OPTION A, YOU ARE A:

Gold Digger

While Breckenridge counts on the cold, white stuff to support its economy these days, flakes of a different sort first put the town on the map. When word got out in the 1850s that there was gold in them thar hills, the tiny mountain town boomed. And the best place to dig into Breckenridge’s mining roots is the Country Boy Mine.

Established in 1887 and still operational, the Country Boy Mine has a dimly lit shaft that serves as a passage back in time. The earliest miners shared a single candle between four men as they chipped away at the rock, earning just $2 a day for their efforts. Squinting into the sunlight as you exit the mine, you’ll shake your head in amazement at miners who didn’t see the light of day for weeks during the short days of winter.

After returning from your journey to the center of the earth, do some prospecting of your own. The mine fills giant, silt-filled tubs from nearby Eureka Creek in a heated barn. Think there’s nothing interesting about a pan full of rock and dirt? You’ll think again if you spot a few tiny flecks of gold winking at you from the gravelly mix. The crew here tells the story of one visitor who became so caught up with gold fever that she spent four hours prospecting and filled half a vial with gold flakes. With the price of gold recently topping $900 an ounce, you might consider quitting your day job. countryboymine.com

OPTION B, YOU ARE A:

Fishing Fiend

The essential winter packing list for Breckenridge contains three items: parka, skis, and fly rod. Anglers in the know will tell you that winter is the best time to stalk trophy-sized rainbow and cutthroat trout in Colorado’s tailwater rivers. Waters just below man-made dams flow low and clear throughout the season, the fish grow up to nearly three feet long from a summer of feeding, and you just might get them all to yourself. You only need the proper gear and the right technique.

Find both at Breckenridge Outfitters. There’s a reason the shop’s customers have voted it the most decorated Orvis outfitter in the country. The guides spend an average of 250 days on the water, so they know the most productive fly-fishing spots like most people know their morning commute.

After a quick dry-land casting clinic to learn the basics, you’ll go to the water to pick up the finer points of reading a stream, and to perfect your roll cast, false cast, and presentation cast. A two-hour trip costs $85 per person, and the shop’s catch-and-release policy ensures that there are plenty of fish to go around. With such world-renowned rivers as the Blue, lower Colorado, and the “dream streams” section of the South Platte nearby, it’s not uncommon to spend the morning on the slopes and the afternoon fishing the hatch under sunny skies. And that’s no fish story. breckenridgeoutfitters.com

OPTION C, YOU ARE A:

Spa Diva

After a long day of skiing—or just lounging around the fire sipping hot toddies—nothing beats wrapping yourself in chocolate and letting magnesium fizz away on your skin.

Not convinced? Then sign up for the Fizzing Chocolate Antioxidant Body Wrap at the Mountain Sanctuary Day Spa. Start the 90-minute treatment by lying on a heated table while a therapist exfoliates your body. A pleasing smell reminiscent of chocolate milk wafts about the room as she gently brushes an airy, vitamin-infused mixture of milk chocolate and magnesium sulfate onto your skin. Then a light tingling sensation envelops your body as she wraps you in a sheet of Mylar and the compound seeps deep into your pores.

(Don’t try this at home: Mixing melted Hershey bars with magnesium you bought on the Internet and then wrapping yourself in an old camping tarp probably won’t feel the same. Sure, the spa treatment costs $169. But imagine how much you’ll save in hospital bills.)

While the wrap works its magic, the therapist gives you a 20-minute head, scalp, and shoulder rub, topped off by a rubdown with aromatheraphy towels. Finish with a full body massage of chocolate-scented oils specially formulated for dry climates. You might notice a few envious looks as you exit one of the spa’s five treatment rooms, as it’s hard to miss the chocolate-scented aroma that permeates the entire spa. mountainsanctuaryspa.com

OPTION D, YOU ARE A:

Sled Head

This is no cushy, blanket-wrapped ride over the field and through the woods. On this dog-sledding adventure, you’re at the helm of a team of beautiful Siberian huskies, navigating snow-packed trails on a six-mile course through the Middle Fork of the Swan River. Using simple commands such as “gee” to turn right and “haw” to turn left, you’ll experience the unique thrill of mushing, once the main mode of transportation in Arctic countries around the globe.

Good Times Adventures runs the only dog-sledding tours in Summit County. The company will pick up your group from anywhere in Breckenridge for an hour-long excursion. As many as six people can take turns driving the sled, riding in the basket, or following along on a snowmobile driven by a guide. Prices range from free for 3-year-olds and younger (though Good Times discourages taking toddlers on dogsleds), $40 for 4- to 8-year-olds, and $70 for everyone else.

More than 2,000 years of breeding as sled dogs means that huskies love to pull more than just about anything else. Once in the harness, the dogs are raring to go, and their excitement is palpable. They only need hear a confident “Hike it up!” to start racing down the trail. Once you hear the sound of panting dogs and padded feet racing through the woods, you’ll know why mushing caught on in the first place. snowmobilecolorado.com

Lay of the Land

GET THERE

Fly In Land at Denver International Airport (flydenver.com), about 80 miles from Breckenridge. Rent a car or take an $84 shuttle west over the mountains to the town of Breckenridge (ridecme.com).

Get Around Most everything in Breckenridge centers around a charming and walkable Main Street, and the Free Ride shuttle connects to everything else in town.

Get Away You’ll need a car to go to the Country Boy Mine. You can rent one at the airport in Denver or just call a cab in Breckenridge (453taxi.com).

DO THERE

Dec. 6 Usher in the holiday season with the Lighting of Breckenridge, a Victorian-flavored celebration that sets Main Street aglow. gobreck.com

Dec. 18–21 Marvel as the world’s best skiers and snowboarders show their stuff at the AST Winter Dew Tour. ast.com

Jan. 20–25 Wonder at the icy works of art teams create during the Budweiser International Snow Sculpture Championships. Carved from 20-ton, 12-foot-tall blocks of snow, the sculptures will send a chill down your spine. townofbreckenridge.com