5 most read articles last week: Ski slope parking, data on new developments and accommodations in Breckenridge

1. A driver parks a sports car on the Schoolmarm ski run at Keystone Resort

Guests skiing the Schoolmarm trail at Keystone Resort had to avoid an Audi sports car on Monday, January 6, after the vehicle’s driver gave incorrect directions the previous evening.

Summit County Sheriff’s Office Sgt. Mike Schilling said a Boulder driver was following GPS directions to the Sagebrush employee housing complex Sunday night when the directions app told them to turn into the ski area. The driver followed directions and eventually became stuck in deep snow. Schilling said the driver abandoned the car and left a note with a phone number.

— Andrzej Maciejewski

2. Industry insiders say Breckenridge is seeing new trends in its lodging data that are different from previous years

Now that the key travel booking period has passed, Breckenridge Tourist Office has more precise forecasts for the ski season, and staff say the data shows unprecedented trends.

Bill Wishowski, chief operating officer of the Breckenridge Tourism Office, told industry insiders during a Dec. 17 presentation that revenue and booking patterns are unlike anything he’s seen in the past two decades.

In his opinion, the data indicate that during the ski season the number of booked nights will increase, the average length of stay of travelers will decrease, and therefore – revenues. Average length of stay in 2024 was 3.6 nights, down from 4.3 in 2023, and revenue was down 5% compared to 2023, despite a 2% year-over-year increase in nights booked. Additionally, revenue per available unit increased.

“I’ve heard anecdotally that markdowns are mostly on lower quality, smaller units, but in terms of quality, prices are in the mid-to-higher price range,” Wishowski said.

He added that this is particularly interesting because data shows that the number of available accommodation facilities is down 7% year-on-year.

– Kit Geary

3. Breckenridge officials have reviewed a 400,000-square-foot development that will bring major changes to the Peak 8 base area

The following years layouts AND revisionsthe company behind one of the largest investments in Breckenridge has presented officials with an almost final concept of a key aspect of its project.

Breckenridge Grand Vacations received general approval from the Breckenridge Planning Commission at its Jan. 7 meeting for a plan to become Imperial Hotel & Private Residences. The design is one element seven-plot development this will require approval from the Planning Commission.

Commissioners praised the developer for mastering what many of them described as one of the more complex projects they faced.

– Kit Geary

4. Breckenridge Ski Area Opens Imperial Chairlift on Summit 8 After Large Controlled Avalanche Captured on Video

On Friday, January 3, 6-chair riders at Breckenridge Ski Area got an up-close view of the avalanche that blew snow off the Imperial Bowl the day before the opening of the tallest chairlift in North America.

The Imperial SuperChair, which reaches its highest terminal at 3,000 meters, opened for the season on Saturday, January 4, after a large controlled slide.

Senior communications manager Sara Lococo said the avalanche, which was recorded by various people while climbing the 6-Chair on Friday, was part of the resort’s planned avalanche mitigation efforts as patrollers worked to open the Imperial SuperChair to the public. Lococo said the resort posted video of the slide on its social media channels to remind guests to respect site closures.

— Summit Daily staff

5. Summit County resident attacked by 2 attackers at Breckenridge gas station

The Breckenridge Police Department says there are no signs of an attack on a local man at a gas station just before the New Year.

According to a Summit Daily News police report obtained through a public records request, around 6 p.m. on December 30, Breckenridge police officers were called to a fight at a gas station.

When police arrived, a 26-year-old man told officers he had stopped at a gas station after work to fill up with gas when a family stepped directly in front of his truck, prompting him to stop to avoid hitting them, the report states.

The man told police he apologized to his family before going to the gas station, but claimed someone in the group punched him in the passenger window as he drove by and shouted, “Go back to Mexico,” according to the report. A family member told Summit Daily News that the victim was born in the United States

While the man was filling his truck with gas, two men in the group approached him and began pushing him and punching him in the head, knocking him to the ground, the report said.

—Ryan Spencer