Silverton CO

funny cause i just watched a video on it

https://www.newschoolers.com/videos/watch/949801/Only-Experts-Can-Ski-at-Silverton---Season-Pass

TRVP_ANGELfunny cause i just watched a video on it

https://www.newschoolers.com/videos/watch/949801/Only-Experts-Can-Ski-at-Silverton---Season-Pass

i've watched that video at least four times now and still can't really figure it out. they're giving us a pro's perspective which really isn't helpful haha. surely there is skiable terrain for us normies that are skilled, aggressive skiers but aren't wanting to take too much risk in hazardous avy terrain, right?

I didn't find anything about the Silverton ski area *extreme*. Based on the places you have skied before, you will find Silverton fairly tame. The key to Silverton is getting a good guide as well as a good group. A bad guide/group can make for a very bad and expensive day with only a little skiing.

I would say that the Silverton area, outside of the resort, in the Northern San Juans is fairly tricky to navigate. There is often a surface layer of facets and you can definitely get yourself into some bad terrain. So definitely check https://avalanche.state.co.us/forecasts/backcountry-avalanche/north-san-juan/ if you are going to be outside the ski area.

Have fun!

TripleblacksI didn't find anything about the Silverton ski area *extreme*. Based on the places you have skied before, you will find Silverton fairly tame. The key to Silverton is getting a good guide as well as a good group. A bad guide/group can make for a very bad and expensive day with only a little skiing.

Yeah this is good advice. Or find the worst group and suggest hiking super far and hope they all drop off by noon so its just you and the guide. Thats what me and my dad did (unintentionally) and probably was one of the best days of my life since they all dropped off by 11-12ish.

TripleblacksI didn't find anything about the Silverton ski area *extreme*. Based on the places you have skied before, you will find Silverton fairly tame. The key to Silverton is getting a good guide as well as a good group. A bad guide/group can make for a very bad and expensive day with only a little skiing.

I would say that the Silverton area, outside of the resort, in the Northern San Juans is fairly tricky to navigate. There is often a surface layer of facets and you can definitely get yourself into some bad terrain. So definitely check https://avalanche.state.co.us/forecasts/backcountry-avalanche/north-san-juan/ if you are going to be outside the ski area.

Have fun!

that's really helpful, thank you.

we would largely be sticking to "resort" terrain (as in, not backcountry). my brother is a fantastic skier but has no backcountry training or experience, so he doesn't make for a great rescue companion quite yet.

The San Juans have a notoriously sketchy snowpack, so the most extreme thing about Silverton is probably its snowpack and avy hazard at times.

When it comes to terrain, as long as you can ski ungroomed runs, then you can ski Silverton, their whole marketing positioning is built around being "extreme" but it's really not any more extreme than other large resorts. Take Snowbird or Jackson, sure you can find pretty gnarly terrain and big cliffs if that's your thing, but you also have plenty of mellow-er terrain to have fun with, same with Silverton.

Take a guide if you don't know the area and are worried about avy conditions (unguided doesn't start until April or something anyway) and you'll have fun. They'll try and match you with others of similar abilities at the beginning of the day and after the first run, the guide will have a good sense of your group's skill level and will take you to terrain matching that level.

You can do an heli run if you want, but it won't give you access to any terrain you can't access hiking otherwise, so it's really just to get there faster/get the views of the heli.

Sir_SkrillALotYeah this is good advice. Or find the worst group and suggest hiking super far and hope they all drop off by noon so its just you and the guide. Thats what me and my dad did (unintentionally) and probably was one of the best days of my life since they all dropped off by 11-12ish.

i'm really looking for "best day of my life skiing"

bridger was far and away my favorite skiing experience being that we caught the tail end of a storm cycle, but i whiffed on catching good snow at jackson/targhee last year.

I would like to ski there... Fritzski wrote an interesting trip report on his experience there.

It's sick and the terrain is definitely advanced but it's nothing you can't handle if you've skied bridger bowl and squaw. You probably won't be doing much touring there so I would recommend that you just bring an alpine setup if you have one and a backpack to strap your skis to when you hike. I did 4 days during the unguided season in April and it was dope but I definitely think it would have had better conditions in Feb/ March plus having a guide to show you around would be awesome. It's a really dope mountain, I skied the most scenic line in my life off the ridge on the backside where I got to slash some powder off the side of a cliff. shit was insane.

Sorry for the rant, but I'm so stoked on Silverton and couldn't help myself:

I skied Silverton last week as a birthday present to myself, and it was incredible — tied with Japan as the best powder and coolest place I've ever skied. During the regular season, you are required to pay for a guide, so my girlfriend and I paid for two guided days. At 4 am, as we were on our way there, Red Mountain Pass (the only route into Silverton from the north) avalanched and was closed by CODOT for over ten hours, so we had to wait around for it to open and missed our first day skiing. We were pretty bummed at first, but thankfully, they were super nice about it and gave us a heli drop on our second day (which costs roughly the same as a guided day) in exchange for missing that first day. Super chill of them considering it technically says online they are not liable for roads closing / extreme weather events.

As others said, getting in a good group and guide is key. Ours were both great: everyone skied and hiked at a similar pace and we got in seven laps on seven different lines, which is a lot considering each is 2000' +. We also got lucky with the weather, as it was bluebird and the snowpack had just stabilized enough for us to ski some big, exposed lines which had been "closed" to guided groups up until then. Every run was untracked, blower, deep powder top to bottom - not surprising considering there are only about 70 people on the mountain on a pow day, compared to thousands at a normal resort, and that the San Juans reliably get pounded with more snow than a lot of other places in CO. As others said, the terrain wasn't anything totally insane - no crazy steep or super narrow chutes, no butt-puckering exposure, no mandatory airs, or anything scary technical like that. But the snow was perfect and the terrain still super enjoyable. The people are awesome too.

TL;DR: In my experience, Silverton 100% delivered on what it was supposed to be: a unique, remote, ungentrified, close-to-pure big mountain skiing experience. In their ads Silverton says they "guarantee" powder skiing at this time of year, and that was definitely true for me. It's expensive ($180 per day), but not that much compared to other Western resorts, def the cheapest way to heli ski in North America, and totally unique and worth that money, IMO. Plus, the vibe is awesome. Just one lift and one small "beer yurt" as a lodge where everyone parties after - since it was my 21st, everyone bought me drinks and I did a shot ski with my two guides. No one is a gaper, everyone loves skiing, and they're there to rip with likeminded people. OP, you should send it!

PlanktonI skied Silverton last week as a birthday present to myself, and it was incredible —

so sick, im jealous. thanks for posting

PlanktonSorry for the rant, but I'm so stoked on Silverton and couldn't help myself:

OP, you should send it!

shit ok

so now i'm pretty much stuck between choosing Silverton and Alta (which i realize are a bit on opposite sides of the spectrum).

selling a heli day 6 run for this Thursday 2/27/20 starting bid only $100! Fully transferable have email confirmation to provide from office See eBay listing below


[URL]http://rover.ebay.com/rover/1/711-53200-19255-0/1?icep_ff3=2&pub=5575378759&campid=5338273189&customid=&icep_item=333525711014&ipn=psmain&icep_vectorid=229466&kwid=902099&mtid=824&kw=lg&toolid=1111[/URL]1

cjtrappselling a heli day 6 run for this Thursday 2/27/20 starting bid only $100! Fully transferable have email confirmation to provide from office See eBay listing below


[URL]http://rover.ebay.com/rover/1/711-53200-19255-0/1?icep_ff3=2&pub=5575378759&campid=5338273189&customid=&icep_item=333525711014&ipn=psmain&icep_vectorid=229466&kwid=902099&mtid=824&kw=lg&toolid=1111[/URL]1

Why does the auction end at 9:19AM in a Thursday? That is to late

Sorry I’ll try to fix. eBay restrictions...

CLQWhy does the auction end at 9:19AM in a Thursday? That is to late

I am starting to plan a trip to Silverton in March. I live on the east coast and my son is in New Mexico. Is the drive from New Mexico to Silverton on Highway 550 not possible in March? Otherwise the plan would be to fly into Denver and make the drive from there. Any feedback is greatly appreciated.

jpayne1021I am starting to plan a trip to Silverton in March. I live on the east coast and my son is in New Mexico. Is the drive from New Mexico to Silverton on Highway 550 not possible in March? Otherwise the plan would be to fly into Denver and make the drive from there. Any feedback is greatly appreciated.

You shouldn't have any problem heading in on 550 from NM. The only time getting into Silverton gets rough is if you hit a big storm cycle. If this happens, typically there will be alot of avalanche activity closing the roads, but if there is enough snowfall, all of the different passes tend to be affected equally and it also affects Silverton Mountains ability to operate also.

Definitely go, its such a rad experience!

Silverton is sick! You'll be fine terrain-wise. Let 'er rip!!