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18-640: Though not of particularly high elevation for the region, Hesperus Mountain is visually quite prominent, as it is near the southern edge of the San Juan Mountains and rises over 7,000 ft (2,100 m) above the area. Hesperus is notable as the Navajo People's Sacred Mountain of the North, Dibé Ntsaa , which marks the northern boundary of the Dinetah , their traditional homeland. It

36-599: A result, facilities in the towns and cities of the region are among the highest in the nation. Telluride Airport , at an elevation of 9,070 feet, is the highest in the United States with regularly scheduled commercial service. Human history at the eastern edge of the San Juan Mountains dates back thousands of years. Smithsonian archaeologists have identified paleo-Indian sites that are about 5,000 years old, located near Great Sand Dunes National Park and at

54-615: Is also a popular destination for endurance sports like trail running and mountain biking; Silverton is home to the Hardrock 100 Endurance Run one of the most difficult and technical ultra-marathons in the world. The Rio Grande drains the east side of the range. The other side of the San Juans, the western slope of the continental divide , is drained by tributaries of the San Juan , Dolores and Gunnison rivers, which all flow into

72-634: Is associated with the color black, and is said to be impregnated with jet . When First Man created the mountain as a replica of mountains in the Fourth World, he fastened it to the ground with a rainbow and covered it in darkness. The San Juan Mountains have been the traditional homeland of the Ute People. http://www.dargnet.org http://uintahbasintah.org/maps/ubsw.jpg Along with Ute the La Plata Mountain Range has also been

90-430: Is for advanced and expert skiers or riders. Avalanche gear is required to ride the lift at all times due to the unpatrolled and ungroomed nature of Silverton. In addition to Silverton Mountain's 1,819 acres of lift accessed skiing, Silverton also serves as a base area for over 22,000 acres of helicopter accessed skiing. Uniquely, Silverton is only open Thursday through Sunday from December through April. Silverton Mountain

108-535: Is located in San Juan County , just six miles from the historic mining town of Silverton, Colorado. The ski area is known for adventure, powder and steep terrain. At 13,487 feet, it is North America's highest and lays claim to being the most expert ski area. The mountain has 1,819 acres of lift accessed terrain and over 22,000 acres of hike to and helicopter accessed terrain. There are no groomed runs and no cut trails. Skiers and snowboarders can access some of

126-519: The Colorado River . The San Juan and Uncompahgre National Forests cover a large portion of the San Juan Mountains. The Continental Divide Trail , a long-distance hiking trail follows the crest of the San Juan Mountains. The Weminuche Wilderness , Colorado's largest wilderness area, with an area of 499,771 acres (202,250 ha) is in the San Juans. The San Juan Mountains are also distinctive for their high altitude plateaus and peaks. As

144-420: The best powder skiing in the world. Due to the high elevation of the San Juan Mountains and limited number of daily skiers the snow quality is typically very good. During certain times of year the ski area only allows guided skiing. Guides are provided by Silverton Mountain. Each guided group of eight skiers or less can expect to typically hike between 5 and 45 minutes to access runs. Some runs drop straight from

162-430: The chair lift. Hiking 15 minutes to an hour allows access to large open bowls and steep, tight chutes. Avalanche safety equipment is required to be worn by every skier and rider. Required equipment includes an avalanche beacon, a shovel, and a probe. These items are available for rent from Silverton Mountain. Reservations are highly recommended for guided skiing as the mountain does book up. Guides are also available during

180-535: The drop. Silverton Mountain heli accessed terrain is designated for advanced and expert skiers and snowboarders only. Silverton Mountain was founded by Aaron and Jen Brill and opened for business on January 19, 2002 with one double chair that had been purchased from Mammoth Mountain Ski Area . Known for lift accessed backcountry skiing, Silverton Mountain also maintains educational programs such as Avalanche Level I, Avalanche Level II, and Backcountry 101. The ski area

198-768: The early homeland of the Navajo People who had settled on and near this mountain and the La Plata Mountain Range. San Juan Mountains The San Juan Mountains is a high and rugged mountain range in the Rocky Mountains in southwestern Colorado and northwestern New Mexico . The area is highly mineralized (the Colorado Mineral Belt ) and figured in the gold and silver mining industry of early Colorado. Major towns, all old mining camps , include Creede , Lake City , Silverton , Ouray , and Telluride . Large scale mining has ended in

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216-428: The eastern slope of the San Juans. Tourism is a major part of the regional economy, with the narrow gauge railway between Durango and Silverton being an attraction mostly in the summer and fall. Off-roading is popular on the old trails which linked the historic mining camps, including the notorious Black Bear Road . Visiting old ghost towns is popular, as is wilderness trekking and mountain climbing . Many of

234-723: The eight-hour day , which had been approved in a referendum by 72 percent of Colorado voters . The new association consolidated the power of thirty-six mining properties in San Miguel , Ouray , and San Juan counties. The SJDMA refused to consider any reduction in hours or increase in wages, helping to provoke a bitter strike. Silverton Mountain Silverton Mountain is a ski area near Silverton, Colorado , United States that opened on January 19, 2002. Popular with skiers and snowboarders, Silverton Mountain has one chairlift that carries visitors into its terrain, which

252-714: The northern edge of the San Luis Valley, close to Poncha Pass. This suggests that early human presence in the region dates back to ancient times, long before the establishment of modern landmarks. Mining operators in the San Juan mountain area formed the San Juan District Mining Association (SJDMA) in 1903, as a direct result of a Western Federation of Miners proposal to the Telluride Mining Association for

270-570: The old mining camps are popular sites of summer homes . Though the San Juans are extremely steep and receive much snow, so far only Telluride has made the transition to a major ski resort . Purgatory Resort , once known as Durango Mountain Resort, is a small ski area 26 miles north of Durango. There is also skiing on Wolf Creek Pass at the Wolf Creek ski area . Recently Silverton Mountain ski area has begun operation near Silverton. The range

288-650: The region, although independent prospectors still work claims throughout the range. The last large-scale mines were the Sunnyside Mine near Silverton, which operated until late in the 20th century, and the Idarado Mine on Red Mountain Pass , which closed in the 1970s. Famous old San Juan mines include the Camp Bird and Smuggler Union mines , both located between Telluride and Ouray. The Summitville mine

306-441: The unguided season. On January 14, 2012 25-year-old Sydney Elizabeth Owens was skiing the "Riff" run with a guide when she fell and slid 1,500 feet down the mountain. Ski patrol attempted to revive her but she was pronounced dead when the ambulance arrived. This was her first run of the day and the fall was blamed on a binding failure. Silverton Mountain is the only operation in the contiguous United States to offer heli skiing by

324-543: Was the scene of a major environmental disaster in the 1990s when the liner of a cyanide -laced tailing pond began leaking heavily. Summitville is in the Summitville caldera , one of many extinct volcanoes making up the San Juan volcanic field . One, La Garita Caldera , is 35 miles (56 km) in diameter. Large beds of lava , some extending under the floor of the San Luis Valley , are characteristic of

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