Ski Trip to Breckenridge
I am officially a ski bunny!
I am back from what was an epic ski trip to Breckenridge, Colorado. Honestly, it was amazing and I am hooked for life. Winter in the mountains is so much fun - I have outlined our whole trip below. I scouted out so many great restaurant orders (many of which are farm to table, my fav) and of course pilates and other fun things off the slopes. Keep reading for the slope scoop.
Skiing has always seemed like this faraway thing that I couldn’t do - it seemed hard, scary and frankly dangerous. Since I use my body for a living, I was pretty nervous. If I got injured it would directly impact me in a lot of ways.
This being said, it’s an incredible sport and while I was definitely scared at first, it got easier and I got better each time I went down the mountain. I thought of each run as a “practice” rather than a performance and this mindset made all the difference.
Without a doubt, being so strong and stable thanks to pilates is what really helped me get going without a hitch. I could feel my core activate as I made turns and controlled my speed. I had strong hips and legs to stay steady on my skis coming off the lift. And most importantly I have amazing body awareness thanks to the focus that pilates creates. I definitely think I am coming home in one piece and with such a positive experience thanks to pilates.
To get to Breckenridge, we flew from NYC to Denver and then rented a car. We wanted to have wheels so we could explore out of Breck (even though our AirBNB was very centrally located) and it was also cheaper than taking the shuttle/car service. We stopped in Denver proper for amazing Thai food at Hey Bangkok which was so good and just what you needed after a long flight and 1.5 hour drive ahead to Breckenridge.
This was our AirBNB. It was cute, clean, and very convenient to the gondola and town. While you couldn’t ski out of it onto the mountain, you can ski the 4 o’clock run directly back to it. Shortly after arriving I had Ski Butlers arrive with all of our ski gear. They’re a service that bring you all the ski gear you need and pick it back up from you. I always equate saving time and effort with spending a little extra money to be worth it. They’re owned by Vail Resorts now so you’ll likely find them all over the country. We then grabbed dinner at Sancho’s Tacos and Tequila and it was the perfect casual meal after a long day of travel.
I chose ski gear from Halfdays for a lot of reasons. First of all, it was founded by a female Olympian and so obviously she knows ski gear. It’s also sustainably made and super cute. I was warm the entire trip and felt that even if I didn’t know what I was doing I looked the part. I also got their neck muffler which was a happy orange color and really came in handy when the wind was whipping. My gloves were from Hestra and kept my hands warm the whole time - can’t recommend this brand enough.
I got Lincoln these ski pants in bright orange so I could easily see him on the mountain and he didn’t complain once about being cold. We layered him big time with Patagonia base layers, fleece, puffer jacket and ski jacket to stay dry. I got him a “turtle fur” neck muffler because that’s what I had as a kid and always worked.
We had 4 full days in Breckenridge and skied Peak 8. Lincoln and I both took all day lessons the first two days. They were SO helpful for not only teaching us how to ski but also to learn about the mountain, lifts, and more. Lincoln’s lessons were definitely an investment but well worth it. Since this was a last minute trip, we had to buy day passes on the mountain - Lincoln’s lift ticket was significantly discounted with his lessons. Paying for an all day lesson for me was actually cheaper than paying for a day lift ticket and if you bought a day ski lesson you automatically got a lift ticket.
We took a break from skiing on day 3 and then on day 4 Lincoln took another day of ski school and I skied by myself with a solo lift ticket. Breck is on the Epic Pass and since we are now a family of “skiers” we plan to buy the season pass as it’s much more economical when it comes out so we can ski in the NE but also go out west again.
The ski gear I bought and loved was the following:
To stay fueled for our first 2 days,
We ate at TBar for lunch and they had a perfect salad of mixed greens, quinoa, pepitas, feta, grilled chicken and a maple vinnagreite.
Our second night we ate at Fatty’s which was another casual restaurant that had something for everyone - I had a burger with a gluten free bun. The next night we ate at Cabin Juice in the Gravity Haus hotel. I didn’t love my entree but the soup and salad appetizers along with the side of potatoes we ordered were great. The best part was there was lots of potatoes leftover to use the next day at breakfast with scrambled eggs and avocado. A perfect pre ski meal if you ask me!
On our 3rd day in Breckenridge, we took a break from skiing.
Whenever I travel, I always try and take a pilates lesson or class. I booked a lesson at Spheeris Pilates which is a classical pilates studio in Breckenridge. It’s such a great way to not only get a workout in but also get inspired by other teachers and studios. Not to mention after 2 days of skiing for 5 hours each, my body needed some pilates love.
After my pilates lesson, we decided to walk around downtown Breckenridge. It’s such a cute town full of small shops, coffee bars, and lots of art. We first stopped at Crepes a la Carte for amazing fire side crepes. My son at first wasn’t convinced he was going to like it but once he heard there was a smores option, he was golden. After our crepes, we walked around a bit, stopped into a few stores like Bjorn’s Colorado Honey where I got local honey that was good for respiratory infections and some CBD balm. We then headed to Ready, Paint, Fire Breckenridge which is a great little art studio and painted ceramic mugs. It was the perfect morning break from skiing and a great creative outlet for all of us.
We then grabbed a quick lunch at Amazing Grace where they serve their soup in mugs - just like when we were kids. It was a cozy little cafe that had something for everyone. We then headed up to Heeny, Colorado to go snowmobiling and tubing with High Country Tours. It was SO MUCH FUN, I can’t even tell you. They even had a mini snowmobile for Lincoln to ride once we were out in the snowy pastures. We finished the day off eating in Frisco which was halfway between Heeny and Breckenridge. Frisco Prime is a farm to table restaurant that prides itself in organic and local fare. It was very good aside from their having a hard time cooking my steak - this being said, I would recommend it as everything else was delicious and it was very cute inside.
The hair tangles with skiing are real.
My hair was a mess after 2 days of skiing. So the last day I opted for pigtails and while they’re kind of juvenile, they really helped keep my hair free of bird’s nests. Not to mention keep my hair out of my face while going down the slopes.
Our 4th full day we spent skiing again. My son took another ski school lesson and I just practiced and explored skiing more on my own. My husband joined me on the green runs and once our son was brought up onto the same runs we got to see him many times getting off the lift, going down the hill, and more. It was such a fun day to ski together and see him truly become a (much faster!) skier than both of us. I will say, this last day ended on a Saturday and it was significantly busier than it was during the week. I think the next time we go skiing I will keep this in mind for organizing travel, choosing the days I ski versus hang out, etc. The mountain did a good job of keeping the lift lines moving and the restaurants giving good service but there was a definite difference. I’d also say that the traffic in town doubled with the amount of cars on the road and parked at the gondola. I think I’d consider saving weekend days for travel in the future.
For lunch on our fourth day of skiing we took the gondola down one stop to eat at Seven’s. The menu had a few more options and we wanted to see what else was around the mountain. This salad combo was so good and had spinach, pecans, apples, grapes, dried cherries, gorgonzola, maple vinnagreitte, and grilled chicken.
For dinner that night we went for pizza at Tinplate Pizza and it was SO GOOD. Their toppings were so creative and their gluten free pie was probably one of the best I’ve ever had. I got the Pineapple Pancetta and it was amazing. They even have gluten free meatballs on the menu! Ironically, they’re from New York which I think is why they’ve nailed the pizza part. I had a leftover slice and ate it for breakfast the next morning with fried egg on top. It was perfection.
If you’re considering doing a trip out west to ski, I can’t recommend Breckenridge enough. It’s the cutest town, amazing skiing, and incredibly beautiful. If you are looking for nourishment and excitement, this trip is for you. To be active, outside, with my family and in nature is truly the perfect combo. If you head out that way and use my tips be sure to tag me on Instagram @AshleyPattenPilates and/or comment any other Breck suggestions below!
xx, Ashley