Winter backcountry near Silverton means checking the CAIC avalanche forecast

The terrain around Silverton draws skiers, snowmobilers, and snowshoers all winter, and a lot of it is steep, snowy slopes that can slide. That is why avalanche awareness is part of normal life here, not just an expert concern.

The Colorado Avalanche Information Center, a program within the Colorado Department of Natural Resources, posts daily backcountry forecasts through the winter. The mountains around Silverton fall in its North San Juan zone. Each forecast gives a danger rating, a plain-language summary of the snowpack problem, and travel advice for the day. CAIC also works with the Colorado Department of Transportation on avalanche forecasting for highways, which matters in a county where the main roads cross serious avalanche terrain.

If you plan to travel off the plowed roads in winter, the basic gear is a transceiver (beacon), a shovel, and a probe, plus the training to use them. Carrying them is not the same as knowing how, so a class or course matters.

This is true whether you are a longtime backcountry skier or someone who just moved here and wants to explore. The snowpack changes day to day.

Before any winter backcountry travel near Silverton, read the current CAIC forecast for the North San Juan zone and review their avalanche-awareness basics.