Breckenridge Ski Resort’s Summer Cleanup
The annual cleanup at Breckenridge Ski Resort in Colorado has taken on a treasure-hunt vibe this summer. Staff members banded together to clear out an impressive 780 pounds of trash, much of which was inadvertently dropped by guests from ski lifts.
Interestingly, the cleanup required around 150 employees and led to some unexpected finds. One of the more peculiar discoveries was a message in a bottle, which got people speculating about its contents.
A spokesperson noted that it wasn’t a romantic note from times gone by; instead, it turned out to be an old Covid-19 vaccination card. Who would have expected that?
Among other interesting items retrieved were a cracked iPhone, an iPod Nano, and even a $2 Canadian coin. And, of course, many standard finds like empty bottles and other typical trash were also collected.
Max Winter, the senior communications manager at the resort, shared that employees had their favorites from the cleanup, but surprisingly, these didn’t make it into any videos highlighting the effort.
He mentioned, “Several of our workers even spotted a moose family while combing through the area for lost items.” They kept their distance and respected the wildlife, a reminder of the shared nature of these mountain spaces.
While the majority of what was found was indeed garbage, a significant portion of it consisted of larger items that were either recycled or upcycled.
There were even instances where items were successfully returned to their original owners. For instance, a few years back, at their sister resort Keystone, a team managed to reunite an engraved engagement ring with its owner months after it was lost.
This cleanup effort, aptly named Mountain Clean Up Day, is something the staff really looks forward to each year. Winter expressed, “It’s a chance for us to show some love to the mountains we consider home.”
In addition to its importance for the environment, it’s a fun way for the team to connect, relive the quirks of items lost during a busy season, and, of course, enjoy a complimentary lunch in the beautiful surroundings.
