Next summer's condo-climbing trip will probably be unlike any trip any of us have ever taken before. Usually I think going to the mountains means living in a tent and carrying a heavy pack, but next summer promises to be different. Just think - after a long day on the trail you can actually take a shower and order pizza. It's taken me a while to grow accustomed to this concept, but since we'll spend our non-climbing hours in and around Breckenridge, I thought I'd let everyone know a little more about it.  Breckenridge is located about 2 hours west of Denver and sits nice and high at 9,603 feet above sea level. It's year-round population is approximately 1,600, but it feels much larger due to high tourism. Average summer daytime temperatures range from 70 to 75 degrees (with low humidity) with nighttime lows around 50 to 55 degrees. If you've heard of Breckenridge, it's probably because of its skiing. Breckenridge Ski Resort is the largest ski resort in Summit County with 4 interconnected mountains and 2,000 skiable acres.  Since we're climbing and not skiing, we'll actually be in Breckenridge during the off-season, the primary reason for our low lodging rates. (Total lodging accommodations in Breckenridge are for up to 23,000 people!) Breckenridge claims over 200 bars, restaurants, retail shops, and galleries, so there will be plenty to eat and look at when we're not climbing. While we're in Breckenridge we'll probably be able to enjoy the Breckenridge Music Festival, a two-month long occasion featuring several different orchestras. We may also be in town for the "No Man's Land" celebration. You could enter yourself in the State Gold Panning Championships!  For more information on Breckenridge, check out these websites:

Speaking of websites, one that I visit at least once a day is www.mountainzone.com. If you watched The North Face Expeditions last Sunday, you probably saw their commercials. Mountainzone is the leader in mountaineering news and expedition webcasts. I was hoping to let you know about Mountainzone earlier in the week since there was an expedition climbing Aconcagua in South America. They summitted yesterday and enjoyed some nice summer weather at over 22,800 feet. Mountainzone also does really good interviews with many of today's top climbers. I really like being able to get a feel for the climbers' personalities and outlooks on life. Some of the guys are really fascinating - guys like Dave Hahn, Ed Viesturs, and Mark Twight. Things will really pick up in April and May once the Himalayan expeditions are in full force.

Colorado Avalanches

This winter has been a particularly dangerous one in Colorado.  Already this season 6 people have died in avalanches, with three of those deaths happening this week. This already meets last year's total of 6 and endangers the previous record of 12 deaths in one season.  Although we might find a little snow on our climbs, we won't have to worry about snow avalanches. Since I plan on making avalanches my specialty in the next couple of years, I've been trying to learn what I can. While we're in the mountains this summer I'll keep my eyes out for avalanche paths. We saw a pretty dramatic one last summer on the north side of Mt. Yale. Colorado has an estimated 2,000 to 3,000 avalanches every year and forecasting avalanches has become increasingly important as people move into the backcountry. Check out the Colorado Avalanche Information Center at www.caic.state.co.us for more Colorado avalanche information.

Last Updated:  Saturday, September 09, 2000