Silverton Sold
Silverton mountain has been sold. Popular with skiers and snowboarders, Silverton Mountain has one chairlift that carries visitors into its terrain, which is for advanced and expert skiers or riders. Avalanche gear is required to ride the lift at all times due to the unpatrolled and ungroomed nature of Silverton. In addition to Silverton Mountain's 1,819 acres of lift accessed skiing, Silverton also serves as a base area for over 22,000 acres of helicopter accessed skiing.[2] Uniquely, Silverton is only open Thursday through Sunday from December through April.
Silverton Mountain was founded by Aaron and Jen Brill and opened for business on January 19, 2002 with one double chair that had been purchased from Mammoth Mountain Ski Area. In a statement the Brills say:
"Silverton Mountain is receiving new owners. We want to extend our heartfelt gratitude to all of our wonderful guests, our supportive local community and our truly amazing team of employees that have been a part of our lives the past 24 years. It’s been an honor and a pleasure being a part of something so amazing that could not have happened without YOUR involvement and support!
"Jen and I are going to enjoy being able to focus on family, but are emotional and excited at the same time for the future of Silverton Mountain. Andy Culp CEO and Brock Strasbourger President of Heli Adventures Inc will be taking the reins moving forward and the mountain is in good hands. Andy and Brock have a strong passion for skiing and Silverton and promised us they would be keeping our AMAZING team in place, as they look forward to continuing to provide that special Silverton Mountain experience well into the future.
"You can still find Jen and I guiding in Alaska and will continue to own and operate @silvertonmountainguides (SMG AK) where we enjoy providing the premier Alaska heli skiing experience October through May each season since 2008."
Known for lift accessed backcountry skiing, Silverton Mountain also maintains educational programs such as Avalanche Level I, Avalanche Level II, and Backcountry 101. The ski area is designed to have minimal impact on the environment. Based purely on skiing and not on development Silverton Mountain has no plans of building condos or high-speed chairlifts. Voted Best of the West: Skiing in Colorado, Utah, California and Nevada for Extreme Terrain by USA Today.
The mountain boasts 1,819 acres of lift accessed terrain and over 22,000 acres of hike to and helicopter accessed terrain. There are no groomed runs and no cut trails. Skiers and snowboarders can access some of the best powder skiing in the world. Due to the high elevation of the San Juan Mountains and limited number of daily skiers the snow quality is typically very good.
During certain times of year the ski area only allows guided skiing. Guides are provided by Silverton Mountain. Each guided group of eight skiers or less can expect to typically hike between 5 and 45 minutes to access runs. However, some runs drop straight from the chair lift. Hiking 15 minutes to an hour allows access to large open bowls and steep, tight chutes.
Avalanche safety equipment is required to be worn by every skier and rider. Required equipment includes an avalanche beacon, a shovel, and a probe. These items are available for rent from Silverton Mountain. Reservations are highly recommended for guided skiing as the mountain does book up. Guides are also available during the unguided season.
