Experiencing Silverton’s steep and deep

GETTING THERE:

From LAX, connecting service (change of planes) is available to Durango on United and America West. Restricted round-trip fares begin at $338.

It is about a 90-minute drive north to Silverton on U.S. 550. The drive includes conquering the sometimes treacherous Molas Divide, the 10,910-foot pass known for its snowy conditions and avalanche danger. The road is maintained year-round.

All major car rental companies have counters in the Durango airport. A four-wheel-drive vehicle is not required but is recommended during the winter months.

SKIING SILVERTON:

Skiers are grouped based on speed and skiing ability. Each group is guided. Bring your own skis, boots, poles and lunch. If you own an avalanche beacon, probe and back-country shovel, bring those too. You are required to have them to ski Silverton, but you can rent them at the mountain. A one-day pass is $99, and a Colorado hiking pass, available at the mountain, is $1 to $3. For information, contact Silverton Mountain, P.O. Box 654, Silverton, CO 81433; (970) 387-5706, https://www.silvertonmountain.com.

WHERE TO STAY:

Wyman Hotel and Inn, 1371 Greene St., Silverton 81433; (800) 609-7845 or (970) 387-5372, https://www.thewyman.com, offers 18 rooms in a turn-of-the-century Western atmosphere. Prices range from $120 to $180 per night (more on holiday weekends) for rooms that include museum-quality antiques and modern amenities such as VCRs and telephone data ports. The price includes breakfast, afternoon tea and an early evening wine and cheese hour.

The Teller House, 1250 Greene St., Silverton 81433; (800) 342-4338 or (970) 387-5423, https://www.tellerhousehotel.com, is a historic 10-room, Victorian-style hotel in the heart of Silverton’s business district. Rooms begin at $64 per night and top out at $89. Only three of the antique-decorated rooms have private baths; the rest have shared men’s and women’s bathrooms. The rate includes a full breakfast at the Green Table Restaurant in the same building.

The Wingate House, 1045 Snowden, Silverton 81433; (970) 387-5520, https://www.wingatehouse.com, is a five-room bed-and-breakfast that offers cozy Victorian rooms with down comforters and a family-style breakfast. Rates start at $54 and run to $125 a night for a room that includes a two-person whirlpool.

The Triangle Motel, 848 Greene St., Silverton 81433; (970) 387-5780, fax (970) 387-5498, https://www.gimi.com/triangle, is a 16-room motel that offers rooms and suites from $30 to $70 per night (higher in summer). Weekly winter rates for suites start at $325.

WHERE TO EAT:

The Green Table, (970) 387-5287, serves breakfast and lunch, with prices ranging from $5 to $8. For breakfast, try the eggs Benedict with spicy hollandaise sauce, or the Sultan Mountain, $8, a stack of polenta cakes topped with poached eggs, green chili, Monterey Jack, avocado, sour cream and chives. The lunch menu includes Annie’s Delight, $8, a potato-crusted quiche, and the $8 turkey wrap, a tortilla filled with turkey, Swiss cheese, avocado, sprouts, shredded carrots and chive mayonnaise.

Brown Bear Cafe, (970) 387-5630, is a local favorite for hearty mountain fare at breakfast, lunch and dinner. Prices range from $2.95 for a half-order of biscuits and gravy for breakfast to $15.95 for a steak dinner, which includes soup or salad and fresh bread. Locals like the $6.50 lunch special, which can be anything from a chicken fried steak sandwich to Philly cheese steaks or Polish sausage.

The Miner’s Tavern, (970) 387-5560, if you’re looking for a place to quaff a few after a hard day of skiing. The Miner’s Tavern offers distractions such as shuffleboard and Friday night pool tournaments.

Pasta La Vista, (970) 387-5352, offers traditional Italian food for lunch and dinner, just the kind of filling meals needed before or after a day of skiing. Spaghetti and meatballs is a dinner favorite for $7.95. Or try the garlic shrimp pasta, $14.95, which includes soup and salad. A pizza also is a tasty alternative. A house supreme, $16.95, is loaded with sausage, pepperoni, onion, mushrooms, green peppers and black olives.

TO LEARN MORE:

Silverton Area Chamber of Commerce, 414 Greene St., Silverton 81433; (800) 752-4494, https://www.silverton.org.