Powder, steeps and trees
Pros: Long season, consistent snowfall, affordable season pass, low crowds
Cons: 20 minute gondola ride, grooming, lift layout, deferred ski expansion
Silver Mountain boasts it has the longest single stage gondola in the world. This can be a good and bad thing: Good as it makes access from Spokane and Coeur d'Alene a breeze on I-90 in any weather. The downside is, its always a 20 minute wait before you're skiing and sometimes longer on (windy) storm days.
Snow is consistent and powder days are frequent. The area receives over 300 inches of snow a year and lifts don't operate midweek to allow for plenty untracked snow on "Powder" Thursdays. Silver is also known to run the longest season in the area.. with some years running the lifts in early June. Patrol, lifties and staff are helpful and friendly. The ski area has a modest 2200 foot vertical drop and endless inbound gladed areas and steep tree skiing lines. Add in the popular sidecountry run down to town and vert increases to almost 4000ft.
I don't hear many complaints while skiing at Silver. Most everyone is stoked on the feeling they have the place nearly to themselves. If anything grooming technique could be improved, with often uneven ridges and chunks of snow left behind. The lift layout is also a bit quirky, as a fair amount of terrain requires two chair lift rides to access.
The resort offers much more than skiing and snowboarding. A large indoor waterpark operates year round at the base area, some of the area's best downhill mountain biking trails open in the summer and snow tubing is available at top of the Gondola during the winter. The ski area is very popular with families because of the combined waterpark, skiing and lodging packages offered.
