Hiking ski areas after they close

[Greg]

The comments about ski areas closing even with a substantial base in this thread sorta prompted this. How many of you hike lift-serviced ski areas to earn some turns after the mountain closes in the spring? Generally, what are the mountains' policies on this? Do any specifically discourage it? Do any casually "look the other way"?

 

[JimG.]

We do at Hunter, and management kind of encourages it and certainly doesn't stop anyone. But I'm sure different ski areas have different policies.

 

[Skimaine4ever]

At Big Squaw people hike it and take snowmobiles to the top whe nthe lifts close and even when they are open :lol: At squaw they have no policy for or against it, anything goes up there basically. I know people at Sugarloaf do this to and SR.

 

[riverc0il]

this was about half my reasoning for getting A/T gear. i wanted to hike ski areas (lost and open) before and after the lifts start during. often an epic dump will spill forth from the sky and the lifts aren't even going. it would be a complete sham to let all that powder go to waste without even a single track...

 

[Vortex]

Steve where did you go on sunday after Burke? did you go to whaleBack and how was it?

 

[riverc0il]

i bailed on skiing sunday. had an issue with the car (all set now), but didn't get out sunday unfortunately.

 

[Vortex]

To bad.at least its Friday again. :beer:

 

[madman]

A lot of ski areas are located on state or fed land and is leased. This means you own the land. I beleve they can charge for the use of there facilities[lifts,lodges parking etc] but they cannot restrict access to the land itself

 

[bvibert]

A lot of ski areas are located on state or fed land and is leased. This means you own the land. I beleve they can charge for the use of there facilities[lifts,lodges parking etc] but they cannot restrict access to the land itself

Thats not necessarily true, they lease the land and have the right say who can use it. They do maintain the trails and make snow during the season. So even if you're not using their lifts and buildings you're still using their facilities. Thats not to say that they will care, especially after they close, but they could...

 

[Sparky]

I have done Jimniy for several years. Usually its just my daughter and myself, but sometimes some of her friends will come along. i have never heard of or seen anyone else hiking for turns at Jimniy.

 

[blacknblue]

A lot of ski areas are located on state or fed land and is leased. This means you own the land. I beleve they can charge for the use of there facilities[lifts,lodges parking etc] but they cannot restrict access to the land itself

Thats not necessarily true, they lease the land and have the right say who can use it. They do maintain the trails and make snow during the season. So even if you're not using their lifts and buildings you're still using their facilities. Thats not to say that they will care, especially after they close, but they could...

I think the particulars vary by resort. It's true that they do lease the land, but many times the lease runs out when the lifts close--at which point the land is once again public domain. Many resorts are on public property and operate their lifts only within a regulated set of dates; once the lifts stop, it's free game. It's been my experience that most resorts don't care if you're on their land anyway, if you are not using their lifts and other services. Even an Alta patroller I once spoke to looked the other way when (gasp) snowboarders were hiking up High Rustler; I thought it was high treason, but he didn't seem to care (or have any legal clout to do anything).

 

[riverc0il]

from what i understand, the land can be restricted in any way. for example, just because the WMNF is federally protected land, doesn't mean you can do anything you want on it because it's publically owned. even publically owned land has use restrictions. if you checked into the regulations at most mountains, i am sure most prohibit the use of the mountain during the off season (cannon for example does not allow hiking on the ski trails during the summer... again, a state park). however; that said, most management likely wouldn't care. if they were thinking straight, they'd use people hiking for spring turns as a photo op and publicity piece. worst case, last thing a ski area needs is bad publicity by kicking some desperate hikers off the land for no apparent reason. people hiking at a given mountain are likely customers during the regular season too.

 

[thetrailboss]

Many places, such as Jay which are situated on State Land, don't encourage or discourage off season ski visits. It's just "at your own risk" if something goes haywire. :wink: However, with some suffering from "Litigation Fever," it will be interesting to see if this changes...

 

[dmc]

As JimG stated...
Hunter has a liberal climbing/skiing policy..
Just stay out of their way and watch out for bears..

 

[riverc0il]

any one know how jay is holding out for hikable terrain? FIS at the bush seems worth the hike if the darn rain would stop! seems laughable that we're currently below average rain fall!

 

[SkiDork]

my crazy wife (Tyrolean_Skier on the KZone) will definitely be hiking Superstar Mem. day weekend. There should be some decent patches left.

 

[Vortex]

my crazy wife (Tyrolean_Skier on the KZone) will definitely be hiking Superstar Mem. day weekend. There should be some decent patches left.

Keep coming over here. Hey I posted a trip report in our trip reports file :dunce: on Sat. Take a look. Mentioned you guys.

 

[djspookman]

any one know how jay is holding out for hikable terrain? FIS at the bush seems worth the hike if the darn rain would stop! seems laughable that we're currently below average rain fall!

yup.. FIS is holding up pretty well at the bush..

I'm going to try Ripcord tomorrow night.. (depending if is rains or not)

skiing the upper "strip"
http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v...Ellen-DaveskiingstripofsnowfromtopofFIS-1.jpg

end of the strip
http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v...Ellen-DaveskiingstripofsnowfromtopofFIS-2.jpg

my friend Dan
http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v...at Sugarbush/5-14-05-MtEllen-DanskiingFIS.jpg

Dan again, with Lhotse behind
http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v...h/5-14-05-DanskiingFISwithLhotsefollowing.jpg

dave

 

[jaywbigred]

I'm reviving this thread because I wasn't able to find more recent threads discussing the same thing. With Mount Snow announcing an April 11th closing date (as compared to, I believe, April 20th in 2009 and April 27th in 2008), was wondering if anyone knew the policies at

Mt. Snow
Stratton
Bromley
Magic
Okemo

regarding hiking the mt. after the lifts close. If I can save my drive to Killington for May, that would be nice.

 

[catskillman]

There is a large group at Hunter that always hikes up the Saturday after the mountain closes and then after they hang out at the base deck and drink. Noone bothers them. Some hike more than once in a day.

Not for me.