Skinning up the resort slopes

[plark42]

Hey CC'ers.. I want to teach my girlfriend how to use skins and travel around on skis.. Now I know most (if not all) ski resorts are in National Forests- making the land accessible to anyone/everyone... (even us poor folk who can't afford lift tickets)

 

Has anyone out there had any trouble skinning up at resorts? I want to minimize the amount of other things we would have to deal with.. I want her to be comfortable skiing with skins before I bust out the transceivers and such.. Thanks for the replies!! much appreciated!!

[JoshK]

Well, technically, a resort may have an "exclusive use" clause with the forest service allowing them to only allow those riding the lifts during operating hours. I have had the ski patrol stop me and say this once before. I basically didn't care. It's our land and if they want to profit it from it - fine - but it's still ours to use. Of course that is how I see it, not the law.

 

In other words, use your own discrescion but I would imagine quiet and unobstructive use wouldn't be enough to upset many ski patrollers.

[mobygrape]

I've skinned up at crystal before. The ski patrol asked what I was doing, but didn't give me a hassle.

 

Skinning up the Blueberry cat track at Baker seems to be a pretty popular option.

 

This has also been discussed here:

http://www.turns-all-year.com/cgi-bin/yabb/YaBB.pl?board=ha1;action=display;num=1131417934

[robert]

I have skinned up at Stevens. I was not hassled at all by the patrollers. In fact I chatted pleasantly with a couple of them. Just make a conscious effort to stay to the edges of the runs. If you are going up to Timberline I am sure that they will be fine with it as it is very common for people heading to the summit.

[Kevin_Matlock]

Oh yeah, this is totally cool with most of the non-dickhead types. I've skinned up skibowl and tline many times without hassles. I've seen a few skin up at meadows, too.

Technically they may have some sort of "rights" against you doing this, but if you just stay out of people's way and kept to the lessor traveled runs they wouldn't hassle you.

[Camilo]

I skinned up at Meadows a few weeks ago, and asked the lifties about whether or not it was okay. They basically said what plark said. . . you can go where you want on National Forest. That said, it was pretty lame dodging skiers, even skinning in the trees. Skinning up the cinder cone at Bachelor is a lot more fun, and you can get away from the crowds.

[Kevin_Matlock]

camilo - your avatar is sick as fuck. i like it!

[MPaul_Hansen]

Yes, situations and policies can vary, but USFS OFFICIALLY allows B/C tourers to go up the Sun Valley, Idaho groomed resort runs; w/o charge on Baldy Mtn.. Of course as long as one keeps well to the side away from those descending. This policy seems to have been working well for several years now.

 

PS Took advantage of this by awakening at 4:30am 2 yrs ago in Elkhorn and ski ascended the 600 ft Dollar Mtn backside before opening during a 7deg F snowflurry. The snowfall abatted, and greatly enjoyed seeing the sunrise, before descending on the best 14" of Rocky Mtn light fluff I've experienced.....

[Double_E]

I like skiing uphill at resorts sometimes. Ditto to all the above, esp. staying to sides of runs.

 

And also.... when I have to occasionally traverse across a big wide run cause it's too steep, I'll stop and stand still when there's a big group of skiers coming downhill. I've always figured it'd make it much easier for them to go around you. Remember, most of them have NEVER seen someone ski uphill so it's probably confusing as hell... probably makes them more likely to collide into you or someone else. What's more, I wonder if the universal rule of "Yield to skiers downhill of you" doesn't apply if the "skier downhill of you" is actually going against the flow. (or well, it probably still applies, but wouldn't hold up as well in court).

 

 

 

Have fun.

[kioti]

For the most part, it seems that resorts will allow this. I've skinned up T-line and Meadows a couple times. Use some common sense and stick to the edge of the runs and, even better, the ski area boundary. I have heard that if you use the land within the resort that you are not to leave it. I have never heard of this being enforced though (climbing the south side of hood would be tough if they did enforce it). Just be concious of what you're doing. Don't be a dick and ruin it for all of us who are poor.

 

Alan

[ryland_moore]

Plark, why not take her up the cat track on the right at T-Line to the top of the Palmer and then ski back down? That is what it is there for......

[Double_E]

Actually one thing I was going to say is to stay AWAY from the cat tracks.... just cause they tend to attract newbie skiers/boarders. And they're so narrow you don't want to clog them up for too long, whether you're going uphill or downhill.

 

I once saw a guy skiing up the upper portion of Lucky Shot at Crystal. if I was a patroller I woulda told him to go somewhere else.

[DirtyHarry]

Skinning up a resort unless you're trying to poach or something is gay. Why don't you take her up some easy backcountry slopes and get away from all the gapers at the area.

[plark42]

Thanks for the advice.. (I am actually in California now).. any resorts of choice near Tahoe? I was thinking of going up to Soda Springs and just following the boundary (I think that's a good idea).

 

I want her to get comfortable on her skis before I want her maneuvering around with a beacon.. bc is kinda out for the first few days (hopefully just 1).

 

I dont like skinning up agianst the crowds either- I did a few times at ABasin in Colorado and got stopped many times from curious people asking "why the hell are you going UP hill?- the fun is going down" and such..

[Dr_Crash]

Summit Central gave me a hassle tonight (see related post). Word is Patrol is doing the same at Alpental. Booh! (Especially since Alpental still hosts a Life-Link Rando Rally.)

 

Come on Patrol, don't you have better things to do? Like find and mark these holes I find for you smack in the middle of a popular run, or heckle snowboarders for the way they disrespect every safety rule?

 

drC -

[larrythellama]

soda should work plark..off piste up here right now is challenging. i would almost recommend going to boreal, park at the pac crest trailhead and and then ascend boreal ridge towards donner ski ranch (south).once you reach the top you can cruise down "sunrise blvd" pretty close to the car.

[Billygoat]

I was stopped by a patroler at Sun Peaks resort in BC and told that skinning up is not allowed in Canada. Since the lifts had stopped, he let me continue and finish my run.