SILVERTONS“It’s not so much the actual skiing that was scary,but more, what if I mess this up? Some of the shotswere like, make a right turn exactly at that piece ofsnow, otherwise you ruin it.”When you’re deep in the snow of the Rockies, it might be easyto forget that you’re actually on the job. When the camera is onthe other side of the hill, Kauf and the other athletes had thefreedom to ski the line their hearts desired—with some guidancefrom the crew, of course. Other times, film crew guys Day,Ian Anderson, and Jeff Wright were looking for specific shots,and they’d pick out the exact spots they wanted the athletes tomake turns. In some moments, the instruction was along thelines of “Make a right turn exactly at that piece of snow, otherwiseyou ruin it,” laughs Kauf. No pressure.In a classic behindthe-scenesmoment,Kauf (left) and Huberdiscuss logisticsbefore a run.“I’d never been to Silverton before, and up untilthis winter, I honestly didn’t know a ski mountainexisted there. Once you take the lift up, you’re justin the middle of the mountains.”Silverton Mountain is nestled in the San Juan Mountainsof southern Colorado. With a peak elevation of 13,487 feet,Silverton is the highest and steepest ski area in NorthAmerica. There’s only one two-seater ski lift sans safetybar, so it’s not a mountain for the faint of heart. “Up untilthis winter, I honestly didn’t know a ski mountain existedthere,” Kauf admits. Silverton flies under the radar, but iswell-known to big mountain skiers as a great place to getguided backcountry experience and spectacular heli-skiingviews. Needless to say, it’s on her radar now.WHERE TO GO:GETTING THERESilverton Mountain is located six miles fromthe former silver-mining town of Silverton, Colo.;silvertonmountain.com. The closest airportsare Durango (63 miles south) and Montrose(64 miles north), both of which host direct flightsfrom various hubs in addition to Denver. DenverInternational Airport is 380 miles north in thewinter—or about an eight-hour drive. A fourwheeldrive car is highly recommended. However,there’s no need to rent a car once you’rein town, as there are shuttles to the mountainand town itself is delightfully walkable.LODGING + DININGThe newly renovated Wyman Hotel sits onMain Street in an historic 1902 building that’sclose to dining, shopping, and bars. The 16-room boutique hotel offers six rooms types,including options with single or double bunkbeds for a maximum occupancy of five. Fordinner check out the Avalanche BrewingCompany for from-scratch pizzas and craftbeers plus wraps, tacos, and salads. Bonus:Avalanche is moving to Main Street inNovember 2019, where it will double itsbrewing capacity and triple its kitchen space.44 SKI MAGAZINE SPECIAL ISSUE TIMELESS WARRENMILLER.COM
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