The Skiers' Guide to Silverton Mountain: Expert Analysis & Reviews

I skied here during the spring unguided season in 2019. The lift is nothing to write home about, being an old fixed grip double. Do watch out at the top, as this is the shortest distance you have to dismount a chair that I have ever seen. I was not prepared on my first ride and ended up dropping like 4 feet from chair. Other than first thing in the morning there was no lift line. Your avalanche beacon must be on you and beeping in order to get on the lift, FYI. Silverton definitely lives up to the 'lift served backcountry' moniker. For the first run of the day my friend and I decided to hike up along the ridge from the top of chair, in order to give the sun some time to do its work. Ramp made for some challenging skiing. The sun hadn't quite had enough time to soften the snow, and there was a lot of avy debris on the run (March 2019 saw a major avalanche cycle in Colorado). In the spring unguided season it seemed common for the first runs in the morning to be big hikes from the lift to the runs farthest from the lift. Then in the afternoon people switch to the shaded front side. The backside of Silverton does involve a ski out to the bus, but it was a pretty consistent downhill so not a lot of skating. The shuttle bus is a used old school bus. Much like the lift it gets the job done without any frills. For me at 6' 3" it was a tight fit. Though unlike the lift you might wait a while for the bus to fill up before heading back to the base. The trip back to the base is quick. Snow at Silverton is all natural. So you definitely get to experience the full range of textures that snow can manifest. Especially during the spring unguided season. The much smaller amount of skier/rider traffic also prevents the snow from getting compacted rock hard like a standard resort. Late in the day I hit a few spots were the snow was heavily laden with water. Which makes for some interesting skiing. Silverton is very much patrolled backcountry skiing. I'm not much a tree skier so I stayed out of the trees when I was there. My friend did a run through the trees but found the snow was still rather crusty that day. Silverton definitely provides good steep terrain with a lot of vertical. The hype around Silverton is also the most accurate of any resort I've visited The fact that it is hard to see some of the runs before entering definitely adds to the hype and pucker factor. The vibe at Silverton is unique as well. One part party atmosphere (a lot of people car camp in the parking lot), mixed with two parts of cold seriousness (see the avalanche safety gear being mandatory). The base are is pretty spartan. A few conexs for storage, a bar, and the front desk where you get your lift ticket. The restrooms were just porta potties. Some near the parking lot & lift, and some up by the bar and front desk. Overall a very good and unique skiing experience that is worth a visit if you are a hardcore skier or rider.

Amazing place to ski but not for the faint of heart. This place will challenge you no matter how good a a skier you think you are. The cliffs are big the runs are steep and the trees are tight.

Its a trek to get here, and if youre lucky enough to get a storm cycle you can be trapped in town, but it means amazing skiing is available!! Its been a bit since I was there so there may be more medium terrain available now, but when I went it was expert only. An old double chair takes you to the top, and depending how far you walk along the ridge is where you ski down and what chute you . An old school bus, ups truck are the vehicles bringing you back to the lift. Our group did a tour guide our 1st day to get the lay of the land and did 5 runs before lifts close. Theres beverages available in the yurt, or you can head to town to one of the few places open. Its about the skiing, so early bedtime is welcome. Its worth the journey.