Feels Like Spring

The temperature is in the mid 30's today and it feels like heaven. You know it's been ridiculously cold when you walk outside and think it's warm, only to have the temperature gauge read 8 degrees. The low to mid 30's feel like a summer day. The snow is supposed to move back in by Thursday and winter will be back.

On Friday I begged my friend to go out for a skin/ cross country ski with me. Since she's in the process of acquiring gear, I let her use my AT (alpine touring) set up and I used my cross country skis. We headed up Baldy and had a gorgeous night ski. The best part was watching her try to skin with adjustable poles that kept shrinking until her hands were practically at her knees. Eventually she figured out how to tighten them up and the ensuing ascent was enjoyable. I wish we had a camera that night, the town looked gorgeous lit up against the snow.

The view of the ski area from the summit of Baldy. We were a little lower than this, but a couple of weeks ago, I headed out with Brett before work and skinned up to the summit and had a great ski down.

Although we've had a ton of snow, the typical Breckenridge wind has been blowing and packing down that gorgeous powder. I headed up Little French Gulch with a friend on Sunday and the snow was wind crust for the first half of the turn and the second half would be super soft, sink down to your knees snow. It was a tough ski down, but the skin up and the views were more than worth it. I had been up there two months ago and the wind drifts were five times the size they were the first time. Ridiculous.

I also made it up to Peak 6 for the first time a week or two ago.

I don't know how I have been missing that. The skin up was a little sketchy- wind buff was maybe an understatement at times, but the ski down was more than worth it. The snow was soft and deep and completely untracked.

Next week The North Face corporate and The Skylark Group, our rep group, are sending two of us from TNF Breck to a two day avalanche workshop. I lucked out and grabbed a spot. It is an industry-only avy workshop with speakers Martin Volken, an IFMGA, AMGA Guide and author of "The Backcountry Skiing Book," Andrew McLean, a ski mountaineer and author of "The Chuting Gallery," Ace Kvale, an adventure photographer, Kasha Rigby, a ski mountaineer and TNF athlete, and Brad Sawtell an avalanche forecaster. The opportunity to attend a workshop with experienced outdoorsman as well as recieve my avy one cert is pretty incredible.

I hope your winter has been soul-fulfilling thus far.

Breckenridge Ski Resort Open for The Season!

At 5:30 this morning, Breckenridge Ski Resort had reported 20" of new snow in the past 24 hours, making this one of the best openings in a number of years. The t-bar also opened today which is the earliest we have had lift access to this terrain in history! I was returning home from a product showing in California and sadly wasn't in line for the opening or the fresh pow but I'm sure it was a who's who in line this morning. Whats a who's who at the t-bar line you ask? It's when all the locals, shop owners and skilled skiers rush out to get the first and best tracks in Horseshoe Bowl and the surrounding runs.

Here's a picture of me, Sydney, Sara, Brett and Timmy on opening day just after our free french toast at One Ski Hill Place.

I promise to have lots of great pictures of us skiing some better terrain, and to keep you updated when something BIG happens at Breckenridge!

Snow Continues to Fall in Breckenridge

We may have been a little quiet about it throughout the beginning of this winter, but for a while we were in serious need of snow. Lots of snow. Much of the State of Colorado was in the same situation. This is a problem for many reasons, but three stand out the most for those of us living in the mountains. The three reasons are powder skiing, powder skiing and powder skiing. No, seriously, were not that obsessed (or maybe we are). The lack of snow can have a tremendously negative impact for the entire state. Low snowfall amounts can effect our economy, our drinking water supply, and yes, the skiing and riding.

Why are you so worried? THE SNOW IS HERE! If you're a local you already know, and if you're planning a trip to Breckenridge, CO there is nothing to worry about. In the last 7 days Breckenridge has reported 27" of new snow and there was lots last week too. Put your rock skis away kids and get ready for powder.

Check out the weather report for this week. The National Weather Service is calling for MORE SNOW!

Lets talk about the economy for a moment here. Many retailers chose to cut back drastically in the amount of product they were offering the consumer this winter season with the fear that it wouldn't sell. It you're a retailer OR a consumer you are either running out of winter gear to sell or you are having a hard time finding the right pair of snowboard pants or the perfect technical ski jacket. At The North Face Breckenridge and BreckGear.com we like to take a different approach. We have a great selection of ski and snowboard jackets, pants, waterproof and warm winter boots, fleece and quilted layering pieces, and tons more. Stop by at BreckGear.com and take a look. If you don't find it there, we have way more here at The North Face Breckenridge and we would love to hear from you. Give us a call toll free at 1-877-TNF-BRECK.

Breckenridge Ski Resort Opens Tomorrow!

Breckenridge will be opening tomorrow, November 12th for the 08-09 ski and ride season! Lifts will start turning at 9:00 am and there is sure to be a line starting early with devoted locals and front-rangers all wanting to be on the first chair. Just like last year, Breck is opening Peak 8 first, so park in town and ride the Gondola up to the base.

On a good year you would find me at the lift at 7:00 am, not to ride up, but to skin up to the Vista Hause. A little morning exercise to get the blood flowing and the legs burning. Unfortunately I busted up my knee and I will need to wait a little longer before I hit the slopes this year. Anybody know a good orthopedic?! What I will be doing is taking the five minute walk from my house to the Peak 8 base to enjoy some free pancake breakfast courtesy of The Breckenridge Ski Resort. Pancakes will be served at The Bergenhof deck starting at 8:30.

Breck will open with more skiable terrain than any other Summit County Resort, with 108 acres on 4 runs including Springmeier, Spruce, Trygve’s and lower Crescendo. The tall-t's are sure to be out too, highs in the upper 40's will bring plenty of skiers and boarders to the upper Park Lane triple jump line.

See you there!.........kind of

Athlete Profile - Bross Hannon

Sponsors: Smith Optics, The North Face Breckenridge, Lone Star Sports

A RECIPE FOR SUCCESS Bross grew up in Summit County - Colorado's playground. Influenced by his dad, a sick skier, back country enthusiast and local business owner, Bross had the support he needed to become a professional at something that comes natural to him. At home in the park, Bross can also hold his own with any all-mountain ripper in the chutes, steeps, and back country bowls.

make sure to check out this video......

Untitled from Bross Hannon on Vimeo.

Age: 15

Hometown: Silverthorne, Colorado

Home Mountains: Keystone and Breckenridge

Events: USSA Freestyle, Aspen Open

Results: 4th USSA Telluride, 2nd USSA Winterpark, 2nd A-basin big air

Coaches: Chris Carson, Everly Gohmen, Steven Smith

Interests Other Then Skiing: Skating, and just hanging out with friends


Keep posted to watch Bross progress throughout the season


WHAT COMES NEXT? Bross plans on skiing everyday and as much as he can for the rest of his life. "I hope to win larger events and compete in the Dew Tour and X Games."

Speaker Series with Jimmy Chin and Conrad Anker-Coming to Breckenridge CO!

Right here in the heart of the Rocky Mountains, Jimmy Chin and Conrad Anker will be presenting Mount Meru–"The Center of the Universe": Teamwork and Tenacity in the Himalaya. None of us here at The North Face Breckenridge are extreme athletes or mountaineers, but we are all greatly inspired and very excited to get the chance to meet these guys in person. On Saturday October 24th at 5:30pm we will be hosting a VIP party here at The North Face Breckenridge at 322 S. Main Street. You want to be inspired? Go to The North Face Speaker Series site and get yourself a ticket to the VIP party. Enjoy wine, beer and delicious food. Support the Breckenridge Outdoor Education Center with your ticket purchase. Get $20 back if you spend $100 or more in our store. All of this before you enjoy preferred seating at the presentation at The Riverwalk center. Sounds like a good deal to me!

Check out this video preview and please join us on Saturday, October 24th, 5:30 pm at 322 S. Main Street, Breckenridge, Colorado. Better known as The North Face Breckenridge!

Don't know how to get here? Its easy! HERES YOUR GOOGLE MAP


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Telluride

Telluride...more like Telluriden...HA

Recently the Breckgear.com staffers had themselves a field trip. Normally we wouldn't be caught dead cheating on Breckenridge, but we couldn't resist the chance to go on a little sortee in search of new terrain.

We found ourselves six hours to the southwest in a cowboy town called Telluride. This town, like Breck, is one of the few places in CO that was a town first and then a ski resort. This gives the town a lot more character and historical context. Telluride got its name from people saying "to hell you ride," due to its untamed wild west history, but it has a friendlier demeanor now.

It has certainly got some beautiful views. This is Drew enjoying oneAlthough we had all sorts of terrain to chose from we found we liked the tree riding the best. Steep but open, these trees offered something Breckenridge doesn't and we made the most of it.

By the way if you are there and looking for lunch...we found a winner. Its called Fat Alley. Its about a block from the base of the Gondola.

I'm pretty sure this picture sums up our experience in Telluride.

Thanks

Jasper the dog

Everyone makes mistakes

Last year the snowsports industry went crazy over the new Marker Duke, a totally new and unique product from a company that's been making ski bindings since 1952. Whats unique about the Duke is that its a downhill binding with alpine touring capabilities versus an AT biding with downhill capabilities. The folks at Marker managed to give the Duke a din setting of 16 which was previously unheard of in the world of AT bindings. How did they make this possible? Lots of heavy plastic and more metal. Those of you who like to hike up the mountain before you ski down it may see this as a problem. You're absolutely right. The Duke is noticeably heavy when you're heading up and for a skier like me, not quite necessary when you're skiing down. See, I'm a little guy. At 155 lbs and very respectful of gravity, I would never use a din setting higher than 10! In the Duke's defense, there are some dudes out there that weigh a lot more than I do and are hucking it big of cliffs and jumps. Those guys could actually use a higher din setting making the Marker Duke the ideal product. Lesson learned. I hiked today with my new Fritschi Freerides and I love them.

Lets sum this up. If you're a little guy like me and you stay on the ground most of the time, I don't think you should get it! If you're a little heavier and you go big in the air not just on the ground, it's probably perfect for you.

Stop by BreckGear.com to take a look at all the great new The North Face products available for this coming winter!!

shoulders

Shoulder.

Merriam-Webster's online dictionary defines shoulder as the laterally projecting part of the human body formed of the bones and joints with their covering tissue by which the arm is connected with the trunk.
There are a few other definitions including parts of garments, pieces of meat and a few verb definitions to include carrying a load or knocking something over.

Whichever you choose, shoulder means only one thing to the Breckgear.com crew. Cleaning. In the summit county vernacular the shoulder is the time of year between ski season and all the other seasons. A-Basin and Loveland ski areas are open for business, but we (snowsnobs) tend to find ourselves hand washing baseboards or cleaning the interior of the trash can. You and I both know that cleaning the interior of the trash can is reserved soley for the truly bored or the completely "retentive." Main street Breckenridge will soon change from tumbleweeds to toontown and thanks to the doldrums of shoulder season we will be ready and waiting for the crowds.

Although I seem to be casting these "tweener" times as pretty weak, it is actually a great time to visit summit county. The Summit Daily is teeming with 2 for 1 deals at all the restaurants, hotel rooms are less expensive and you can literally dance around in the middle of Main Street. The weather is chilly, but lets be honest, it's a great excuse to release your inner pyromaniac. You know that guy, it's the voice in the back of your head that can't wait to get all the ornaments off the Christmas tree and see how big the flames will be once it's in the fire pit.
This time of year may not be for our usual adrenaline seeking crowd but there is ample room for a more mellow crew. Come on up and visit, the locals will be siked to see you (sweet diversion) and you know the shops will be spotless.



Jasper the Dog

Take a virtual tour!

Many of you have been to our store in Breck and you know what kind of customer service we offer. If you have not been to The North Face Breckenridge before, now you can take a look around without even getting up from the chair you're sitting in! Simply click HERE to take a virtual tour of our store......its amazingly beautiful!

New Snow in the Mountains!

Book your trip to Breckenridge NOW because winter is here! On monday, Breckenridge Ski Resort Snowmakers came out from hibernation and started making snow. On top of that, I woke up this morning to see a few inches on the ground outside my house and about 6 inches at the resort. It may be october, but its time to start thinking about the upcoming ski and ride season and what type of North Face gear you need to stay warm this winter! Check out the Live Cam to view our winter wonderland and check out The North Face Breckenridge for the latest and greatest in winter outerwear.

Beautiful Miss Bucca

Much has gone on in the last week and I need to tell you about the bad news. Beautiful miss Bucca passed away last thursday, my best friend for the last 10 years. I adopted Sambucca when she was about 4 yerars old from a nice family in Belchertown Massachusets. Over the last 10 years she has been by my side keeping me company in a way only Bucca could do.

Bucca was starting to show her age and I do feel that it was her time to go. Instead of messing around with doctors and needles, Bucca found a nice little spot in the woods following a great hike to Lily Pad Lakes in Frisco, Colorado. I don't really blame her.

To make things a little better for me, Tony and I still took our trip to Fruita, Colorado and Moab Utah. Three days of mt. biking and one day on the road bike can do wonders for one's state-of-mind. Lets just say that the riding in Moab is much more technical than here in Summit County. Being rockstars, though, we tried everything we could and I only went over my handlebars once. Not bad.

Oktoberfest 2008, Breckenridge Colorado September 12th - 14th

Believe it or not, the days are getting cooler and summer is coming to end here in Breckenridge Colorado. You know what that means? Yes my friends, its time for Oktoberfest 2008!

September 12th through the 14th, Main Street in Breck will transform into a venue offering great food and drink from numerous vendors, live music with Those Austrian Guys, Schuhplattler dancers, kids’ rides and inflatables and much more. The street party kicks off on Saturday at 11 am with the first keg tapped at noon! Events on Saturday will continue through 6 pm. On Sunday the party starts at 11 am and will wind down around 5 pm. Will you be left standing?!

Oktoberfest 5k run/walk The race begins and ends at the beautiful newly expanded Riverwalk Center in Downtown Breckenridge. Get your weekend off to the right start with this 7th annual event leading you through the trails in Breck offering beautiful scenery and lasting impressions. Dont worry though, the race will be done in plenty of time to enjoy and experience the days activities!

Start time: 10 am

Call (970)453-1734 to pre-register.

Cost: Adults: $20 (pre-registered); $25 (race day)

Youth 17 & under: $10 (pre-registered); $15 (race day

VOLUNTEER! Its a great way to get involved and do something good for your community or favorite mountain town. The town of Breckenridge relies on these kind of activities to attract people to town and stimulate the local economy, but we can't do it all by ourselves.

Here's how you can help:

Beer Tent – Pouring beer or wine and collecting tickets from patrons. You must be 21.

Merchandise Tent – Selling drink tickets, steins and other event merchandise.

Set up/Tear down – Help set up/tear down the event site

For all the information you need to volunteer, call 970-453-5055

Check out the Town of Breck Website for the all the official information!

While you are here, stop by The North Face Breckenridge and check out all of our great deals on all the summer outerwear and sportwear. We have it all at 30 to 50% off!!

Beautiful Mohawk Lakes, Breckenridge, Colorado

How to get there: Once you are on Spruce Creek Rd, continue on to the parking area at the end of the road. There are signs at the trail head describing your route. Its too easy. If you have a 4-wheel drive, you can continue on to the upper parking area to shorten your hike. There are limited parking spots here, but I have always been able to find one. Walk up to the end of the dirt road and you will see the trail heading back into the woods.


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There is something truly amazing about high alpine lakes. Upon arrival at Lower Mohawk Lake, I feel like I am close to the summit of the surrounding 13ers. This is a busy hike, but I still recommend it to anyone looking to enjoy one of the most beautiful places in the world. Its perfect because almost anyone can handle the 3.6 mile hike (from the lower lot) and its super close to town. Only takes about 10 minutes to get there from The North Face Breckenridge store on Main Street!

Here is beautiful Baylor enjoying the cold water of Lower Mohawk

Baylor spent about 45 minutes in the ice-cold water on Tuesday! Not quite sure how he does it. Baylor also did some nice landscaping free of charge. He really likes rocks!


Stop by and see us in person and we can give you directions to so many other hikes in the Breckenridge area. Our personable staff members love chatting about the area and the outdoor activities we so enjoy.

Directions to The North Face Breckenridge:


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New Winter Product At The North Face Breckenridge!!

Thats right, the new winter product has arrived at The North Face Breckenridge and BreckGear.com! We are working like crazy to get this great stuff out of the boxes and on the floor so you can get the first look at this upcoming winter season's latest and greatest in outerwear and sportswear from The North Face.

Here is one of our favorites so far........The North Face Women's Thunder Jacket. Its the pinnacle, ultralight mid-layer for The North Face® athletes: a luxuriously insulated, highly compressible jacket for multi-purpose backcountry use.

If you like this one ladies, you should also check out the Women's Thunder Vest......
Guys, guess you'll just have to wait for your Thunder, we didn't get them yet. In the mean time, check out this sweet Denali Hoodie!

Independence Day Celebration in Breckenridge, Colorado

I think summer is finally here, and here to stay. This doesn't mean we wont get some flurries on the 4th of July, but the days are getting longer and sunnier, and the snow on the trails has almost melted. If you are a hiker or biker coming to town, you can pretty much go on any trail without running into too much snow. Trails at lower elevation and south facing are the best ones right now if you're looking for a nice dry excursion into the woods. Stop by The North Face Breckenridge for great advice on local biking and hiking trails, as well as info about just about any other outdoor activity! We also have tons of sportswear and outerwear at Breckgear.com that is ideal for climbing, hiking, cycling, fishing, rafting.......you get the point!

So there are numerous family oriented activities coming up here in Breckenridge, Colorado, that are sure to please the entire family. Visit the Breckenridge Welcome Center for the most up-to-date information on whats going on here in town, and read more below about some of my favorites!

Independence day is one of the best times during the summer to spend in Breckenridge. Along with all of the great restaurants and shopping opportunities along Main Street, there is a parade in the morning that kicks off with the USA CYCLING MARATHON MOUNTAIN BIKE NATIONAL CHAMPIONSHIPS, or better known here in town as the Firecracker 50!! This race is not only open to national champions, but beginners and juniors as well! For those of you that don't want to ride the 25-50 mile race but still want to be active, there is the Firecracker 10K trail run that starts at 8:30 am. For more info on the trail race visit GoBreck.com
Throughout the day there are free concerts, activities for kids and performances by the National Repertory Orchestra at the Riverwalk Center.

More Pics from Alta and Snowbird

As I promised, I have more pictures from our trip to Utah with The North Face Summit Dealers. Take a look, then don't forget to check out BreckGear.com for some great deals on the Fall '07 winter gear line.......It's all on SALE!!!

The North Face Summit Dealers Event--January 2008

It's been a while since I have posted, been pretty busy getting BreckGear.com ready for our Spring '08 shipment. We have some great product coming in for this upcoming season, check it out soon!

January 21st through the 23rd may have been the best three days of my life. The North Face Summit Dealers event was being held in Snowbird, Utah. Pete, Greg and I were invited to take part, and we just happened to fly into SLC with 1.5 feet of fresh on the ground up in the canyon. Here is a great video that was shot by one of the other The North Face dealers on the 22nd. There is no great footage of me, but im just outside the frame........

Winter

Sorry to inform you, no new pics to post today, just some great things to tell you about. We recieved a foot of new snow during this last storm and the skiing and riding at Breckenridge has been superb. Well, this is what Greg and Pete told me about yesterday on the hill, I haven't skied Breck for quite a few days. On my day off on Sunday, I ventured over Vail Pass to Beaver Creek to find some freshies. I spent the day exploring this quiet mountain, finding powder stashes all over the place and stopping off at a couple members only clubs for a gourmet lunch and a few afternoon coctails. "Not exactly roughing it". It has been since last year that I skied boot to knee deep powder and Beaver Creek didn't let me down on Sunday. That night I made it over the pass just before it closed till monday morning. After a couple days in Eagle it is VERY nice to come back to our REAL mountain town, Breckenridge.

I will be skiing tomorrow on my day off and I PROMISE to get some great pics, maybe in the windows, maybe up at the Peak 10 shack, you never know. Until then


Stop by THE NORTH FACE BRECKENRIDGE for the best selection and service and FREE SHIPPING*!

New Snow in Breckenridge!

This is the perfect time of year in Breckenridge, the town has quieted down from the CRAZY holiday season and the snow is great! You haven't heard from me for a while due to the fact I have been working and not really doing anything fun. We do have some weather coming into the area, and I expect it to be pretty snowy for the next few days. Check out the Weather Report for Breckenridge, Colorado! Looks like we will be getting snow through the weekend, just in time for me to start skiing again on the not so crowded slopes.

Check back for more product reviews by the experts at THE NORTH FACE BRECKENRIDGE!

And as always, for the best gear on the planet, check out BreckGear.com!