Mountain Layout—Skiing

Silver Star's terrain covers two very different mountain faces. For families we recommend the Vance Creek area served by the Summit Chair and the Comet Six-Pack Express. In 2005/06, the new Silver Woods area extended the Vance Creek area by 54 percent. For the more adventurous: the Putnam Creek area accessed by the Powder Gulch Express and the Summit Chair. The backside is steep and challenging; the front side is beginner-friendly. From the top of the Summit Chair and the Comet Express, you can see Sun Peaks and Big White. From here, it's a 5-mile run to the bottom of Aunt Gladys at the Putnam Creek station.

Here's a detailed trail map.

Photo courtesy of Silver Star Mountain/Don Weixl

Expert, Advanced: Experts, don’t delay—head straight to the Putnam Creek side and scout the Back Bowl. Look for Free Fall, Where's Bob, Black Pine and Kirkenheimer. Three Wise Men, White Elephant and Holy Smokes will smoke your thighs. Then work your way over to the other side of the Powder Gulch Express to 3 Wisemen, Headwall and Chute 5. There are plenty of single-blacks on both sides of the mountain. Be sure to test yourself on Caliper Ridge, a trail that runs under the Powder Gulch Express. [TOP]

Intermediate: Gypsy Queen, reached via Aunt Gladys from Paradise Camp, is the most popular blue run on the mountain. Another really great one, on the opposite side of the Powder Gulch Express, is Sunny Ridge. It takes off to the left just before Paradise Camp. [TOP]

Beginner, First-timer: If you want to get high on the mountain, you can't go wrong taking the Powder Gulch Express. From the top, Bergerstrasse, which becomes Aunt Gladys, makes a nice long 5-mile green run. You can also grab the Home Run Tee from there and take the Main St. Skiway straight to the village. Discovery Park is served by the moving carpet and is fenced to keep out the speedy interlopers, so it's a good place to make those initial turns. Once confident, head to the Silver Queen Chair for longer beginner runs.   [TOP]