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Peaks Trail

Breckenridge

Salida

A point-to-point snowshoe on the Peaks Trail

Snow Shoeing Easy

Distance
13 km
Ascent
207 m
Descent
474 m
Duration
3-4 hrs
Low Point
2.8 km
High Point
3.1 km
Gradient
11˚
Peaks Trail Map

The Peaks Trail runs for 8 miles one-way between the towns of Breckenridge and Frisco. The trail "follows an old mining road from the 1800’s and has a section that runs alongside an aqueduct that was built by miners to funnel and sift water containing precious gold and silver,” according to Mark Grattan on BestOfBreck.com.

Description

Thanks to this trail’s popularity, it can make for a great snowshoeing route in the winter time. More than likely, this trail will be at least partially packed in and easy to follow. Other more obscure trails in the area can become completely buried in snow in the wintertime and disappear altogether.

Snowshoers can choose to hike the Peaks Trail as an out-and-back or, thanks to the great public transportation in Summit County, a point-to-point route with a net elevation loss (as mapped here).

Since the trail undulates up and down the flanks of the mountainside, this snowshoeing route is not nearly as intense as some of the straight-up-and-straight-down efforts in the nearby mountains. As the Peaks Trail makes it’s way across the flanks of the Tenmile Range from Peak 1 to Peak 10, the trail stays "mostly in the lodgepole pine forest along with some aspen, spruce and fir forests,” according to the US Forest Service. Also, while it’s always good to be aware of the changing weather, staying down in the trees reduces your exposure to high winds and bitter cold.

Sources: https://www.bestofbreck.com/peaks-trail-overview/ https://www.fs.usda.gov/recarea/whiteriver/recreation/recarea/?recid=40691&actid=24

Difficulty

Easy

Low Exposure (E1)

1 out of 4

Exposure is limited to that of the slope itself. Getting hurt is still likely if the slope is steep and/or the snow is hard.

Remoteness

2 out of 4

Away from help but easily accessed.

Best time to visit

between December and May

Similar routes nearby