Silverton Mountain Ski Area — Attraction in Four Corners States

A review from an east coast, non-backcountry skier: This was one the greatest and most memorable experiences of my life. The mountain, the snow, the runs, and the atmosphere were all incredible. My guides were professional, inspiring, helpful, and entertaining. The other skiers/riders in my group we’re exactly the type of people you want to be with on a slope: determined, skilled, supportive, responsible, and friendly. Silverton was my first backcountry skiing trip, but I suspect it will remain my best.

Advice for other powder/backcountry noobs: A little powder makes everything easy. A lot of powder is a complete game changer. On my local slopes I am as agile and able as they come. If the slope is clear I can bomb over 60 miles an hour with complete control. I’ve been clocked with top speeds well above 70mph and I’m especially adept at dealing with ice. When I first arrived in Colorado I went to a resort called Purgatory. I got powder skis for the first time and was pleased to discover they we’re easy to get used to; the slopes we’re far more challenging than anything I’d seen back home, but the soft snow made it all effortless. Then I went to Silverton; AND I GOT OWNED.

Deep powder is a different type of skiing. There are ways to ski groomed slopes and ice that are just not relevant to deep powder. Depending on your style you may adjust better than I did, but before trying something like Silverton I would strongly recommend seeking experience on something super deep and steep. The altitude is also brutal coming from sea level. I am in great shape and I’ve backpacked at altitudes considerably higher than Silverton but it still kicked my butt. The problem was not my cardio so much as the lack of oxygen to my muscles (makes them feel like jello). My powder technique was already inefficient; basically I was skiing like a ---- for the second half of each pitch.

Everyone was always supportive and I do not believe I held the group back, but I was definitely the bare minimum level of skier for this place. The average person on the Mountain was far better than me and the best people on the Mountain we’re in an entirely different league. Silverton is not kidding when they say EXPERT ONLY. I anticipated being in the bottom group at Silverton, but even with that expectation it was still a truly humbling and eye-opening experience. I trained hard, but was clearly not properly prepared for what deep powder would do. I am not trying to dissuade anyone just passing along my two cents. If you like intense slopes, epic mountains, outdoor adventures, and pushing limits this is a great place to do it. Just understand how far my 15 years experience in east coast skiing went at a place like Silverton.

Separate Note: The town of Silverton is fascinating, quaint, and friendly. I truly enjoyed the food, the avalanche wit, local rums, good food, and many stories of the town’s history. Lots of great souvenirs at Fetch’s gift shop and def try and get a few minutes of geology and history lessons from the owner. Avalanche brewery and Montanya Distillery are must dos

I will no doubt go back to Silverton, but not before some serious montage training.

Do at least 1 heli-run, it was amazing Do Tiger Mane, coolest run I could imagine Be weary of Billboard if you are not in top top shape for hiking; it's a must-do if you...

This is a ski resort unlike any other. I went during guided season and there are only about 80 skiers max each day. I have to say I came during near perfect conditions after about 17" of fresh powder and good weather and low winds. The skiing was great. Safety was always a priority. The first day was mostly tree skiing or tight runs. Each day after they opened new runs after clearing for avalanche danger. The guides were awesome and always looking to find good powder for us. I had about 6 guides over 3 days and they were all top notch and work to make your time the best. The heli-skiing was great. Everyone was friendly including the tent staff. Being 57 without any back country experience I was a little nervous if I could do it. The website isn't wrong when they say it is for advanced/expert skiers only. I am a black and double black resort skier with good powder experience over the years. In my opinion you need to be comfortable with steep tree skiing, double black resort runs, deep powder, windblown crusty stuff (at the top of the mountain), and everything in between. I didn't have any issues with the skiing but I was not the best one there or the worst. For me the hardest part was the altitude at my age and not the skiing. I spent the previous week at altitude in summit county skiing to prepare and two months working out which I recommend. I don't recommend coming directly from sea level. I saw people do this and it wasn't easy. There are a lot of runs with minimal hiking required but hiking 20 min is not uncommon and is not easy at altitude. I had a great time and recommend Silverton to anyone looking for a great experience and a challenge but do your research and make sure you know what you are...

I've done three separate trips to Silverton Mountain in 2019, 2020 and 2021 for unguided ski season. The single heli drop with your unguided pass gets you hooked on heli skiing and gets you to buy "the best 6 runs of your life" the next season. Totally worth it!

I've had some great experiences skiing powder off of the chairlift on Powder Thursday and Powder Wednesday. The terrain is really cool and the not having any gapers and not having groomers is super cool. However, before coming out don't be fooled by the trail map. A lot of that terrain you see on there won't be open to you, and a lot of what you ski is overhyped and not nearly as badass as their Instagram and the YouTube Videos would have you believe. The Billboard was never open, nor was anything else past Ropedee4 and a lot of terrain is closed, such as Nightmare. It sounds like a lot more of that stuff used to be open during unguided, but now is rarely skied.

That said, it's a cool experience, but as far as challenging terrain you'll ski far more challenging terrain off the lifts at Bridger Bowl than you will here.

My full day heli ski experience was awesome! If you have the budget for it, a 6 run heli day should be in your Silverton trip. Meatball coulior is still the best run of your life. If you can, put together your own group. The reality is if you do a full day of heli skiing you can easily be paired with East Coasters who are in the back seat and have never skied any real terrain before. Still, happy to have done a full heli day when young and in shape at...