Mountain Layout—Skiing

Silver has two connected peaks, Kellogg and Wardner. The gondola deposits skiers and snowboarders at Mountain Haus on Kellogg. Skiers and boarders fan out in several directions. Most stay on the Kellogg side, so to avoid even a mirage of crowds, head to the Wardner side. Lift lines are rarely a problem, but the gondola queue can back up for downloading at closing time (remember, you can’t ski to the gondola base). To avoid morning clog, ride up a half-hour early for breakfast at Mountain Haus.

Here's a larger, more detailed trail map.

Expert, Advanced: Experts come for the steep glades of giant Ponderosa pines and the open-boundary policy. Take the Wardner Peak Traverse to an inspirational knob with a stupendous view of the Silver Valley below. Some challenging black-diamond runs go back down to the Shaft and Chair 4. Terrible Edith, off Noah’s and under Chair 5, is one of those runs that makes you feel like you’re skiing down a globe. The farther down you go, the steeper it gets, until finally you see the cat track below—and that’s only half-way down. For advanced skiers, the run rating always depends on snow conditions. On fresh powder days, take Silver Belt to Rendezvous on the Kellogg side. For great thrills on the Wardner side, cut down anywhere from the early section of the Wardner Peak Traverse. The best skiing on powder days is off the scree slopes between the tops of Chairs 4 and 2. Pass Midway and keep going down through the Shaft to the Chair 4 base. Day fog can cause night ice when the thermometer dips. Until it softens up, stay on the groomed runs (most of the Kellogg side). Centennial and Tamarack, both blues off chair 4, are safe bets on the Wardner side. [TOP]

Intermediate: Silver Belt, from the triple Chair 2, is a wide and terrific intermediate warm-up run. At the Junction you can turn down Saddle Back for a bumpier ride or take a hard left on the Cross Over Run to the Midway load station on Chair 4 for a ride to Wardner Peak. From the top there are several trails back to Midway. [TOP]

Beginner, First-timer: Beginner terrain doubled in size for the 2006-07 season. Chairs 1, 2, 3, and 5 at the Mountain Haus base area all serve beginner terrain. Below the lodge, Ross Run is a wide beginner favorite, allowing crossover to Noah’s and back again, ending on Dawdler with a choice to return to Chair 5 or Chair 3. [TOP]