Sweet times in Breckenridge
In our recent ski preview package, I did an overview of a bunch of things you can do with the younger set when you’re vacationing in the high country. One thing I didn’t get to write much about is the town of Breckenridge.
Normally, local lore is a nice sidenote to the activities I’m really after. But taking a walk around town, listening to the locals talk about Breckenridge’s history and just soaking in the ambiance behind the tourist veneer helped me appreciate the place a little more.
Breckenridge dates back the the mid-180os. Originally, it was a mining town. And it was truly Old West. Saloons outnumbered churches. It even had its own red light district. It was a story all too common in the rough-and-tumble world of 19th Century mining boomtowns in the West. Assorted characters painted the town in various colors — a miner-turned-politician who pushed to give blacks the right to vote; a famous evangelist who skied and snowshoed his way through the mountains, sharing the Gospel; a rough character named Pug who, at times, terrorized the locals.
The gold mining boom eventually went bust. That is, until residents embraced what had been an adversary.
Snow had long been a major danger to Breckenridge. Old photos show evidence of how badly the town could get socked in – “the Big Snow” of 1898 saw snow fall from November through February without ceasing, causing residents to dig tunnels in the snow to get from place to place.
That abundance of snow made Breckenridge the ideal place to set up a ski resort. Today, mining is history and tourism is what drives the community. Breckenridge has tried to meld its boomtown past with its visitor-friendly present. It works for the tourists who play here and the young people who work here. Both classes, for the most part, don’t live here. It’s too expensive, with average homes starting at $1 million, from what I was told by a couple of the locals.
For the 2,400 or so who call Breckenridge home, consider yourselves lucky. For the rest of us, it’s all about the sking and snowboarding. And, for the adventurous, there’s some decent mountain climbing opportunities.
Anyway, I figured I’d share. I don’t intend to spend every post writing about places outside Oklahoma. I’m just pumped about ski season. But future posts will include trip reports from places closer to home. For example: I’m ready to check out some new places in the Wichitas.
Until then, get out there.
– Bob Doucette
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