I think there’s a public aquatic center in Breck. If not, I’m sure there’s one in Silverthorne. I’ve been to that one for open lap swim numerous times.

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"They're made of latex, not nitroglycerin"

I’ve never been in the winter but went up for a few days last summer for the first time. I wouldn’t exactly call it cheap but there we’re plenty of restaurants and bars open.

I usually spend a week in Breck every summer. It’s way cheaper than in winter, and there are plenty of condos. I like using Summit Rentals to find a place to stay. Cheaper than VRBO.

The Silverthorne Rec Center has a fantastic pool and it's open right now! You have to pay for a punch card (10 time visit) and then register on-line for your time to swim. You will LOVE the bike paths around Lake Dillon and from Frisco to Vail! Z

Breck has a rec center with lap pool. I spent much of 2019 out there. The room I rented was the same price all year round, but I believe short term rentals are much cheaper in the summer. Can’t wait to get back!

Paved path from Breck to Frisco/Dillon/Copper/Vail is awesome, but can get crowded with tourists renting bikes and shuttling. Path back to Breck is slightly uphill and almost always into the wind.

I snowshoed, hiked, and mountain biked (even left car behind) so no idea about road riding. I’d recommend Peaks Trail for a run if you want to change it up from the roads. Take bus or park at Peak 7 trailhead and about 8 miles to dump you in Frisco. Loop back or ride free bus back.

Apps to download:
Summit Stage - free county bus system
Free Ride - town of Breck free bus system
Both run on schedule and app has GPS trackers

Favorite places:
Carvers - bike repairs, gear
Cuppa Joe - coffee and breakfast burritos. I’d work out of here some mornings as the counter looks straight out at the ten mile range.
Daylight Donuts - has full breakfast as well
Pho Real
Giam’s - Giampietros Pizza. Decent bar scene and CO’s biggest Peroni seller. Has a good house Montepulciano d'Abruzzo
Mi Casa Mexican
Empire Burger
RMU Tavern - local bar scene

And if you’re into that sort of thing, my preferred dispensary was Breck Organic Therapy

Is Empire Burger still there? I thought they closed.

Mi Casa has killer Mexican food and all you can eat chips and salsa which, after a long day on the mountain, is spectacular.

Gold Pan is a super fun bar, but not super COVID friendly.

Blue River Bistro is a place for a “fancier” meal. One of our favorite restaurants in Breck.

If youre gunna have a gravel bike, check out Boreas Pass.

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@floathammerholdon | @partners_in_tri

Thank you all for the responses! I will almost certainly try to get a short-term rental, so this information really helps.

Copper Mountain Resort has a small gym, spa and 25 yard pool. The pool is / used to be, a single visit fee.

https://externalexchangedirectory.com/...n%20(city)/1869.html

https://www.coppercoloradocondos.com/...opper-mountains-spa/

Agree with @timeisup, the Frisco/Dillon/Copper/Vail trail is great. Starting from Copper, the same trail, up and over Vail pass, then back again, makes a nice long run with a downhill finish ;)

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Robbie
http://www.instagram.com/trisutto

Empire is still there according to interweb searches. Had to look as I haven't been back since Turkey Day 2019.

I actually never went to Gold Pan, but that is where a couple of my younger roommates would always seem to end the night. Apparently after midnight it gets um... festive.

I forgot about one place we loved for the nice deck and these awesome fried apps they had. There were halfway between a chip and a flour tortilla and we'd absolutely pound baskets of them. Unfortunately I can't find anything listed for the restaurant anymore. Was right next to the theater across the street from Cuppa Joe.

If you go a couple of weeks later the Copper Triangle is very nice

https://www.rollmassif.com/coppertriangle/

https://ridewithgps.com/...vail-pass-la?lang=en

Not really the question here, but how does the altitude impact workouts? Breck base elevation is at almost 10.000 ft, right? I feel altitude in Denver for a couple of days when I get there from near sea level, but going to Breckenridge almost doubles the change. I know that you can used to it and I know that Boulder is famous for endurance training. But how long it take one to get used to 10k ft?

I used to live in Silverthorne which is right across I-70 from Breck/Dillon (couple hundred feet lower than Breck technically) but it can kick your ass at first. Whenever someone would come to visit it would take them a couple days (2-4 maybe) to get really comfortable but we were "only" skiing/boarding not going all out SBR.

The altitude is something you will definitely feel for the first few days, but it won’t keep you from being able to work. Just be conscious of your RPE, and don’t try to hold your typical pace/power. I was a bit slower in the pool, and a lot slower running, at the same effort. On the bike, climbing was slower, but I was pretty close to normal speeds on the flats. I guess the lower drag and inspiration from the awesome scenery offset any power loss from the thin air.

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"They're made of latex, not nitroglycerin"

How's the training in a town like Silverthorne? I imagine you're on the trainer/treadmill more than us in Denver/Boulder, but I'd love to move out of Denver eventually (ideally Frisco/Breck).

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@floathammerholdon | @partners_in_tri

Depending on snowpack you could also knock off a fairly mild 14er on Mt Quandary nearby if that sort of thing is on your radar. Have fun!

Unless things have changed a lot in the last two years, that Copper Mtn pool is really warm and way overchlorinated. A caretaker there once told me it's due to older folks wanting warm and lots of kids necessitating chlorine. I've swum in it quite a few times and never found it crowded, but I don't think I ever made past 30 minutes without needing to get out to cool down.

I lived in Silverthorne for six years (back in NZ now). I enjoyed the training options. The ability to ride mostly on bike paths and still cover good distance was great (up to Keystone, to Breck or over to Vail). Some good climbs available on quietish roads (Ute Pass, Loveland, Montezuma, Boreas Pass, Vail) if you were out early. Lots of trails to run on and some good races around. I would run year round, with either yak trax or some snow shoe use in the winter, or skate skiing. Riding in the winter was on the trainer. Having got into some ultra distance running now, back in NZ, I'm kind of regretting not getting into it while we were living in Summit County.

I lived closer to 11k and it was a rough adjustment. N=1, but I found even after 7 months there simply couldn’t be a high end effort which ended up being a blessing in disguise. Climbs were slow and the downhills were just as punishing. Allowed me to enjoy 3-4hr rides on a daily basis because recovery from high power output wasn’t necessary. The craziest thing I experienced was the entire time I was there I would be out of breath just rolling over in my sleep. It was weird and a bit funny.

You may be thinking of Angel's Hollow, which sadly closed in the last 12 months. A big loss.

I have a condo at the base of peak 9. Happy to give you lots of advice where to stay and what to do. BTW, June is "mud season" so you will likely have to avoid the trails. A Basin may stay open into June so you could ski or ride in the morning and train in the afternoon and then recover at Ollie's or RMU or Gold Pan at night. Great town.

We should be friends.

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@floathammerholdon | @partners_in_tri

Yup, that’s the one. Dang, that is sad.

I've stayed at beaver run a few times - good rates, especially if you go for a longer trip like 3 weeks.

https://www.vrbo.com/875011


I've worked from there prior to Leadville, while acclimating. Saw Todd Wells ride by while on a conference call.


For a 3 week trip, I would take a shuttle from the airport, and then use the excellent bus system. No need to fuss with rental car or parking. If you plan to swim in Silverthorne 4x week, I would say rent the car.


You can hike up the ski resort and burro trail in June, but bring spikes and expect a little snow.
Run down the trails into Frisco, and after happy hour take the bus back.
The bike path can be closed due to snow in early June, but is a solid ride to Copper or Vail once open. refuel in Frisco at Whole Foods, or a quick snack at copper.
Agree that Boreas Pass will open up, if you have a gravel or MTB worth the ride.


9000 ft is legit. it's all slow and steady, no redline.


Slick

I'll 2nd that. I'm always amazed at the fitness bump I get on the bike after a week out in CO climbing a couple of 14ers. One watch out is that you will want to get to the trailhead early (5:00am-ish) because lots of folks vacationing in the area do Quandary because of it's proximity to Breck. If you take the traditional route, it's only a Class 1 climb, not technical at all. Because so many people tackle that climb, if summitting a 14er is of interest, you may want to do one of the other peaks in the area. Just be mindful of the difficulty if you haven't done a lot of climbing. Some of the Class 3/Class 4 stuff can get dicey with exposure and route finding. The other thing to note is that you want to summit and be back below treeline by early afternoon (1pm-ish) because storms frequently develop in the afternoons and you don't want to be above treeline when that happens.

There's a great website with tons of info on climbs, routes, distances, elevation gains, trip/hike reports, photos that will help you plan a climb: http://www.14ers.com

Enjoy and have fun!!!

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Tad

It took awhile, but I finally discovered that its not the destination that's important, but rather the journey.