We had a sled like yours in with our group the weekend before and a VERY experience rider had a tough time getting right in with it...had to really ride it as it has less power for those steep hills. Much easier with more power and with more experience under your belt Hey Warhawk...I guess you guys didn't get into Silver Mines on Sat? Yes you are correct. We stopped at the bottom before the big pull into silver mines. Were you the guys that i talked to ontop of the big pull?? (driving a green rev chassis sled??) The area that we were in was definetly over the skills of a newbie. That being said i have never been to silent or silver mines and from your post it sounds like silent is not much better for a newbie. Am i correct assuming this ?? Our plan was to go to silent pass. I was the one that changed and figured it would be better snow in silver mines. Yes it was better snow but the end result was it was to much terrain for my friend. As a result that is why we stopped and you did not see us in silver mines. Yes the Phazer MTX did make the pull onto the top where i spoke with you guys as i took it there but my friend was not confident in his abilities. I was happy enough to take him that far and we still had a good day as we worked our way back to the trailer.
I have to say that we have 10,000k in 3 years of mountain riding and I certainly wouldn't suggest taking a new mountain rider to Silver Mines -and definitely if you don't have any avy training or knowledge! Yes i seen how the avy thing is important there. I don't have my course but i do have a good knowledge of things to look for and places to stay away from, as for my friend he has very little knowledge about this sort of stuff again this is why we stopped as we both came to the realization that it was to much. It's one of the worst avy zones in the area. Thanks for telling me this as i was not aware that it is that bad (until i was there) Is silent rated the same as silver mines????Good on you for taking him to the mountains, we learnt that too when we took a newbie out, it may seem ok to us but to them it's overwhelming.
I would've been capital P-issed if the guys I started riding with took me in there for my first time
Quartz is an area for all abilities and is popular to families for this reason - you just need to ride the areas suitable to you.
Blaeberry, Nicholson trail, Susan Lake are good to learn at. Silent Pass is ok for moderate riders and up, or a confident newbie as it opens up and there's not alot of big climbs to get in.actually i see where you are coming from about Quartz but everything is angles and it doesn't take much to get off kilter and role your sled. As far as abilitys if somebody goes up a hill and you feel you can do the samething you will but you can also put yourself in a pickle real quick as you can surpass you abilities in the blink of an eye in the mountians. I hope that TANG comes in on this thread and posts what his feelings really were about the trip. We had a lengthy discussion for the last couple days and fully understand where we both went wrong on this trip. My riding style is a little more aggressive than his as a result i took him places that had every thing from rolling hills to extreme. This is not a good enviroment to put some body in. again be honest about your abilitys to yourself and your friends. I as a flatlander feel that my abilitys are average to above average in the mountians as i have only been to them 8 times but as my friend tang told me this weekend that my aggressive riding style back in SASK helps me get around very well in the mountians and in his eyes he felt that i could ride with any of the groups that he saw this weekend. I feel different about this as i still have lots of things to learn. And i don't want to end up with a group that is way to extreme. As i would not feel comfortable as well.
NOT Silver Mines/Vermont/Valley of the Lakes, Gorman, East Quartz, Cirque, Area 51...52 etc, Old Man...beginners beware!
The day before we had been in Gorman and he did say that he enjoyed himself. Again I hope that he chimes in on this thread. He also made it into Lang with no problems. only made a small mistake coming out as he got stuck.
Jdietz...If you don't have the experience and some training there are far better places to go than to the mountains to gain experience. Your post sounds like you'd benefit from less extreme terrain so maybe check out other areas Golden has, if you want to ride Golden, that are better for mountain newbies or as steel town suggested, get a guide. Those of us that live here get real nervous reading posts like yours as we see lack of knowledge everyday we ride and that lack of knowledge puts other peeps in danger many times. You can rent the equipment, but what good is it if you have no knowledge to assess the terrain and don't know how to use the equipment?
PLEASE educate yourselves before going to the steep, hazardous terrain! Just being in that kind of environment is overwhelming for many peeps!
TANG- don't be discouraged, you were in over your head...although with good intentions...but I hope it doesn't discourage you
We made the same mistake and it happened to me while I was learning too. Fuggers 
Warhawk, we made the same mistake last year and took someone into Area 52 at Quartz which was too extreme for a newbie. All slopes. If you go left into Cabin Valley, that's a good area.
Silent Pass has more extreme areas but the lake area has lots of openings in trees, lake and small hills. You cross paths to get there, but you can stay out of the danger once there. The trail is long but less extreme than the mines and not as many avy paths. Groomed trail usually too. I rode Silent Pass lots as a newbie and loved it and it's my favorite place still.Well i guess next time I go i will have to give it a try. hoping to hit Golden at least once more this year.
I agree that someone who can handle a sled, can handle a sled. But the environment you're in might call on some skills that aren't required on flat land, or used in the same way. Just being in the mountains for some people is overwhelming in itself and can influence the confidence they have in their abilities. Far different sidehilling when you roll 5 feet to a field than tumbling hundreds down a rocky mountain face
The important thing is getting to know your environment and how to assess the areas and snow conditions. An avy course teaches you lots more than how to use a beacon and rescue peeps.
Please don't think I was criticizing you for your choice of trip
As for myself i felt comfortable in what I had done on this trip. Yes there are always some points in a trip that get the old ticker
Link
She was the one doing all the talkin. lol
is what controls you guys when your in the hills LMAO. 
hope you guys get some fresh snow soon as i am looking to come that way in about 2/3 weeks. between feb 27th and the 4th of march for a couple days.
