Silver Mt. Opens June 19th
- Thread starter babydick
- Start date
Silver has blown it for me.. I have had a pass there for 3 years now and there summer stuff has gotten worse every year the races they have there are a joke every year.. I am taking my business elsewhere..
but lift tickets were like 32 last year and I have always bought a winter pass and did a summer add on.. but for some reason I want to say that the summer only pass is 200.. no promises but that is what I thought then had been in the past..
but lift tickets were like 32 last year and I have always bought a winter pass and did a summer add on.. but for some reason I want to say that the summer only pass is 200.. no promises but that is what I thought then had been in the past..
Hey PNW monkeys! Silver summer pass is $129 this year and this gets you gondola access on Friday afternoon and all day Sat-Sun. I am fairly certain there will be no new building of trails this year as the economy put the brakes on the trail master plan.
I have voiced my opinion several times over the years on the progression of the trails and still believe that Silver has some of the best vertical in the Spokane/N. Idaho area despite the setbacks over the last 2 years. The vertical alone makes this place what it is. Don't get me wrong, I have griped PLENTY about the trail construction and other issues plauging the hill but I recognize where they have come from to get to where they are today.
This will be the 7th season since the inception of the trail plan and will be the second year of having no real budget for the trail systems. Without a dedicated trail crew, they will probably have the trails buffed out prior to opening day and possibly have one or two other maintenance days during the season (this was what I saw last year).
As far as the race scene is concerned I am over it and aparently silver is done with it as well (Sunday race series). Silveroxx is the only event on tap for the second year in a row and I am fine with that. If I want to race I will go check out the other race circuits that are in our area this year (fluidride, all gravity series, NW cup). I remember back to when WIM was the only game in town which meant 2 races at beacon and some stuff over in chelan/wenatchee. Trust me when I say that our options are way better now than they ever were. The sport has evolved drasticly in our area and has spoiled many newcomers to the sport. Thru the hard work of people that have been doing this stuff for over a decade, we now have multiple race venues as well as new race lines/locations. I never would have believed in a million years that the FS would allow a full on race weekend at 257/mt cda....nor would I ever think that they would put up with races at Mt. Spokane! Same goes for the existing network at Silver. Just 7 years ago all Silver had was fire roads and XC single track...things have come a long way in just a few years.
If you are fed up with Silver's game and race organization, then fine, go put on your Oakleys and Troy Lee jersey and hop on your shiny Transition sled with your bandana hanging out your back pocket like a jackass. I will not miss you while I am chilling with my friends ripping the singletrack at Silver while you push your bike up and down beacon in the 90 degree summer heat sessioning the same kicker/drop all day in hopes that your picture may be POD on twinkbike.
I agree that it sucks to pay $30+ for a day pass when nothing new is being built/maintaned however it still is worth the money in my book. I could easily spend this much shuttling the Kan all day or by driving up to schweitzer for a few laps. Silver was never ment to be the next whistler and everyone is quick to crap on them. If it werent for the crew at Silver along with other key players in the area, you would still be racing in Chelan and complaining about it too.
Silver is a different vibe and either you are OK with it or not. I am not judging either way but it seems that people really don't know how good they have it. They may not have the best jumps or any skinnies but where else can your hammer over 3k of vert in under 15min and then be taken back up to the top without a shuttle truck? Schweitzer may be coming close to this with their new DH tracks (awesome!) but Silver will continue to fill a need.
Different strokes for different folks however I fail to see how silver or anyone in the area has 'blown it'.
Peace!
I have voiced my opinion several times over the years on the progression of the trails and still believe that Silver has some of the best vertical in the Spokane/N. Idaho area despite the setbacks over the last 2 years. The vertical alone makes this place what it is. Don't get me wrong, I have griped PLENTY about the trail construction and other issues plauging the hill but I recognize where they have come from to get to where they are today.
This will be the 7th season since the inception of the trail plan and will be the second year of having no real budget for the trail systems. Without a dedicated trail crew, they will probably have the trails buffed out prior to opening day and possibly have one or two other maintenance days during the season (this was what I saw last year).
As far as the race scene is concerned I am over it and aparently silver is done with it as well (Sunday race series). Silveroxx is the only event on tap for the second year in a row and I am fine with that. If I want to race I will go check out the other race circuits that are in our area this year (fluidride, all gravity series, NW cup). I remember back to when WIM was the only game in town which meant 2 races at beacon and some stuff over in chelan/wenatchee. Trust me when I say that our options are way better now than they ever were. The sport has evolved drasticly in our area and has spoiled many newcomers to the sport. Thru the hard work of people that have been doing this stuff for over a decade, we now have multiple race venues as well as new race lines/locations. I never would have believed in a million years that the FS would allow a full on race weekend at 257/mt cda....nor would I ever think that they would put up with races at Mt. Spokane! Same goes for the existing network at Silver. Just 7 years ago all Silver had was fire roads and XC single track...things have come a long way in just a few years.
If you are fed up with Silver's game and race organization, then fine, go put on your Oakleys and Troy Lee jersey and hop on your shiny Transition sled with your bandana hanging out your back pocket like a jackass. I will not miss you while I am chilling with my friends ripping the singletrack at Silver while you push your bike up and down beacon in the 90 degree summer heat sessioning the same kicker/drop all day in hopes that your picture may be POD on twinkbike.
I agree that it sucks to pay $30+ for a day pass when nothing new is being built/maintaned however it still is worth the money in my book. I could easily spend this much shuttling the Kan all day or by driving up to schweitzer for a few laps. Silver was never ment to be the next whistler and everyone is quick to crap on them. If it werent for the crew at Silver along with other key players in the area, you would still be racing in Chelan and complaining about it too.
Silver is a different vibe and either you are OK with it or not. I am not judging either way but it seems that people really don't know how good they have it. They may not have the best jumps or any skinnies but where else can your hammer over 3k of vert in under 15min and then be taken back up to the top without a shuttle truck? Schweitzer may be coming close to this with their new DH tracks (awesome!) but Silver will continue to fill a need.
Different strokes for different folks however I fail to see how silver or anyone in the area has 'blown it'.
Peace!
For the record: I normally ride with cut off carhartt's, maybe my shop jersey, and the the only pair of Oakleys I have ever owned I found down town during ironman and they are barley usable.. and plus I ride a Mongoose.. so I am pretty much the definition of trendy that you described
The last time I rode beacon was the race a few months ago.. I only waste my time there when our stuff is snowed in here.. I am not one of "those kids"
The Races at silver were a joke.. starting a hour to two hours late.. that same day my manager shows up at 9 that morning and they wouldn't let him sign up for that race that was supposed to start at 12 but ended up starting at 2. Then the timing is never correct. One of our buddies got 2nd place to the guy that he passed on the course. Then results were supposed to be at 3ish and they didnt happen till like 7:30-8. I am glad that they are not in charge of Silverroxx this year..
I just dont see why a mountain deserves my support when I am a paying customer during bother summer and winter and I go and pay to ride there as and they cant afford to pay the trail crew to make the trails appealing to the mountain bikers. But yet they just built a how many million dollar waterpark? I cant imagine that a small amount of $ for the summer trails would be unfeasible for them and that small amount could make a world of difference..
If I bought my season pass and went up there and they never groomed the hill during the winter I would be pissed, as would lots of others. I see no difference in my argument. By no means do I expect a whistler, simply a little more work done to show that they care about the riders.. In my opinion, when the customer no longer feels like they are important or worth trying to appease then that company has blown it
I guess I agree that silver fills a spot for those that want massive vert and less tech stuff.. even if it hadn't been for the horrible management and lack of maintenance, I would still be going to schweitzer due to the fact that the schwiz offers a "real" dh track that can actually offer some gnarly stuff that will challenge me as a rider. Silver got me off and started for my first 2 years of riding and I had a great time there putting in 20ish days a year in the summer (more in the winter
) but now I am moving onto a real mountain.. So all of my stupid teenager stuff aside I know that it is great for some people. (There is no way I would ever take my Girlfriend or mom up to Schweitzer) But Silver is a sweet place to get someone started into the sport due to the wicked vert and relatively smooth trails. Just after the last few years, they will be loosing a season pass holder due to the lack of trail work and general disregard for us bikers..
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I agree with your replies and can appreciate where you are coming from. Sorry if I offended you with my rant about the Spokompton freeride scene. But seriously...taking your GF or mom to silver? You are funny! I have had to call patrol on at least 7GF/mom combos over the last 3 years as they ended up on alhambra and got all bloody and started crying (I have the # on speedial on my cell). Mountain Haus is constantly plucking newbs off the hill. Just ask any of the staff if you go back. There is one fire road down the hill that may be suitable for a non-experienced rider but nobody ever takes it.
Another item I dont understand is how you can call the Schwiz a 'real dh track'? Just do a quick youtube search and you can see videos of people mobbing the double diamonds on a hardtail....probably faster than me or you. I rode with a 50 year old up there last week on a 4" stumpjumper who made it look like he was riding in a parking lot! The new pro DH may be a different story but the crew cant do anything more than rough it in? Sounds like they may have the same problems as silver as you would figure better track for a pro DH course. When I saw the new lines they were not much more than pulaski chunks in the grass. Glad your $20 lift ticket helps maintain that. The old pro course that is only accessable by poaching is a completely different story
I have no problems with you and your stance on things but I dont agree that Silver is a beginner track and that the schwiz is a 'pro dh'. Mabey in 2003 it was. Hope you have fun at the race and dont crash! Mabey if you podium you can win a new set of Oakleys
Another item I dont understand is how you can call the Schwiz a 'real dh track'? Just do a quick youtube search and you can see videos of people mobbing the double diamonds on a hardtail....probably faster than me or you. I rode with a 50 year old up there last week on a 4" stumpjumper who made it look like he was riding in a parking lot! The new pro DH may be a different story but the crew cant do anything more than rough it in? Sounds like they may have the same problems as silver as you would figure better track for a pro DH course. When I saw the new lines they were not much more than pulaski chunks in the grass. Glad your $20 lift ticket helps maintain that. The old pro course that is only accessable by poaching is a completely different story
I have no problems with you and your stance on things but I dont agree that Silver is a beginner track and that the schwiz is a 'pro dh'. Mabey in 2003 it was. Hope you have fun at the race and dont crash! Mabey if you podium you can win a new set of Oakleys
In my opinion, even Pinch flat down to Moffits is a much better representation of a "real" dh course then anything Silver has. At Silver I am honestly just as fast or faster on my 6" All Mountain rig as I am on my full on 8" DH rig because there isnt anything at Silver that will soak up all my travel.Another item I dont understand is how you can call the Schwiz a 'real dh track'? Just do a quick youtube search and you can see videos of people mobbing the double diamonds on a hardtail....probably faster than me or you. I rode with a 50 year old up there last week on a 4" stumpjumper who made it look like he was riding in a parking lot! The new pro DH may be a different story but the crew cant do anything more than rough it in? Sounds like they may have the same problems as silver as you would figure better track for a pro DH course. When I saw the new lines they were not much more than pulaski chunks in the grass. Glad your $20 lift ticket helps maintain that. The old pro course that is only accessable by poaching is a completely different story
Riding Moffits at Schweitzer, I know I could ride my AM bike there however I would not be able to ride as fast as I am capable of on my DH bike.. And If you can find a hardtail rider that can ride the Pinch flat fire road and Moffits faster then me then I will retract every malicious post I have ever made and quit riding bikes altogether.. and good for that old guy for being the next sam hill on a XC bike, I wish I could be like that when I am older..
Schweitzer started building a new course like a month? maybe two months ago tops? I agree that If I was management I would have put more time into the course already, but I am slightly biased.
For a 3 or 4 man trail crew they have, I think they have done a decent amount of work. I am not sure how much trail building you have done but cutting a course like that and adding some of the features they did on that hillside would take alot of man power and labor to do..
For a trail that only 15% of the people that ride bikes there could even think about riding, I think that for the limited time they have had on it, it is ok.. They needed to get a top to bottom trail and then to have it ridden on and then have some input for the riders part. I know that the weekend I spent up there I rode it and then talked with the guys and they were stoked to hear my suggestions and very open minded and they said that they will address those areas for the better of the course.
Once the riders ride that course in abit and the trail crew picks up on the riders lines and makes adjustments, it will indeed be a "real" DH course..
Point is that when Silver is ridden best on a 6" AM bike and Schweitzer would be best ridden on a 8" bike, I would say that the terrain and trails at Schweitzer are more advanced then Silver and would cater better to a advanced rider, Except for the trails at schweitzer that are meant to be easy of course (Bear Grass). In addition, Silver has no real answer to the new pro course at Schweitzer. Not to gloat but I am a fairly competent rider who races competitively on "real" Dh Courses and I can not link together a 100% clean run and there are sections that kind of scare me, that means it is probably a "pro" only course in which Silver's Hammer cant compare in shear gnar factor.
Edit: I wouldnt want Oakleys anyways, they throw of my anti-trendy vibe I have going
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