Mining for Good Times in Silverton, CO

Written by: Amy David

Rugged terrain, steep bootpacks, no crowds, one chairlift, endless ski lines, affordable heli drops, what more could a skier ask for?

Silverton Mountain has been at the top of my “to ski” list since I was in middle school on a field trip with the International Snow Science Workshop (ISSW). I remember driving over the winding Red Mountain Pass where the road drops straight down thousands of feet with no shoulder. We walked along the snow covered streets lined with bright colored Victorian-era buildings preserved with a wild-west style. Our main stop was in the basement of an old building that smelled like musty railroad ties. This was their avalanche center headquarters where we’d meet the local snow scientist, Chris Landry. 

I never forgot the smell of the basement office, the ghost town feel, and the ruggedness of the mountains making this place so unique. I loved everything about it. Earlier this winter, I got a call from my friends Gabe Rovick and Julian Carr inviting me on a week-long trip to ski Silverton Mountain. Immediately saying yes, I counted down the days to drive south to the high-altitude San Juans. Upon arriving, it was everything I remembered from that 8th grade field trip. 

The town feels like taking a step back in time. The buildings lining the streets are preserved from the mining boomtown which was founded in 1870. The surrounding area capsule history of the Narrow Gauge Railroad that’s been running since 1882 and old wooden mills teeter on the pass. High alpine peaks tower above. San Juan County has the highest mean elevation in the U.S. of 11,240 feet. Directly across from the town hall is The Wyman. It’s a landmark building originally a mercantile, gas station and even housed the town trolley. Now The Wyman is beautifully reimagined as a hotel. This is where our team assembled.

Our trip was complete with myself, Julian Carr the big air connoisseur, Gabe Rovick the film visionary, Liam Doran the man who makes moments freeze in time with his photography, Emma Paterson the Taos gal who farms powder and vegetables, Todd Ligare the full speed wizard, and Shane Furman the local legend.

Day One: Get to the Choppa!!

Led by Silverton Mountain guide, Calvin, we skipped all warm up runs by starting the week with heli access skiing. The one chairlift accesses 1,819 acres of high alpine descents in every direction. My jaw dropped as the lift crested the horizon opening the view of endless chutes, cliffs, and bowls. 

With bright sun, crisp air and calm wind, we hustled to the heli pad. The view from the helicopter was almost more exciting than the skiing, but that’s because I rarely ride in helicopters making it extra special. Before long, we were dropped on a high point and left to choose our descent. There’s no easy way down, no groomers, and 3,000’ vertical drop for a single run. 

Colorado has been experiencing a dry spell the weeks leading up to this trip, so the snow was not deep and we had to hunt for aspects that were more soft. One of my biggest takeaways was how epic this place is to ski regardless of snow conditions. The first run we skied a big open bowl. 

The next lift we were dropped in a kol at the top of the El Grande couloir. The edges of the line were shady and soft, a pleasant surprise. 

At the bottom of the run we convened, glided down a sweeping cat track to the highway where the bus picked us up to return to the base area. With no condos, crowds, or convenient stores, the base area has a wall tent with a picnic table outside and good vibes - it’s the real deal. We shared drinks and stories with the crew at the bottom before heading back to the Wyman for the night.

Day Two: Hike to the Top of the World

No frills; all thrills. The base area is at 10,400’ with the single chairlift dropping us off at 12,300’. We hustled this morning to link back up with our guide Calvin and get the first chair to the top. After loading skis on our backpacks, we began the bootpack up the ridge towards the highest peak with the elevation reaching 13,487’. I won’t lie, I was sucking wind trying to breath at higher elevation than I’m used to and keeping up with the speed goats I was with. Of course, Emma the ultra trail runner was leading the pack. 

Many experienced skiers may think guided skiing at a resort is unnecessary, but at Silverton, it’s next level. From the top of the lift, you can access up to  1,819 acres of backcountry type terrain and there are no cut trails, just steep technical lines. Calvin took us straight to the zones he knew we’d love. 

The top of the hike has the iconic “billboard” at the summit. We scored some soft snow at the top of the line then dropped into a narrow couloir that felt like a portal to the next field of soft snow. 

The final lap of the day led to sun kissed sparkly snow with massive cliff faces as a backdrop. Each skier laid down beautiful turns as the grande finale of our day. 

Day Three: Brap ski

Time to switch it up and get the full adventure experience. We connected with San Juan Expeditions, a guide service operating backcountry tours in the mountains surrounding the town. Our guides, Kam and Jack, wrangled snowmobiles for our group to ride from the valley bottom all the way to an upper alpine zone. 

Once we reached the basin, we were buzzing with ideas of which line to ski. We transitioned from sled mode to ski tour mode and began zig zagging up the skin track. The hike up was my favorite part of this day. I could see for miles and the massive peaks didn’t stop. It feels like the possibilities for big lines out here are endless. 

The final push to the top required transitioning to a bootpack. I love a good leg burn when surrounded by rock spires. 

The ski down was more challenging than we expected with a thick breakable crust on the surface. Our skis caught with every turn, but with good attitudes we found it more commercial than frustrating. When you set the mindset of adventure, everything can be fun. 

After survival skiing back to the sleds, Emma surprised Liam with his third birthday cake of the trip - which we devoured. The final push for the day was riding sleds back down the long trail to the parking lot where we cracked a beer and toasted to a quality day. 

I think back to the memories as a kid I have from my first trip to Silverton and can 100% say it lived up to all my expectations. Steep, massive terrain with laid back people, no crowds, and a good time. From its roots of a wild west style mountain town, Silverton holds the same ethos, but now it’s for those seeking solitude, adventure and a real challenge.