Tenmile Range rises dramatically just behind the town of Frisco and its spectacular ridge stretches south past Breckenridge and Blue River. It is bisected by the Continental Divide at Hoosier Pass and the portion to the south of the pass is more commonly known as the Mosquito Range.
From the I-70 corridor, the first summit above treeline is Peak 1, followed by Tenmile Peak and Peaks 3 through 10, respectively. Breckenridge Ski Resort is located on the slopes of Peaks 6 through 10 and it is entirely possible to ski from the top of the mountain to the bus stop. The highest ski lift in North America, Imperial Express Superlift, carries skiers and boarders to 12,840ft on Peak 8 from where they can hike to the summit at 12,998ft.
View at sunset of Peak 1 and Tenmile Peak across the Blue River Arm of Dillon Reservoir, taken from Sapphire Point off Swan Mountain Road. U.S. Hwy 9 is visible along the shore of the reservoir.
The portion of Tenmile Range south of Breckenridge. Peak 10, its slopes graced by the runs of Breckenridge Ski Resort, stretches across most of the right portion of the photo. On the left, the monolithic Quandary Peak, with its summit at 14,265ft. Immediately to the left of Quandary Peak is the knife-edge ridge of North Star Mountain.
As the range continues south, the geology changes, breaking up the straight north-south ridge-line into east-west oriented mountains. It is here that the mountains really stretch toward the sky. In all there are 10 summits in the range above 13,600ft, including Quandary Peak 14,271ft.
This range has been heavily mined over the last 150 years and the scars are readily visible in the form of weathered shacks and buildings, old mine equipment, and zig-zagging mine roads. Some peaks in the Mosquito Range are closed off due to private mining claims and the danger of collapsing old mine shafts. There are very large mines currently in operation on the western side of the Mosquito Range.
These articles are my best efforts to share the amazing things I have encountered on my adventure in Summit County. They are a constant work in progress, so check back often for updates and feel free to contact me with questions or comments.