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Colorado’s Breckenridge Ski Resort uncovered a forgotten COVID-19 vaccination card sealed in a bottle among 780 pounds of trash during their annual post-season cleanup, giving new meaning to “message in a bottle.”
Key Takeaways
- Breckenridge Ski Resort collected 780 pounds of trash during its annual post-season cleanup effort involving over 150 employees.
- Among the unusual items found were ski poles, broken phones, a spatula, a Canadian two-dollar coin, and a COVID-19 vaccination card in a bottle.
- The cleanup is part of a larger environmental initiative by ski resorts to maintain natural areas and reduce their ecological footprint.
- Stevens Pass ski resort in Washington conducted a similar cleanup with nearly 150 volunteers, finding items dating back to 1999.
Massive Cleanup Effort Uncovers Years of Lost Items
Breckenridge Ski Resort in Colorado recently conducted its annual Mountain Cleanup Day, revealing the surprising amount of debris that accumulates under winter snowpack. The extensive cleanup operation involved more than 150 employees who worked together to collect an astounding 780 pounds of trash that had been buried beneath the snow throughout the ski season. This significant amount of waste demonstrates the hidden environmental impact of recreational activities on our mountain landscapes, a reality often overlooked by vacationers enjoying Colorado’s world-class slopes.
The variety of items recovered during the cleanup painted a fascinating picture of modern consumer culture and carelessness. Resort workers found numerous ski poles, boots, broken phones, eyeglasses, AirPods, and even a spatula. More personal items included a driver’s license and a Canadian two-dollar coin. These findings highlight how easily valuable possessions can be lost in the excitement of outdoor recreation, and how our mountain environments inadvertently become repositories for modern artifacts that don’t decompose naturally in these pristine settings.
Modern “Message in a Bottle” Discovery
Perhaps the most unusual discovery at Breckenridge was what initially appeared to be a traditional “message in a bottle” – a notion that conjures romantic images of seafarers and castaways. Upon closer inspection, however, the contents revealed something decidedly more contemporary: a COVID-19 vaccination card. This peculiar find prompted lighthearted speculation among the cleanup crew about what message might have been intended, with staff joking that it contained phrases like “Drink your Ovaltine” or desperate pleas for rescue.
“In addition to being the right thing to do for our mountain, it’s also a fun paid event to connect with our teammates and see what wacky items may have been lost in the season’s powder days,” said Maxwell Winter, Senior Communications Manager at the lodge, told the Post.
The Breckenridge cleanup team shared their experiences in a viral Facebook post that quickly resonated with online audiences. The post generated numerous humorous comments and personal anecdotes from users who had their own stories of lost items on ski slopes. This social media engagement demonstrates how environmental stewardship efforts can create community connections while raising awareness about responsible recreation in natural spaces, especially important in conservative communities that value preserving America’s natural heritage.
A Growing Environmental Movement at Ski Resorts
The Breckenridge cleanup is part of a broader trend among American ski resorts to take greater responsibility for environmental stewardship. In Washington state, Stevens Pass ski resort conducted a similar cleanup operation that attracted nearly 150 volunteers – a record number compared to their usual 90 participants. This event, organized in partnership with the National Forest Foundation and the U.S. Forest Service, has been running since 2011 and demonstrates the growing commitment to conservation within the outdoor recreation industry.
“It gets buried in the snow, and in the summer it melts out,” Jennifer Carlson explained about the debris that accumulates throughout the skiing season.
The Stevens Pass cleanup is connected to Vail Resorts’ Commitment to Zero program, which aims to achieve zero emissions by 2030. This initiative represents the type of private sector-led environmental stewardship that conservatives can support – businesses taking responsibility for their environmental impact without extensive government regulation. The volunteers at Stevens Pass recovered various types of trash, including rusted metal, wire, and rope, with the most interesting find being a credit-card-sized annual resort pass from 1999, which earned its finder a $50 gift card.
Building Community Through Conservation
Beyond the environmental benefits, these cleanup events serve as valuable team-building exercises and community engagement opportunities. The Breckenridge effort, which compensated employees for their participation, transformed what could have been a mundane chore into an enjoyable social event with the added excitement of discovering unexpected items. This approach to conservation work demonstrates how businesses can align profit motives with environmental responsibility, creating value for shareholders while protecting natural resources.
“They said their ‘most unique find’ was a note in a bottle, which the Breckenridge crew joked said everything from ‘Drink your Ovaltine’ to ‘Stuck in a bottle, send help,’” according to Winter.
As summer visitors now enjoy the cleaned mountain landscapes, these conservation efforts highlight the importance of responsible stewardship of America’s natural treasures. Rather than relying on government mandates, these private initiatives demonstrate how businesses, employees, and volunteers can work together to protect environmental quality while providing economic opportunities. President Trump has consistently supported this balanced approach to conservation that respects both environmental needs and economic realities, making these cleanup events excellent examples of American conservation values in action.