You will see a few minor modifications on your next visit to Silver.
Glading in the Tier Three area, for example, says John Williams, director of sales and marketing. “We thinned out some trees to open up some new terrain.”
The resort has also cut a new kids adventure trail meandering through the trees, called Gold Pan Alley. And like any other year, the staff has done a lot of trail and lift maintenance to ensure that everything is as safe as possible.
Small additions to restaurant menus include a burrito bar and a baked potato bar. Silver Mountain is a family-friendly resort and allows children to eat in the bar with their parents, but for visitors who would like a respite from the kids, Mogul’s Lounge has opened up a 21 room.
“Down in the village, we’ve remodeled the season-pass office and made that a real-estate center,” Williams says. “We’ve moved the season-pass office to another part of the village.”
Last spring, the resort began offering a year-round season pass that included the golf course, in addition to the mountain and indoor water park. Williams says it was a popular package last year and expects the resort to offer it again next spring.
Making the Most of It
Williams’ best advice for enjoying your time at Silver Mountain is to explore. Going off the main trails — not out of bounds, but to places you can only get to by cat tracks or hikes. “There’s so many little pockets of adventure,” Williams says.
“Take a hike up to Wardner Peak,” Williams suggests. “That’s very special, and a lot of people don’t do that.”
You can get to the top via a 15-minute hike, or take the traverse from the top of Chair 4 to just below Wardner Peak. The runs from Wardner empty out at Chair 4’s midway point.
“We pack down the snow on the path so it’s not a difficult hike, but it accesses a whole other part of the mountain that a lot of people will never see because they don’t take off their skis and take a little walk.”
Special Deals
Jan. 6 is Jackass Day, a celebration of the resort’s 44th birthday. Ski and ride for only $10.
Powder Thursdays start in January. Every week, the resort closes the mountain on Monday, so all the snow that falls between then and Thursday is nice and powdery.
On Feb. 3, visitors who drive their Toyota, Lexus or Scion to Silver will receive one free lift ticket. One note: They have to see your car, not keys or a car registration.
Did You Know?
The resort originally opened in 1968 as “Jackass Ski Bowl,” named for Noah Kellogg’s borrowed jackass that kicked over a rock in 1880s Silver Valley. It turned out to be a handsome chunk of silver and led to Idaho’s biggest mining operation.
Welcome to Snowlander, Vol. II
Every year at this time, it’s a guessing game as to when we might start skiing. We’re always hopeful of a Thanksgiving opening, but we know that many years December is the first month for sliding on snow.
I can’t believe it’s already November. It seems like someone hit the fast-forward button through October. As I write this, all of the ski areas are reporting snowfall, ski movie premiers are in full swing and many of the ski swaps have come and gone. Now we wait. We wait for snow and opening day announcements. If you’re like me, I’m sure you still have a list of tasks to complete to be ready for opening day. Take the time now to get those skis waxed, or scrape the summer wax off so that first chair doesn’t catch you by surprise.
Since launching the new Snowlander section back in October, we’ve received a lot of feedback and hope to receive more. If you feel like there’s a story that should be covered, a picture that should be printed or something humorous you’d like to share, please send it my way. We love hearing from fellow ski junkies and getting a different perspective. Make sure you take the time to ‘Like’ our fan page (Facebook.com/SnowlanderNW). This is where you can find the latest on all things related to snow, interact with fellow riders, post pictures, videos and just generally share your stoke for winter. We’ll also have several giveaways that we’ll announce through our Facebook page throughout the winter.
Just imagine, we could be skiing in two weeks!
Jen Forsyth
Snowlander Editor
[email protected]
