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Inspiration in the San Juans @ Silverton, Colorado

August 5, 2025

Where It All Began

By Andy Sovick

The Spark on Molas Pass

In December 2000, I was a freshman at Fort Lewis College in Durango, riding in a van packed with other first-year students as we climbed the winding road up Coal Bank Pass toward Silverton, Colorado. I had chosen Fort Lewis for two main reasons: its strong humanities program, and, just as importantly, its location at the foot of the legendary San Juan Mountains. These peaks were home to backcountry icons like Dolores LaChapelle and Chris Landry, and they loomed large in my imagination as a young skier.

Towering giants like Snowdon, Bear, Sultan, and Kendall rise like ancient guardians above the highway, casting long shadows and deeper inspiration. Sure, I wanted a degree. But let’s be honest, I was more interested in the promise of adventure, in pushing my limits on steep lines and deep snow.

That day, our Outdoor Pursuits group stopped at the top of Molas Pass for a course titled Terrain and Route-Finding in Avalanche Country. Our instructors, experienced mountaineers themselves, spent the day teaching us how to read terrain: to recognize avalanche-prone features, to anticipate how snow moves, and to understand the consequences of poor decisions. We visited zones like Anvil, Red 3, Kendall, and Prospect, not to ski them, but to study them.

I still remember one comment that changed everything for me. As we examined a distant chute, our instructor said, “It would be so useful to have a folder full of photos of all the runs you want to ski, something you could use to plan your next tour.” That simple idea stuck. Right there, in the heart of the San Juans, the seed was planted to create a visual, terrain-based atlas of backcountry ski lines.

The Power of Place

Silverton is a mountain town carved from rock, snow, and resolve. Nestled in the middle of an ancient volcanic caldera, the town is surrounded by some of the most dramatic terrain in Colorado. Its streets tell stories of miners, mountaineers, and adventurers who built lives amongst the high country’s harsh beauty.

Few mountain ranges offer year-round road access through such rugged terrain, but the San Juans are threaded by three high alpine passes: Coal Bank, Molas, and the notorious Red Mountain Pass. Highway 550 connects Durango, Silverton, and Ouray in a serpentine route through snow-loaded terrain and big mountain vistas. For powder-seekers, it’s a gateway to a lifetime of lines.

And at the center of it all is Silverton Mountain. This unique ski area, founded in 2002, offers guided-only backcountry-style skiing on massive vertical with minimal infrastructure. With a single lift, 400 inches of annual snowfall, and access to thousands of acres of steep, ungroomed terrain, Silverton Mountain remains one of the few resorts that embraces the spirit of true adventure skiing. It is, quite literally, where lift-access ends and touring begins.

Backcountry Lines in Silverton's Backyard

What makes Silverton truly special is not just the extreme terrain at the ski area, but the endless backcountry that surrounds it. The mountains here are raw, steep, and deep. They are a proving ground for experienced skiers looking to test themselves in some of Colorado’s most technical and rewarding terrain. Just outside of town, you’ll find iconic zones that offer couloirs, open bowls, and glades that fill in with blower snow each winter.

Silverton’s proximity to high elevations and its position in the heart of the San Juans means the snow often arrives deep and stays cold. When avalanche conditions stabilize, skiers venture farther into the high alpine, climbing peaks like Kendall Mountain or Ophir Pass for descents that rival anything in North America. Touring days here often start at a trailhead you can see from town and end trading route beta and avalanche observations with other crusty locals or passing ski mountaineers at the local brewery.

While Silverton Mountain may draw the headlines, it’s the vast network of surrounding terrain that keeps people coming back year after year. With a good partner, solid avy skills, and the right mindset, Silverton offers a lifetime of lines. It’s a place that teaches you, humbles you, and pulls you back in.