Briar Rose (Room 303)

Julia Anna Moore
Dec 30, 2025
4 min read

How to get to Briar Rose

Briar Rose is a fun and mellow blue run, but sometimes has moguls. If you’re not a fan of bumps, check Breckenridge’s groom report before heading to the mountain so you don’t get into something that you don’t love. I’m not sure how this run on Peak 9 was named, but there is a wonderful restaurant named Briar Rose Chophouse and Saloon in town that you must check out. Reservations are recommended. The Briar Rose run connects back into Country Boy which leads you back to Ten Mile Station, the lodge at the top of Quicksilver Chair.

Ski resort map showing trails and lifts in a snowy mountain landscape. Blue, green, and red lines indicate difficulty. Trees and lodges marked. — *Map of Breckenridge’s Peak 9*

Daughter of Robert W. Foote

The theme of this historical gallery is about a girl named Ella Foote who lived in Breckenridge in the early mining days. She appears in one of the most famous pictures of Breck during the “Big Snow” of 1898–1899, peering through a snow tunnel that had been built by residents. See if you can spot this photo in your gallery. Ella’s father, Robert W. Foote was a prominent Breckenridge businessman, owning Denver Hotel on Main Street and becoming the first general manager of Wellington Mines Company. There was a mine named the Ella Mine, assuming that it was named after her. He held office as the mayor twice among other public service and political accomplishments.

But enough about her father; Ella Foote wrote the history of Breckenridge at 11 years old for a school assignment which ended up being published in the local newspaper The Summit County Journal and became a talking point for the town because it was still a bit unclear if Breckenridge was intentionally spelled as we know it today, or if it was supposed to be Breckinridge. You can read part of her essay in the original newspaper here. If you want to learn more about how Breckenridge was named, see this article by Breck History.

The newspaper archives dropped Ella Foote after the early 1920’s and I couldn’t find further information about her after an alleged marriage to the name Theobald. If you know of Ella’s further whereabouts, let me know.

Horse-drawn sled on snowy street by livery stable. Person on horseback atop snow pile. Buildings in background. Old sepia photograph. — **Ella Foote on horseback Main Street:** Young Ella Foote poses with her horse on top of a snowbank in front of R.C. McKillip’s Livery and Feed Store on the east side of Main Street in Breckenridge, Colorado. A horse drawn sleigh with passengers is stopped near the livery entry. The building with the bell cupola is Fireman’s Hall. Original creator: Circa 1899; Unidentified. Summit Historical Society Collection. Image created by Breckenridge History, Colorado.

Girl in yellow dress in snowy tunnel tipping hat, with shop and people in background. Mood is nostalgic and whimsical. — **Ella Foote peers through a snow tunnel:** “In this most celebrated image (above) of Victorian Breckenridge, young Ella Foote peers through a snow tunnel across Main Street during the Great Winter of 1898. That year it began to snow on November 27, and continued until February 20, 1899. Snow rose to the rooftops, people exited buildings through second story windows, and tunnels were dug across roads to allow foot traffic. The trains were helpless against 40-foot snowdrifts and Breckenridge was completely cut off from the outside world for 79 days.” *Original creator: Circa 1898–1899; Unidentified. Summit Historical Society Collection. Image created by Breckenridge History, Colorado.*

Old Denver Hotel in winter, covered in snow. Two-story building with ornate arches and snowdrifts. Sign reads "DENVER HOTEL." — **Denver Hotel on snow covered Main Street, Breckenridge:** The Denver Hotel on the west side of snow covered Main Street, Breckenridge, Colorado during the “Big Snow” event of 1898–1899. Snowfall totaled over 32 feet that winter; it was so deep it reached the hotel’s second-floor balcony. The two-story wood frame building featured paired gables and a shared false-front with the words “DENVER HOTEL”. The Post Office shares the hotel’s covered portico. Next door is a false front building with signs announcing “Bankrupt Stock” in the storefront windows. *Original creator: 1898–1899; Unidentified. Summit Historical Society Collection. Image created by Breckenridge History, Colorado.*

A person stands on a snowy hill with a pole, beside buildings labeled "Livery" and "Feed & Sale." There's a muted, vintage feel. — **Ella Foote uses wooden skis to cross a snow drift on Main Street, Breckenridge:** Young Ella Foote, dressed in an overcoat, bonnet and scarf, uses a pole for balance and wooden skis or snow shoes to cross over a enormous snow drift in Breckenridge, Colorado, during the “Big Snow” of 1898–1899. Tunnels were dug through enormous snow drifts to allow passage to buildings on both sides of Main Street. In view above the snow pile is the false-front of R.C. McKillip Livery and the bell tower of Fireman’s Hall. Left foreground shows part of the Denver Hotel’s covered portico. *Original creator: Circa 1899; Unidentified. Summit Historical Society Collection. Image created by Breckenridge History, Colorado.*

People stand under a wooden porch next to deep snowdrifts. The setting is sepia-toned with ornate arches and vintage attire. — **People under the portico of the Denver Hotel on snowy Main Street:** Men and women stand in snowdrifts covering the sidewalk under the portico of the Denver Hotel on Main Street in Breckenridge, Colorado. Others stand in the snow in front of Evans Pharmacy. In view is a barber’s pole advertising “Baths”. During the “Big Snow” event of 1898–1899, heavy snowfall had reached the second story of most buildings. Tunnels were dug to allow passage on both sides of the street. Original creator: 1898–1899; Unidentified. Summit Historical Society Collection. Image created by Breckenridge History, Colorado

Snow-covered landscape with a large wooden mill against a mountain backdrop. Sparse trees are visible. Text at the bottom reads "Wellington Mill." — **The Wellington Mill, east of Breckenridge:** The Wellington Mill in French Gulch, east of Breckenridge, Colorado. Handwritten caption on the front: “Wellington Mill.” *Original creator: circa 1930s-1940s (Creation); Unidentified. Breckenridge History Photograph Collection. Breckenridge History, Colorado*

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.

Snowy mountains at dawn with a purple and pink sky. The peaks are gently illuminated by early sunlight, creating a serene atmosphere. — A hazy sunset paints over Loveland Pass

Spring 2022

A fluffy snow had fallen all day, and as the sky cleared up in time for sunset. Pinks and purples stretched over the peaks as the temperature dropped, welcoming in the night.

Loveland Pass is the perfect place to take in the view, just be sure that you have 4WD if it’s been snowing and park off the road in the parking lot.

Snow-covered mountain with pine trees, a ski lift, and a small structure at the top under a clear sky with soft golden lighting. — Strings of alpenglow touch the Pali Lift at Arapahoe Basin

The sun sets, lighting up the Continental Divide that has grown quiet as guests have left the resort for the day.

Arapahoe Basin is an advanced mountain at the other end of the county.

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.