• 1. Where to Stay
• 2. Where to Eat
• 3. What to Do
• 4. Insider’s Tip
• 5. An Oddball Day

Start your night at the Breckenridge Brewery, conveniently located at the foot of Peak 9.   (Photo: Courtesy of Breckenridge Brewery)

Breckenridge Ski Resort attracts young, party-minded riders who take on four distinct peaks with skis and boards. Ride the Imperial Express, the highest lift in North America, up Peak 8, to bomb down from an altitude of 12,840 feet, or mix it up on Peak 9's diverse runs, which include moguls, tree skiing, and beginners' trails. Solo boarders can avoid crowds on the quasi-isolated Peak 7, where long runs feed into an express lift with no annoying catwalks (flat areas between slopes). Breckenridge slopes close at 4 p.m., but your lift ticket ($92) is also valid at Keystone Resort, just 30 minutes northeast, until 8 p.m.

Don't feel like hurtling down a slope? Rent cross-country skis or snowshoes from the Gold Run Nordic Center ($34) and trek across 22 kilometers of groomed trails in the historic Delaware Mining area, passing by abandoned gold mines and stunning backcountry vistas. Finish the day with a skate around the Stephen C. West Ice Arena on the outdoor NHL-sized ice rink—$10 gets you an hour of ice time and rentals that include a helmet.

Begin your après-ski pub crawl with $2 pints of Avalanche Ale at the Breckenridge Brewery, conveniently located at the foot of Peak 9. Then trade your poles for cues and tallboys of PBR at Gold Pan Saloon (103 N. Main St; 970-453-5499). Sample from 120 craft beers at Downstairs at Eric's, a subterranean dive-cum-arcade with games that range from vintage pinball machines to Guitar Hero. Find a rowdy dance party at Cecilia’s, and order from a list of 30 martinis until 2 a.m. Soak up the booze with design-your-own burritos next door at Lucha, also open till 2 a.m., or pick up something sweet from Crêpes à la Cart, Main Street's outdoor dessert stand.

Published on Jan 28, 2010 as a web exclusive.