Backcountry survey #2

1. Give your ideas on why North American resorts arent allowing backcountry skiing at their resorts when it has paid off so greatly in Europe.

fear of lawsuits. (seems like irresponsible americans really love to sue someone when they f-up)

2. Would you pay 200$ a year to be able to ride the backcountry terrain of your mountain with no restrictions?

no, my hill already allows bc access at designated gates, and i'd rather drive/sled/hike for free turns than give up $200 for resort bc

3. Do you duck ropes anyways if there is sufficient powder to make it worth while if you get caught?

ropes are usually up for good reason -- avalanche danger, cliffs, getting lured into gullies and stuck... mountains with bc access typically have gates to enter for your safety. that said, if i know an area well and have the proper gear for what i'm getting into, i'll duck someone's rope for fresh turns.

4. Would you ski out of bounds area if your mountain allowed it even if you dont have proper experience

no, experience and gear are absolutely crucial for ob skiing.

1. Give your ideas on why North American resorts arent allowing backcountry skiing at their resorts when it has paid off so greatly in Europe.

Liability Insurance

2. Would you pay 200$ a year to be able to ride the backcountry terrain of your mountain with no restrictions?

NO

3. Do you duck ropes anyways if there is sufficient powder to make it worth while if you get caught?

YES/ sometimes i duck ropes and there is insufficent powder and get caught. Especially recently, pretty stupid decisions

4. Would you ski out of bounds area if your mountain allowed it even if you dont have proper experience?

NO/ I never skied dangerous terrain before my Avi 1 class

1)lawsuits
2)no
3)yes
4)no

. Give your ideas on why North American resorts arent allowing backcountry skiing at their resorts when it has paid off so greatly in Europe.

Lawsuits, also america sucks in ways like this ** but there are some resorts that have open doors to everything!
2. Would you pay 200$ a year to be able to ride the backcountry terrain of your mountain with no restrictions?
at my mountain, no, out west possibly.

3. Do you duck ropes anyways if there is sufficient powder to make it worth while if you get caught?

hells yes

4. Would you ski out of bounds area if your mountain allowed it even if you dont have proper experience?

well, depends on terrain, condish,exposior,avi possiblilitys, with that in consideration if im skiing good prolly.

1. Give your ideas on why North American resorts arent allowing backcountry skiing at their resorts when it has paid off so greatly in Europe.
There's an old freeskier issue with an article about some novice skiers that got in way over their heads on some tough terrain and unfortunately died. Their families sued the resort for a bunch of money, and they won. The philosophy of Europeans is different that Americans. Something like that happens in Europe and they say oh what a tragic accident, in America we think, who can I sue to make this better.

2. Would you pay 200$ a year to be able to ride the backcountry terrain of your mountain with no restrictions?
My mountain already has unrestricted backcountry access for no additional money.

3. Do you duck ropes anyways if there is sufficient powder to make it worth while if you get caught?
Nah, I used to, but there's more BC out there than I could ever ski up anyway.
4. Would you ski an out of bounds area if your mountain allowed it even if you dont have proper experience?
I dunno, would depend on what it was. I'm not going to hike off into nowhereseville by myself in a blizard to get some turns in, but I dunno I guess I've done some pretty dumb things when I was younger as far as safety goes.

1. Give your ideas on why North American resorts arent allowing backcountry skiing at their resorts when it has paid off so greatly in Europe.

As has been said, it is fear of lawsuits and what they can bring. There is another element in the U.S. I don't know the full details of this, but pain and suffering awards in lawsuits can potentially be much higher in the U.S. than in Europe. Across the pond, a broken leg might be worth x dollars, but in the U.S. it is worth whatever the attorney can get. That is potentially far more money, and a big part of the reason tickets are so high, and freedoms are so limited over here.

2. Would you pay 200$ a year to be able to ride the backcountry terrain of your mountain with no restrictions?

Yes. As long as I was going with experienced people.

3. Do you duck ropes anyways if there is sufficient powder to make it worth while if you get caught?

No. I don't know enough about slope stability to do so on my own. If I were an Alaskan heli guide I would be more likely to. I've only ducked ropes twice at squaw, and both times I was with very experienced people. The second time was in the spring, we were hiking a peak called National Geographic, which is behind Granite Peak, and everything was slushy, so there was minimal danger.

4. Would you ski out of bounds area if your mountain allowed it even if you dont have proper experience?

No. Not until I gain the requisite knowledge to do so safely. I'd like the freedom to do it, but I would like to know when I am leaving a controlled area.

Hey i did a survey a few days ago and i got some great feedback. if you guys could help me out with another one for school i would appreciate it.

1. Give your ideas on why North American resorts arent allowing backcountry skiing at their resorts when it has paid off so greatly in Europe.

American's are sue happy assholes who cannot atke personal responsibility for their own actions. Insurance has ruined the skiing industry!

2. Would you pay 200$ a year to be able to ride the backcountry terrain of your mountain with no restrictions?

Hell No!!! Why would I pay to hike? Hiking is for free and paying for acess to public land is bullshit!!!

3. Do you duck ropes anyways if there is sufficient powder to make it worth while if you get caught?

Ducking ropes?? where the fuck do you ski??? Where I ski, Alpine Meadows (about 100+ days a year), you respect the rope and enjoy the goods - in over a 1000 days of skiing there i have never seen them close a trail that could be open - Assholes who ski in closed areas (due to avy conditions) deserve to die a slow death of suffocation and blunt trauma -

4. Would you ski out of bounds area if your mountain allowed it even if you dont have proper experience?

I guess so...that is how we all learned anyways -



Bottom line -

1. Your questions beg me to ask if you have EVER skied real snow or have any understanding of avalanches and backcountry travel/recreation



And most importantly - Backcountry is NOT ducking a fucking rope, Backcountry is not lift accessed, Backcountry is skiing under your own power, away from resorts in PURE Natural contitions

YOU ARE ONLY ASKING QUESTIONS ABOUT NEARCOUNTRY - AND NEARCOUNTRY IS FUN BUT VERY VERY DIFFERENT THAN REAL BACKCOUNTRY SKIING

thanks for all the feedback guys, a few more would be helpful. and to the guy above, yes i have skied truebackcountry. i have been heliskiing for 3 days and cat skiing for 2 days. i have had proper trainging but i am only 15. i know these are not true backcountry questions but the people that are going to be reading this survey for school dont even know how to go donw a green run. depending on what mountain you ski at, there mayb be actual backcountry style skiing to be easily accesible from your mountain.

and i got to go heli0-skiing at such a young age because my dad runs a company that has built 50% of the lodges for mike wigele

1. Give your ideas on why North American resorts arent allowing backcountry skiing at their resorts when it has paid off so greatly in Europe.
because north americans are dumbasses. less lawsuits in europe 'cause they are chill like that.

2. Would you pay 200$ a year to be able to ride the backcountry terrain of your mountain with no restrictions?
no, my mountain doesn't have good bc. if i was a local at some places i have skiied bc then probably not if it was on top of my season's pass but if there was a bc&seasons pass combo i would

3. Do you duck ropes anyways if there is sufficient powder to make it worth while if you get caught?
yes, i <3 powder

4. Would you ski out of bounds area if your mountain allowed it even if you dont have proper experience?
at my resort i wouldn't want t, it's a little EC hill. i wouldn't venture into the unkown at a large, avalanche possibility style resort

Wait, why would I pay for accessing BC at my mountian? Its free right now... is this like theoretically how much BC means to me?

1. Most USA resorts are on state or national park lands and they dont have permission to access allot of it

1. Give your ideas on why North American resorts arent allowing backcountry skiing at their resorts when it has paid off so greatly in Europe.
Too many fat know-it-all americans who don't know what they are getting into

2. Would you pay 200$ a year to be able to ride the backcountry terrain of your mountain with no restrictions?
hell no, even if i paid that I'd still have to hike and traverse the giant fucking ridge

3. Do you duck ropes anyways if there is sufficient powder to make it worth while if you get caught?
all the time, sometimes in my instructor jacket haha

4. Would you ski out of bounds area if your mountain allowed it even if you dont have proper experience?
I don't have official avy training but I know what I'm doing so yes.

1. Give your ideas on why North American resorts arent allowing backcountry skiing at their resorts when it has paid off so greatly in Europe.

Our society has taught people that it's never their fault it something goes wrong.  People in Europe have a clue and know that they are responsible for their own decisions inside and outside the ski area boundaries.  Also, a lot of people would expect avalanche control work to be done in the "backcountry" accessible from the area, which would essentially make it in-bounds terrain accessed under your own power--it would also be a huge pain in the ass for patrol and would not generate money for the mountain.

2. Would you pay 200$ a year to be able to ride the backcountry terrain of your mountain with no restrictions?

No, I wouldn't.  I shouldn't have to pay to ski something that isn't part of the resort and I don't plan to.  Furthermore, there are plenty of other places where I can do real backcountry skiing so if I had to pay any amount I would choose to do that instead.

3. Do you duck ropes anyways if there is sufficient powder to make it worth while if you get caught?

No.  Ropes are up for a reason, and if you duck them you are a selfish, irresponsible ass.  By ducking ropes you are making patrol's job much harder than it needs to be an potentially making the roped off area a permenantly closed area.

4. Would you ski out of bounds area if your mountain allowed it even if you dont have proper experience?

If I didn't have experience I wouldn't do it.  That's like jumping into a lake when you don't know how to swim.  If you're going to ski an uncontrolled area you have to know what you're doing, what to look out for, how to assess snow conditions, etc. 

And to the person that said he didn't have experience but skied out of bounds anyway because it was slushy and "safe,"  you need to take an avalanche course badly.

1. Give your ideas on why North American resorts arent allowing backcountry skiing at their resorts when it has paid off so greatly in Europe.

Mostly stupid people doing stupid things, then pressing charges against the mountain.

2. Would you pay 200$ a year to be able to ride the backcountry terrain of your mountain with no restrictions?

No, I ski at Baker, and if you have all the avy gear, and know how to use it, your good to go.

3. Do you duck ropes anyways if there is sufficient powder to make it worth while if you get caught?

No, I ski at Baker, and if you have all the avy gear, and know how to use it, your good to go.  Plus there's alot of secret stashes in-bounds.

4. Would you ski out of bounds area if your mountain allowed it even if you dont have proper experience?

Yes, but I ski at Baker, and if you have all the avy gear, and know how to use it, your good to go.

i don't think your heli and cat skiing experiance makes you much of an expert on backcountry skiing in the direction waynewong was talking about. He means training as in going off by yourself and understanding the conditions without a guide, like touring and hiking for your turns