SISTERS IN THE STEEPS: Women wake up Silverton
In late April, Silverton, CO is not the busiest of mountain communities. Situated high in a remote corner of the San Juans, this retired mining town of 200 permanent residents is enjoying the quiet time in between the ski and RV seasons. All but two restaurants are closed and, when I arrive on Friday night, the town is deserted. I keep waiting for tumbleweed to roll down Main Street. This is a place where you look up when a car rolls through town. So when a dozen women convene here the next day, it’s the biggest news of the weekend.
In case you haven’t read an outdoor publication, a business journal or the New York Times in the past couple years, Silverton Mountain, started in 2002 by Aaron and Jen Brill, is lift accessed backcountry. There’s one double chair accessing 1,819 acres of un-groomed, unmarked full-on terrain. Understandably, it operated as guided only for four years, but in November of 2006 Silverton eliminated mandatory guides and began selling a $49 unguided ticket. All you need is a shovel, probe and beacon and the place is yours to explore.
We’re here for that, but also to discuss the current state of women’s skiing, while paying tribute to ski pioneer and Silverton legend, Dolores LaChapelle, author of Deep Powder Snow. A few months ago, Jen emailed me the idea of Sisters in the Steeps—a group of women skiing Silverton for the weekend and discussing the women’s ski market. Aside from always wanting to ski Silverton, I thought it was a great idea. A six-month pregnant Wendy Fischer (yep, that spread eagle is with baby in tow!) drove down from Crested Butte, Babes in the Backcountry founder Leslie Ross rallied the Astro van from Moab and Skiing magazine’s Tracy Ross made the trip from Boulder. Women from all over Colorado joined the local girls at Silverton and it was a party.
Classic spring conditions graced Silverton for its last weekend and, thanks to Silverton’s Jess and Sally, we found the best turns on the mountain. Working our way from the backside to the front, we timed our aspects with the sun to find corn all day long. You can hike as little or as much (up to an elevation of 13,487 feet) as you like at Silverton (similar to the skiing—the steeps, cliffs and chutes allow you to get as rad as you want), but our longest hike of the weekend awarded us the best fall-line, consistent corn I’ve skied in a long time. Wherever you end up at the end of your run, Silverton’s converted UPS van/scary shuttle of death comes to bring you back to the base—a yurt and an outhouse.
Saturday night the Sisters convened above the Miner’s Tavern back in town. After a toast to LaChappelle (Brill and Ross credited her to their moving to Silverton), we split into groups to discuss the women’s ski industry. I heard conflicting opinions about all-women’s ski magazines (Powder Girl and Women’s Skiing). Some women appreciated Powder reaching out to the hard core female skier, while others thought the content should be incorporated into the regular magazine. We debated women’s specific gear and who is buying it (Why are women’s skis either soft or a dude’s ski with a girl topsheet? Are polka dot graphics demeaning or just getting more young girls into skiing? Isn’t it great to have pants that fit?!) Brill wanted to discuss equal pay in the field. Fischer wanted to know why there weren’t more women’s photos published (How would magazine pages change with a female photo editor?). We could have talked all night, but the wine was running low and it was time, for the first time in Silverton’s history, to even out the testosterone down at the bar.
If you’re a girl who likes skiing and talking about skiing, don’t miss next year’s Sisters in the Steeps. Two-day ski and lodging packages range from $150-$180. Check in to silvertonmountain.com next season for more information.
