Silverton Mountain

The morning was a major «cluster» with group assignments and getting gear lined up. I was prepared for rural … but the bathrooms/​lodge/​no where to sit things were a little surprising. I am not a back country skier … I’m a side country skier. The amount of time spent hiking would have been worth it if the terrain and snow had been way better.
They really «farm» the powder at Silverton. Each guide is assigned certain areas to ski and they are very strict about the whole thing. That way they can provide fresh turns days after a snow storm. That’s good in theory and all, but something happens to snow that has been baked and frozen in cycles. It sucks.
I felt extremely controlled and was disappointed in the terrain that we skied. Our guide did not once ask us what we were interested in skiing. Being told to ski 3 feet to the left of the guided turns was a very painful experience. I never felt any rhythm with my group or guide. It was an overall disappointment. I would much rather travel to CB for some CAT skiing.
Silverton IS one of the most gorgeous regions in Colorado, however being at elevation makes the hike-​to-​terrain … hike-​to-​bus a drag. I am making all of my future trips to this area in the summer.
I think it just really depends on the type of terrain you prefer to ride and the storm situation. I suppose it COULD be awesome … I just didn’t hit it on my trip.

you can read about the skiing from everyone else
the lodge is a serious gross sweaty locker room. old ratty goodwill couches and moldy plastic for a roof. they need to step it up.
the lift unload is a major safety issue, even for a good skier. they need to fix it.
i had to sign 3 different liability release waivers. they need to streamline it.
refund for unused Helli drop will be processed in 6 weeks. WTF? way too long
i know its a backcounrty experience and i am not expecting resort amenities, but the gear rental is in the back of an old school bus.

One lift up. Unlimited ways down.
Alright that’s a bit of hyperbole, but this is hands down the best experience in Colorado if you’re looking for intense runs in deep powder with no crowds. You’ll know if you fit into this crowd if you …
a) don’t mind hiking at 12,000′ to get to amazing runs
b) scoff at people who brag about the bowls at Keystone
c) enjoy experiencing the purest form of something
The unguided lift ticket is fine, but if you want to make the most of your day, I would highly recommend getting a guide. They’ll save you aimless wandering time and get you right to the areas you want to go to.
Also, get there a little bit early because you have to sign a few waivers before you hit the backcountry! I want to go back right now as I’m writing this

As legit as it comes. Step lines, pow, & sunshine. Chair tops out @ 12,000 ft & then the hiking begins (unless you opt for heli). Not for fat tourists in one piece ski suits, the après ski crowd, or someone who needs more than what may be the worlds stinkiest pit toilets.

Great guides, friendly staff and an epic mountain. I thought I’d mind the hiking, but the guides mix up a couple long hikes with some short or no-​hike options. You end up appreciating the sheer beauty of the climb on some of the hikes you’ll do and it really does add to the adventure. The terrain is challenging but the guides are excellent. They gave great supports to members of our group who either weren’t comfortable with the climb or needed some pointers on how to ski the terrain.
Don’t go expecting Vail pampering. Go expecting great terrain, fresh tracks, superb attitudes, and a mountain built solely around the riding, not the glam.
And if you don’t want to hike, they’ll gladly sell you a heli drop!

The perfect place to ski with little kids. Small, cheap and easy to navigate.

Silverton is kind of like heli skiing with a chairlift instead of a helicopter (though they have a ‘copter, and you can go heli skiing too, but I’ll get to that later).
The first thing to know is that what they tell you is true — there is NO easy way down. If you’re not totally comfortable in steep, deep, untracked pow, narrow chutes, trees, avalanche gullies, cliffy terrain, and corniced entrances you have to climb (or drop) into, and hiking up narrow ridgelines, you should stay the hell away.
Second, you better be in damn good shape, because if all the hiking doesn’t kill you, the altitude will. The base is at 10,400′, and the lift takes you up to 12,300. From there, you’ll be hiking for anywhere from 5 minutes to 1.5 hours or more (depending on how fast & crazy you are) to as high as nearly 13,500′.
If you’re cool with that, though, HOLEEEE SHIT are you gonna have fun. For the main part of the season, Silverton is guided skiing only — they break everyone up into groups of 8 people, and one guide for each group. Your guide will then take you all over the mountain, doing his or her best to find you some sick, untouched pow to tear up. You’ll probably get 4 or 5 runs in a day, and be totally content with that (not to mention exhausted).
Other things to know: you have to have an avi beacon, shovel, and probe. If you don’t have your own, they’ll rent them to you. The base area facilities are about as spartan as they get — a big yurt is the main lodge, where they’ll sell you bottled water, gatorade, and beer. There’s pit toilets out back, unlit and unheated. There’s no running water. You can order lunch in the morning, and it’s a basic deli sandwich, chips, snack bar, and water. (Tip — way better to bring your own).
Now that may not sound like the most awesome destination, but you ain’t there to get your apres ski on; you’re there to ski some of the sickest lines in Colorado, without lift lines, without incompetent idiots in your way, and that’s what you’re gonna get. The guides are awesome, the views are incredible, and the terrain is unparalleled.
Oh, and if you really want the fully top-​to-​bottom untracked experience, you can buy heli drops at $ 150 apiece, to take you to a ton of terrain the hikers can’t get to.
Silverton is only open 4 days a week, Thurs — Sunday, so the snow has a chance to refresh itself each week.
So grab your fattest skis (seriously, your fattest; the guides are riding 130 under boot — pontoons and such), and do everything you can to get your ass in shape and ready for the altitude. Then go nuts. You’ll love it.
And look for Adam as your guide — the dude is awesome.

i am fresh back from my 3^rd annual trip to this amazing ski «resort»…
there wasn’t quite as much snow this year as compared to last, but it is really more about quality than depth… some places (peaks and ridges) are a little wind-​scoured, but the majority of the mountain is deep with powder…
the one lift is long and takes you up to over 12 000 feet… after packing your gear onto your back, you hike along the ridges (for anywhere from about 10 minutes — over an hour), until you reach a good drop-​in point… your guide will assist you and your group (no more than 8 to a group) to whatever sort of adventure you choose… the terrain varies from cornices and rock-​drops, smooth steep powder bowls, and some really great tree lines… there are no signs attempting to limit these «runs» to being classified in the «circle, square, diamond”-type difficulties… if you have to think about how «hard» the run is, you probably don’t belong at Silverton…
facilities are extremely limited on the mountain… THERE IS NO RUNNING WATER!!!, a huge yurt serves as the main «lodge», there are pit toilets, a school bus wedged into the snow is the rental shop… oh, and the yurt becomes a bar after the lift stops running… what a party!!!
this year, there is HELI-​DROPS!!! for an extra $ 150, the heli will drop you at the top of any of the surounding peaks… our whole group did this, and let me tell you… this is not to be missed!!! the price was worth the heli ride alone… and then the amazing fresh powder ride to boot!!!
the guides are top-​notch here… maybe there are some better than others, but i have always had great guides… this year we had «john» (there are at least 2 johns) on thursday, and «nate» on saturday… we really enjoyed riding with both of them…
i can’t wait ’til next year to return to the best «resort» in the country!!!

This is part of the reason why I live in Silverton. The combination of Silverton Mountain and the surrounding backcountry make San Juan County my favorite place to ski in the world.
Silverton Mountain is open for unguided skiing from whenever they open (around December 1) till January 15^th, then again from April 1 till the close (usually around the end of April). Between Jan 15^th and April 1, you must ski with a guide in a group of no more than 8 people.
This makes for a great experience, as they are able to do snow control on a run-​by-​run basis and give skiers more fresh tracks.
The terrain is some of the most-​challenging of any I’ve skied, and the guides are both very friendly and very skilled skiers and snow safety specialists.
If you haven’t been to Silverton yet, make sure to plan a trip in the winter and plan on at least a couple of days at Silverton Mountain.

I wish I had skied here on a powder day and then I could have given it 5 stars. As is, we skied this great mountain on sunny blue bird day — that was cold. So, severe pucker factor sets in on the first run: very steep, trees and gully on chewed up mashed potatoes that had been refrozen into … shall we say… a very challenging ski surface. Had you taken a fall you would have had a very long ride to bottom.
I chose my tele gear for the first run because I wanted to be comfortable on the hike up. This was a mistake. Switched to medium fat downhill gear — a little better but still not right. I think if you look at what the guides are skiing (big FAT long boards) you should take your cue from them. Fatter is better on this mountain — in almost any conditions.
One should not underestimate this mountain and the terrain. If your not fit and ready to ski hard, steep, trees, and rocks, while 5 – 7 other people watch you — then don’t go.
If you want to ski (or board) back-​country terrain that typically your half a brain would say «no way. this is going to avalanche and kill me» then this is your mountain.
So the guides are great, the views and terrain fantastic, the lunch — only OK, the beer in the tent is good and the price is right for what you get.