Silverton Mountain, Colorado

SILVERTON--WOOOOOOOO!!!

PART ONE
We arrived late to our third and final destination, Silverton, after driving through one of Colorado's scariest roads in the dark. Red Mountain Pass was a scary road in the summer, and doubly frightening in the midst of winter. Countless squiggly markings on road signs warned drivers about hairpin turns with no guardrails, panning hundred-foot cliffs below. Our high beams spotlighted multiple layers of snowpack--cut better than Vail's halfpipe--which lined the roads like an ice luge; avalanche debris piled on the side.


(The drive was even more impressive in daylight on the way home.)

Around 9pm, we finally arrived in the sleepy town of Silverton, a Victorian mining town in San Juan county, Colorado. There was only one restaurant was open tonight, The Pickel Barrel. It was quaint and charming, with an old fashioned cash register and worn wooden walls. We kindly asked our waitress if she'd heard anything about the weather for tomorrow and if it was going to snow. "Not much," she said, "just a foot."

We awoke the next morning and Gergz and I ran to the living room like children at Christmas. How much snow fell overnight? "This much" we gestured with two hands spread wide apart like we always do. It was going to be a powder day after all!

It was puking all day, and Mansey, Gergz, Kylie, Stu, Chris, Baden and I couldn't be more excited.

Despite the freezing temperatures and high winds, we were able to enjoy six hardcore runs on this backcountry mountain: Every run was different; Every run was pow (minus a few wind blown icy sections at top). Silverton is unique because it's 100% advanced terrain, which means there's no easy way down. The easiest run here is similar to the steepest run at most resorts, measuring in at a 35-30 degree angle. And, the place begins at an elevation as high as Eagle's Nest (10,400)! Cheers to that! But, don't be fooled, there's a price to pay for fresh lines every time. Hikes and traverses are to be expected. So is avie gear--probes, beacons, and shovels!

There was no time for lunch. No time for potty breaks. No coco breaks. No chance to unfog the goggles. Just riding.


We shredded the gnar and the gnar was good. Knee to waist deep in pow, we tore up some open fields, frozen waterfalls, tree runs, and rock drops, making our way back to the one chairlift via foot, van, and ex-UPS truck.



For a place with only one chairlift, no running water, and a red zip tie for a lift ticket, I was very impressed.

The snow was incredible.

Too bad it wasn't a bluebird day...NOT.

PART TWO

The next morning, we realized the sketchy twisty twervy topsy turny road we drove in on was now closed for avalanche control.

We refused to take a four hour detour through Durango to get home to Vail in time for tomorrow's bookings. So, we waited it out, hoping the pass would open shortly.

We wandered around the town, which was like a ghost town; very little was open, and many storefronts on the side streets were completely baracaded with snow.


So, what do you expect a bunch of snowboard instructors on a snowboard trip to do?
Go SNOWBOARDING, of course! Well, we missed our only opportunity to ride Silverton again under bluebird conditions. So, we looked for urban signs and rails to jib or places to build a kicker. But, Silverton is a town without stairs. After listening to a few insane ideas, we decided to humor this one: jumping off the roof of an old mining building.


Only one was ballsy enough to do it: Gergz!



You're gonna see him in a snowboard video one day.

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