While we may be biased, spring is one of our favorite times of the year at Breck. The sun is shining, birds are chirping, and we still get the opportunity to slide on snow – lucky us! Here at Breck, that opportunity lasts longer than most other major ski resorts across the country, with plans to operate for skiing and riding through Memorial Day. Of course, ultimately a lot of this is up to Mother Nature but that is our plan, and thanks to Breck’s high elevation environment, the snow typically sticks around for a while up here.

Since spring skiing looks and feels a little different, we went ahead and put together a few tips to ensure you spring it on right!

Get High
We mean, like, elevation and high alpine kind of high! The majority of our spring skiing operations take place in our high alpine, where snow conditions are often in their prime in April and May. We operate all Five Peaks at the resort through mid-April and then we move to our late spring operations to take us into May. It's important to know that you will not find any beginner terrain available once we move to our late season operations, but you will find approximately 1,000 acres of intermediate and advanced high alpine terrain across Peaks 6, 7 and 8. You can get the full scoop on our spring operating plans, including lifts and terrain, here.

Spring it on, Later
Spring is the no fuss, no hurry, go at your own pace time of year, and snow conditions are often best if you give them a little time to soften up first. While we love the warm, sunny weather that spring typically brings us, it also brings what we call a “freeze/thaw” pattern. During the day, the sun softens the snow providing those oh-so-good spring turns we all love, but at night when the temperatures drop back below freezing, the snow surface hardens again. So go ahead, give yourself permission to sleep in. Grab breakfast in town. Then hit the snow once the sun has worked its magic.

Whether the Weather, Layers are Your Friend
Spring skiing is often warm and sunny, but since this is Colorado after all, it's best to be prepared for all the weather. It’s not uncommon for Mother Nature to throw us a foot of powder in April or May, or to give us a taste of all four seasons in the span of one single day. That said, check the weather ahead of time and know that it can also change quickly. So, like we said above, whether the weather, layers are your friend!

Use Protection
Specifically, sun protection. Go ahead, sport that goggle tan, but don't forget to lather on the SPF to protect your skin. Sunny days, plus white reflective snow, can be a recipe for a real bad sunburn if you don’t take the proper precautions. Trust us. So, if layers are your friend, then sunscreen is your over-protective but almost always right mother, especially in the spring. And, your mama says wear some sunscreen!

H2O is the Way to Go
We can’t say it enough... Hydrate, hydrate, hydrate. And then hydrate some more. This is important year-round in our high-altitude environment but it is extra important when you’re working up a sweat skiing and riding in the sun. Bring a pack with your own water, or stop in to our on-mountain dining locations for a refill or a sip from our water fountains. 


Now that you've got some key tips, grab your friends and join us for some good old fashioned fun, that we like to call spring at Breck!