WTF Silverton?

[Buster Highmen]

North Side of Nason Ridge with a chair going somewhere between Rock Mountain and Mount Mastiff is about the only place that I have found that could support a Silverton type place that isn't wilderness or impossibly difficult to access in the winter. Not too steep (but steep enough), has been logged in the past so there is road infrastructure in place to several potential base areas, county road that is plowed within a few miles, reliable snowpack, better weather than Stevens, long potential vertical relief and already fairly open terrain.

There's others along there, but some people would kill me if I wrote it down online.

[TAFKALVS]

Yeah the dumbest thing about the ski area opponents is that there's never any comparison to mining or timber impacts.

But I think the political business situation is that those industries are culturally integrated (it's OK to wreck the environment as long as people are suffering to do so; some side effect of puritanism?) and for the Sierra Club and Nature Conservancy, a ski area doesn't have as deep of pockets as the extraction industries. But when you add up all the decimation from timber and mining and compare that to ski area environmental impact, ski areas are a pittance.

Anyway, I have ideas and there's some just killer spots on private timber land around the cascades, but yeah, it's an enormous political battle.

This is why the Wallowa tram should be leveraged. I'll see if I can get a hold of exChairman Bill to fund us.

I would happily give my heart and soul to bring a Silverton type place to Washington. Or at least a grassroots type ski area that isn't in a horrible rain shadow (ie someplace with a Mission/Loup Loup feel but with snow.) I think there is certainly room in the market for a ski area like this, particularly in the Highway 2 corridor. It's been my dream for at least 10 years.

There's others along there, but some people would kill me if I wrote it down online.

I can think of several but yep particularly if you were going for a more grassroots good skiing feel and less total rad-gnar. Don't want to end up on Z-Bo's hit list.

[skifishbum]

justs so ya knows i got ice to b right on season before
and he made it all the way to the oc to hang with woodsy last
im hopin for odgen this
co is like another state
and we would be tourists
nttiawwi

[muted]

Hey guys sorry I''m late, I got to this thread as fast as I can! Real skier, checking in!

What's up with all these joeys in here, anyways? Summit County represent!!!!! My boy Summit is here, where is newschoolerz????

[Buster Highmen]

justs so ya knows i got ice to b right on season before
and he made it all the way to the oc to hang with woodsy last
im hopin for odgen this
co is like another state
and we would be tourists
nttiawwi

You gotta go rage with the meats bros Ogden way.
Just get ice to hop in the sled and rage across.

[Buster Highmen]

Iterating some options from the website:

Silverton Mountain is offering a number of new ways to enjoy the mountain in 2016-17 that we hope all guests will enjoy. In addition to single-day and multi-day tickets that can be reserved by phone or online, Silverton Mountain skiers have several different season pass options. A limited number of Spring Unguided Season Passes are available for only $179 that include 6 free days at Monarch and Powderhorn, ½ price Heli skiing and $79 guided skiing on a standby basis. Many of our great events, including the Clauson Classic and Sisters’ Meeting in the Mountains, will be during the Spring unguided season as well.

The Solid Gold Pass offers 10 days of guided skiing in December or January, plus the unguided ski season pass perks and 2 extra days at Powderhorn for $499 during limited early pricing. This means you can ski guided for less than $50 a day (a day at Vail is $159), plus have all the unguided dates.

[Greydon Clark]

That would be awesome if it weren't for the national park.

The existing poma lift seems to meet the current demand.

[skier666]

[raisingarizona13]

Maybe I'm not core-rad-gnar-real enough to comprehend what I'd be missing by not going unguided, but having at least one professional who's trained in first aid, rescue, snow safety AND knows the mountain really well showing you around some potentially complex and difficult terrain sounds pretty good to me for $50. And $89 for a heli drop is ridiculously cheap.

I wish we had a place like this in Washington.

You are also paying for their snow mitigation program which is arguably the most complex and intensive programs in the country. The San Juan snowpack can be as touchy as it gets and to be able to go out after 2+ feet of fresh snow and ski steep lines and do heli drops is pretty freaking awesome. If they need to cut back on the unguided days to keep their business profitable then I would fully support that instead of selfishly complaining how the new policies are stepping on my ability to get rad or whatever.

[shafty85]

That's big terrain.

[skier666]

I posted it for stoke...since the Brills were nice enough to give me a lift up to the gnar couloir (chute on the right) many moons ago.

If you do heli there, they have tons of terrain that you cannot see from the main basin such as:

[digitaldeath]

Wait wait how much are heli runs !! 89$!

How are people fucking whining

Losers

[DasBlunt]

Maybe they are anticipating a shitty snow year, like what has been forecast.....and just trying to maintain profit....

can't blame them....they own it.

This thread is horrible and some of you guys are really assholes.

[snojones]

As to Mt Howard.. I lived in this area in the 80's and there was constant talk of opening the tram for skiing. They even tried to organize a ski patrol, but people got injured attempting to bring a sled down the mountain. That was the last I heard about a ski area at Mt Howard.

[LiveLarger]

Wait wait how much are heli runs !! 89$!

How are people fucking whining

Losers

Where do you see 89 dollar heli runs?

[2FUNKY]

Where do you see 89 dollar heli runs?

In his dreams.

[TAFKALVS]

Where do you see 89 dollar heli runs?

It's half price heli drops with a gold pass.

[Buster Highmen]

A limited number of Spring Unguided Season Passes are available for only $179 that include 6 free days at Monarch and Powderhorn, ½ price Heli skiing and $79 guided skiing on a standby basis. Many of our great events, including the Clauson Classic and Sisters’ Meeting in the Mountains, will be during the Spring unguided season as well.

Last year, single lap heli rides were $159, this year it's $179. You can still mock dd, but be sure your own math makes cents.

If my employment scene clears up, I'll be down there a bunch this February. If it doesn't clear up, I'll be down there all February.

[digitaldeath]

i got money for like 10 heli drops boys!

[Buster Highmen]

Kinda booked @Alpental first week of Feb

I'll try to be there if I'm still employed. Leaving for the OR/UT/SWCO/NM tour shortly thereafter.

[BFD]

does the stanby thing actually happen or do you just stand by. anyone ever done it.

[Buster Highmen]

does the stanby thing actually happen or do you just stand by. anyone ever done it.

I've done it. Sometimes one has to wait for an hour or so if it's really busy, but there's always a few people who drop out early and the standbys get their slot.

[Buster Highmen]

OKOKOK, I just dislike the definAtive because reality always has it's say first.

[BFD]

good to know. did not see a date to purchase by. may see how the season is going

[Buster Highmen]

good to know. did not see a date to purchase by. may see how the season is going

Normally, the unguided season pass is limited, so I don't know how for long it's available. I don't know about the gold pass.