So, all you want is deep pow', first tracks and freshies all day. You're not interested in checking the grooming report for morning corduroy. Only snowboards or fat-boy skis on board. And hiking is the best way up. If this is you, then Silverton Mountain and Powder Mountain await your arrival.

Taking a helicopter to find untouched powder isn't only for skiers and riders in Alaska or Canada: Plenty of runs can be had in the Lower 48, too.

At Powder Mountain, the options for putting your tracks on unfettered powder snow just got larger – some 70,000 acres larger.

Gettin' to the ridge is top priority at Silverton. (Silverton/Facebook)

You’d expect the offseason around Silverton Mountain to be more about tourist trains, wilderness backpacking and RV touring than on-the-snow news. But the summer of 2017 has been busy time for the powder-only ski and snowboard area tucked into a crease of Colorado’s San Juan Mountains.

Many skiers and snowboarders dream of hopping into a helicopter and heading into the deep backcountry for a day far outside the ropes. Alaska and western Canada remain the premier locales for heli-skiing, but the Lower 48 has its own quality selection.