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oooooooooo HEARD THAT.. somebody else says eat a

colorado does have some heart. HAHA hope kids are out there trying to slide still. going to independance pass tonight hoping to ride some white and do some cliff jumping with the devil! love me some COLORADO ... hate on..

I can't tell if you are angry, confused, sarcastic, or just plain stupid. In any case, on. Not hatin', just don't wanna see anyone getting hurt, but this topic really has no bearing on my life whatsoever, so I'm done with it.

Abasin now has a written and enforced Uphill Access Policy. Here is a link to the COO's blog about it. Saw my first meat head resort skinner yesterday. Lots of people flying at him at mach schnell. He looked afraid for is life.
http://arapahoebasin.blogspot.com/2012/ ... olicy.html

Steamboat has just implemented an uphill traffic policy too. Unable to link because I'm none too smart, but they are asking that people check in a sign a waiver stating they are aware of the hazards and are informed of the suggested routes. They are providing people who sign the waiver with a free reflective arm band to wear and have made it clear that those wearing the arm bands would not be stopped by mountain employees.

Sound like a reasonable plan to me.

Still. It's lost on me why anyone would want to skin up the mountain during operation, seems like climbing a dh trail on a mtn. bike to me.

It seems like this is getting more and more popular and is seen every morning in the Utah resorts. There is now a growing citizen's Ski Mo (Split Mo?) race series at Brighton. Maybe more of an alternative workout, like the new skating, rather than an alternative to backcountry? I don't get the appeal of climbing up dodging everyone coming down, but heading to work after a peak sunrise and 3k ft of virgin corduroy with no traffic or speed checks has a certain appeal, especially when it hasn't snowed for 2 weeks.

From what I've heard crystal mtn lets you skin up quicksilver, which is a quick traverse from the forest queen lift. They only check tickets at the bottom, so people skin to poach the upper lifts...which is where you wanna be anyways.

Probably better to keep the resort sneak in routes on the down low yo!

I know many people that do this before the lifts start (when conditions are right) including resort employees, hardcore backcountry riders, and people that have been skiing and/or snowboarding for many years. This is not a gaper activity. It's more 'core if anything and a good way to get in shape early season when the BC snowpack is thin and the danger too high.

I know some people skin up for the workout. Some do it for fresh tracks pre-first chair on a powder day. Some do it just to get some early morning turns before they go to work. Whatever the reason, I personally don't find anything wrong with this at all. It's your responsibility to avoid people in front of you on the way down, and so as long as people skinning up stay off to the very edge of the slope, and choose their routes wisely, then I say as a passholder you should use the mountain as you see fit. Like anything else, if it gets out of hand, regulate it to a certain slope and certain times.

And by the way, I drive an Audi. I also grew up really poor and made my own way in life. Does this make me a clueless yuppy? Hardly. It means I have good taste in german engineering and have earned enough success to buy the car of my choice. Having a problem with other people because of they car they drive makes about as much sense as disliking people due to the color of their skin. It's pretty stupid. So you should think about what you say before segmenting individuals into a little box you can pretend to stand above and talk down to, as if you have a clue in the first place. Because in reality, many of the people you're talking about, actually drive Subaru's and live by and/or work at the mountains that you get to enjoy.

I agree with RMCHI views about skinning up at the resort.

What is interesting to me is the A-Basin setting policy and managing uphill skiers. Can a ski-area "manage an uphill skinner during operating hours, when the uphill skinner is on public land?

At best, I like that A-Basin is asking skinners to stop buy an obtain a complementary uphill pass and have a chat about the safety, while traveling up-hill.

My concerns are:
1) If I accept the complementary pass, do I lose my freedom to ski uphill during opening hours on public NFS land? Does this implies a transference of care and liability to or from the skier to be manage by the ski area? In general, does NFS leased-land imply a responsibility for Ski Corporation to manage up-hill traffic, set policy and police up-hill skiers?

2) Will such uphill traffic management policy change at other ski-areas or the Skier code?
http://www.arapahoebasin.com/ABasin/mountain/explore-the-mountain/mountain-safety.aspx

What is unique about A-Basin is that many of trails are "narrow corridors" and traffic is funneled to the two main lifts. This especially true for beginner and intermediate runs.

I have skied late season A-Basin and I can see why A-Basin has instituted policy that bans uphill traffic during open hours above Black Mountain Lodge. To me there no good options for uphill traffic. Much of ABasin trails are narrow and funnel to the two main lifts. The mostly likely route is Dercum's Gulch which is narrow. The other option is to skin up and around the lower East Wall / Land of the Giants , but here you are in danger, if avalanche control work is being done by ski patrol, or your in white-out conditions because your are above tree-line.

http://www.arapahoebasin.com/ABasin/image-library/inline-landscape/abasintrailmap_1213_orig.jpg

Am I correct in saying:
If you did make to the top of the Zuma Bowl elevation 12,47' and drop in you have a be in shape to climb back-out, as there is no access road on the Zuma side.

http://www.arapahoebasin.com/ABasin/image-library/inline-landscape/zumatrailmap1213_orig.jpg
In contrast, Aspen and Snowmass also has uphill traffic, but these ski areas have plenty of open space and a side network of Nordic trails within the ski areas for a uphill traffic to separate from down hill skiers.

The best access for back country where i live is through the resort. I am lucky enough to sometimes catch first lift and then spend the rest of the day hiking around but eventually finish back in the resort. It would be great if more resorts would set aside hiking lanes but in don't see that happening any time soon . Nontheless i do hike the resort in hi avy danger and have gotten great early and late season turns right in the resort. I much prefer the wilderness experience with a couple of bros

Look, whatever floats your boat, but I can't find a single reason I would want to skin up next to a lift. If I'm going to skin something, I want some reward at the end and a sliced up groomer that I could've got to with the benefit of a perfectly serviceable lift is not what I would call a "reward".

If you just want "exercise" and you're worried about the avalanche danger go hit a mellow 30 degree slope somewhere else nearby.

First post said it best!

I've got a warm spot in my heart for old brokendown chevrolets held together by rust, duct tape and free super steezy splitboard stickers!
Sorry for the thread drift. Recommence the bashing of resort skinning and audis.

Mt. Hood Meadows has a very restrictive uphill policy when they are open. Restrictive as in no uphill travel period. They do have two established routes (outside of the resort boundary...as if they can control what a person does on the mountain off of their lease area... ) they also have a no entry from out of bounds policy. In addition, they don't allow back country access from the resort so no lift served side country.....kind of a god complex if you ask me.

Timberline Lodge does allow free access including uphill travel but asks that people use the climbing route and not skin uphill on established runs. You can exit and enter the resort area at will (so long as the USFS and or county sheriff has not closed the back country due to extreme avalanche danger). The grooming crew does request that riders coming down from the top avoid carving up their freshly laid corduroy and request that ride off of the groom an your way down. Before I knew this I got yelled at for carving it up. Now, I actually get guys thanking me for staying off of it. I think the Timberline attitude toward backcountry uses is awesome and I don't want to see it get restrictive like Meadows so I try to cooperate with all of their requests....