Trail Poaching

[NHpowderhound]

I poach. Love me or hate me,i'll still poach. I only do it under certain circumstances and with a specific mindset. I usually only do it after fresh snow when I rationalize that it is most likely because patrol hasn't had an opportunity to open it. I am also sure that there is no grooming or snowmaking going on anywhere on the closed trail in question. I definately dont advocate skiing closed trais. It can be potentially dangerous and may risk the welfare of others should something bad happen to you. I do it because of my confidence in my abilities, I know the trail in question very well,experience with BC conditions and scenarios, and a general mindset of personal responsibilities when it comes to taking calculated risks.
I've been reprimanded many times but have never had a ticket or pass pulled(yet).
Saldia, you stole the poaced eggs line I was going to use :lol:
I hope I get this in before JimG locks this thread! :beer:
((*
*))NHPH

 

[sledhaulingmedic]

I love my Coors light. (an american beer) :beer:

I like Coors Light too, you can last a long time drinking that. Calling it beer is kind of a stretch though. It's more like water with a beer flavor. It's hard to drink yourself stupid on that stuff.

Exactly. I find it "refreshing" like a bottle of water but still satisfies a beer craving.

Au Contraire, Pierre! I find it far short of being as refreshing as beer, but it does satisfy the bottled water craving...if you drink enough of it.

 

[Jean-Pierre Skier]

How often do season passes get pulled by the ski patrol for busting someone skiing O.B.?

I would assume if a rescue is involved there could be some serious repercussions, but for the average poacher who cuts a dozen or so turns before returning to an open trail?

 

[ctenidae]

Sunapee's policy on poaching is simple- as long as you don't duck a rope, anything's fair game. You can go around ropes, through the trees, or teleport, just so long as your tracks don't run under a rope, you're all set. Of course, they tend not to run groomers during the day or anything, so the hazards on a closed trail run more along the thin snow lines.

As for Coors, it's a lot like sex in a canoe.

 

[Son of Drifter]

Lock this thread

Gentlemen, I'm getting a headache from this whole thread. It's going south real quick and I hope we can get it back on a productive track.

Please, let's try to play nice.

Lock this thread. It's clearly run it's course when we start arguing about beer.

Coors Light and Bud are NOT beer. More like crappy yellow water. The only beer from up north worth a damn is Molson XXX. Try and drink a six pack of that at one sitting, you won't be walking straight afterwards.

 

[JimG.]

I hope I get this in before JimG locks this thread! :beer:
((*
*))NHPH

No need to.

 

[JimG.]

Re: Lock this thread

Lock this thread. It's clearly run it's course when we start arguing about beer.

Coors Light and Bud are NOT beer. More like crappy yellow water. The only beer from up north worth a damn is Molson XXX. Try and drink a six pack of that at one sitting, you won't be walking straight afterwards.

Still no need to...but you beer drinkers really must learn the joys of a well aged single malt scotch.

And a nice cuban cigar :beer: .

 

[SkiDog]

Re: Lock this thread

Lock this thread. It's clearly run it's course when we start arguing about beer.

Coors Light and Bud are NOT beer. More like crappy yellow water. The only beer from up north worth a damn is Molson XXX. Try and drink a six pack of that at one sitting, you won't be walking straight afterwards.

Still no need to...but you beer drinkers really must learn the joys of a well aged single malt scotch.

And a nice cuban cigar :beer: .

Maybe even some congac...



M

 

[catskills]

Au Contraire, Pierre! I find it far short of being as refreshing as beer, but it does satisfy the bottled water craving...if you drink enough of it.

Hey Sled, is this why you keep moving north near Canada where the beer has less water and more alcohol?

This is an awesome thread. Trail Poaching, personal responsibility and beer. Very cool. Not sure but they may be related.

One thing everyone might want to think about before poaching trails. Sometimes Ski Patrol closes an area because they would have to risk their life hauling your sorry A$$ out of their when you get hurt.

Another example for closing a trail is because a TREE is down in the trail which can be a hidden hazard that needs some work by ski patrol before opening the trail that day.

If ski patrol closes a trail their may be a good reason for it. :wink:

 

[NHpowderhound]

I was at Jay last year when I came out at the bottom of Staircase where it merges into Northwest Passage. As I paused and looked up at NWP I saw it had only one set of tracks on it so I headed back up to be #2. I headed down Green Mountain Boys to get to the top of NWP when I came across the rope. :-? It looked good and deep and there were no prying eyes so I dropped in. Sweet powder was all mine! That is until I came across the 1/4in. of fluff hiding the ledge and ice at the crux of the trail. It looked good from the top and bottom but in truth,this trail should have been closed. I had to straightline the rock ice mix and did some pretty good base damage. My point is that what looks good may not be and the ski patrol is usually petty good about opening trails and thier reasons for keeping some closed.
Poach at your own risk. Because thier is risk.
((*
*))NHPH

 

[Son of Drifter]

It looked good from the top and bottom but in truth,this trail should have been closed. *))NHPH

The trail WAS closed. That's what the rope was for. Truth is you should have stayed off it.

 

[haines]

I ducked a rope at Jackson Hole it was off the Hobacks!

I was seasonal ski bum skiing happily in the powder. Then there was this cliff covered by trees and I got sort of tangled and went down a little bit. Next thing I know have this death grip on a Douglas Fir. See now if I let go of this thing, I could neck deep in Powder rolling down into a dark tree covered gulley. I was able to secure myself unlatch my skiis a return to the main slope. It only took about two hours to go twenty feet.

Moral of the story: Don't duck ropes at Jackson Hole!

 

[catskills]

Re: I ducked a rope at Jackson Hole it was off the Hobacks!

Moral of the story: Don't duck ropes at Jackson Hole!

What the opened trails at JH like the Alta Chutes and the Cooler are not challenging enough for you so you had to duck under ropes at JH? :roll:

 

[shipyardcreek]

One thing missing in this discussion is what does earlier season poaching do to the longer term skiability of the poached terrain? On steep or narrow trails could it prevent or hinder the development of a good base. OTOH those of you who poached last weekend must sure be glad you did.

Years ago Betsy would rope of trails during the week to save it for her weekend chums. This is one reason I think MRG is the most over hyped ski area in the NE.

 

[riverc0il]

early season 'poaching' (though i don't define hiking to terrain as poaching but rather earning, different discussion entirely) packs down the snow creating a good base i would imagine. most early season snow melts any ways, but packing it down gives it a fighting chance. betsy is no longer calling the shots at MRG and for all she's done for the area, she can have her freshies if she wants from my perspective. not sure how you could suggest MRG is over hyped, especially based on an old story like that. but hey, welcome to alpinezone!

 

[sledhaulingmedic]

Au Contraire, Pierre! I find it far short of being as refreshing as beer, but it does satisfy the bottled water craving...if you drink enough of it.

Hey Sled, is this why you keep moving north near Canada where the beer has less water and more alcohol?

Actually, I have a long history (with one exception, of moving South (someone has to, so God's country doesn't sink into the ocean from all the flatlanders moving North )

Funny how my tastes have headed South, too. I cut my teeth on LaBatt's 50 and now I "settle" for Reposado Tequilla.

Back to the original topic: Poaching. It may have changed, but Bear Creek had the best policy on closed trails. We'd pull a rope for a reason. If a skier asked us about skiing a closed trail, we'd ask them if they were skiing alone. If they said yes, and were insistent on skiing it, we get on some rock skis and take them for a run. Membership has it's priveledges!

 

[NHpowderhound]

Is it poaching if you climb up on your own power and duck a rope? I did just that yesterday at BW. Of course I had to duck a couple ropes on the way up too so I figured it was ok to do it for the ride down :lol: .
((*
*))NHPH

 

[eatskisleep]

What is Wildcat's policy on skiing closed trails? Is it allowed but just not reccomended? Because it is on WM Nation Forest isn't it legal to ski it if it is closed?

 

[sledhaulingmedic]

What is Wildcat's policy on skiing closed trails? Is it allowed but just not reccomended? Because it is on WM Nation Forest isn't it legal to ski it if it is closed?

Wildcat is the leasee. In most cases,the leasee has the same rights as if they owned it outright. The only time the public land issue comes into play is that a ski area operator cannot (generally) prohibit you from accessing public lands from the ski area. They also may not have any responsibility of going after you if you get in trouble.

 

[eatskisleep]

What is Wildcat's policy on skiing closed trails? Is it allowed but just not reccomended? Because it is on WM Nation Forest isn't it legal to ski it if it is closed?

Wildcat is the leasee. In most cases,the leasee has the same rights as if they owned it outright. The only time the public land issue comes into play is that a ski area operator cannot (generally) prohibit you from accessing public lands from the ski area. They also may not have any responsibility of going after you if you get in trouble.

So basically it isn't allowed there/