WTF Silverton?

**adrenalated** · 09-28-2016, 09:57 AM

Originally Posted by silvertonmountain.com

Guided Only Season

December 29 – March 26th (Thursday through Sunday) and President’s Day on Monday, February 20th.

Unguided Season (guides still available during unguided season)

March 31, April 1st, 2nd, 7th, 8th, and 9th.

http://silvertonmountain.com/mountain/schedule/

Seriously, only 6 days of unguided skiing, and only in the spring? No more early season unguided days?

When I first started going to Silverton they had 3-4 weekends of unguided skiiing in December and early January and another 2-3 weekends in the spring. I did the guided thing once and don't get me wrong, I had a great time, but every time since I've gone unguided and never regretted it.

Part of the attraction of the place was it always had this cool, ski bum kinda vibe. Not offering unguided kills that.

RIP Silverton. I probably won't be going back.

**Name Redacted** · 09-28-2016, 10:03 AM

Originally Posted by adrenalated

Seriously, only 6 days of unguided skiing, and only in the spring? No more early season unguided days?

When I first started going to Silverton they had 3-4 weekends of unguided skiiing in December and early January and another 2-3 weekends in the spring. I did the guided thing once and don't get me wrong, I had a great time, but every time since I've gone unguided and never regretted it.

Part of the attraction of the place was it always had this cool, ski bum kinda vibe. Not offering unguided kills that.

RIP Silverton. I probably won't be going back.

Really? That's messed up. I've gone for opening weekend a few times and always had a blast.

Never really considered going for guided and probably still won't.

**doebedoe** · 09-28-2016, 10:05 AM

My favorite is their "Solid Gold Pass". 10 days of skiing, but you can only use guided during Dec 29th - Jan 30th. Absolutely no prime-time guided skiing in Feb or March. And then only 6 unguided days plus one "passholders only" day.

More like "bronze-plated punch card."

**digitaldeath** · 09-28-2016, 10:12 AM

i will swing through with my chopper boys, i got dis

**BFD** · 09-28-2016, 10:21 AM

Heli skiing in AK in September is expensive. Guides need to make a buck.

**Foggy_Goggles** · 09-28-2016, 10:24 AM

From a business stanpoint, can't say I don't understand. The last few years that place has been slammed by customers with fat wallets. Watch the heli fly all day and calculate the revenue. They have always had a "take it or leave it" attitude regarding their product.

I can understand while some have a sour attitude about the place but I thoroughly enjoy my time there. I really does require a tight group of like minded friends to get the most out of it however. Next time I'm going, I'll let you know.

**Jong Lafitte** · 09-28-2016, 10:24 AM

You could just buy it and change the rules to suit your desires:

http://www.denverpost.com/2016/03/18...d-do-it-again/

**Soups** · 09-28-2016, 10:28 AM

That sucks major. Yeah, guided is super fun and was kinda worth it, especially your first time, but basically getting rid of unguided days blows.

**grskier** · 09-28-2016, 10:35 AM

Bummer, I was hoping to get down there again this year.

**adrenalated** · 09-28-2016, 10:37 AM

Originally Posted by Foggy_Goggles

From a business stanpoint, can't say I don't understand. The last few years that place has been slammed by customers with fat wallets. Watch the heli fly all day and calculate the revenue. They have always had a "take it or leave it" attitude regarding their product.

Yep, I totally understand. That said IMO it's been a bummer to watch then move further and further away from their original vision of offering an inexpensive, "raw" expert ski experience. I would have rather they simply raised lift ticket prices a bit and kept more unguided weekends on the schedule.

Originally Posted by Foggy_Goggles

I can understand while some have a sour attitude about the place but I thoroughly enjoy my time there. I really does require a tight group of like minded friends to get the most out of it however. Next time I'm going, I'll let you know.

Agreed it takes a tight group of like-minded friends, whether guided or unguided. The guides at Silverton are good. I just personally don't enjoy guided skiing as much, even if my terrain options are more limited without the guide there. Maybe I'll go back. But probably not.

Originally Posted by Jong Lafitte

You could just buy it and change the rules to suit your desires:

http://www.denverpost.com/2016/03/18...d-do-it-again/

Interesting article, thanks.

**Foggy_Goggles** · 09-28-2016, 11:52 AM

I certainly agree that it is anything but raw and inexpensive these days. That said, the snow, terrain and people management is much improved.

**Buster Highmen** · 09-28-2016, 12:06 PM

Unguided was sure fun, but I understand that given some douchebags behavior and the relatively (to the guided season) small revenue, it wasn't worth the hassle.

Still when you compare skiing at a lot of CO places for $120+/day, their guided season still gets me to the goods.

**Dhelihiker** · 09-28-2016, 12:30 PM

having a bunch of people skiing on top of each other with no protocol or communication sounds like shit show. Ive never skied Silverton but what stops people from starting slides above you?

**grskier** · 09-28-2016, 12:36 PM

Originally Posted by Dhelihiker

having a bunch of people skiing on top of each other with no protocol or communication sounds like shit show. Ive never skied Silverton but what stops people from starting slides above you?

The unguided terrain is (relatively) heavily skied and controlled. Not that the risk goes down to nothing... the shit show can happen though. I've retrieved peoples skis off of a cliff for them b/c they thought chucking them down the rope shimmy was better than keeping them on.

**adrenalated** · 09-28-2016, 12:45 PM

Originally Posted by Dhelihiker

having a bunch of people skiing on top of each other with no protocol or communication sounds like shit show. Ive never skied Silverton but what stops people from starting slides above you?

Mostly the fact that they perform significant avalanche mitigation work, like every other ski area.

Their mitigation is pretty fun to watch actually. Those folks are not scared to use big bombs, and lots of them.

**Name Redacted** · 09-28-2016, 12:46 PM

Originally Posted by Dhelihiker

having a bunch of people skiing on top of each other with no protocol or communication sounds like shit show. Ive never skied Silverton but what stops people from starting slides above you?

It is bombed and patrolled like any other ski area.

**eskido** · 09-28-2016, 02:36 PM

Originally Posted by Buster Highmen

Unguided was sure fun, but I understand that given some douchebags behavior and the relatively (to the guided season) small revenue, it wasn't worth the hassle.

Still when you compare skiing at a lot of CO places for $120+/day, their guided season still gets me to the goods.

What "douchebag behavior", specifically?

**summit** · 09-28-2016, 03:55 PM

It makes me wonder if there were some incidents or is this really all about revenue and maybe beefing up the numbers for a sale?

I feel sad though, because it makes chances of me going there again very low. My first time there was in 2004 and I've been back many times. Silverton has been amazing!

Almost all my days there have been unguided. I had two guided experiences there... once during guided only season and it was a combination of powder farming and a slow group... meh... and once during unguided season 1:1 for a killer price on a slow day in order to access the good terrain (sick!).

Originally Posted by Buster Highmen

Still when you compare skiing at a lot of CO places for $120+/day, their guided season still gets me to the goods.

Nobody who skied Silverton unguided buys $120 day tickets at Vail/Aspen

**PNWbrit** · 09-28-2016, 04:06 PM

Originally Posted by eskido

What "douchebag behavior", specifically?

The same that goes on at any other ski area with avy terrain, avy risk, control work, closed areas, ropes, signs, rules.

I've never skied there during unguided but I can imagine it can easily become a massive headache and liability that they're not prepared to put up with any longer, especially if the alternative makes them more money and pays more employees wages.

**Buster Highmen** · 09-28-2016, 04:18 PM

Originally Posted by Summit

Nobody who skied Silverton unguided buys $120 day tickets at Vail/Aspen

That was not the point, but feel free. After all you have a longstanding history of misconstruing the obvious.

As far as the douchebags go, there's always some person who thinks they're clever or stealthy enough to poach, duck ropes, etc. That's a headache for them and has happened as debated here; it turns into a PR shitshow.

None of us really understand how much work it is to run a ski area. I'd imagine that they're just trimming down the $/headache.

Not that I wouldn't love to freeski there. I respect the Brills so all the love and kudos to them for putting it together.

**summit** · 09-28-2016, 04:24 PM

Originally Posted by Buster Highmen

That was not the point, but feel free.

What was your point again re the $120 Aspen day tix? That Silverton is a better deal for the rich tourists? Who is stating the obvious?

Maybe you meant to say "cheaper than an Alaskan heliski trip"

**Buster Highmen** · 09-28-2016, 04:28 PM

Originally Posted by Summit

What was your point again re the $120 Aspen day tix? That Silverton is a better deal for the rich tourists? Who is stating the obvious?

Yes, $120++ is the price of lift tickets for nonlocals at a lot of CO resorts like Aspen, Vail, T-ride, etc, and if one is going to pay that much Silverton is a good deal.
Is that more clear for you?

You can go and compare non guided, but that's not what I wrote.

**raisingarizona13** · 09-28-2016, 04:38 PM

My only guided experience at Silverton was right after a 48 inch storm let up Wednesday night and gave way to a fully untracked mountain and blue bird skies. The snowpack was typical of a mid winter San Juan pack and the instability was evident while we watched staff drop bombs from the helicopter setting off numerous large avalanches. My friend and I paid for a full day of guiding and one heli drop. I don't remember what that cost but it was under 300 at that time. It was worth every penny of it too. We skied fresh on every run, some more than others but still, deep fresh snow on every run. You really couldn't go out that day and ski the steep lines we were in the back country.

You aren't paying just for riding the chair at Silverton. For them to offer that experience in the San Jauns doesn't come cheap. If the price is high for you then make sure to time it right and get there on a Thursday right after a fat dump on an established base. Sure it's expensive for most average skiers and especially so if conditions are marginal but going there for marginal snow isn't their fault. That's a consumer choice.

**Buster Highmen** · 09-28-2016, 04:42 PM

One thing that is going on with Silverton is that SilvertonMountainGuides has started a business doing heli skiing in the early winter out of Seward. So they're busy with that.