# Don't get caught in Silverton Mt.'s Smokescreen for the BLM



## El quapo (Apr 14, 2006)

That sucks. But yes, Silverton is quickly getting a reputation for being very poorly managed...or mismanaged. I had a friend who worked there and he spoke of many of the same problems you mention. They need to get their shit together.


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## sandbagger (Feb 1, 2006)

The "enter" key, it's your friend.  Seriously, if you want people to read what you have to say, you need to format it at least minimally. I tried reading that, but got lost a ways in. I'm going to go back and try some more, but...


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## addicted2coldsmoke (Nov 15, 2006)

Bummer. This sort of happened to us. I'll explain.

We were there in March of 2004. We had a good group of healthy skiers and managed to clock in 7 unbelievable runs. But one of them was a nightmare. We had a cute guide and I was hitting on her all day. She was new to the Silverton team and was assigned to our group as her first tour on her own. 

We proceeded to get busy and made some unbelievable schralp sessions. On one run though... we picked up some of our other friends from another group and we went to the top together. We proceeded to ski down to the forbidden zone and then hike around the fenced in place and then hike back up the other side of the forbidden zone to get up to some higher ground. We are now on the northern side of the hill that is completely covered in trees. Great tree ski we are being told the whole time and a delightful recommendation by another guide with another group. 

We get her instructions and we depart down this run to the designated stopping place. Which she pointed to... the place is covered in trees. Nice. Our new guide lost us and thrashed down that hill taking all the turns that she wanted and having fun all the way down. 

I know this as I was a little bit of a bad boy and new that side of the hill from a previous visit. I skied down past the point that she had told the whole group to stop. But within sight range. This place is packed with trees and there are a couple of chutes that are avalanche hazards in the middle. I saw her ski right by the place that she mentioned. At good speed. A little off and to the skiers left of the stopping point. But she must have seen a few people standing there. I could see both parties. 

Now being the bad boy that I am... I thought, wrongfully, that it was now a free-for-all and everyone should just go for it. I followed our guide for a few hundred feet... all the while to the east and up hill of her. Being stealthy of course. She screamed down like she was chasing someone to the bottom and went into the chute/avalanche zone. 

That is when I stopped. I knew something was up. I waited and began to call the lesser experienced riders and one by one gathered them up. I told them not to go into that chute. Warm, cold, warm cold for several days and good amounts of snow each of the past few days. Also the look of prior slide chunkiness said "no-way". I kept everyone in the trees and we made it to the bottom. It was still a great ski. And we all had a good time. Several of the people, some friends and some not, thanked me for helping "guiding" them down and we all cursed our guide by name. I will leave it out. We crossed the road and saw no truck to pick us up. Our descent took some time. Our guide wasn't even at the bottom. 

Finally... here comes the truck. It was packed with another group. As soon as the truck pulls up a couple of other guides proceed to tell us that we are in big trouble. I stepped up to argue and they kept telling us this fact (of being in trouble) the whole way to the base. 

We got an ear full from someone at the Base area. Some manager. No court (sorry Bro) and no fines (sorry again). But it really made me feel like shit because I ended up taking charge and doing the right thing. I also saw the whole thing take place. We were led to that area and then abandoned. I never even got to talk to the guide for some kind of argument. We got another guide for the rest of the day. I would have spit in her face god-forbid she lied or something like that with me standing there. I protected their guests. I was temporarily a guide. 

Good luck Aaron. You are doing a great job getting what you want on the backs of some good people. I've been hearing this sort of stuff everywhere. Should we call the Forest Service?

I gave that place, and a couple of their workers involved in my scolding, the big ole finger and never went back. I don't talk shit about the place, but it seems that the light is dimming on Silverton Mountain.


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## vardaddy (Jun 14, 2004)

I went once and will never give my money again. The organization was poor and what we got for the price was definitely not worth it. I voiced my complaint in writing and also when I came across Aaron at the Avi Jam fundraiser. He shrugged it off and did not even offer an apology. Word has definitely gotten around in some circles because I've voiced my complaints and I've had several similar responses. The passes around there are spectacular. Go ski there they are free and you'll probably log close to the same amount of vert.


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## BastrdSonOfElvis (Mar 24, 2005)

Ditto..never again. Our guide, Chris, was pretty cool and got us the goods to the best of his ability. But there was so much terrain closed to us and it was obvious that it wasn't for any avvy reason. To boot, my buddy dropped his pole off the lift (a gaper thing to do, granted) and not only could we not go down the "lifty" run to get it, it took them two days to get it for us. Hows that for custy service.

The lift saves you some steps but it aint worth it...the cash or the hassel. The "aahhh...you're in big trouble now mister" attitude is way gay. It's a shame..such a cool town and a pretty nice mountain. Maybe they'll go under and it will revert to free bc for all.


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## powdahound76 (Jul 20, 2006)

Too bad about your experience. I went there with my buddies and we had a great time. There were a few issues, but they were very minimal. It is easy to imagine that there could be big problems, such as yours.

BastardSonOfElvis,
"way gay" could be two things, either very happy or very homosexual. It is idiots such as yourself using "gay" as a derogatory term that really chaps my ass. If you wanna know "way gay", go to Gay Ski Week in Aspen. Perhaps in the rarified air your eyes will open and your brain will clear....
Powdahound


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## Steve Zizzou (May 23, 2006)

Urban Dictionary:

gay 4164 up, 588 down 

1. jovial or happy, good-spirited

2. a homosexual male or female

3. often used to describe something stupid or unfortunate. originating from homophobia. quite preferable among many teenage males in order to buff up their "masculinity"




g.a.y. 16 thumbs up 

stands for green and yellow.

examples of g.a.y.:
ex 1- my favorite colors are gay.
ex 2- john deere tractors are gay.
ex 3- green bay packer uniforms are gay.
ex 4- im gonna re paint my gay room.
ex 5- your shirt is gay. 
ex 6- a lot of flowers are gay. daisies are a good example of gay flowers.
ex 7- lance bass is gay.


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## BastrdSonOfElvis (Mar 24, 2005)

Hey Powdahound...quit being so gay. 


It sounds like maybe your ass was chapped before me...but I could care less if you pack fudge or whatever. Really, I have no problem with your sexuality or anyone's for that matter. It's not like I coined the phrase or anything. Stevezy came in with the def off the web. To me, being gay has no negative connotation. I do use the expression in the parlance of our times and it does get across the point that I am unsatisfied with my trip to Silverton Mtn. I could have used another word: lame, whack, bunk, bogus (big Bill n Ted fan) etc ad nauseum. It's only a matter of semantics. I arbitrarily chose gay. Don't get your little girl's panties in a wad.

In fact, I think gay people are great. Doogie Howser just came out...I dug his show the most. Queen. The Village People. Churchill. Liberace. The list goes on forever

Seriously though, are we that sensative now? Grow some skin. 

"You know how I know you're gay?"
"No, how."
"Because you shave your asshole."

"You know how I know you're gay?"
"No, how."
"You shaved my asshole." --40 year old virgin


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## addicted2coldsmoke (Nov 15, 2006)

OK everyone. Please let's not loose sight. Let's not turn this valuable discussion into something that it isn't. Let's not forget that we started talking about a backcountry ski area that is seemingly getting everything that it needs from our government agencies to move forward. All the while providing a service that is not professional. And doing others "things" that are in serious question, or would be in question in other parts of the globe. 

I know lots of individuals that would die, and some that die a little every day, chasing and fighting the dream that Aaron Brill has undertaken. He is a permittee of our National Forests. This means that those lands, with exception of the lands that he owns, are ours and he has done things that some people feel are in error. He could, and probably should, face serious scrutiny from his local Forest Service office or an office that will make a stink about him cleaning up his act.

Let's not rule out Karma either. I bet you will see a piece in a magazine about his lack of respect for his patrons and supporters.


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## DES (Apr 9, 2006)

I agree with the lack of professional management up there. It's too bad because the terrain is sick, but it has a way gaper attitude; i.e. kinda gay. Either which way, I'm still gonna boot-pack for a free day. That's one of the only ways it's worth it to ski there, unless droppin hundred+ bones is nothin to ya.


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## ullrismyco-pilot (Oct 18, 2006)

Snowfarmers! I've heard more bad than good about silverton. We got yelled at for making turns to far apart and taking up to much room. Sorry! Paid 100 bucks for someone to tell me how they wanted me to ski. Gotta conserve the powder for everyone! Go to hell. I'll hike the BC for free and ride wherever I want (as long as avy conditions permit).


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## BastrdSonOfElvis (Mar 24, 2005)

That is the best online name I have ever seen or could even imagine.


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## mania (Oct 21, 2003)

Just remember: Earn your Turns! If you guys wanna ski _close_ to Silverton mtn and not pay a dime give me a shout.


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## Yonder_River (Feb 6, 2004)

I'll keep this going full circle. This post has been getting a lot of play at this forum. 


http://www.tetongravity.com/forums/showthread.php?t=67801


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## pyramid (Nov 19, 2006)

I was there and my guide was Aaron Brill himself, we were with
some VIP's, plus his wife showed up later. Aaron's ego was trying 
to impress us, but he failed. He's a mediocre snowboarder at best,
even though he tried to dazzel us. His wife did nothing but bitch about the
Aspen guy who didn't want them tresspassing onto his property. Not
something we wanted to here. After the day was over we all agreed
that this operation will get some people killed in avalanches, the bro-bra extremo attitude we experienced was a joke. 
Maybe it will go back to the way it was before these out-o-state folks 
showed up and made so much trouble.


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## Peev (Oct 24, 2003)

Aarons response:

http://www.tetongravity.com/forums/showthread.php?s=94ba175ec1f3258208058fc2c72221a1&t=67801&page=2


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## sandbagger (Feb 1, 2006)

Yonder_River said:


> I'll keep this going full circle. This post has been getting a lot of play at this forum.
> 
> 
> http://www.tetongravity.com/forums/showthread.php?t=67801


and if you look at the pictures posted by the OP, you can see that he is wrong, the closure is pretty clear.


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## BastrdSonOfElvis (Mar 24, 2005)

It's pretty clear now..but who can say that's what it looked like at the time of the incident? I'm not saying I think they're fibbing (though it wouldn't suprise me) but you have to consider that there's potentially a lot of business at stake for the mountain with the court case and even just with this chatter within their target consumer group.


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## brendodendo (Jul 18, 2004)

Its funny that Aaron replied to TGR. I e-mailed their general mail box and asked for their take. Obviously he does not think the Buzz rates. Or he knows that the hard core find his mountain a little soft. I'll stick to Sleds and Snow shoes... and Snowmass.


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## sandbagger (Feb 1, 2006)

BastrdSonOfElvis said:


> It's pretty clear now..but who can say that's what it looked like at the time of the incident? I'm not saying I think they're fibbing (though it wouldn't suprise me) but you have to consider that there's potentially a lot of business at stake for the mountain with the court case and even just with this chatter within their target consumer group.


Who can say that's what it looked like? You do realize that the one who is complaining posted a picture (taken that day) of what it looked like, as his evidence of the poorly marked closure, and that picture looks just like Silverton Mts photo, just from a different angle.


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## sandbagger (Feb 1, 2006)

brendodendo said:


> Its funny that Aaron replied to TGR. I e-mailed their general mail box and asked for their take. Obviously he does not think the Buzz rates. Or he knows that the hard core find his mountain a little soft. I'll stick to Sleds and Snow shoes... and Snowmass.


Look at the size of discussion here, on a boating site, versus there, on a skiing site. Don't get your panties in a bunch regarding where he replied. It's common sense that the response should be there, that's where the real discussion is going on, and that's the place where such discussion could impact his business.


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## BastrdSonOfElvis (Mar 24, 2005)

You really are sandbagger.


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