Silverton Mountain was the big winner in what’s shaping up as a “December to Remember” in Colorado ski country. The San Juan Mountain ski area received more than 90 inches of snow last week, qualifying as the second- largest storm in Silverton Mountain’s history and contributing to the deepest December snow on record. According to ski area officials, the only larger storm to hit Silverton Mountain was during the winter of 2005, when 117 inches of snow fell during a 13-day storm cycle.
Still, the current 110-inch snow base at the upper mountain is unprecedented for the month of December, prompting a veritable huck-fest among big mountain riders on the “experts only” terrain. The area typically doesn’t see a 100-inch base until February, and early opportunists are making the most of the anomaly by jumping 30-foot cliffs and skiing steep, 50-degree chutes that typically remain unskiable until late in the season.
The area is currently open only on weekends for unguided skiing during the month of December, although the dates are subject to change (www.silvertonmountain.com). The mountain will be open Thursday through Sunday beginning Jan. 3. Guided skiing for up to 80 people per day begins Jan. 17.
Other areas also scored big in last week’s storm cycle, including Crested Butte Mountain Resort, where skiing remains free through Saturday. More than 6 feet of snow fell in seven days last week. Monarch Mountain picked up 72 inches of snow. Wolf Creek accumulated 53 inches and a 100-inch base.
