Picture this: you've been skiing or riding for the last several hours, shredding through fresh powder at Breckenridge Ski Resort, snow is lightly falling and you're ready to call it a day. You just got off the Rocky Mountain SuperChair at the top of Peak 8 and want one more adventure on the snow. This is where the T-Bar comes into play, and for this one you do not need to be 21 years old. Coast a short ways to the North and you can't miss this one-of-a-kind lift. Just let the t-shaped seat smack you in the rear end and hold on. Although you only have to stand there, definitely do not fall asleep if you're on skis. If the shredders under your boots accidentally cross, well, you might be heading back to where you just came from and most of it will be back on that rear end. For the snowboarders, the sideways approach seems to work quite well.
The last several weeks I've ventured up to the top of the T-Bar and have loved every second of the ascents. The drop-in bowls at the top are minimally touched and provide for a lot of fresh turns and exploration. Keep your eye out for hidden tree trunks and a few spread out rocks - there aren't too many, but they can leave you with a nice gash on the bottom of your board or skis if you are not paying attention. If you fall, you'll most likely be tumbling into several feet of powder, but you still don't want to completely disregard the fact that these runs are blacks and double blacks for a reason, so a helmet is always a good idea. The wind can be pretty intense up there but it comes with the awesome territory.
After you tear up the T-Bar at the top of the mountain you decide it's time to head in. So, you carve your way back down your descent to the base of Peak 8 and a sudden craving for a cold lager takes over. You just don't want to leave yet. You're in luck, and in true après fashion. The kind folks at Breckenridge this year put in the T-Bar juxtaposed to the new Ski Hill Grill. Well, the other T-Bar, and this one you do need to be of age. Holding up to 150 people the T-Bar is large and in charge, brand new, and is one of the continent's highest-elevated bars. Located directly off the BreckConnect Gondola at the base of Peak 8 makes it very easy to stumble right back to where you came from at the beginning of the day (that stumbling will be from the difficulty of walking in ski boots, of course). The T-Bar is a great place that screams fun, where the weekend warrior raises their glass to the ski bum, who nods at the vacationer.
Grab one of their delicious appetizers while you're in there, I'm sure you'll be hungry after tackling both T-Bars. Cheers.
-Jeff Werkheiser