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theabortionator
April, 2025

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How strict are resorts with their boundaries?

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Mr_pretzel
Posts: 4616 - Karma: 1,290
How strict are the resorts in the us and canada with their boundaries?

Cause i norway we can ski pretty much wherever we want.
15 years ago
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Ftacnik
Posts: 1997 - Karma: 110
I've always wondered this... Any info on how strict Northstar or Sierra at Tahoe are would be great.
15 years ago
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-ShredTheGnar-
Posts: 2038 - Karma: 111
Whistler was way to fucking strict.

Europe is sooooooo much better when it comes to out of bounds. no stupid "permantly closed" areas there.
15 years ago
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.frenchy
Posts: 18231 - Karma: 12,399
At my mountain they usually get really pissed and just tell us to never see us again in the woods. That's in Connecticut though.
15 years ago
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Ghini
Posts: 2267 - Karma: 3,057

Dont know what permantly closed means.. But I believe in some resorts in the US some offpiste/out of bounds areas gets checked? Or maybe avy controlled? (Dont know, bet teach me..)

Here in Europe..well yeah you can go where you want, only some really dangerous shit you cant ski anyways is closed/roped.. But out of bounds, they dont blow avy's so you can ski there..

15 years ago
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jca
Posts: 4180 - Karma: 6,366
At red resort in Canada, they're completely fine with it.
15 years ago
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ORDEAL
Posts: 6386 - Karma: 75
Isnt any point to. There isnt any good snow.

And all of the pipes for water/snowmaking are in the trees. So youre fucked if you go in there.
15 years ago
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Mr_pretzel
Posts: 4616 - Karma: 1,290
So you cant ski pow inbounds at whistler?
15 years ago
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snomaster
Posts: 3348 - Karma: 5,783
I know two major resorts pretty well so let me take a shot:

*Feel free to comment or edit these briefs.*

Snowbird- Lame. You are allowed to duck some inbounds ropes which are supposed to be caution oriented, but I can't tell you how to tell which ones because I couldn't figure it out in my one season there. They take their boundaries really serious and barely open their gates. They do have inherent problems because some major avy prone terrain dumps back into the resort and patrol is very sensitive of this. However, I think they should be able to keep the White Pine gate open pretty much all the time (with restriction of skiing terrain that dumps back into the resort area). Everything gets skied out so quick. They also have inbounds gates for small zones which is just weird.

JH- It's fair. OB access through gates only. ducking ropes, going out or coming back can get you in trouble. They also have a couple of permanently closed areas which can get you banned for poaching... Tower 4 cliffs above Laramie Bowl and Expert Chutes, Unskiable (between paintbrush and Tower 3 area), Haas Couloir and North East ridge off the top, and Alta negative. However, you will see bomb holes under Sublette from people hucking Alta negative. If you stick that one, you can get away. Also, you can ski trees anywhere between trails on the whole mountain. Early season is touch and go with trails/zones yet to open. Some are easily poachable (but don't get caught), some are not and will piss off patrol more.

I've heard that Whistler patrol drops bombs in backcountry zones via helicopter, but would like to hear more about it. I've only had one trip there and it was during the week of WSSI with my ex a few years back. Seemed chill then.

15 years ago
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PartyHon
Posts: 2019 - Karma: 425
My mountain(schweitzer) is pretty fair. you can go through the gates to out of bounds just dont expect to be rescued.
15 years ago
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smuggs
Posts: 6561 - Karma: 1,375
in alta you can leave the boundry when ever you feel appropriate, you just dont duck 'closed avalanche danger ropes'
15 years ago
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_Jesus_
Posts: 2070 - Karma: 260
I ski hood, boundaries at timberline are not really enforced because if you go out of bounds youll just end up at another lift.. or if you go way out of bounds youll be in the government camp area.

meadows is pretty strict because it has a lot more terrain than timberline and you could probaly get hurt if you did something stupid.
15 years ago
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Loco-Deer-Slayer
Posts: 1401 - Karma: 701
Ropes mark where your life becomes the responsibility of ski patrol and not.

My dad and I sometimes ask Ski patrol if we can out of bounds and say they are ok with it but if we get hurt we are fucked.

Now if it's a run closed inbounds most ski patrol are strict everywhere.... it's closed for a reason.


15 years ago
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Loco-Deer-Slayer
Posts: 1401 - Karma: 701
*or not


15 years ago
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steep_n_deep
Posts: 57 - Karma: 40
Northstar and Sierra both have backcountry gates. Northstar really doesnt have all that much exciting terrain that you can get to.
15 years ago
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Willard
Posts: 5117 - Karma: 429
are we talking about slackcountry or areas inbounds because i cant think of anything on my mountain that you cant do
15 years ago
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rudager
Posts: 11336 - Karma: 4,650
Kicking Horse is kind of known for its access to back and slack country. You can leave whenever, just be smart about it. Kicking Horse doesn't need anymore stupid publicity attacks.

Permanently closed areas are closed for a reason. Ski Patrol hate it when idiots go in there. Locals hate it too. Only a retard is that stupid to go into the permanently closed areas.
15 years ago
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Session
Posts: 5408 - Karma: 22,545
It's actually that way due to T-line, and Meadows being in different counties. The laws are more strict in Hood River County as opposed to Clackamas county.

That being said. Going OB at T-line has the potential to get you in some pretty hairy places if you go too far in either direction. But there is usually some decent pow stashes to be had outside the western ropes, as long as you cut back into the resort before you go to far.
15 years ago
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Evilchris
Posts: 2090 - Karma: 44
I ski wildcat nh and you can ski anywhere you want. but unlike out west, you better know where the fuck you are going, even in bounds of you want to go of the trail. what you think is skiable may go 30 ft And then just end in a wall of trees less than a foot apart. I've had it
15 years ago
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Evilchris
Posts: 2090 - Karma: 44
stupid mobile ns. I've had it happe. ski patrol will occiosanlly mark some things as "washed out" or" not skiable. but that is only because they are cool. they aren't required to door.
15 years ago
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deleted5
Posts: 14507 - Karma: 13,510
that's because in America we live in a litigious society, yes i just used the word litigious google it.
15 years ago
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skithesprings
Posts: 9086 - Karma: 1,349
7 Springs PA: If it doesn't have a name on the trail map you can get your pass pulled. Its fucking bullshit. All the best glades and steeps are in between the trails that switchback and patrollers are always looking for a kid in baggy clothes to fuck over. Luckily they can't follow you into the trees with their 68mm waist slalom skis.
15 years ago
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californiagrown
Posts: 9794 - Karma: 2,014
always a good idea to go say what up at the patrol shack on the top of the mountain. as long as you don't dress like a park rat, and are amiable with them they will normally give you some pretty good info. they will even let you in on some stashes sometimes haha
15 years ago
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Heath.
Posts: 838 - Karma: 149
Pretty strict, they'll pull your pass with no warning and possibly, depending on the resort, may press charges because in some places its against the law to go outside of the boundary. BUT, alot of resorts offer gates where you can exit the resort legally and if you're close to one of those gates, you could duck and be okay, just make sure the area is open. Unlike european resorts, they regulate the snow pack conditions out of bounds (to a certain extent) so they will open those gates when they believe the snow pack is safe.
15 years ago
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J-Dunn
Posts: 1113 - Karma: 1,847
In the midwest don't cross any ropes. You will get fucked.
15 years ago
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kipppmartin
Posts: 50 - Karma: 144

banned from snowbird this season for ducking ropes.

15 years ago
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Loco-Deer-Slayer
Posts: 1401 - Karma: 701
Ski areas are required by law to be utilitarian.

Sucks that you got caught though.
15 years ago
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Evilchris
Posts: 2090 - Karma: 44
good. Dumbasses ducking ropes in a place like snowbird could potentially cause an avalanche, not only endangering your life, but the lives of others.
15 years ago
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chicken
Posts: 6844 - Karma: 2,122
Permanently close avalanche areas are there for the safety of skiers below who have no avalanche experience and are not expected too. I respect those closed areas as hard as it is sometimes. Anything else at hills I have been to is fair game, they don't own the land at these hills though.
15 years ago
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kronickrew
Posts: 1013 - Karma: 32
Whistler doesn't really seem to care much when locals go out of bounds..
15 years ago
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kipppmartin
Posts: 50 - Karma: 144
well shit evil chris chill out.. it was definately worth it. mad freshies
15 years ago
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Thenowhereman42
Posts: 5682 - Karma: 65
Never been hassled at any resort for ducking ropes.
15 years ago
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McFellon
Posts: 1841 - Karma: 2,005
some resorts mark the boundaries just as a heads up that they are not patrolled, but they never have problem with you going there.
15 years ago
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snomaster
Posts: 3348 - Karma: 5,783
I hope you mean 'observe and report' snowpack conditions. Patrol and state DOTs will conduct avalanche hazard reduction work (tossing bombs, firing high powered artillery) in zones over roads and resort terrain, but they hardly "regulate" the out of bounds for skiers. If they do, it is certainly the exception and I'd like to hear more about it. Mostly, they just can't afford (time, explosives, or man hours) to control any extra terrain.
You are probably better off sticking to commenting about rails. But it might do you some good to start sweating it out and earn some turns. So I encourage the crossover.
15 years ago
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EmperorKuzco
Posts: 6660 - Karma: 256
they have to be strict. If you go out of bounds in whistler you could get really fucked
15 years ago
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-ShredTheGnar-
Posts: 2038 - Karma: 111
Have you ever been to switzerland dude?

The Patrollers just say if the people are stupid enough to go there under these conditions its their own fault.

Its how it should be keeps the uneducated morons out the backcountry to an extent.
15 years ago
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Lord.Quasimoto
Posts: 958 - Karma: 33

permanent closure = if you go in your an idiot. they use this area for testing and it must remain closed for the safety of the resort. if you go in a permanently closed area youll probly be banned from the resort.

everything else is fair game. BUT make sure you know what your doing if you want to duck a rope. if you dont have the gear/knowledge patrol will likely kick you out.

15 years ago
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paige.
Posts: 1932 - Karma: 926
The way I understand most Canadian (or at least BC) resorts is that because they are on Crown Land you are allowed to go out of bounds beyond the ski area limits. At these points it's the same as if you're going camping, hiking etc, and the resort is not liable. Naturally some resorts are less keen on this than others but I'm pretty sure in theory it is allowed. However you are not allowed to go into inbounds closed areas because these are under the responsibility of the resort.

Similarly, Grouse, where I grew up skiing, is actually owned by the company rather than on Crown land so they freak out if you go out of bounds anywhere.
15 years ago
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Doug.
Posts: 2236 - Karma: 457
How? Ive never gotten stopped from skiing out of bounds in whistler. They just say if you get lost or hurt you are gunna have to pay to get rescued.
15 years ago
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Download-My-Apps
Posts: 5069 - Karma: 1,017
it sucks for those who know what they're doing. That grouse incident is a perfect example of how those guys (can't remember their names) were scapegoated for going in the BC.

But for whistler they're have been several people who died the past years, and it ruins it for everyone who knows whats up. I guess its more the American legal system thats to blame, people need to take more personal responsibility.
15 years ago
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DJ_Pauly_D
Posts: 1043 - Karma: 42
In Quebec, if they catch you out of bounds they will clip ur daypass and give u a warning if u have a season pass
15 years ago
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butteredpretzel
Posts: 1485 - Karma: 867
At Kirkwood my friend had his pass pulled because on a powder day he went out of bounds and when he reached the bottom of his run there was a patrol man waiting to catch people out of bounds. Pretty Lame.
15 years ago
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Forkstealer
Posts: 508 - Karma: 16
At Bachelor theyll yell at you if they see you go out of bounds and threaten to take your pass but I've never seen anyone actually take a pass for it. If you go out of bounds anywhere, you're on your own and you are your own responsibility.
15 years ago
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selkirks
Posts: 1979 - Karma: 62
Actually Schweitzer Patrol apparently will perform rescue operations out of bounds for a hefty fee. And you do still have to respect Selkirk Powder Company's operation...
15 years ago
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PeteyWykes
Posts: 419 - Karma: 67
Funny enough Mt Snow's boundries are not enforced at all. Trees are always open because it is impossible to rope off all of the trees and it become a liability issue. So its all ski at your own risk.
15 years ago
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benk
Posts: 1342 - Karma: 988
Bachelor doesn't have any out of bounds does it? I thought they only close certain areas due to conditions.
15 years ago
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timmmay528
Posts: 202 - Karma: 15
alpine meadows they let you go out pretty much anywhere except into some privatly own property and the granite chief wilderness, but thats only a small part of the boundary
15 years ago
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Bloc_chain
Posts: 26051 - Karma: 4,433
at my home mountain there are signs saying "if we have to rescue you past this point, it is a $1000 fee", but other then that nothing happens
15 years ago
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AJizzle
Posts: 1882 - Karma: 522
Alpine, the wood, and possibly sugar bowl, have open boundaries policies. U better know what the hell u are doing tho, and have avy gear, as there is some pretty sketch shit outside of all of those resorts, esp between alpine and squaw, alot of people have been killed by avys in that zone, on a good note some of that area does get blasted tho because of its proximity to alpine meadows drive
15 years ago
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AJizzle
Posts: 1882 - Karma: 522
If in not mistaken the wood just recently opened their boundaries, he could have been skiing the cirque, that shit is closed permenantly
15 years ago
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A.Eberhard
Posts: 4426 - Karma: 415
My home mountain is strict about skiing in trees that are not marked on the map. Usually you just get a lecture from the patrol and they sometimes take your pass number and if you do it 1 more time they suspend your pass.
I hate it, it should be if you are not a marked trail it's ski at your own risk and if you need a rescue it will cost you.
15 years ago
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