Breckenridge Oktoberfest returns to Main Street for its 20th year

#Breckenridge, Colorado.

Special to the Daily

For more than a decade, Pat DeCarli has been a Breckenridge Oktoberfest volunteer.

“I started out just selling tickets and the steins and that, and then they created a cash-only booth,” DeCarli said of the booth she now runs every year. “The lines were getting pretty long, but at the cash-only we’re able to whip them in and out.”

DeCarli’s booth is smaller than the main booths on the perimeter of the event, and it’s right in the middle of the action.

“We sell beer tickets, check IDs and just give everyone a smile and hope they come back again and again,” she said.

In its 20th year, it seems the Breckenridge Oktoberfest is keeping up its continuity. The three-day celebration is held from Friday, Sept. 12, through Sunday, Sept. 14, this year, and guests can expect the same festive traditions that keep them coming back for more.

TOPPING OFF TRADITION

In years past, the event has seen some 8,000 gallons of beer, and more than a mile of pretzels consumed, according to GoBreck, the organization that promotes the event.

To kick off the weekend, the Paulaner Brewmaster’s Dinner will feature a five-course beer- or wine-pairing meal at Spencer’s in the Beaver Run Resort at 6:30 p.m. Friday, Sept. 12.

“The Brewmaster’s Dinner is a highlight of the weekend,” said Gavin Dalgliesh, GoBreck events coordinator. “Brats and pretzels are a great part of the street party, but this dinner elevates those traditions, and Paulaner knocks it out of the park with beers to match.”

The new venue for the dinner offers more seating than in years past, said Rachel Zerowin with GoBreck, which means there is still an opportunity to buy tickets.

“The dinner refines typical Oktoberfest flavors, and the pairings transform it from a kickoff party to a true food and drink event,” Zerowin said.

The beer will continue to flow throughout the weekend as Main Street Breckenridge closes and the street party comes to life with traditional costumes, authentic Bavarian food, oompah polka music and dancing, children’s activities, a keg-tapping ceremony and a 5-kilometer trail run on Saturday morning, Sept. 13. The fun is in motion until 5 p.m. on Sunday, Sept. 14.

SPIRIT OF THE SEASON

DeCarli and her husband, Wiley, sold their second home in Breckenridge last year, but they are renting their old neighbor’s place in Breckenridge this summer, and DeCarli said she simply could not miss Oktoberfest.

“I love working with the people from the town and I like the hustle and bustle — it’s kind of my forte,” she said with a chuckle. “And it’s nice that I get to work with some of the same people, year after year. I feel very honored that they ask to be with me in the booth.”

Although there will be a lot of dirndl and lederhosen attire around, event-goers will be able to spot DeCarli by her festive dress.

“They give us a T-shirt,” she said. “But I have an apron, and on it looks like a fraulein with a lot of cleavage. So I wear that over my T-shirt.”

Just be prepared to throw some layers over your costume, since the mountain weather in September can be unpredictable. DeCarli said one year, a second-hand ski shop did record fall business during Oktoberfest because it snowed.

Or if it’s cold, just keep consuming. The busy booth doesn’t allow DeCarlie to do much beer drinking or bratwurst eating of her own, but she said a must-try food vendor is “the one that has the lobster rolls.”

“They are absolutely fantastic,” she said. “The booth is usually down toward Ski Hill Road.”

Oktoberfest includes more than two dozen food vendors, with everything from spaetzle and schnitzel to cinnamon pretzels and giant apple fritters.

The festival will feature three beers from Paulaner, including the traditional Oktoberfest Weisn, which is the same brew served at the original Munich Oktoberfest in Germany. Local libations will be served from the Breckenridge Distillery, as well as a gluten-free beer by Omission and a selection of wines and drink offerings. GoBreck recommends pre-purchasing beer tickets and steins.

Music and dancing will rotate on the stage at the Blue River Plaza throughout the weekend. For full event details and to pre-purchase steins and tickets online, visit www.breckenridgeoktoberfest.com.

Courtesy of the Summit Daily News.

Frisco Main Street construction moves to Seventh Avenue

#Frisco, Colorado.

Construction in Frisco at the Main Street intersection with Madison Avenue is wrapping up as the “Step Up Main Street” project moves to its next phase down the road.

On Monday, Sept. 8, from about 5 a.m. to 10 a.m., milling work will start on Main Street from Seventh Avenue to Madison Avenue, and the eastbound lane of Main Street will experience a rolling closure (one to two blocks at a time).

Also on Monday, work will begin on Seventh Avenue between Main Street and the Granite Street alley. That part of Seventh Avenue will be closed until Friday, Sept. 12.

Then from Sept. 15 through Oct. 31, drainage work will proceed on the eastbound lane of Main Street from Seventh Avenue to Madison Avenue, which will cause one- to two-block closures.

During these one-lane closures on Main Street, the westbound lane will remain open and drivers can use Granite Street for detours.

“We really appreciate the patience and understanding being expressed by businesses and locals as we work on this first phase of the Step Up Main Street project.”
Rick Higgins
assistant Public Works director

“We really appreciate the patience and understanding being expressed by businesses and locals as we work on this first phase of the Step Up Main Street project. We have seen our share of rain during this project, but the weather over the past few days really allowed us to get back on schedule,” said Rick Higgins, assistant Public Works director.

Generally, construction will be from 6 a.m. to 6 p.m. Monday through Friday, but in consideration of weather, progress will be evaluated throughout the project and work may be allowed on Saturdays or during more expanded hours.

For more information on the “Step Up Main Street” project, call the Step Up Main Street Construction Hotline at 970-668-0836 x9, visit FriscoGov.com and click on the Step Up Main Street icon on the left, sign up online to receive the weekly construction newsletter at ow.ly/A2yX6 or come to the “Construction Coffee” on Friday, Sept. 12, from 9 a.m. to 10 a.m. at Abbey’s Coffee at 720 Main St.

Courtesy of the Summit Daily News.

Park City Mountain Resort must pay $17.5 million to stay open

#Vail Resorts.

Park City Mountain Resort will have to pay $17.5 million to stay open this winter during an ongoing court battle between two ski company titans.

The ruling is much closer to Park City’s $6.6 million request than the $124 million demand from its opponent, Vail Resorts Inc., raising hopes that the ski season will go on when the snow flies. Attorneys for the Park City institution, however, said their clients would have to decide whether to post the money.

“We’re certainly hopeful there will be a ski season,” Park City attorney Alan Sullivan said.

Judge Ryan Harris required the resort to post the bond within a week to postpone an eviction he ordered in May. Harris ruled Park City missed a deadline to renew a decades-old bargain lease rate it got from a mining company in the industry’s early days.

Attorneys for the other side said they wouldn’t appeal the bond, even though it’s below their request. An attorney for Talisker, the company that owns the land, said in a statement that any suggestion the resort can’t pay is “foolishness.”

“PCMR generated over tens of millions in profits over the past three years using Talisker’s land without a right to do so,” wrote John Lund.

Vail Resorts is guiding Talisker’s legal strategy because it wants to run a resort on the land once Park City is evicted.

Park City residents and business owners who attended the hearing said the town would feel the absence if the historic resort shuttered for the season. Lost sales have been estimated at $185 million.

“I’m hopeful, yes, I think they’re community players and they know the damage a closure would create,” resident Myles Rademan said.

Without the resort that bears its name, “Park City is going to be in a world of hurt,” said Mike Sweeney, owner of the Town Lift Plaza. Even though there are two other resorts nearby, tourists come to the area to experience all three, he said.

The Utah resort, one of the state’s largest, has been a fixture in the state’s ski culture for 50 years and served as the training ground for Olympians like Ted Ligety. The country’s largest ski resort operator, Vail Resorts, wants to take it over as well as the neighboring Canyons it started operating last year.

But even if the current owners, Powdr Corp, are evicted, Vail can’t simply move in because Powdr owns the land at the bottom of the hill.

“One of them owns a beach, and the other owns the beachfront hotel,” Lund said.

The stakes are high. Both companies are trying to acquire as many resorts as they can in an effort to strengthen their hands in the lucrative ski industry, said Ralf Garrison, a Denver-based ski industry consultant with The Advisory Group.

Park City is owned by the wealthy Cumming family and is part of Powdr Corp., which is also of one of the country largest ski companies. Consolidation offers protection from variables like weather and offers savvy skiers lift passes with privileges around the country, Garrison said.

“Vail and the Cumming family ... are both really competing for those other independent resorts that might become available,” Garrison said.

Vail’s 10 resorts also include properties in the Midwest and the Lake Tahoe area. Powdr owns seven major U.S. ski areas, from Vermont’s Killington to Oregon’s Mt. Bachelor.

Though there are two other resorts in the area, Park City Mountain Resort has deep historical roots and is physically connected to the ski town through a lift on its Main Street. The resort also employs about 2,000 people, and it’s responsible for at least a third of the 1.84 million skiers who come every year to Park City.

“We’re in the moment of highest anxiety,” Park City Mayor Jack Thomas said. “I don’t think I’ve seen an issue more important than this in the 50 years I’ve been skiing up here.”

“It’s now getting to the point where people are getting pretty nervous about what’s going to happen this winter,” said Hans Fuegi, owner of the Grub Steak.

Lifts began running at what was then called Treasure Mountain in 1963, starting off the modern-day ski industry in the town about 30 miles east of Salt Lake City that hosted many 2002 Winter Olympic events.

It’s where many locals taught their children to ski, said Thomas, and also served as a training ground for Olympians.

“Where’s next Ted Ligety coming from if (Park City resort) shuts down?” Thomas said.

Courtesy of the Summit Daily News.

Colorado peaks dusted with snow, but forecasts show extended summer

#Breckenridge, Colorado.

Tim Finnigan / Arapahoe Basin Ski Area

Breckenridge residents who woke up to snow-covered peaks Friday morning might be wondering what season it is.

“It’s really not the beginning of winter yet,” said Todd Dankers, meteorologist with the National Weather Service office in Boulder, and the folks clinging to summer are still winning over the ones craving powder.

The weather system Summit County experienced Thursday night was a combination of moisture coming from the south and a cold front out of the north, he said. The precipitation was consistent with the late-summer monsoon pattern, while autumn and winter storms typically come from Canada and the Pacific Northwest.

Satellite imaging showed the system that produced Friday morning’s dusting stretching into Mexico, Dankers said. Summit’s highest mountains are simply tall enough to produce snow even with subtropical moisture.

At Arapahoe Basin Ski Area, employees shared photos Friday of snow at the resort’s summit and on runs leading to the midmountain restaurant in hopes of getting skiers and riders excited for the upcoming season.

The resort, which typically opens before the rest in the Colorado mountains, started making snow last year on Sept. 28, and the first significant snowfall occurred a week or so before that, said Adrienne Saia Isaac, communications manager.

The latest dusting is one of a few the tallest mountains around Summit have seen in the last couple weeks.

The forecast going into next week calls for warmer weather and the chance of afternoon thunderstorms typical of late summer, but from here on out, every passing storm could bring dustings, and the line of white likely will move farther down the mountains each time, said Nolan Doesken, state climatologist at Colorado State University.

SUMMER RAINS O’ER ME

If the rain in Summit over the last month seemed above average, that’s because it was a little wetter than normal in the High Country, Dankers said.

Other parts of the state saw much heavier than usual precipitation last month, with areas in the northeastern plains receiving a rare 7 to 8 inches of rain.

This summer also has been on the cool side, Dankers said, and soon the season might feel like it’s lasting a little longer. In the latter half of September and early October, the region likely could see a large ridge swing through that would dry out the area.

Fall happens meteorologically speaking, Doesken said, “when you no longer have midday and afternoon cumulus clouds that have marked your weather for the whole summer.”

Summer’s vertically oriented, cauliflower-shaped clouds become flatter with wave formations in autumn, he said, and the most likely time of year for the weather to be totally clear, without a cloud in the sky, is around the end of September.

The feeling of fall and the word September, for many Coloradans, might bring to mind scenes from last year of catastrophic flooding in Boulder County and across the state. Dankers said he hasn’t seen any weather systems in the forecast similar to what created those emergency situations.

“Hopefully we won’t get a repeat of that,” he said. “The weather pattern today is nowhere like that pattern we had last year.”

Plus the entire week right before the flooding in Colorado was hot, Doesken said, which isn’t the case this year.

NIÑO OR NO NIÑO

Looking to the forecast for the rest of winter, Dankers said, early September is a bit too soon to predict with much accuracy.

However, meteorologists have been watching the Pacific this summer in anticipation of the phenomenon known as El Niño.

Earlier in the summer, sea surface temperatures were indicating a strong chance of El Niño, which would have implications for the way snow distributes in the mountains.

In the last month or so, that situation changed and isn’t developing the way scientists expected, Dankers said, so they are now predicting a 60 percent chance of El Niño.

A strong El Niño would increase the chance of more snow than usual in the southern Colorado mountains, from Aspen into the San Juans, as long as the phenomenon doesn’t move too far south into Arizona and New Mexico. “Then even the San Juans get cheated out of snowfall.”

In the northern and central mountains, from Steamboat into Summit and Eagle counties, snow distribution would depend more on the kinds of storms that develop later in the winter.

The effect of a weaker El Niño, which is happening this year, Doesken said, is less clear cut.

“It’s by no means a guarantee of heavy snows for the northern Rockies,” he said. “That’s not the right logic for Summit County.”

Dankers said the last super-strong El Niño was in the winter of 1997-98, when an October snowstorm produced a couple feet of snow in Denver.

During El Niño years, he said, Colorado often sees singular storms that produce heavy snow while the rest of winter is drier with less evenly distributed snowfall. Dankers said people shouldn’t pin that pattern on El Niño, though.

“It’s a tricky thing to forecast these seasonal things,” he said. “When you get a good pattern, you go out and make the most of the snow and don’t worry about what produces it. You ski the stuff.”

Courtesy of the Summit Daily News.

Summit County representatives hold public meeting on wildfire risk and property insurance

#Breckenridge, Colorado.

The Summit Association of Realtors will host a free lunch and joint town hall discussion with local Colorado Rep. Millie Hamner and Summit County Commissioner Dan Gibbs on Friday, Sept. 12, from noon to 2 p.m. at the Frisco Day Lodge tubing hill.

The community discussion will focus on issues related to homeowner difficulties with maintaining or obtaining property insurance in Summit due to perceived wildfire risk. The group also will discuss defensible space mitigation and confusion among homeowners as to the conflicting differences between what local fire departments and insurance companies consider defensible space. Participants will include local fire departments, insurance companies and Bobbie Baca with the Colorado Division of Insurance.

YOU CAN JAM

Canning and pickling food have increased in popularity as more people join the modern sustainable agriculture movement and try to eat locally.

Colorado Mountain College Culinary Kitchen in Breckenridge will host three hands-on food preservation workshops, starting Monday, Sept 8, with a session that includes making salsa or spaghetti sauce, or both.

Each workshop in the series starts at 5:30 p.m., lasts about three hours and costs $20. Those who sign up for all three workshops will receive $10 off. Participants must be at least 16 years old.

Call (970) 668-5703 to RSVP, pay with card and reserve one of the limited spots. For more information, contact Jenny Hammock at jenny@highcountryconservation.org.

NO SWAN SONG FOR THIS RIVER

Righting the Swan River after mining operations turned it upside-down continues with project partners Trout Unlimited, the Friends of the Dillon Ranger District, The Blue River Watershed Group and Summit County Open Space and Trails.

The group will host a volunteer day Saturday, Sept. 13, as part of an effort to rehabilitate the Swan to pre-mining days.

Volunteers should bring snacks, lunch, water, sunglasses, long pants, layers and work gloves and expect to plant trees, roll rocks, spread grass seed and enjoy streamside beer and soft drinks.

From Highway 9, turn east at Tiger Road and go up the road to the parking lot to meet at 9 a.m. The work day, which will end around 1 p.m., is a no-pet event. Contact Friends of the Dillon Ranger District or visit FDRD.org to sign up.

GUIDE PARKS AND WILDLIFE

Hunting, fishing and off-highway vehicle regulations are on the agenda when the citizen group that guides Colorado Parks and Wildlife meets in Glenwood Springs next week.

The 11 members, who are appointed by the governor to regulate and set policies for Colorado’s state parks and wildlife programs, also will discuss wildlife management strategies and the Colorado Water Plan.

The meeting begins at 8:30 a.m. Thursday, Sept. 11, at the Ramada Inn at 124 W. Sixth St., and should finish shortly after noon on Friday, Sept. 12. The commission also will hold public meetings in Burlington in November and Colorado Springs in December.

For more information, visit cpw.state.co.us.

COLORADANS WANT CLEANER AIR

Colorado environmental organizations presented 189,286 public comments from Coloradans supporting carbon pollution limits to the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency and U.S. Sens. Mark Udall and Michael Bennet on Wednesday.

The comments come from Colorado citizens, including public health officials, business owners and local elected officials, supporting the EPA’s proposed rules to limit carbon pollution from power plants.

“As we approach the one-year anniversary of last fall’s historic flooding, we are reminded that these are the types of events that will become more frequent and severe if we fail to act,” said Kim Stevens, campaign director for Environment Colorado.

“The message is clear: Coloradans want cleaner air and less industrial carbon pollution,” she said. “They want action to protect their kids and their communities from the dangerous effects of climate change.”

HELP SUMMIT HUTS

Summit Huts Association is looking for volunteers to help ready the cabins for winter.

The organization will host volunteer work days at Janet’s Cabin Sept. 12, 13 and 14 and at Section House and Ken’s Cabin on Oct. 4.

Volunteer days include hard physical labor, including loading and unloading helicopter cargo nets, wood splitting and stacking, maintenance projects and cleaning. Janet’s Cabin volunteers must be prepared to hike or bike to the cabin, where they can spend Friday or Saturday, or both, nights. Dinner and breakfast will be provided.

For each day worked, volunteers earn a free night in the hutmaster’s quarters. Volunteers must reserve their space in advance. Visit summithuts.org for more information or email summithuts@colorado.net to sign up.

Courtesy of the Summit Daily News.

Sculpture on the Blue continues through Sunday, Oct. 12, in Breckenridge

#Breckenridge, Colorado.

Special to the Daily

For the 10th year, the Breckenridge Public Art Commission is hosting Sculpture on the Blue, a rotating outdoor sculpture exhibition along the Blue River Plaza in Breckenridge. On Wednesday, Sept. 3, the public can tour the artwork and vote for their favorite sculpture for the title of People’s Choice.

“Public art is about creating a sense of place, so it’s about community and a way for the community to feel engaged in the process,” said Jenn Cram, manager of the Breckenridge Arts District and public art program.

A voting box and brochures with voting slips will be available at the Welcome Center, 203 S. Main St., and voting will remain open through Sunday, Oct. 12. The 10 sculptures are solicited, juried and on loan to the Public Art Program seasonally, and the exhibition changes each year. In addition to the People’s Choice award, the Public Art Commission also awards Best of Show. Both commendations come with cash prizes for the winning artists, which help make the event more attractive and worthwhile to the sculptors.

“So many communities ask for a sculptor to give a sculpture on loan,” Cram said, adding that the committee also hosts a reception for the artists when the sculptures are installed in May.

The current installation includes work done by artists from Colorado, Kentucky, Idaho, Minnesota and Oregon. Signage with each work includes the title of the piece and the artist’s contact information to allow people to get in touch with artists about purchasing individual pieces, if desired, Cram said.

Patrons also have the option of buying a piece and donating it to the town for permanent display. In recent years, several pieces from Sculpture on the Blue, including “Gone Fishing,” “My Book,” “Kachina Steel” and “Lydia First Violin and Athena First Flute,” were purchased privately, then donated to Breckenridge’s permanent public art collection.

“If someone is interested in purchasing a piece and donating it back to us, they would contact me, we would meet and discuss it, and the Public Art Commission would see if we want to accept it into our permanent collection,” Cram said. The commission considers its current collection and factors such as available space and overall presentation before accepting a donation. “We see if it’s a good fit for us.”

The exhibit will remain on display through Sunday, Oct. 12, when the sculptures will be returned to their creators. Much of the work to install and remove the pieces falls to the Breckenridge Public Works Department, Cram said.

“We could not do Sculpture on the Blue without the help of our Public Works Department,” she said. “They work with the sculptors to unload them and install them each year. It’s a wonderful resource that we have for this program.”

STEEL ON STEEL

The subject matter and materials for the pieces chosen for Sculpture on the Blue are intended to be broad, giving viewers an opportunity to experience a variety of sculptural styles and to allow artists freedom of expression, Cram said. One of the sculptures, “Caught Up,” by Hood River, Oregon, artist Chris Rench, combines painted mild steel with stainless steel, a pairing that the artist said provides the durability and cost-effectiveness that many public projects require.

“When I first started years ago, I was working with these red orbs,” Rench said. “I had a vision of how they would be caught up within a sculpture themselves, creating a drip effect. It combines the mild steel in red and the stainless steel colors together. I made a version of that much bigger for a heart surgeon who was convinced it was veins and arteries, but everyone sees something different, which is the enjoyable aspect of abstract for me.”

Rench said he’s currently finishing up his 23rd large-scale project.

“With mild steel and stainless steel, you get the best of both worlds,” he said. “They are both materials that you can manipulate pretty well.”

CONVERSATIONS IN BRONZE

Sculptor Shohini Ghosh, of Highlands Ranch, said her piece “Gossip” is part of a larger series titled “Dialogue.” The bronze sculpture depicts three women sitting together.

“I liked the coordination of the two or three people, the dynamics of it, in a sculptural interaction,” Ghosh said. “I love doing sketches of women, and I find that women love to sit down and chat, and it doesn’t necessarily have to be negative, just something you connect with friends, exchanging news and gossip and things that have happened in the day.

“I progressed to create a piece on those lines because it’s OK to meet with our girlfriends once in a while just for a fun time to let go of the stress of the day or catch up with everyone else. So that’s how the idea came to mind.”

Ghosh said “Gossip” was installed in Sioux Falls, South Dakota, where it was often photographed and became the highlight of many evening walks and nights out on the town for groups of women. Ghosh, who has been sculpting since 1991, said she enjoys hearing stories about interactive experiences people have with her work.

“I like sculptures that have an interactional quality and something that is not only beautiful but has meaning to where it’s placed,” she said, adding that the colorful patinas applied to the women’s dresses are also a favorite element.

“This piece has a couple of colors, each dress is colored in green, blue or red, and I love making patinas with my bronze pieces,” she said. “The patina fascination has progressed to using it on two-dimensional paintings, as well, as a form of paint.”

Courtesy of the Summit Daily News.

Colorado ski areas upgrade facilities for 2014-15 winter season

#Breckenridge, Colorado.

File Photo / Summit Daily News

With local ski resorts just one month away from firing up the snowmaking machines, locals and visitors might be dreaming of fast groomers and deep pow.

The 2013-14 season experienced record-setting visitor numbers in the Colorado mountains, and resorts have been busy this summer installing upgrades and planning improvements they hope will keep the skiers and riders coming.

From major investments in on-mountain dining and learning centers to new chairlifts and snowmaking systems, here’s a roundup of the changes to expect this winter.

A-BASIN

Like a food truck, Ski Cooper’s ‘Cat Trax’ mobile food service will bring hot food to different locations on the mountain.

Arapahoe Basin Ski Area will unveil a new Kids Center in the spring. The three-story, 7,100-square-foot, $2.3 million center will be a place for kids in lessons and programs to rent gear, grab meals and warm up.

The building will house kids’ ski and snowboard rentals, lesson check-ins, a kitchen and dining space for snowsports students, a new first aid room, an employee locker room and expanded office spaces for the ski patrol.

In keeping with A-Basin’s commitment to environmental stewardship, the center will be outfitted with solar energy panels, low-flow toilets and a low-energy lighting system and will be decorated with ecology education displays.

Guests can follow the construction progress on the A-Basin Facebook page. For more information, visit http://bit.ly/A-Basin-WhatsNew2015.

BRECKENRIDGE

This winter will be the first full season for Breckenridge Ski Resort’s Peak 6 terrain expansion, which opened last year on Dec. 25.

The biggest change at the resort from last season will be an upgraded Colorado Super Chair. The quad express lift will become a six-passenger express, increasing capacity on Peak 8’s most-used lift by 30 percent, helping to disperse skiers to the surrounding peaks and providing a faster route from Peaks 6 and 7 to Peak 9.

The resort will reopen Peak 9 Restaurant, for 40 years under private ownership, with an entirely remodeled interior.

COPPER

Last winter, Copper Mountain introduced its Sherpa smartphone app, which provides hands-free, real-time insider intelligence across the entire mountain and was voted the 2013/2014 Best Use of Mobile Technology by the National Ski Areas Association. New this season, Copper will hand over Sherpa’s controls to everyone, and guests can create and share their own mountain tips and favorite trails.

Anyone will be able to leave geo-located audibles for others to hear when they ski or ride through them, and Copper will reward the best contributors with swag, tickets, passes and a prized spot on the next season’s winter trail map. Learn more at CopperColorado.com/Sherpa.

LOVELAND

Loveland Ski Area is adding a second Magic Carpet surface lift at Loveland Valley, the resort’s beginner learning area, as well as Ginny Lee Cabin, a new warming hut off Chair 8 with views, restrooms and vending machines.

At Loveland Basin, a newly remodeled cafeteria will be unveiled this season with more food and beverage options and a more convenient dining experience.

The resort also has invested in snowmaking upgrades at both Loveland Basin and Loveland Valley to improve efficiencies and productivity. For more information, visit skiloveland.com.

KEYSTONE

Keystone Resort’s ski and ride school facility for kids will introduce a new slide that provides access to the snow from inside the building.

This year the Family Ski Trail, the School Yard, which was launched last season, will feature skiing and riding with Keystone’s mascot, Riperoo. The resort’s avy dogs and patrol teams will make regular photo appearances. The resort will also introduce a new “mine” in Riperoo’s Forest, a family adventure zone adjacent to the School Yard.

At the Bighorn Bistro, parents who want some alone time can take advantage of a new family brunch with separate perks for kids. Regular drinkers at the base area can take advantage of a new “mug club” at the Last Lift Bar at the Mountain House.

SKI COOPER

Ski Cooper will offer an on-mountain mobile food service with the new “Cat Trax” snow-cat. Like a food truck, Cat Trax will serve hot food at different locations on the mountain.

The rental shop will improve on last season’s remodel with more advances in efficiency that will enhance the flow of guests renting skis and snowboards.

In the base lodge, guests will experience the newly enhanced Pub. With an even more laid back vibe and atmosphere, the Pub will feature an Irish theme with Irish music and quality Irish beer. For more information, visit skicooper.com.

WINTER PARK

Lunch Rock Restaurant, Winter Park Resort’s largest on-mountain building construction in more than 25 years, will be a state-of-the-art facility used year-round, with a 150-seat heated deck, 250-seat indoor restaurant, bar and hydration station all with Colorado themes.

At 16,000 square feet, the new restaurant will be more than five times larger than the previous structure at Lunch Rock, which was built in 1985 at 11,200 feet. For more information, visit lunchrock.co.

Winter Park also will celebrate its 75th anniversary Jan. 28 with a weeklong series of events that kicks off with a celebration at the resort and finishes with Mary Jane’s 40th birthday party.

For more information on changes at other resorts, including Aspen/Snowmass, Crested Butte, Eldora Mountain Resort, Powderhorn, Purgatory at Durango Mountain Resort, Silverton Mountain, Ski Granby Ranch, Steamboat, Sunlight Mountain, Telluride and Wolf Creek Ski Area, visit blog.coloradoski.com.

Courtesy of the Summit Daily News.

Breckenridge parking survey provides insight into visitor behavior

#Breckenridge, Colorado.

After compiling almost a year’s worth of survey data, Breckenridge is creeping closer towards improving parking and traffic flow in and around the bustling town core.

The data will ultimately help the town develop a parking and transit master plan. Survey responses, from both visitors and residents, was collected during the months of December, March, April and July.

Not surprisingly, a vast majority of respondents, both local and visitors alike, vehemently opposed parking meters in the downtown core.

Seventy-one percent of local residents opposed meters, but 18 percent were open to the idea if certain provisions were met. Those include free parking after a certain time, more convenient parking for access to work, frequent public transportation and reasonable cost and time limits.

While opposition remained strong to parking meters, the idea of a municipal parking deck, referred to as the “F Parking Structure,” received much more support. Forty-five percent of locals supported a parking deck while 22 percent opposed. But only the day visitor respondents were most likely to ever use such a structure, especially for ski trips (76 percent), while only 33 percent of local respondents were likely to ever use it for work.

Seventy-one percent of local residents opposed meters, but 18 percent were open to the idea if certain provisions were met.

“We’re trying to figure out behavior patterns and what me might need in the coming years,” said Kim Dykstra-DiLallo, spokeswoman for town of Breckenridge. “We’re looking at surveys and parking now and building a complete study around it.”

The surveys did unveil some interesting visitor behavior patterns.

People travel to Breckenridge for a lot more reasons in the summer than they do in winter. A staggering 95 percent of all respondents said the main reason they visit in the winter is for winter sports. However, in the summer, wining and dining was the primary purpose to visit Breckenridge, followed by various outdoor activities, business and shopping.

Although shopping was low on the list for summer travelers, they are much more likely to shop than their winter counterparts. Twenty-four percent of summer travelers came to Breckenridge intending to shop while only 8 percent did so in the winter. Also, 89 percent of summer visitors planned to visit Main Street at some time during their stay, while less than half said they planned to do so in March or December.

Summer travelers were a little bit more environmentally friendly in some ways, but not in others. For example, visitors carpooled at higher rates in the summer. The average vehicle carried three passengers in the summer compared to 2.6 per vehicle in the winter. However, summer visitors were one-third as likely to use public transportation with only 8 percent of summer respondents ever using a bus or shuttle at least once during their visit.

“With summer data included, the information provided in the current ... surveys provides for a clearer picture of the demographic patterns, and behaviors of our users, as well as information on what they are looking for from a parking and transit management plan,” reported Shannon Haynes, Breckenridge chief of police.

RRC Associates, a research firm out of Boulder, has helped the town gather much of the data in the sparking and transit study. All the information will be used to ultimately create a parking and transit master plan.

Courtesy of the Summit Daily News.

Frisco’s Mount Royal Hill Climb returns for third year

#Frisco, Colorado.

Sebastian Foltz / sfoltz@summitdaily.com

The third annual Mount Royal Hill Climb will return to Frisco Saturday, Sept. 6, with an 8:30 a.m. start. The event will present runners with a challenging 5K that includes 1,500 feet of elevation gain from start to finish. Racers will start in Frisco at an elevation of 9,072 feet and finish on Mount Royal’s 10,500-foot summit.

The first man and woman to reach the top will be declared King and Queen of the Mountain, respectively. The race will start at the old community center building at the corner of Third Avenue and Granite Street. From there runners will head toward the Mount Royal Trailhead.

The top three overall male and female finishers will receive awards following the race at the Frisco Historic Park lawn. The Mount Royal Hill Climb kicks off Frisco’s Fall Fest — a celebration of local food and art at the Frisco Historic Park. For more information on Fall Fest, go towww.FriscoFallFest.com.

“I’ve run Mount Royal with friends and co-workers a few times this summer, and I marvel at the view and the fun accomplishment each time. It is a really doable race for most anyone. Expect a little power hiking, huge grins along the way and a great view at the top,” Linsey Kach, Frisco recreation programs manager, said.

The Hill Climb is limited to 150 runners, and the first 100 runners to register will receive an event tech T-shirt. Pre-registration is $35 for adults 18 and older and $25 for youths 17 and under. A fee of $10 will be applied to all day-of registrations. Day-of registration will be at the old community center building, Third and Granite. A portion of the race proceeds will benefit the Friends of the Dillon Ranger District. All ages are welcome. Racers will receive light refreshments following the event at the Frisco Historic Park.

For more information and to pre-register, go to www.RuntheRockies.com or contact Linsey Kach at linseyk@townoffrisco.com or (970) 668-9133.

Courtesy of the Summit Daily News.