Posted Jan 29, 2008, 4:46 AM
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Registered User
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Join Date: Jan 2007
Location: Governor's Park/Capitol Hill, Denver
Posts: 2,634
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Where Hell Freezes Over – Breckenridge, Colorado
The town of Breckenridge is an old mining town that is 9,600 feet above sea level and was created in 1859. It affords a rich mining and frontier history that's been diligently protected by Breckenridge locals. The town's 254-building National Historic District is one of the largest in Colorado. The Summit Historical Society regularly shows off seven historic sites on their 12-block public walking tour of downtown Breckenridge. International skiers rave about the massive, yet accessible four-mountain resort at Breckenridge, where 2,043 acres of ski runs practically bump into town. The average January high and low are 31 °F and 0 °F respectively.
I drove up to Breckenridge, about an hour and a half from Denver, to check out the 18th year of the International Snow Sculpture Championships and I shot these photos. 16 teams from 10 countries compete in carving a twenty-ton, 12 foot tall block of snow into art using only their hands and permitted hand tools.
This is something different for SSP, but I hope you enjoy the tour.
Inside the Eisenhower Memorial Tunnel, the highest vehicular tunnel in the world at 11, 158 feet. It traverses through the Continental Divide with a length of 1.697 miles.
Random condos along the way in Silverthorne.
Mountain above Frisco.
Many of the newer structures try to blend in with the old, but not all achieve their goal.
This yellow house is currently a Starbucks.
This is the size the blocks of snow start out at, sans the beer bottles.
Team China – “The Warrior and the Moon”
Team USA, Breckenridge, Colorado – “Break Out”. The head splitting open represents a shift in thinking and creating new technologies for sustainable energy sources.
Team Canada, Ontario – “Just Spooling Around”
Team USA, Vermont – “Teeter – Toddler”
Team Netherlands – “Calla Lilies”
Team Germany – “Bridge of Tolerance”
Team Canada, Yukon – “Swan Song”, There is a Shaman in the middle calling forward the swans to feed his people to prevent starvation.
Team USA, New York – “Curiosity”, Looks more like Polar Bears about to have an Eskimo Pie for lunch.
Team Mexico, Colima – “Bucefalo”, means a horse who has a free, indomitable and resistant spirit. Of course all the Denverites were calling it the “Denver Bronco", which seemed to insult the artist.
Team Lithuania – “Who will be the Best?”
Team USA, Wisconsin – “Battling Bison – The Rut”, my personal favorite.
Team USA, Minnesota – “Cold Hands, Warm Heart”
Team Mexico, Mexico City – “Faces within the Waves”
Team France – “Sculptures”
Team USA, Loveland, Colorado – “Community”
Team Spain – “Inauguration, Tomorrow”
Snow drift piles created by the wind.
Wind and ice surfing
Frozen water fall, shot taken while driving down the highway.
Here is what Breckenridge looked like on May 5th, 2007. These are the newer structures at the base of the mountain but after ski season had ended, hence few people. That is until the Jazz Festival, Film Festival and mountain bike races begin in the summer.
Thank you for looking!
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