Breckenridge Ski Resort's Master Plan

Breckenridge vice president of operations Rick Sramek described the master plan as a road map for the next six to eight years. The list of projects updates the existing ski area master plan, a document that dates back to the 1980s and has been updated with projects like the Imperial Express lift.

Along with upgrades to existing facilities and terrain, Sramek said the resort is considering an expansion on Peak 6, an as-yet undeveloped part of the ski area's permitted terrain. The Peak 6 expansion is likely to generate the most discussion.

According to Sramek, the improvements won't significantly add to skier visit totals at Breckenridge, but are intended to meet the existing demand. Together, the upgrades would boost the area's "comfortable carrying capacity" to about 18,000 skiers per day, a number that Breckenridge sees on a regular basis on peak days.

Roger McCarthy, ski area chief operating officer and vice president of Vail Resorts mountain division, acknowledged during the January work session that Peak 6 plans may stir some controversy. But he said no one should be surprised by the idea, given that Peak 6 has been zoned for ski area use since a revised White River National Forest plan was released in 2002.

"We need the capacity," Sramek said at the time, describing plans to add one or two lifts on Peak 6.

The expansion would add about 400 acres of intermediate and advanced terrain that would match the demand Breckenridge is seeing.

The ski area and the Forest Service laid the groundwork for the Peak 6 expansion last year. The resort swaped terrain between the resort and the adjacent Breckenridge Nordic Center to give the resort access to a spot for the base of a new Peak 6 lift.