Best American Adventures: Ski Silverton Mountain

 

We've just updated our popular America's Best Adventures feature with 50 new trips, bringing our grand total to 100 iconic escapes (see the map, state-by-state list, and photo gallery, too). So no matter what your pleasure—hiking, heli-skiing, surfing, climbing, biking, or paddling—we've got the perfect adventure for you. Check in each day for a new, out-the-backdoor adventure highlighted here on our blog.

By Kate Siber; Photograph by Whit Richardson, Aurora/Getty Images

If the Wild West is still alive, it’s no more obvious than at Silverton Mountain. This scruffy mom-and-pop ski area is the country’s premier antiresort. The low-speed, two-person chairlift, the old laundry trucks they use as shuttles, and the wood-stove-heated base yurt are your first clues as to the owners’ no-nonsense philosophy: It’s all about the skiing. And skiing there is.

Situated in the remote southwestern corner of Colorado, a seven-hour drive from Denver, Silverton has 1,800 acres (728 hectares) of bowls, chutes, and cliffs all served up au naturel with nary a groomer in sight. To put it mildly, blue-square skiers need not apply: The easiest run tops out at about 35 degrees in pitch. The lift brings you to over 12,000 feet (3,658 meters), but many skiers huff up another 1,000 more vertical feet (305 meters) to access the hairiest couloirs. With an obscene amount of snow—400-plus inches (10-plus meters)—and an utter dearth of skiers (rarely more than 80 per day), Silverton virtually guarantees fresh tracks.

When planning a trip, there are several modes of attack. On select dates in December, January, and April, skiers can ride without a guide. For the rest of the season, skiing is guide-only. Helicopter assistance is available all season: One single helicopter drop gets skiers to a peak or ridge unreachable by foot; a roundtrip drop and pickup gets a day of remote backcountry touring with a guide; or book an entire day and have work-free freshies and gratis bragging rights.

Need to Know: Reserve tickets in advance at Silverton Mountain (www.silvertonmountain.com). Unguided tickets are $49 and guided tickets are $99 to $139, depending on the month. Not including lift ticket, heli drops are $159, heli-accessed backcountry ski touring is $320. A full day of heli-skiing is $999 per person, lift ticket included.

Comments

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Very professional!
i can see the sun shining in the picture.You guys are so lucky.I am a professional tour guide and i wish i could be a local guide here so.
Thank you Kate Siber and you team for the wonderful post.
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To put it mildly, blue-square skiers need not apply: The easiest run tops out at about 35 degrees in pitch. The lift brings you to ove

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nary a groomer in sight. To put it mildly, blue-square skiers need not apply: The easiest run tops out at about 35 degrees in pitch. The lift brings you to ove

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All in one Adventure indeed! Best time to go there is during Winter Season!