"A Difficult Day": Silver Mountain GM Offers Apology Following In-Bounds Avalanches

As Silver Mountain Resort winds down its winter season, General Manager Jeff Colburn is looking back with radical transparency. In a letter addressed to the community via social media, Colburn offered a detailed apology and a play-by-play account of March 13, 2026—a day marked by power outages, operational delays, and two harrowing in-bounds avalanches.

The letter serves as a rare, "under-the-hood" look at the high-stakes decisions mountain operations face when extreme weather meets public expectation.

Silver Mountain Operational Summary (March 13, 2026):

The trouble began on March 12, when a combination of high winds, unseasonably warm temperatures, and regional power outages forced the Idaho resort to shut down completely.

Hoping for a "reset" on the 13th, crews began avalanche mitigation at 5:30 a.m., accessing the mountain by road while waiting for the city of Kellogg to regain power. Management initially projected an 11:00 a.m. opening, but hurdles continued to mount:

• Noon: Power was finally restored.

• Inspection: A "line rider" discovered a broken treetop on Tower 26. While not a mechanical failure, it required immediate clearing before the public could board.

• 3:00 p.m.: The gondola finally opened to guests—nearly four hours behind schedule.

In-Bounds Slides: Close Calls on Moonshine and Terrible Edith

Despite the late start, Silver Mountain extended operations until 6:00 p.m. to accommodate guests. However, the stability of the snowpack remained volatile.

At 4:30 p.m., a skier-triggered slide occurred on Moonshine, a double-black diamond run off Chair 4. The incident was particularly concerning as the run had already undergone avalanche mitigation twice that day.

The Rescue: Two skiers were caught and buried in the Moonshine slide. In a testament to quick thinking, they were successfully recovered uninjured by three nearby skiers and a responding patroller.

While crews were managing the scene at Moonshine, a second skier-triggered avalanche was discovered on the Terrible Edith run. Fortunately, the skier involved in that slide was not caught and remained uninjured.

Following the second slide, management made the immediate call to clear the mountain and close for the day. In his letter, Colburn did not shy away from the gravity of the events, acknowledging that even with rigorous mitigation, the mountain remains a dynamic environment.

The apology has been largely met with appreciation from the local skiing community for its honesty regarding the technical and environmental challenges faced by the crew.