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Elvis has entered the base area. A skier donned in an outfit in honor of the King of Rock and Roll walks with skis in hand over the slushy snow at the base of Breckenridge Ski Resort’s Peak 7 Independence SuperChair during Sunday’s closing day of the extended 2018-19 winter season. Breckenridge will begin operating its BreckConnect Gondola from downtown to the base of Peak 8 on Friday, the start of the resort’s summer operations — just five days after the resort closed for “winter” operations.
Antonio Olivero / aolivero@summitdaily.com
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A snowboarder lets out a scream of elation at the base of the groomed skiing and riding run Breckenridge Ski Resort constructed leading into the Peak 7 Independence SuperChair during Sunday’s closing day of the extended 2018-19 winter season. At rear, the top of the resort’s Peak 8 terrain is in view, terrain that was available for skiing and riding from the top of the Imperial Express SuperChair on Sunday. Breckenridge will begin operating its BreckConnect Gondola from downtown to the base of Peak 8 on Friday, the start of the resort’s summer operations — just five days after the resort closed for “winter” operations.
Antonio Olivero / aolivero@summitdaily.com
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Snow bikers prepare to load the Independence SuperChair at the base of Breckenridge Ski Resort’s Peak 7 during Sunday’s closing day of the extended 2018-19 winter season. Breckenridge will begin operating its BreckConnect Gondola from downtown to the base of Peak 8 on Friday, the start of the resort’s summer operations — just five days after the resort closed for “winter” operations.
Antonio Olivero / aolivero@summitdaily.com
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A snowboarder rides with an American flag at his back at the base of the groomed skiing and riding run Breckenridge Ski Resort constructed leading into the Peak 7 Independence SuperChair during Sunday’s closing day of the extended 2018-19 winter season. At rear, the top of the resort’s Peak 8 terrain is in view, terrain that was available for skiing and riding from the top of the Imperial Express SuperChair on Sunday. Breckenridge will begin operating its BreckConnect Gondola from downtown to the base of Peak 8 on Friday, the start of the resort’s summer operations — just five days after the resort closed for “winter” operations.
Antonio Olivero / aolivero@summitdaily.com
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Breckenridge Ski Resort founder Trygve Berge (center), resort vice president and chief operating officer John Buhler (second from right) and friends prepare to load the Independence SuperChair at the base of Breckenridge Ski Resort’s Peak 7 during Sunday’s closing day of the extended 2018-19 winter season. Breckenridge will begin operating its BreckConnect Gondola from downtown to the base of Peak 8 on Friday, the start of the resort’s summer operations — just five days after the resort closed for “winter” operations.
Antonio Olivero / aolivero@summitdaily.com
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A snowboarder kicks up some spring slush at the base of the groomed skiing and riding run Breckenridge Ski Resort constructed leading into the Peak 7 Independence SuperChair during Sunday’s closing day of the extended 2018-19 winter season. At rear, the top of the resort’s Peak 8 terrain is in view, terrain that was available for skiing and riding from the top of the Imperial Express SuperChair on Sunday. Breckenridge will begin operating its BreckConnect Gondola from downtown to the base of Peak 8 on Friday, the start of the resort’s summer operations — just five days after the resort closed for “winter” operations.
Antonio Olivero / aolivero@summitdaily.com
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A snowboarder stakes his claim to what appears to be skier’s territory while kids playing with snowballs in the background look on at the base of the Independence SuperChair on Peak 7 at Breckenridge Ski Resort during the resort’s closing day for the extended 2018-19 winter season. Breckenridge will begin operating its BreckConnect Gondola from downtown to the base of Peak 8 on Friday, the start of the resort’s summer operations — just five days after the resort closed for “winter” operations.
Antonio Olivero / aolivero@summitdaily.com
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A skier dressed in Toy Story garb prepares to load the Independence SuperChair at the base of Breckenridge Ski Resort’s Peak 7 during Sunday’s closing day of the extended 2018-19 winter season. Breckenridge will begin operating its BreckConnect Gondola from downtown to the base of Peak 8 on Friday, the start of the resort’s summer operations — just five days after the resort closed for “winter” operations.
Antonio Olivero / aolivero@summitdaily.com
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Looking north all down the line of the TenMile Range back toward Frisco from the top of the Imperial Express SuperChair, about 150 feet below the 12,987-foot summit of Breckenridge Ski Resort’s Peak 8, during Sunday morning’s closing day of the extended 2018-19 winter season. Breckenridge will begin operating its BreckConnect Gondola from downtown to the base of Peak 8 on Friday, the start of the resort’s summer operations — just five days after the resort closed for “winter” operations.
Antonio Olivero / aolivero@summitdaily.com
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A young ripper gauges the first landing of the day — that departing the free bus that Breckenridge Ski Resort operated from Breckenridge Station in downtown to the base of the resort’s Peak 7 in recent weeks, including for Sunday’s closing day of the extended winter season. Breckenridge will begin operating its BreckConnect Gondola from downtown to the base of Peak 8 on Friday, the start of the resort’s summer operations — just five days after the resort closed for “winter” operations.
Antonio Olivero / aolivero@summitdaily.com
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A shirtless skier chats with friends before loading the Independence SuperChair at Breckenridge Ski Resort during the resort’s closing day for the extended 2018-19 winter season on Sunday. At rear, you can see the skiing and riding trail Breckenridge concocted atop mud-season conditions from the remaining snow at the base of Peak 7 to keep winter operations going through Sunday.
Antonio Olivero / aolivero@summitdaily.com
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A young skier takes the final step to the base area of the Independence SuperChair on Sunday during Breckenridge Ski Resort’s closing day for the extended 2018-19 winter season. All skiers and snowboarders heading to the mountain from downtown boarded free buses provided by the resort in recent weeks as the BreckConnect Gondola was not operable due to public land management regulations intended to protect sensitive forest areas and wildlife. Breckenridge will begin operating its BreckConnect Gondola from downtown to the base of Peak 8 on Friday, the start of the resort’s summer operations — just five days after the resort closed for “winter” operations.
Antonio Olivero / aolivero@summitdaily.com
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A snowboarder butters over some spring slush at the base of the groomed skiing and riding run Breckenridge Ski Resort constructed leading into the Peak 7 Independence SuperChair during Sunday’s closing day of the extended 2018-19 winter season. At rear, the top of the resort’s Peak 8 terrain is in view, terrain that was available for skiing and riding from the top of the Imperial Express SuperChair on Sunday. Breckenridge will begin operating its BreckConnect Gondola from downtown to the base of Peak 8 on Friday, the start of the resort’s summer operations — just five days after the resort closed for “winter” operations.
Antonio Olivero / aolivero@summitdaily.com
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A panoramic view from the top of the Imperial Express SuperChair, about 150 feet below the 12,987-foot summit of Breckenridge Ski Resort’s Peak 8, during Sunday morning’s closing day of the extended 2018-19 winter season. Breckenridge will begin operating its BreckConnect Gondola from downtown to the base of Peak 8 on Friday, the start of the resort’s summer operations — just five days after the resort closed for “winter” operations.
Antonio Olivero / aolivero@summitdaily.com
BRECKENRIDGE — What a day to end an all-time season.
Bluebird skies, top-to-bottom runs and scant wind gusts blessed local skiers and riders on Sunday morning for Breckenridge Ski Resort’s final day of the 2018-19 season. Skiing was crusty in spots up top and slushy with warm, full-on summer weather down below, but it was a classic day at Breckenridge on Sunday. Even one of the resort’s founders, Trygve Berge, and vice president and chief operating officer John Buhler made it out for end-of-season turns to culminate a 206-day season that began on Nov. 7, 2018.
Breckenridge’s crews manicured the remaining snow lower down on Peak 7 to provide top-to-bottom runs off the Independence SuperChair despite the surrounding mud-season-like conditions. In the high alpine, skiers and riders were able to access the T-Bar shortly after the ski resort opened at 9 a.m., the Imperial Express SuperChair — the continent’s highest chairlift at just under 13,000 feet — opening up shortly thereafter.
As of Sunday morning, Breckenridge reported spring conditions and a 53-inch base for a total amount of snowfall at 458 inches for the season. That mark registers as the resort’s second-most snowfall since records have been kept dating back 30 years, only behind 2010-11’s 519 inches. Granted, this was the first time Breckenridge extended its season into June and not only extended once, but twice, ultimately to just five days before the resort will reopen for summer operations on Friday. To put that in perspective, that’s 11 days before the summer solstice. With that it’s worth noting, before this year, Breckenridge’s snow total marks only ran through April 1.
When the resort re-opens for summer operations on Friday, the BreckConnect Gondola will resume transporting guests from downtown to the Peak 8 base area after the gondola was closed in recent weeks. Free buses transported guests from Breckenridge Station to Peak 7. Until Friday, though, here are some shots to remind you what an awesome season this was. To see more photos, go to this article at SummitDaily.com.