In the dead of winter, Coloradans come alive. We chase powder to ski slopes. We blaze tracks in meadows and woods by snowshoe, snowmobile and dog sled. We party at festivals no matter the blizzard. We shop till we drop at shops across resorts, enjoying the views as we go. We drop into hot springs, awakening new senses. We awaken taste buds with après flavors. We cozy up to a fireplace, grateful at the end of the day.

The state boasts a long list of postcard towns that showcase the season, the internationally renowned likes of Vail, Aspen and Telluride but a few. Here we will spotlight four which might not immediately come to mind. On Tuesday, we focused on Georgetown. Today, a look at Silverton.

Silverton

The mayor put it best.

“Silverton feels like a place that shouldn’t still exist,” Shane Fuhrman previously told us. “It feels like a secret that you find out about and want to tell your friends about, but also want to keep to yourself, because it’s so special.”

The secret is out.

Silverton used to resemble a ghost town in winter, with businesses dark and boarded up. This was the scene in this remote pocket of southwest Colorado, tucked deep in the San Juan Mountains.

While the Durango and Silverton Narrow Gauge Railroad is a popular tour in summer and fall, getting to Silverton in winter is more of a task. In a storm, the drive on Red Mountain Pass is not for the faint of heart. It’s no wonder the oldest avalanche education program finds itself in Silverton.

But over the past decade, the town has found a way to sell its extreme nature. Business has picked up with thrill-seeking skiers from across the globe finding a dream base. Skiers flock to the steeps and bowls of Silverton Mountain, an epic backcountry experience. Families, meanwhile, stick to the single lift at simple Kendall Mountain.

Those two promontories are among the stunning backdrop that makes Silverton an ultimate getaway, as good a place to unwind as it is to pump adrenaline.

Kendall’s lift is just blocks from downtown, where more restaurants have sustained the season across the colorful, Victorian main street. In recent years, Fuhrman has been busy renovating The Wyman Hotel, making it not only a hip place to stay, but also a place to grab wine and kick back. A newer favorite is Eureka Station (get the bison meatloaf ), along “Notorious” Blair Street, lined with mementos from the Wild West days.

On the other side of Red Mountain Pass is Ouray, with hot springs in the center of town. Climber or not, you’ll enjoy a stop at Ouray Ice Park, a scenic enclave of frozen curtains.