A wee bit of a pre-season tour (before the resort opened) on Mt Bachelor.
A question from a reader asks about the relative safety of uphilling and touring on-piste once the resort is closed for the day. In other words, let’s ruminate on after hours safety tools for the uphillist (is this a word?).
New ski tourists come to the endeavor with a mix of readiness, ambition, elevated levels of Testosterone, which might compound all this, and, yes, caution. There may be times when it is wise to have concerns about an in-bounds tour/ski,and others when it is not. Let’s run through some of the details.
Here’s the question posed by a newish backcountry skier: Is it safe to tour solo at a resort outside normaloperating hours? Do I treat this like I’m in the backcountry (e.g., always carry a beacon/shovel/probe on me)?
We’ll answer this with the basic premise that if you feel like carrying these tools is wise, you should carry them regardless of your real and/or perceived exposure to avalanche hazards. The extra weight and volume in your pack aren’t significant. The other key item relating to all this is the question states “solo.” If you are truly alone, and certain not to run into other folks in potential avalanche terrain, and here we are referring to on-piste after hours uphilling and descending, and for some reason you are caught in a slide, your safety tools, as far as we can tell, won’t come in handy. However, a transceiver in send mode will always help with rescue/recovery.) As a rule of thumb, whether you are out touring solo in the backcountry or on-piste and have a transceiver, there is no harm in keeping the unit turned on and in send mode.
Let’s return to the question and some other items to consider. Ski areas have posted rules relating to uphill travel during and after hours. For example, uphillers are restricted to certain routes/terrain/trails at Mt. Bachelor during operating hours and after hours. Further, the mountain operations uphill policy states, “Conduct yourself as though traveling in the backcountry. Avalanche and Snow Immersion Suffocation potential exists. Carry rescue equipment, practice safe travel and deep snow safety techniques and always travel with a partner.”
Snow immersion is a real threat in the trees. The inclusion of that language isn’t just for legal disclaimer purposes. We’ve also never known an uphiller, at least during operating hours, having their pack inspected to ensure proper safety gear is in tow. (Although some mighty big and heavy-looking packs are carried on the uphill route—maybe some folks are completing a prescribed Uphill Athlete workout for Denali season?)
Further dissecting the question, the word safe screams out. Any type of touring can be potentially unsafe, some more than others. In some on-piste zones, avalanche mitigation does not occur after operating hours. If the ski area in question allows travel in terrain that is even remotely prone to avalanches, or the skin track exposes one to overhead hazards, by all means, carry the safety gear: you might need help, or you might come across an accident scene and need to assist with a rescue. Even disregarding avalanche concerns, it’s after hours, anything can happen. Be prepared. Have a mindset and a safety tool kit specific to your understanding of the terrain.
We often refrain from making general, broad, and prescriptive statements, except for lightweight bindings and high-range-of-motion boots, which are preferable for touring. That said, many of us here at THR solo tour in the backcountry and on-piste after hours for fitness. None of it, on-piste or not, after hours or not, is 100% safe. But, certainly, some situations are safer than others. The big upside of going uphilling on-piste after hours is the absence of downhill skiers and avoiding the physics that are decidedly not in your favor in instances when you are skinning up and there’s a collision. Further, if you are lucky, you might find some peace and see a Sierra Fox scamper across a slope. Solo touring can be excellent.
Let’s close this out. The question said nothing of “sidecountry” or out-of-bounds-skiing. In those instances, we consider terrain outside controlled on-piste zones backcountry. We’ve seen the term “sidecountry” used by ski media this season. Our thinking here at THR is that there is no “sidecountry.” If you duck a rope, pass through a backcountry-zone-access gate, or in any way, shape, or form access unmitigated terrain from a ski resort, carry your safety tools, know how to use them, and be heads up. It is the backcountry.
After hours terrain that is groomed is likely safe terrain considering avalanches. Have a charged cell phone, and if cell coverage is spotty, a charged In-Reach type device for emergencies. Then go and get your heart rate on.
Opinions and situations we may have not considered are welcome in the comments.
The one main thing I’d add is the risk that actual resort grooming operations can pose to solo or non-solo on-piste tourers after the resort is no longer “open”. The Mt. Hood Skibowl uphill route goes where it does specifically to avoid the risk of tourers being seriously injured or killed by winch cat cables on the steeper runs in the upper bowl, and I believe Mt. Ashland has had issues with on piste tourers disregarding their rules around where and when you can skin and consequently putting themselves at risk in a similar way. Snow cats are probably not looking out for you at 5am or 8pm, they’re concentrated on doing their jobs. If you’re going to enjoy the smooth uphill and downhill travel made possible by resort grooming then make sure you’re also respecting the work that goes into making that travel possible, for your sake and for the resort’s.
John is correct. Grooming operations are not only a hazard to you but also access to uphill skiing. I volunteer for a non-profit in the PNW that advocates for access to uphill routes at ski resorts. Every year when we check in the number one thing we hear from resorts is that there’s consistent disregard towards grooming operations and that this is putting our uphill access at risk. If you enjoy uphill laps at your resort help get the word out–stay away (min 200 ft) from grooming ops no matter where they are on the mountain.
Hey Travis and John, thanks for adding those thoughts.
I know, I know, we’re supposed to be be supportive of our touring sisters and brothers but I can’t help myself. The fact that someone actually wrote a question like that to THR ( if they really did and it wasn’t just a made up question to write an article about) just blows my mind.
Seems to be a lack of critical thinking and not of lot of common sense to ask that question.
Frankly, I’m amazed at the questions that are sometimes asked on social media skiing websites.
Most of them could be answered with 2 minutes of google search or more importantly 5 mins of critical thinking and common sense.
We were all beginners once but I don’t remember being that stupid
I’ve become a curmudgeon and” I’m just not taking it anymore.”
Cue the virtue signalers.
Hey Scotsman, I’ll keep the virtue signaling to a minimum. Apologies you did not find the article useful. 100% a question from a nice real person—we had a good conversation this summer. Having done this ski walking thing for a bit of time, it was a good opportunity for me to see where some new folks are coming from. I hope that doesn’t sound too virtuous. Glad to connect you with the reader who asked the question—hit me up offline. (I’m road tripping to SLC and poaching wifi from McDonald’s in a parking lot. Thank you McDonald’s, and thanks for reading.)
Hi Jason,
JHC! That was a real question ! Mind blow! I’m sure the person is nice. I’m nice as well until I see something as lame as this article.
I’m very supportive of your Website but after reading an article about AI and Avalanche forecasting and then reading this article, it was just too much for me.
Pandering to the lowest denominator.
Sorry, I expected better from the Editors of the THR.
What’s next, an article about ” How to put your skis on, Hint. Pointy end to the front. “
Im glad you know so much about everything related to skiing Scotsman. It seems like reading a website about your hobbies upsets you if it isn’t core enough. That seems like a bad attitude problem. Maybe you should go skiing a bit more often so you don’t get so upset by people trying to be helpful and welcoming to others. Then you wont seem so upset in your bad moments. Some people haven’t had the same exposure to this stuff that you clearly have had, but they can learn . Asking questions is a good way to figure stuff out. Yelling at people about how dumb they are for asking questions is a much greater offense than being curious about something you don’t know much about. Take a deep breath, go for a ski tour, try to be more open to other peoples life experiences. This stuff isn’t rocket science. Be nice to people. It will make you feel better.
Please be conscious of not only groomers and snow cats, but the snow making machinery as well. People get very upset when you ski over hoses, even if you don’t realize it.
I encountered an interesting situation years ago. I used to tour uphill at a resort that will remain nameless in Central Montana and they allowed uphill travel. They had a designated route for touring, it was great to have a place to go when the snow sucked (which was about 80% of the time). If i was at the resort during daylight hours touring uphill, i was yelled at or down right belittled by the resort staff while going uphill, and it was never the same person. It struck me as odd that a resort that allowed uphill travel, sure didn’t seem stoked on the practice. Anyone else come across this?
As an avid on-resort uphiller I find it comes down to a few core values.
Interesting topic. As an avid on-resort uphiller I tend to frequent the resort for morning or evening uphill sessions when backcountry conditions are stale. There is nothing like 3k of morning groomer on skimo race skis. In my experience avoiding snowcats leads to a better experience for all.
I’m slowly brushing up on my foreign languages in case of patrol, or mtn ops interactions. Feigning ignorance in a euro-centric language may be my last defense.