No Hiking Rails!

J

jessejames

Member
My local ski area decided this year that we are not allowed to hike rails. It is a very small ski area with only a few rails, so we've always hiked them to get more bang for our buck. The past two times I've gone, the terrain park crew came down and told us we needed to put our skies on and that uphill traffic was not allowed in the park. We were in a totally visible area and were in no danger of being hit by another skier. I was outraged! Is this normal to not allow skiers to hike rails. It doesn't sound right to me. Does your park allow it??
 
No up hill traffic is what they said. We often do keep our skies on and they still don't allow us to hike the rails. Do bigger ski areas allow rail hiking??
 
13344350:jessejames said:
No up hill traffic is what they said. We often do keep our skies on and they still don't allow us to hike the rails. Do bigger ski areas allow rail hiking??
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ya, bigger ski areas allow it
 
13344371:Uglyboy said:
Why?
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Most likely has to do with people trying to scam the mountain. Mountains have caught on that kids will hike a rail for hours (either without a pass or after their ticket has expired). Some people see it as no big deal because it's a "lift ticket" and they're not using the lift, but to the mountain you're trespassing (if it's private land) and stealing (it's also a liability thing).
 
last year I was joking a down rail under the lift, and it was middle of a week day so I was literally the only person in the park, and this liftie that was on the lift above me shouted that I wasn't allowed to be hiking, but I knew the park crew was cool with it so I didn't really acknowledge him. And OP it really depends on the mountains policy for if you're allowed to hike or not
 
that's fucked up. once I got a ride to the top of the park by park crew in their snowmobile, that beats hiking.
 
this is stupid but after a day of hiking rails with my crew it does get a bunch of boot marks and stuff thats seams to be the only negative about it and most parks are in open areas so .
 
1.) drop pole above rail

2.) hit rail

3.) take skis off

4.) hike back up to get pole

5.) repeat as many times as necissary
 
This is kinda unfortunate. I ski mainly at Sunday River and hiking is a common thing. The other day we had around 20 kids hiking and it was such a cool vibe. Everyone was stoked to be there and it was such a fun environment.
 
13344977:Sarazen said:
This is kinda unfortunate. I ski mainly at Sunday River and hiking is a common thing. The other day we had around 20 kids hiking and it was such a cool vibe. Everyone was stoked to be there and it was such a fun environment.
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It was more like every park skier on the mountain.
 
If your mountain dosent allow it just try to get a huge group of people to hike a rail and when they tell you to stop just keep hiking
 
This is pretty lame sounding. Generally when I see people hiking I just check that they have a pass. The last two years I was a little more strict with usual because the pass for all day on the lift next to the park was $16 and I got the mountain to invest a lot more than they wanted to into it.

I can totally understand not being to hike up from the base area, but you should be able to hike rails once your up there. If they're having problems they can get a better ticket checking system going on all base area lifts, maybe at an incentive for busting people, and then have the crew check peoples lift tickets that are hiking in the park.

If people don't have a lift ticket you definitely aren't allowed to hike the park most places. You aren't bringing them any money and it's a liability. If you have a ticket and would rather just hike a feature then that's just stupid to not be allowed to.
 
Talk to them and ask them why you aren't allowed to.

Also ask where it says you can't, unless there is a sign.

If they say because of kids hiking without buying passes show them your pass.

They really shouldn't have any other viable argument than "because I said so", a phrase that people who work for ski resorts seem to love to use.

Most of all, don't be confrontational and keep your cool regardless of how ridiculous they are.
 
My home mountain has a t bar and no workers regulate it. I own a season pass but if you could walk up there without a pass, you could ski for free. I don't see why your hill wouldn't allow hiking.
 
I just find a park without anyone watching or wait for the supervisor to leave. idk your situation but this works at jiminy peak
 
When you purchased the lift ticket, there was no where that said you weren't allowed to hike, right? Possession of the ticket allows you use of the mountain (so long as you don't duck ropes, etc., which I'm sure is included in the fine print.) and hiking in an empty/side area poses no danger. My shot-in-the-dark legal reasoning says that you have a right to hike.

On the other hand, it is their land, but I'm not sure how much weight that holds.
 
13344399:JahLiam said:
last year I was joking a down rail under the lift, and it was middle of a week day so I was literally the only person in the park, and this liftie that was on the lift above me shouted that I wasn't allowed to be hiking, but I knew the park crew was cool with it so I didn't really acknowledge him. And OP it really depends on the mountains policy for if you're allowed to hike or not
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You ride Mount Kel$o right?
 
13344951:Twinipz said:
1.) drop pole above rail

2.) hit rail

3.) take skis off

4.) hike back up to get pole

5.) repeat as many times as necissary
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this is fucking genius!

lifty: "HEY! you! no hiking"

skier: "i dropped my pole"

that's great.
 
I can't believe this is a real thing,combined with the thread about yellow jackets I can see why the side country is exploding. (among other reasons)

Resorts these days have too many damn rules.
 
patrollers at small hills seriously just enjoy flexing over immiscule issues because there's nothing else to do, its just a fact of life
 
Sort of related, but I have a buddy who moved from Colorado to Maine to finish grad school. There is a tiny hill 350feet of vert near where we live, he was itching to get some quick turns in after class so after they closed he put on his teles and skins and started to hike up. Ski patrol stopped him and told him that he wasn't allowed to skin up because it was dangerous.
 
13346483:CaptTurner said:
Sort of related, but I have a buddy who moved from Colorado to Maine to finish grad school. There is a tiny hill 350feet of vert near where we live, he was itching to get some quick turns in after class so after they closed he put on his teles and skins and started to hike up. Ski patrol stopped him and told him that he wasn't allowed to skin up because it was dangerous.
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Most resorts will stop you, its private property and they are closed. Also, they probably were starting to groom which could be dangerous
 
13346483:CaptTurner said:
Sort of related, but I have a buddy who moved from Colorado to Maine to finish grad school. There is a tiny hill 350feet of vert near where we live, he was itching to get some quick turns in after class so after they closed he put on his teles and skins and started to hike up. Ski patrol stopped him and told him that he wasn't allowed to skin up because it was dangerous.
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Several reasons. Some places will let you skin up, it helps to know or at least ask the owners.

They're fucking closed

They're starting grooming as soon as the mountain closes

Patrol is out of service after they sweep the mountain. If your friend falls, get's lost, hit's a tree there's nobody there to help him and he might very well be dead the next morning when the mountain goes to open

If your friend falls and is stuck there over night the mountain and their insurance really don't want to deal with the possibility of a lawsuit because somebody is pissed that nobody rescued them and they sat their all night.

Some places will let you skin up any time, some places will let you skin up any time if you notify the owners, some places will only let you skin up in the morning when the mountain is open, some places don't allow any uphill traffic.
 
13344511:john18061806 said:
that's fucked up. once I got a ride to the top of the park by park crew in their snowmobile, that beats hiking.
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I was at lutsen one year for their college week and since the hill was so dead, we got offered free cat rides up and down the hill for a good couple of hours while they groomed. Such a fun week.
 
13352399:Diabeeto said:
I was at lutsen one year for their college week and since the hill was so dead, we got offered free cat rides up and down the hill for a good couple of hours while they groomed. Such a fun week.
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Meanwhile I crossed a closed trail on eagle and almost got sideswiped by a cat.

That one woulda hurt.
 
It sucks that so many ski areas aren't allowing this "up-hill" traffic. I was hoping that mine was the only one, so I could let them know how lame they were. It really is a shame to not let kids hike rails at these small resorts when slopestyle is the type of sport that a small resort skier could potentially be very competitive against a skier from a large resort. Some potential pros might never become good if not given this opportunity to hike rails. Maybe this is an issue that the US ski team should take into consideration.
 
I feel like uphill traffic and somebody hiking a rail aren't the same thing. IF you're hiking the whole park that's one thing but that's just lame. Do it anyway and tell them to fuck off.
 
I go to a small ski area and they allow hiking. they just check passes every once in a while. And if they tell you to stop hiking just tell them that they're resort is crap.
 
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