HIH6 MAJOR ANNOUNCEMENT:
We have some very exciting news!
The Sixth Annual 100s in the Hills is moving to Silverton, CO! If you have a place to stay in Ouray, don't freak out, it's less than 40 minutes to drive from Ouray to Silverton. (20 minutes from Ironton, so we're not moving far)
The Town of Silverton and the Silverton Chamber of Commerce approached us to offer up some fabulous amenities and hospitality in order for us to make Silverton our annual home. Chris and I mulled over this decision for a few days, spoke with the USFS and BLM, spoke with the landowner where we'll be camping and we came to the decision that this is a fantastic option for us.
Silverton Colorado Chamber of Commerce
The cons:
While Ironton has been perfect for what we've always done, the lack of space, lack of drainage, proximity to amenities, lack of flat ground and most importantly, exclusive use of the area have been our largest problems. We have tried every year to convince the USFS to allow us exclusive use of the space for that weekend but they were not able to do that. It's public space. Therefore, we could arrive and find that a group of 20 RZR's from Utah was holding their event there for the weekend...... and we would be done. There are not a lot of options to move our large group to another space the day before the event. That has always been our biggest concern. Now, we have a true home each year. 2016 and beyond will be held in Silverton and Chris and I will show everyone what we have moving forward. (Next year's space is beyond cool and we will have exclusive rights to it every year after that!) This year, we have a large piece of land right along the Animas River, just outside of Silverton. What they're offering for 2017 and beyond is amazing.
The pros:
Although we are spending a considerable amount of money to have this space for 2016, we believe it's worth it to start establishing ourselves as the premier event in town each year. We will still be in a semi-primitive area, we'll still be camping, we'll still have porta-potties...... but, we have paid to have access to Silverton Lakes RV campground complete with indoor hot showers, running water and bathrooms. It wasn't cheap and we did not have this location built into the registration cost, so we are covering the costs just to be able to provide a better experience to our attendees. You do not need to pay to take a shower. We've already covered that cost. We basically rented the entire tent campground. It will only be open to registered HIH guests. The area is flat, plenty of room for tents or trailers, full cell phone coverage (and wifi at the RV resort across the street), walking distance to the town of Silverton, the Animas River runs right through camp (yes it holds fish) and this is upstream (read: not affected) from where the Gold King mine spill happened last year. It's still not drinkable water and it must be filtered if you're planning a drink, but you can absolutely walk in the water, splash around, let the kids throw rocks (it's shallow and easily crossed on foot), let the dogs swim and generally enjoy being outdoors in one of Colorado's best little towns.
The town knows about our event from previous years and they love when we come into town. We have left a great impression on the local communities and our good name carries a lot of weight in the area. They are literally rolling out the red carpet for us. We will stage each morning at the Conoco gas station which will give everyone the opportunity to grab small items, get free air, get fuel, water,snacks, etc. They are thrilled to have us and have offered all types of breakfast/lunch options if we wanted. We still want everyone to enjoy the camp experience and cook your own food, make your own coffee and be as self sufficient as possible......but having access to hot food that someone else cooked is always great.
This really all comes down to having our own space. We will still be traveling through Telluride, Ridgway and Ouray every day, so you will not miss the opportunity to enjoy the hot springs or the Ouray pool. Every registrant will have a packet from the Silverton Chamber with maps, food coupons, area info, special offers, etc. The Town of Silverton will even be donating to our raffle. We paid a lot of money to secure the land this year and we hope you understand our need to move this event down the road from Ironton. Starting in 2017 we will have an incredible location in Silverton that we will announce during the 2016 event. If for any reason you do not like this location or idea, we will happily issue a refund and offer spots to the folks on the enormous waitlist. (A refund cutoff date will be announced this week) This location gives us the ability to run more trails and also allows us to start some trails just a mile or two from camp. We also have a covered pavilion and picnic tables right on site.
While we would love for everyone to camp with us, you're more than welcome to grab lodging options in Silverton or Ouray. Silverton Lakes RV Resort does have a few cabins available. Some are full cabins with kitchens and bathrooms, some are just sleeper cabins with access to the RV bathrooms. Unfortunately, the owner wasn't willing to offer discounts for our group, but the costs are on par with lodging in the area. He also has full RV sites available if you're bringing your big camper. If you would rather have a cabin, you'll need to book it ASAP.
Silverton, CO RV Park, Resort & Tent Camp : Silverton Lakes
More info is coming as well. We have worked nonstop for almost two weeks securing all of this. Here is our new location:
Google Maps
We hope you see this as a great new addition to 100s in the Hills. Our little event has grown beyond the mud and uneven ground of Ironton and this is the start to a great new adventure. We're thrilled to have you along........ and see you in Silverton!
Here are some photos of the area for this year...(taken yesterday)
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