KELLOGG — Silver Mountain officials have responded to criticism from a longtime patron following an avalanche incident earlier this month. 

On Friday, March 13, two skiers were caught in an avalanche on the mountain’s Moonshine run and were quickly rescued, Silver Mountain officials said. 

On March 15, Sammy Farnham, a multiyear family season pass holder at Silver Mountain with a reported 40 years of skiing and snowboarding experience, took to social media, where he published a timeline of alleged firsthand accounts compiled through messages between himself and others who were on the mountain. 

In his post, Farnham questioned whether adequate avalanche mitigation had occurred prior to opening, noting an absence of audible explosive work and citing reports of upwards of five avalanches within about an hour of operations. He also raised concerns about gondola safety checks following a tree contacting a tower, alleging employees were loaded before full inspections and stranded on the line for hours. 

He further claimed guests were routed through avalanche debris during an emergency shutdown without clear warnings, potentially exposing them to ongoing rescue operations. Farnham said Silver Mountain did not initially acknowledge the scope of avalanche activity publicly and expressed concern about transparency, particularly given that General Manager Jeff Colburn also serves as president of Ski Idaho, an organization funded in part through taxpayer‑supported tourism revenues. 

“Professionally, I work as a project manager in the oil and gas industry,” Farnham said. “It is an environment where maintaining a balance between productivity, environmental safety, and the safety of workers is critical. I have worked at companies where the safety culture was inconsistent and have seen how that can lead to serious consequences, even fatalities.” 

Colburn reviewed Farnham’s timeline and concerns and issued a response addressing the claims. 

“At 5:30 a.m., a group of 12 patrollers, all qualified to ski cut and use explosives, left the base and drove up the mountain to begin extensive mitigation throughout the day,” Colburn said. 

Colburn said that during a gondola line inspection from the top and bottom, a treetop was discovered on a tower. The gondola was shut down, the tree top was removed, and the tower was thoroughly inspected before operations resumed. 

“Start-up procedures were completed prior to staff being uploaded,” Colburn said. “At approximately 3 p.m., guests started uploading. At approximately 4:30 p.m., ski patrol was notified of an avalanche on a ski run named Moonshine involving skiers. The mountain was immediately shut down.” 

According to Colburn, ski patrol observed a small, skier‑triggered slide on Terrible Edith while responding. Skiers were directed to proceed to the mountain house, and guests mid‑way on Chair 4 were instructed to use the Home James run, which patrol deemed the safest route. Farnham raised concerns about guest routing and communication during the shutdown. 

On March 14, Silver Mountain adjusted its operating plan after morning evaluations, eventually running only Chair 5 and the magic carpet. 

“Silver Mountain continues to review mountain safety and operational procedures,” Colburn said.