Ski Trail Development

Here's just a small sampling of the progress we’ve made on the Silver Mine Nordic Trails.

December 21, 2019 —Early Beginnings! Local community and SNS Board members Craig Manthe and Lars Long developed a concept map of trails and started planning on how to build the first loops of trail.

December 21, 2019 —Early Beginnings! Local community and SNS Board members Craig Manthe and Lars Long developed a concept map of trails and started planning on how to build the first loops of trail.

June 21, 2020 — Trail Work time! Craig and Lars took charge of initial trail development and rallying of volunteers to clear out and maintain some trails. While machinery was used, much work was done by hand by volunteers - cutting branches, clearin

June 21, 2020 — Trail Work time! Craig and Lars took charge of initial trail development and rallying of volunteers to clear out and maintain some trails. While machinery was used, much work was done by hand by volunteers - cutting branches, clearing out debris, raking, and preserving the trail from erosion in the off season.

November 1, 2020 — Cutting in the trails. Heavy machinery was brought in to dig out trails along the inclines. Here’s one of the 3 inclines that were currently dug out.

November 1, 2020 — Cutting in the trails. Heavy machinery was brought in to dig out trails along the inclines. Here’s one of the 3 inclines that were currently dug out.

November 1, 2020 — Cutting in the trails and digging out a second incline.

November 1, 2020 — Cutting in the trails and digging out a second incline.

November 8, 2020 —Leveling out some more trail; almost finished!

November 8, 2020 —Leveling out some more trail; almost finished!

November 8, 2020 — Getting work done! Some manual labor by a volunteer to help clear out portions of the trail.

November 8, 2020 — Getting work done! Some manual labor by a volunteer to help clear out portions of the trail.

November 27, 2020 —Finished Trail Loop! Trail has been leveled, seed planted to help set it and prevent erosion, and the first phase of trails has been completed.

November 27, 2020 —Finished Trail Loop! Trail has been leveled, seed planted to help set it and prevent erosion, and the first phase of trails has been completed.

December 12, 2020 — Snowmaking at Silver Mine! The weather was finally at the right temps to make some snow. This was about a 3 day process, including through the night, to get snow down on the 200m main loop. Huge, huge thank you to all the volun

December 12, 2020 — Snowmaking at Silver Mine! The weather was finally at the right temps to make some snow. This was about a 3 day process, including through the night, to get snow down on the 200m main loop. Huge, huge thank you to all the volunteers that made it happen.

January 1, 2021 — Grooming the Trails! This grooming was done by a snowmobile pulling a homemade grooming tool. As a nonprofit, we have limited resources, but thanks to the creativeness of SNS board members, we were able to have something to clean up

January 1, 2021 — Grooming the Trails! This grooming was done by a snowmobile pulling a homemade grooming tool. As a nonprofit, we have limited resources, but thanks to the creativeness of SNS board members, we were able to have something to clean up the trails on a regular basis. The tool served its purpose and we had a beautifully groomed loop for skiing. This year, through grant funding, we were able to obtain a Ginzu groomer and a tracked 4-wheeler to make the grooming process easier and provide a better skiing experience. Special thanks to the Pablo Foundation and Zacho Sports Center for supporting the Silver Mine Trails.

December 15, 2021 — First and last snow of the season! Aerial shot from the beginning of the season after snow was first made. Only skiable snow within a 90 minute radius! One of the last skiable days at Silver Mine, was a similar story, the only s

December 15, 2021 — First and last snow of the season! Aerial shot from the beginning of the season after snow was first made. Only skiable snow within a 90 minute radius! One of the last skiable days at Silver Mine, was a similar story, the only snow sticking around. Looking forward to adding more trails and getting more snow in the 2021-2022 season!

November 10, 2021 - New season, new trails! This is a concept map of the approximate location of our latest editions of manmade snow trails out at Silver Mine. This extends the manmade snow trails by approximately 1.2km.

November 10, 2021 - New season, new trails! This is a concept map of the approximate location of our latest editions of manmade snow trails out at Silver Mine. This extends the manmade snow trails by approximately 1.2km.

November 29, 2024 - Cold enough, so time to start making snow.

November 29, 2024 - Cold enough, so time to start making snow.

December 3, 2024 - Got the snow down to kick off the 2024-2025 ski season; this effort started on November 29. A lot of work goes into even 200m of snow.

December 3, 2024 - Got the snow down to kick off the 2024-2025 ski season; this effort started on November 29. A lot of work goes into even 200m of snow.

December 17, 2024 - Got a few lights established at Silvermine, throws out enough to ski the Triple Donut.

December 17, 2024 - Got a few lights established at Silvermine, throws out enough to ski the Triple Donut.

January 3, 2025 - Made more snow and groomed up for 2025!

January 3, 2025 - Made more snow and groomed up for 2025!

January 25, 2025 - Proposal for improved manmade snow loop in preparation for the 2026 season.

January 25, 2025 - Proposal for improved manmade snow loop in preparation for the 2026 season.