by Samantha Tisdel Wright for San Juan
Publishing
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UNDER THE SPELL of pure, deep snow, Silverton comes into her
own. The town
hushes down, and the mountains are nothing short of luminous. Yet the
quietude belies the fact that Silverton has become a winter destination
for serious winter sports enthusiasts who are looking for something
much more than a ski vacation and a fancy condo.Silverton Mountain, the only all-expert, all-backcountry-terrain ski area in the United States, is the engine behind Silverton’s newfound identity. “Born from a dream of fresh uncut lines in a world of chop and bump fields,” to quote its thirty-something founder Aaron Brill, Silverton Mountain has been rated “First in Steeps and Deeps” by magazines of the industry. It offers a single chairlift that rises almost 2,000 feet up Storm Peak to the northwest of Silverton. From the top of the lift, at an elevation of 12,300 feet, it is then possible to hike up another 1,000 feet, for a total vertical descent of 3,000 feet, down runs with names like “Pants-Pooper” and “Nightmare.”
After being run as a guided-only operation for several years, Silverton Mountain in late March of 2007 finally went unguided, opening up its powder-filled, jaw-dropping backcountry terrain for a mere $50-something a day.
At the opposite end of the spectrum is Silverton’s Kendall Mountain Recreation Area, a 36-acre spread at the foot of Kendall Mountain (across the river from the Town Hall), with a rope tow (which may be upgraded to a chairlift by wintertime), several beginner to intermediate groomed runs and a special area set aside for sledding. This is budget-friendly winter fun, and children under seven ski for free! The area also boasts a snug lodge and conference center and an ice-skating rink. Skates can be rented from the Chamber of Commerce for a dollar a day.
The Silverton Snowmobile Club grooms a phenomenal 170 miles of trails for snowmobilers and cross-country or skate skiers each winter, delving into the backcountry in every direction out of Silverton.
Photo
The Lokey family and their sled dog team. Courtesy Jim Lokey