You can get to Boreas on Peak 8 by riding down Columbine catwalk and dropping into Rounders. Make sure you hand lookers-right and get ready for some steep areas. This trail is narrow and has loads of bumps and is rarely groomed. Be sure that you’re an advanced skier who enjoys mogules before attempting this run.
Map of Breckenridge’s Peak 8
Beautiful Boreas Pass
Nowadays this road is a scenic drive and great place to recreate. In the past, it was the lifeline to the town where all supplies and mail needed to come through. Originally called Breckenridge Pass in the 1860s and later renamed, it’s 22 miles long at over 11,000 feet in elevation. It went from footpath to stagecoach road to railroad to what you see today. It’s partially closed during the winter months, but can be a great place to go snowshoeing or skiing if avalanche conditions allow. During the summer, it’s a beautiful place to hike, camp, and visit abandoned buildings. Be sure to follow Leave No Trace Principles at all times and enjoy the scenery.
Snow tunnel to the post office on Boreas Pass during the Big Snow of 1899: A man stands on top of the snow where a tunnel has been dug to access the Boreas post office, on the Boreas Pass route to Breckenridge. A shovel leans against the tunnel entrance, above a sign is stuck in the snow with the words: “Post Office”. Printed on the lower right corner of the photograph is: “50 ft. Tunnel to P.O.” Handwritten on the reverse: “Top of Boreas Pass” and “Miner[?]”. Photographer’s stamp: “O. Westerman. Photographer, Breckenridge, — Colorado.” Original creator: 1890s (Creation); Westerman, Otto. Agnes Miner Collection; Gift, Colorado Springs Ghost Town Club. Breckenridge History, Colorado.
Hook-Eye Curve near Breckenridge: View of Boreas Pass and “Hook-eye Curve” near Breckenridge (Summit County), Colorado. Shows Denver, South Park, & Pacific railroad tracks, a trestle, snow fences, a snowshed and the town. Original creator: [1880–1910?]; Jackson, William Henry, 1843–1942. Denver Public Library Special Collections, WHJ-1423.
Railroad snow shed on Boreas Pass after the Big Snow winter of 1899: View looking through the wood-framed railroad snowshed on Boreas Pass, along the Boreas Pass route from Como to Breckenridge, Colorado. Handwritten on the reverse: “Snowshed — Boreas Pass” and stamped “O. Westerman, Photographer, Breckenridge, — Colorado.” Original creator: 1899 (Creation); Westerman, Otto. Agnes Miner Collection; Gift, Colorado Springs Ghost Town Club. Breckenridge History, Colorado.
House top of Boreas Pass: View of the abandoned Denver, South Park, and Pacific Railroad Company section house in the ghost town of Boreas on the summit of Boreas Pass in Summit County, Colorado. Shows a building with a cross gable roof and hewn timber outbuildings. Mountains are in the distance. Original creator: 1967; Al Bachman; gift; 1998. Denver Public Library Special Collections, Z-12854.
Clearing snow off railroad tracks on Boreas Pass during the Big Snow winter of 1899: Along Boreas Pass, east of Breckenridge, Colorado, men look downslope in the direction of a rotary snowplow on the snow covered railroad tracks. Visible are dark plumes rising from the train locomotive chimney/smokestack. Handwritten on the reverse: “Clearing Boreas Pass Big Snow 1899.” Original creator: 1899 (Creation); Unidentified. Agnes Miner Collection; Gift, Colorado Springs Ghost Town Club. Breckenridge History, Colorado.
Boreas Pass: The tracks of the Colorado and Southern Railroad pass over Boreas Pass, near Dillon, Colorado, in Summit County. A snowshed covers the tracks; evergreen trees grow on the hillside below the shed. Original creator: Circa 1900; Unidentified. Denver Public Library Special Collections, X-7721.
A modern touch
At Wedgewood Lodge, we want to give you a distinctive look into the past history of Breckenridge. Each photo in your historical gallery is unique to your stay and took countless hours to curate. There are stories to tell about Breckenridge and Summit County today as well, and the following photos have been shot by Julia Anna Moore.
Summer 2022
Storms in Summit County roll in like clock work during the summertime, so you better do all your fun outdoor activities before lunch. Sometimes the rain blows over quickly, sometimes it lasts until sunset, creating a beautiful pattern in the sky.
The sun sets in July after a thunderstorm kissing Bald Mountain with alpenglow.
The sun sets in July after a thunderstorm kissing Bald Mountain with alpenglow.
The sun sets in July after a thunderstorm kissing Bald Mountain with alpenglow.
Autumn 2022
A small snowstorm turned the peaks white in September, and I ran out of my front door to get the clouds leaving the mountains as the sky cleared. The excitement of ski season set in.
The first snowfall in September, the aspens on Peak 8 already ready to drop their leaves for wintertime.
Want to take a piece of Summit County home with you? We will ship any of the prints from Julia’s gallery straight to your house. We offer different sizes and framing options. Reach out here.
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