Breckenridge Skiing and Snowboarding Has Begun [PHOTOS]

Breck has a special place in my heart. It is the first town I lived in in Colorado when I moved here in 1998. It was my home mountain for a long time, and still plays a major role in my life. On top of that, it's just an incredible mountain. And, HALLELUJAH! Breckenridge is now open for the 2012/13 ski season.

Breckenridge is divided by peaks. You're either on Peak 7, 8, 9 or 10, and the terrain is divided along what each peak offers.

Peak 10

Peak 10 is for advanced to adventurous intermediate skiers and riders. It is serviced by one lift and has some incredible terrain. The Burn will give you just that. The whole north side of the Peak 10 has some great powder stash, but the trees can get pretty tight in some areas. The open groomers on Peak 10 are really fun, but pretty steep.

Peak 9

Peak 9 has a mix of beginner, intermediate and advanced runs, terrain parks, bunny hills and hikes. You can spend the whole day here and never get sick of it. It is serviced by several lifts and is part of what makes Breckenridge so legendary.

Peak 8

Peak 8 has it all. Breckenridge's biggest terrain park is here, and if you don't want to fly through the air, maybe take a run through, stop and watch for a few moments. It's considered one of the best parks on the planet, so you'll see some of the best athletes on the planet. Seriously, it's like watching X-Games trials every day in there. Amazing. Be careful if you decide to jump, those kickers are as huge as they look.

Beyond that, you can ride the Colorado Superchair and swoosh down beginner trails and intermediate or advanced slopes all day.

The T-bar services some wonderful high alpine terrain. And even above that is North America's highest chairlift, the Imperial Chair. This lift services extreme terrain that you used to have to hike hours to access. The Lake Chutes are no joke, and if you want to test your mettle, this is place to do it. Imperial also accesses the upper terrain of Peak 7.

Peak 7

Peak 7 is all intermediate, spread out and with the brand new amenities at the bottom, is a family paradise. The recent expansion has made Breckenridge even bigger than ever, and this area really caters to the families.