Top 11 U.S. Big Mountain Ski Resorts: Opinion From a Freestyle Skier Lists are inherently wrong, no matter how you look at them. There will almost always be something to argue about. So why make them at all? Well… I love a good debate. There are no set factors that I decided to rate each resort on. The majority of this list are resorts that I have had experience skiing, and I […] Ryan Flynn | June 14, 2025 30 Comments
First Snowfall, First Avalanche: Skier Triggered and Caught Near Silverton Mountain, CO A skier triggered and was briefly caught in an avalanche on Sunday, the first reported human-triggered avalanche of the 2024-25 winter season. The incident occurred in Silverton Mountain, Colorado’s, heli terrain. The area had received almost two feet of fresh snow the previous day. Related: The Dangers of Early Season Backcountry Skiing According to a report on the Colorado Avalanche […] Avalanche AvyBrains | October 21, 2024 0 Comments
[PHOTOS] First Powder Turns of the Season at Silverton Mountain and Wolf Creek, CO The first deep turns of the 2024-25 season in Colorado were made at Silverton Mountain and Wolf Creek yesterday after a snowstorm dumped enough snow for skiing this weekend. Related: SnowBrains Forecast: Early Season Storm Could Bring 24-36″ Snow to Colorado’s San Juan Mountains This Weekend Staff at Silverton Mountain woke to 12″ of fresh snow at the summit and […] Industry News SnowBrains | October 20, 2024 0 Comments
Fatal Fall During Climbing Tour Kills 25-Year-Old on Snowdon Peak Near Silverton, CO On Thursday July 4, 2024, a group of three males and three females went for a day hike starting at Andrew’s Lake to the top of Snowdon Mountain peak, Colorado. A 25-year-old male from Cookeville, Tennessee, who was a member of the group, fell 600-800 feet off the ridgeline of Snowdon Peak during the climb. Snowdon Peak is 11 miles […] Climbing SnowBrains | July 6, 2024 0 Comments
Top 5 Highest Ski Resort Base Areas in the U.S. Ever wonder why the Rockies tend to have some of the best skiing in the world? Colorado dominates both base elevation and summit elevation at resorts in the USA. High elevation doesn’t necessarily mean the most annual snowfall, but they manage to keep a consistent snowpack due to the elevation. If you bank on consistency when planning a trip, here […] Brains Mark Kuligoski | June 19, 2024 0 Comments
[SOLD] Silverton Mountain, CO, Gets New Ownership Over the last two decades, Silverton Mountain in Colorado has made its name by providing adventure seekers with dramatic big mountain terrain and a uniquely exhilarating skiing experience. The mountain sits in the heart of the San Juan Range and is renowned globally for its backcountry and helicopter access. Established in 2001 by Aaron and Jen Brill, this ski destination […] Industry News Kenneth Condon | September 27, 2023 0 Comments
Silverton Mountain, CO, Report: Worth the Wait For All-Time Conditions Trip report from 3/25/2023 at Silverton Mountain, CO Yet another atmospheric river event has delivered the goods here in western Colorado. If you were skiing this day in the San Juan mountains, you may have thought it was January. Not only due to a soft, deep, and mid-winter-like snow surface, but the temperature was downright frigid for March in Colorado. Silverton […] Conditions Report James Pulfer | March 28, 2023 0 Comments
Silverton Mountain, CO, To Install New Second Chairlift | $39 Heliskiing Pass Now on Sale Silverton Mountain, CO, plans to install its second chairlift as early as this summer, much to the delight of skiers and boarders. When San Juan County originally permitted the Silverton ski area, the permit included two additional future lifts located on private property within the ski area boundary, a base lodge, and ten overnight chalets (which are still planned to […] Industry News SnowBrains | February 6, 2023 4 Comments
How Much Money Would You Pay For Private Resort Skiing? I hate waiting in lift lines. You probably do too. It’s no surprise that the backcountry segment of the ski industry continues to explode. Peace and quiet, untouched snow, what’s not to like? Well, the backcountry does have a few downsides. Why slog all day for a couple runs when you can knock out hot laps on a powder day at […] Mike Lavery | August 5, 2022 3 Comments
Top 10 Small Ski Resorts in North America for Powder Hounds Putting together a “best of” list can seem rather arbitrary and so wildly subjective rendering the list almost meaningless. To stave off the naysayers, making the cut on this VIP inventory was restricted to those Small Ski Resorts that met all of the following criteria: copious amounts of deep, blower-light powder (300+ inches minimum), maximum of seven real-deal lifts (moving […] Robin Azer | July 6, 2022 20 Comments
Ski Patrollers at Silverton Mountain, CO Make First Turns of the Season After Powerful Storm Causes Large Power Outage View this post on Instagram A post shared by Silverton Mountain (@silvertonmtn) Silverton Mountain in Colorado got hammered with snowfall this week—so much snow in fact that the entire region briefly lost power. That’s rare for Silverton, so you know it had to have been a big one. Related: Photo Tour: October Storm Drops Hefty Snowfall Totals Across […] Conditions Report SnowBrains | October 12, 2021 3 Comments
The 15 Highest Ski Resorts In Colorado Colorado is synonymous with skiing. CO sees more skier visits than any other US state. The Centennial State is home to over 25 ski resorts and tons of elevation. In fact, Colorado owns most of the highest elevation ski areas in North America. Here are the top 15: *** #1 – Silverton Mountain, 13,487 ft #2 – Telluride, 13,150 ft #3 […] Mike Lavery | September 3, 2021 2 Comments
RV Driver Spent a Week Stuck on Colorado Mountain Pass Balanced Over 400-Foot Drop A Colorado man spent a week in his RV precariously stuck above a 400-foot drop after driving his 38-foot vehicle, plus sedan towed behind, down a narrow and rugged track high in the San Juan Mountains near Durango, CO. Related: The Legendary RV Culture of Crystal Mountain, WA’s B-Lot The man turned onto Lime Creek Road in the San Juan National […] SnowBrains | June 16, 2021 7 Comments
Full CAIC Report From Avalanche That Killed 3 Skiers in Colorado Last Week A group of backcountry skiers triggered an avalanche in an area known as The Nose, between Silverton and Ophir on February 1st. Four of the party were caught, carried, and fully buried. One was rescued with minor injuries, but three unfortunately died. Related: With 15 Avalanche Fatalities, the Last 7-Days Have Been the Deadliest in the US for More Than a […] Avalanche SnowBrains | February 8, 2021 0 Comments
Bodies of 3 Skiers Located After Huge Avalanche Near Silverton, CO on Monday The bodies of the three skiers missing following an avalanche near Silverton, CO, on Monday were located late on Tuesday. The bodies were not extracted at that time due to the hazardous conditions, but officials have said they are hoping for a successful recovery mission today, Wednesday, February 3rd. Preliminary Report from CAIC: On February 1, 2021, a group of […] Avalanche AvyBrains | February 3, 2021 0 Comments
Search Resumes Today For 3 Backcountry Skiers Buried in Avalanche Near Silverton, CO Yesterday The Colorado Avalanche Information Center is reporting this morning that three backcountry skiers buried in an avalanche yesterday are still missing. A group of backcountry skiers triggered the slide in an area known as The Nose, between Silverton and Ophir. Four of the party were caught, carried, and fully buried. One was rescued with minor injuries, but three remain missing. Rescue […] AvyBrains | February 2, 2021 0 Comments
Family of Man Killed in Colorado Avalanche is Suing Guide, School, SAR Team, and Airbag Manufacturer for Wrongful Death The family of a Colorado man killed in an avalanche near Silverton, CO two years ago is suing the guide and school, the search and rescue team, and the manufacturer of the airbag he was wearing at the time for wrongful death, reports Jason Blevins with the Colorado Sun. The man’s wife and daughter accuse Silverton Avalanche School, San Juan County […] Avalanche AvyBrains | January 7, 2021 8 Comments
VIDEO: Large Natural Avalanche Near Silverton, CO on Saturday This video is of a large natural avalanche that ran on Saturday in Arrastra Gulch, east of Silverton, CO. This video is a great example of how winds can move snow onto leeward slopes, loading the slope, and causing it to avalanche. If you see plumes of snow near ridgetop, such as in this video, this is a sign of […] Avalanche AvyBrains | December 22, 2020 0 Comments
23 Trapped Hikers Rescued by Helicopter as Wildfire Ignites Near Silverton, CO Firefighters are working from the air and land to contain a wildfire that started near a popular trailhead in San Juan County, CO near Silverton yesterday afternoon. The Ice Fire on the Columbine Ranger District was reported on the afternoon of Monday, October 19th. The fire is located west from Silverton, CO, near Ice Lakes Trailhead, on the north side […] Fire Firebrains | October 20, 2020 1 Comment
Potential Expansion Coming To Silverton, CO There are currently only two lift-serviced places to ski in Silverton, CO. When juxtaposed to one another, they are polar opposites. On one end is the family-friendly, Kendall Mountain- the kind of place where tots strap skis to their feet for the first time and adorably pizza their way down the hill. On the other end is the expert-only, Silverton […] Industry News Spencer Cox | September 24, 2020 0 Comments
Avalanche
Industry News
Climbing
Brains
Conditions Report
Fire
