Garbage on the slopes

[uphillklimber]

A couple days ago, a friend and I took a ride up the chondi at the River. We wanted to scope out the old Spruce cliffs trail, off Risky business and basically check out the new public land off the backside that groups in Bethel are developing for recreational activities.

We found much of the woods off Risky to be a party spot where folks leave their beer cans, as well as a make shift tent.

Some of the cans were quite old

Sunday river doesn't exactly lead the charge for leaving things natural

We also saw styrofoam kicking about here and there, used in the construction of the new Spruce lift:

On the way up, we did find the pass tree, a local family who decorates the tree with their expired ski passes

The old haul rope is left on the ground. I'm thinking there has to be some salvage value in this??? Have one of the kids working there take an ATV up there, hook on to sections of this and drag it down and toss it into the metal dumpster.

We did locate the old Spruce cliffs trail, very clearly a trail, but getting overgrown.

Yes, the trail drops off much like it appears to drop off in the second picture above. I can see why they abandoned this trail, too many rescues.
We also saw a cable hook up for when the winch cat does vortex

This picture does not do justice to the topography here, but Risky Business needs at least 6 feet of snow to fill int he gullies here.

I'm getting a bit off topic here. The amount of garbage on the slopes is disconcerting to me. Construction site debris strewn about, beer cans and other garbage.... then if you get to the trees of the White Cap lift, going up Tempest, you don't have a single bra tree making a minor scandal we all laugh at, you have a bunch of such trees, and many have mardi gras beads stuck in their branches, and let's not forget the latest craze, CD's on strings. Is anyone else bothered by such stuff? I liked to laugh at the bra tree every resort seemed to have one of, somewhere. I just think it is getting out of hand of late.

 

[bdfreetuna]

Spruce Cliffs huh. I've never even been to Sunday River but I'll be sure to give that a look if I ever do.

From the video below it doesn't look much harder than a few of the glades at Magic or the bottom section of Julio. I will say that 2nd pitch is pretty impressive though.

 

[bdfreetuna]

this video gives a little more perspective (can only put 1 video per post)

 

[Smellytele]

Bob I cannot see your pictures. probably just me

 

[uphillklimber]

Bob I cannot see your pictures. probably just me

Hmmmmm.... looking at them right now, I do not believe they are protected so others can't see them (I don't even know how). Anyone else having trouble?
Maybe alert admin?

 

[Dickc]

Hmmmmm.... looking at them right now, I do not believe they are protected so others can't see them (I don't even know how). Anyone else having trouble?
Maybe alert admin?

I see them fine Tele!

 

[SkiingInABlueDream]

I see them. But it took a looong time for them to load. Wonder why. I was on my home WiFi which is always fast...

 

[uphillklimber]

You can see, by the two videos that bdfreetuna posted, why the trail was closed off. It is roped off and signed, but folks go there anyways. The first part of the trail is fairly well opened up and readily skied by any competent skier, even those used to trails. But when you get to the drop off and trees, that takes someone who has more skill than the average weekender. And once you get past the opened up area, there simply is no easy way back to Risky business. Your options are to remove your skis and climb back up, or go down the steep tree run, with rocks protruding. I'm guessing that the trail was probably more open in the day and possibly groomed on the shallower parts anyways. Or maybe not. But the steeps would have required a winch cat. Word is there were many, too many rescues, so the rerouted the trail.

For those looking for it, if you take Risky Business, and watch on the right side where it appears that trees are starting to grow into an old trail, it's roped off, it'll be easy enough to find, on your right, before you go under the Spruce lift. In fact, if you look on their trail maps, you'll see to the left of Risky a clearing in the trees. That's it. It comes out on Three mile trail just above Sluice. You can see where three mile is a little wide into the woods just above sluice.

Here this thread was supposed to be about garbage all over and instead, it looks like some of you will be looking for Spruce cliffs next winter!

 

[Smellytele]

I had skied the area but it wasn't named back in the early 90's when we went in there. It wasn't a name trail until the late 90's I believe and was for less than 10 years.

 

[bdfreetuna]

We are just about over the hump, upkillclimber!

Thanks for the map, looks pretty easy to find. Now if I could only get to Sunday River lol

But yes the Bicknell's Trush is a very messy bird. I can confirm that at least out of those photos, the tent and the pass tree appear to be the work of an unappreciative Thrush.

 

[skinowworklater]

:idea: Perhaps the Sunday River Community might organize a cleanup this Fall in exchange for some glade "management"? :idea:
You ought to post this on the SR Community site also if you haven't already.

 

[Pez]

People are terrible. Pick up you shit folks.


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[skiur]

People are terrible. Pick up you shit folks.


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Seems like the biggest offender was Sunday River, if management leaves shit around it doesn't set the best example for the guests.

 

[spring_mountain_high]

i thought this thread was going to be about my skiing harharhar

 

[machski]

You can see, by the two videos that bdfreetuna posted, why the trail was closed off. It is roped off and signed, but folks go there anyways. The first part of the trail is fairly well opened up and readily skied by any competent skier, even those used to trails. But when you get to the drop off and trees, that takes someone who has more skill than the average weekender. And once you get past the opened up area, there simply is no easy way back to Risky business. Your options are to remove your skis and climb back up, or go down the steep tree run, with rocks protruding. I'm guessing that the trail was probably more open in the day and possibly groomed on the shallower parts anyways. Or maybe not. But the steeps would have required a winch cat. Word is there were many, too many rescues, so the rerouted the trail.

For those looking for it, if you take Risky Business, and watch on the right side where it appears that trees are starting to grow into an old trail, it's roped off, it'll be easy enough to find, on your right, before you go under the Spruce lift. In fact, if you look on their trail maps, you'll see to the left of Risky a clearing in the trees. That's it. It comes out on Three mile trail just above Sluice. You can see where three mile is a little wide into the woods just above sluice.

Here this thread was supposed to be about garbage all over and instead, it looks like some of you will be looking for Spruce cliffs next winter!

It wasn't just the rescues. The wall is so steep it doesn't hold snow well if at all (unless we got a 2 foot dump of cement snow) so when it actually opened, you wanted to be one of the first down. Otherwise, you were guaranteed to blunt your edges.

It also rarely opened when it was a trail, leaving them short of 100% open due to this one trail.

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[2Planker]

It wasn't just the rescues. The wall is so steep it doesn't hold snow well if at all (unless we got a 2 foot dump of cement snow) so when it actually opened, you wanted to be one of the first down. Otherwise, you were guaranteed to blunt your edges.

It also rarely opened when it was a trail, leaving them short of 100% open due to this one trail.

Sent from my XT1650 using AlpineZone mobile app

Yup - All true.. I think we skied it more before the days of it officially becoming a trail...
As a 20 year SR Patroller, I can recall a couple extremely sketchy sled rides over those cliffs...

 

[tumbler]

All ski areas have this type of stuff laying around on the hill. It's expensive to get it off esp. during summer when budgets are lean. You don't see all of it when its covered in snow...

 

[gregnye]

All ski areas have this type of stuff laying around on the hill. It's expensive to get it off esp. during summer when budgets are lean. You don't see all of it when its covered in snow...

That's true but some resorts are much worse than others when it comes to leaving garbage around. Killington is perfect example. That devil's fiddle chair hasn't been used in years yet it still stands there rusting away

 

[Jully]

That's true but some resorts are much worse than others when it comes to leaving garbage around. Killington is perfect example. That devil's fiddle chair hasn't been used in years yet it still stands there rusting away

I thought that was for permitting. If they removed it completely they would need to get a new permit if they ever wanted a new lift there but if they leave it standing, its an easier process.

Might be strictly rumor/excuses though I do not know.

 

[benski]

I thought that was for permitting. If they removed it completely they would need to get a new permit if they ever wanted a new lift there but if they leave it standing, its an easier process.

Might be strictly rumor/excuses though I do not know.

I am still confused why they put a chair there in the first place. It’s seams completely redundant and only serves a small area served well by a quad.