3 high-quality terrain parks to test your abilities: Eldorado – small, American – medium, and Freeway – large.
*Terrain breakdown: Beginner = 11%, Intermediate = 31%, Advanced = 24% and Expert only = 34% - so, there’s excitement and challenge for novices to pros.
*Large variety of bars, restaurants, music venues, and apres-ski spots for dining and entertainment.
Other cool ski areas/resorts nearby in Summit County:
*Arapahoe Basin (aka A-Basin) – if the super El Nino delivers, A-Basin could easily be open until mid to late summer of 2027! When I first experienced A-Basin in 1993, it was open through July 4th of that year
*Keystone – a sizable mountain with great all-around terrain, next door to A-Basin
*Copper Mountain – “an Athlete’s mountain” situated between Breckenridge and Vail is a fun and challenging spot
*Loveland Pass – a fave of the locals with lower priced lift tickets and quality terrain/snow
Ultimately, who knows what the weather gods have in store for us this year, but we will find out in a few short months! In the meantime, start doing some winter adventure planning so you can Experience The Ride and enjoy the snow this winter!