Moving on up

Silverton Mountain plans second lift into Velocity Basin

by Jonathan Romeo

Silverton Mountain is expanding, with plans to install a new ski lift in its high mountain terrain this summer.

“It’s really going to enhance the skiing experience for everyone,” Aaron Brill, co-owner of Silverton Mountain, said in an interview with The Durango Telegraph this week. “It’s going to be awesome.”

The new lift will be installed within Silverton Mountain’s existing boundary on private property to the southeast of the existing ski area, off County Road 52. The area in question, also known as

Velocity Basin, has several ski runs up and down the ridgeline. Because the area is within Silverton Mountain’s permit area, public backcountry access won’t be affected.

For the unacquainted, Silverton Mountain is located about 6 miles north of Silverton on County Road 110. At 13,487 feet, it is considered North America’s highest ski area, geared toward advanced and expert riders.

Silverton Mountain is also a no-frills experience, with no groomed runs or cut trails. Instead, skiers and snowboarders either take a chairlift and hike along ridgelines to runs, or board a helicopter. The reward? What is touted as some of the best, untracked powder in Colorado.

In all, Silverton Mountain has about 1,820 acres of lift-accessed terrain and more than 22,000 acres of hike to/helicopter terrain. Because of its unique location high in the San Juans, the ski area typically offers guided skiing in the winter and unguided skiing in the spring.

Now, Brill, who co-owns Silverton Mountain with his wife, Jen, said longstanding plans to make it easier to get around the high-country terrain are finally coming to fruition.

“If everything goes as we hope, we’ll get that lift installed this summer,” Brill said. “It’s a pretty exciting ski area over there.”

The Brills first arrived in Silverton in 1999, looking for the perfect location for a single-lift ski area. They found that place a couple miles north of Silverton, acquiring mining claims with 2,000 feet vertical gain.

The Brills then secured a secondhand double-chairlift from Mammoth Mountain Ski Area, in California along the east side of the Sierra Nevadas.

“Because we have a strong commitment to environmental stewardship, we did not build a road on that property for the first lift,” Brill said. “We hiked each tower up and did everything manually like the miners did. It was challenging.”

At the same time, the Brills applied to access 1,300 acres of public land surrounding the private mining claims they acquired. Thus began five years of review by the Bureau of Land Management, which oversees management of the land.

Not everyone was gung-ho about the project. Backcountry skiers, for instance, were concerned about losing their favorite remote ski runs. Neighbors, too, filed several lawsuits opposing the new ski area.

It became a long and costly process, but ultimately, Silverton Mountain received its BLM permit in 2005. And, over the years, the ski area has remained relatively unchanged, save for the addition of heli-skiing. Until now.

As part of Silverton Mountain’s original permit with San Juan County that dates back to June 2000, the ski area is approved for a total of three ski lifts (which includes the original, existing one). But, at the time, the permit called for surface rope tow ski lifts, which, needless to say 23 years later, are quite outdated.

Last month, the Brills received approval from San Juan County to amend that original permit to allow for an upgrade from surface lifts to standard chairlifts. All three San Juan County commissioners approved the proposal. (Being on private land, the project does not require BLM approval.)

“A rope tow on that steep of terrain? I’d be scared to death,” San Juan County Commissioner Scott Fetchenheir said.

The project also received unanimous support from those who spoke during public comment. A letter of support from the Silverton Area Chamber of Commerce said the town’s winter economy is supported by tourism, a big portion of which comes from visitors to Silverton Mountain.

“The majority of Silverton businesses in the winter have a very difficult time generating enough business to sustain full-time or part-time year-round employees,” the letter said. “An expansion of Silverton Mountain would directly benefit those businesses that are open in the winter.”

Speaking at the Jan. 25 hearing, Mikey Loyer, owner of Eureka Station, a restaurant in Silverton, agreed.

“My business would not be here if it weren’t for Silverton Mountain,” Loyer said. “So if Silverton Mountain wants to do something, I’m a firm believer in letting them do whatever they want.”

Riders can already reach the expansion area with heli-drops from Silverton Mountain’s helicopter, Brill said. But, after the new chairlift goes in, riders will have another form of access to make it easier to get there.

Ultimately, riders will be able to take the existing lift up the front side of the mountain to the top of the ridgeline, ski down the backside of the mountain, and reach the new lift.

Heli drops will still occur on that ridgeline, Brill said, but the new chair allows for flexibility, spreading out visitors at certain times of the year.

“It’s not like Silverton Mountain is crowded, but this enhances the ski experience,” Brill told the Telegraph.

For the new lift, Brill said helicopters will bring in the towers. No roads will be built, and engineering plans will need to be approved by San Juan County.

Silverton Mountain’s original permit also includes a third lift, as well as a base lodge and 10 overnight yurts/cabins.

“We don’t have any specific plans for that at this point in time,” Brill said. “But it’s definitely on the horizon and definitely on our list of things we’d like to accomplish in the near term.” ■