Silverton set to open with 4 feet of natural snow

Silverton Mountain Ski Area in Colorado is prepared to open early with four feet of natural snow. Several snowstorms have hit the area since Sept. 22 and have piled up as much as 48 inches of snow base.
    More than a foot of snow fell on the mountain on Tuesday. With just a bit more snow, Silverton Mountain will be able to open for the season. Staff members have been skiing for almost a month after Silverton Mountain got unofficial first tracks of the winter on Sept. 22 for the sixth year in a row and every season since the mountain opened for business in 2001. Colorado’s Arapahoe Basin was the first ski area to open to the public, on Oct. 13.
    The scheduled opening date for Silverton Mountain was planned for Nov. 23, but plans have been revised to try to open as early as possible. If the snow continues and temperatures remain cold enough to hold the snow, Silverton will open with 100 percent all-natural snow.
    Silverton Mountain is America’s highest ski area, with a peak elevation of 13,487 feet, and the newest ski area in Colorado.
    New for the 2006-07 season, Silverton will offer unguided skiing at the start of the winter season. Formerly Silverton was restricted to offering skiing to guided groups, until April 2006, when unguided skiing was first allowed by the Bureau of Land Management.
    Silverton just added 164 acres of ultra steep expert terrain. Areas of this new terrain are nearly vertical, are loaded with cliffs, and are for the best experts only. Catering to advanced and expert skiers and snowboarders, the mountain will offer a combination of unguided and guided lift-served skiing for 2006-07.                                                                                                                                                                           

SILVERTON MOUNTAIN Ski Area in Colorado is prepared to open early with four feet of natural snow. Several snowstorms have hit the area since Sept. 22 and have piled up as much as 48 inches of snow base.
    More than a foot of snow fell on the mountain on Tuesday. With just a bit more snow, Silverton Mountain will be able to open for the season. Staff members have been skiing for almost a month after Silverton Mountain got unofficial first tracks of the winter on Sept. 22 for the sixth year in a row and every season since the mountain opened for business in 2001. Colorado’s Arapahoe Basin was the first ski area to open to the public, on Oct. 13.
    The scheduled opening date for Silverton Mountain was planned for Nov. 23, but plans have been revised to try to open as early as possible. If the snow continues and temperatures remain cold enough to hold the snow, Silverton will open with 100 percent all-natural snow.
    Silverton Mountain is America’s highest ski area, with a peak elevation of 13,487 feet, and the newest ski area in Colorado.
    New for the 2006-07 season, Silverton will offer unguided skiing at the start of the winter season. Formerly Silverton was restricted to offering skiing to guided groups, until April 2006, when unguided skiing was first allowed by the Bureau of Land Management.
    Silverton just added 164 acres of ultra steep expert terrain. Areas of this new terrain are nearly vertical, are loaded with cliffs, and are for the best experts only. Catering to advanced and expert skiers and snowboarders, the mountain will offer a combination of unguided and guided lift-served skiing for 2006-07.     

— Silverton