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Skinning up at closed resorts

8K views 16 replies 10 participants last post by  Poky 
#1 ·
Anyone know if I would bother Keystone by hiking up their closed runs to make some turns? I'd imagine their slopes will be covered for weeks with new snow.
 
#5 ·
Most ski resorts (in Colorado anyway) are on public land. As long as you don't get on a lift, interfere with their operations, or pose a safety risk to their customers or staff, they cannot stop you. If you're at an open resort, just stay close to the trees. Some of the resorts require you to be above a defined level by a certain time (Snowmass does that), and they can do that if they own the area that is being restricted (base areas).

Have fun!
 
#6 ·
Some resorts (like Monarch) have signs posted against uphill travel during operating season. This is on public lands leased by the Forest Service...however, once ski areas on FS lands permits expire they cannot stop you from skiing their slopes. They can though close gates across private lands therefore limiting your access to these slopes. As long as you don't cross any signs that say "No Trespassing" your good to go.
 
#7 ·
Just to clarify, ski areas permits do expire but are long term multi year authorizations. The land is under permit 365 days a year. What they have is a seasonal operating plan. In that plan they may or may not allow, or allow with conditions various forms of public access any time of the year. (They also can regulate how and where the public travels within the permit boundary in the summer) They can close the area to uphill traffic if they feel it interferes with their operations. Almost always after the lifts stop turning, uphill skinning isn't an issue, even if they don't allow it during the regular season but they do have the ability to close part of or even the whole mtn if they have some sort of a safety issue like a construction zone.
 
#11 ·
as long as you don't bring a snowmobile to skin up... they're pretty cool :D

Most of them are decent about it, copper had some issues this year with skinners, but they're pretty decent in general too.

My only point was that they have ZERO legal obligation to allow you on their land... any more than someone has a right to walk across your yard that you've got a lease on. It's someone else's land, but you hold the lease.

This was explained to me last year... in, well...not the nicest way...

Live & learn I guess!
 
#12 ·
resort conditions

Well, until there is enough water to float a boat the Spring skiing is awesome. #1 Snow to parking lot at Peak 9 in Breckenridge. Wind pack and Winter conditions up high above lifts with corn below.
#2 Snow to south parking lots at Copper with sweet corn on all runs. Don't forget your hot wax as snow is sticky.:p
 
#13 ·
Suigeneris... what is this "skiing" you mention???

the riding is killer right now though!!

got out for friday to sunday this weekend... great times & tons of sun!!!

The season is just getting better!!

Still mid-season snowpack a week into may!

friday

full on winter snow up high (only 12,300 or so here)...




little lower it's getting springy, but fun.






Sat & sun







Buddy of mine, sending a package.
 
#14 ·
Abby getting some filming in for Octane





Not a lot of pics, we were shooting vid mostly.



She set off a hard slab at about 12,200 on sat, it ran down to where we had our bags... but the bags stopped the slide :grin:







little clip of Abby hitting a big table.
https://www.facebook.com/video/video.php?v=1705420037403&saved


We've got another month or better here I think... the season is just starting!:high5:
 
#15 ·
i'm a vermonter going to vail on business weekend of june 24-6. hear you all have snow up high. would love to hike/skin up to find some turns. anyone have any guess/suggestions whether/where i might find something skiable? for example, if gondola is running, if i take it up is there some snow i could hike to? any suggestions from locals much appreciated!
 
#17 ·
What a great late skinning season it was in SE Idaho. We climbed from lower Green Canyon to the top at Pebble Creek on June 14 and did Targhee the day before it opened for the summer season two weeks later. And Pomerelle had skiable snow till the end of June also.
 
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