"A jump" from my house, Breckenridge (Breck) is a world renown ski resort in Summit County Colorado. Opened in 1961 Breck is said to be the most visited Ski Resort in the Western Hemisphere. Although I struggled to breathe the whole week I was there, I have longed to return since my last visit 3 years ago. In my first experience on the mountain I did well, but I was too fearful of going all the way to the top. I went as high as the top of the T-bar at Horseshoe Bowl. I was so proud of myself back then but this time as I stared many times throughout the week at the top of Peak 8 at the Imperial Bowl (I could see it from our balcony), I longed to go higher, to conquer my fears of danger to life and limbs. You only live once right? The day before brought a dumping of 8+ inches to the mountains and conditions were hard (cold, poor visibility, etc.) but I had skied a full day. Skiers I spoke to who had ventured to the Imperial bowl, reported whiteout conditions and experiences of severe vertigo because they couldn't tell up from down and right from left. I wisely decided to wait one more day and hoped that my final day at Breck would yield a successful attempt to the top of Peak 8.
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| I was here (red arrow) |
The day was warm and bright. A beautiful sight after the the snowstorm of the day before. I ventured out from the Village at Breckenridge after lunch time with a half-day lift ticket and after some warm-up runs, I started making my way to the Imperial lift. I was told that the lift closed early so I'd better hurry. Forty-five minutes later I arrived at the Imperial Express SuperChair lift. The highest lift in Northern American! I also encountered a long lift line and with the time crunch I realized that I would have only one go at the bowl.
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| Imperial Express Lift |
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| I guess I'm an expert? |
I prayed the weather would hold and made my way up to the top of the bowl. The excitement was engulfing my whole body, as was the fear. Had I lost my mind? What was I thinking!! I started to have second thoughts but then thought to myself, "Too late for that! What goes up must come down". I worried about my breathing as I felt the pressure building in my chest. At the top of the lift at nearly 12,900+ feet I took in big gulps of air as I felt the increased task of breathing thinner air and considered the reality of the task ahead of me. In my head I reviewed my teacher's instructions from my bowl lesson at Copper Mountain days before and made my way to the Imperial Bowl. I knew I had to get going, but I couldn't help staring at the beautiful scenery and the rocky peaks all around me. Peaks such as Mt. Massive, Pikes Peak and Mountain of the Holy Cross.
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Notice the skiers on the ridge line, top right.
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To be up so high up was empowering. Other skiers became impatient with me as I blocked the traverse trail taking pictures and oohing and aahing internally. I was amazed at the many other crazy people up there, some even crazier than me. The crazy ones hiked up along the ridge line in order to ski down cliff slopes and to areas of untouched snow.
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| My Imperial Bowl selfie |
So down I go, carefully but fast, as not to get hung up on the very choppy surface. I couldn't help but stop and take pictures and video and enjoy the experience. When I made it to the bottom I looked back up and couldn't believe what I had just done. I also prayed that I would return someday and do it again. I can ski bowls now!! This fact will open up a whole new world for me.
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| Looking back up towards Imperial Bowl |
After than run a pit stop at Vista Haus Restaurant was needed to refuel (with a Cliff bar and hot coco) and enjoy the sunny warm day out on the deck. I continued to head back down the mountain realizing that it was almost four o'clock and I still wasn't at the end. Would my legs hold up? I felt the fatigue setting in. Perfect time for dangerous spills, I thought. I thought it and so it happened. Crash, ouch!! It was a spectacular fall but luckily fairly harmless. You know it's spectacular when others come over to check your condition. As the sun got lower in the sky I couldn't even see what I hit, shadows were being cast on the super white snow. I thought to myself, "careful you're almost there". Needless to say, I was happy to reach back to Breckenridge Village in one piece and end the day very happy for the successful quest I had made to the summit.
For more information about this fabulous ski resort go to...
http://www.breckenridge.com/
Copyright © 2014
Vivienne Lettsome. All rights reserved
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