Comments on: Silverton Mountain- Don’t Believe the Hype

By: Frank Konsella

Frank Konsella — Mon, 06 Mar 2017 02:01:11 +0000

In reply to Mitch. It is funny... the people who take Silverton seriously.

By: Mitch

Mitch — Sun, 05 Mar 2017 06:06:51 +0000

Frank
….most of your blog is so off base its almost laughable. But that’s the way life is….two people two diffrent stories to tell. CB, Tellu or Silverton….Silverton for me hands down.

By: Matt

Matt — Tue, 28 Feb 2017 18:06:54 +0000

In reply to Frank Konsella. Silverton is the only lift-access area in the CO Rockies where you can safely ski steep, untracked avalanche terrain in mid-winter conditions for several weeks after a snow cycle. Keep in mind that the CO backcountry snowpack is incredibly unstable with multiple weak layers that persist until spring nearly every year. While the Silverton area along County Rd 2 and 550 have great backcountry terrain, skiing such steep avalanche terrain in mid-winter comes with additional risks that Silverton does a great job of alleviating.

By: Frank Konsella

Frank Konsella — Tue, 28 Feb 2017 17:48:16 +0000

In reply to Matt. Hi Matt, thanks for your comment. I stand by my post. Silverton is OK, as long as your expectations are set low, or if you're a moderately good skier. Expert skiers can find better terrain without the hassle at plenty of other resorts, or ski backcountry. Better choices with a similar lift accessed experience would include Granite Canyon at Jackson, Bear Creek at Telluride, and outside the gates at Whistler/Blackcomb. The town of Silverton is one of my favorites, and the backcountry off county road 2 and 550 is some of the best in the world. Hopefully Silverton (the mountain) never ruins the Cty road 2 skiing.

By: Matt

Matt — Tue, 28 Feb 2017 16:35:12 +0000

This is a ridiculous and naïve post. What you want is resort skiing. Please don’t measure Silverton Mountain based on your in-area requirements for a good day of skiing. I’ve skied and climbed all over the world and Silverton Mountain and their guides are very good at what they do, in particular with snow management long after significant snowfall events. The mountain is steep with world class terrain. Skiing outside of resorts means being comfortable with skiing in all varieties of snow conditions, from crud to sastrugi to blower pow, and most importantly… working for your turns, which requires hiking. It is commonly place for resort skiers to complain about 4-6 runs per day. A typical day in the backcountry only yields a handful of runs in a day. There’s a reason we ski with a beacon, shovel and probe at Silverton… it’s not a ski resort with a manicured snowpack and avalanches at Silverton are a real hazard.

By: Frank

Frank — Sat, 03 Dec 2011 17:06:50 +0000

In reply to Matt. Ironic that this old post gets a bunch of attention on a day that I'm in Silverton. As someone posted on my identical blog entry, it's all about expectations. I've been there twice, both times with high expectations, and both times Silverton came up well short. Which isn't to say Silverton is bad- on the contrary it's quite good, it just isn't as good as some people might have you believe. Meanwhile, Silverton (the town) is at the center of a hub of valleys, all of which offer big, steep descents all over the place, many of them easily accessible with a sled. When it's good, it's some of the best in the lower 48, without a doubt.

By: Matt

Matt — Sat, 03 Dec 2011 00:41:42 +0000

there’s awesome stuff to be had. just go after the mountain closes, then you can ski wherever you want, and afford it, too!

all the stuff back by grande is pretty much tits, but easier to get to without using the chairlift…