Ski resort looking at restricting hikers
Plans to change the uphill travel policy at Whitefish Mountain Resort are in the works, according to resort spokesperson Donnie Clapp — meaning those who hike, snowshoe or skin up Big Mountain could face new regulations this season.
But since the resort is located on federal Forest Service land, the policy will have to undergo review by federal officials, according to Becky Smith-Powell, the recreation forester for the Tally Lake Ranger District.
Details about the change in policy will be released soon, but what is known for sure is that the resort wants restrictions on uphill traffic accompanied by an educational campaign addressing safety issues.
"These two things will be aimed at reducing a dangerous behavior related to uphill traffic, which has recently increased to a level that cannot be ignored," Clapp e-mailed the Pilot.
Resort officials held a work session last week addressing the issue. The resort's new policy will likely include a time frame in which uphill travel will be allowed — from early morning to the ski patrol's final sweep — and a designated 'summit route" up the Toni Matt slope.
Clapp says resort officials have been holding open conversations with members of the skiing community about how to best go about creating a new travel policy that will both reduce unnecessary risk for the resort and appease those who regularly climb the mountain.
"The easy decision would be to not allow uphill traffic at all," Clapp said. "If we didn't care about the community, it would be an easy decision."
Clapp said the resort considers the contingent of skiers who hike the mountain an "integral part of the community," which will weigh heavily on any final decision that is made.
In a statement to the Pilot, resort president Dan Graves said, "For a long time people have been skinning up the mountain and doing their best to make it a safe activity. In the past few years though, that small group has grown into a larger group that includes people that are doing a lot of things that put themselves, others and the mountain at risk. It is literally our duty to do what we can to manage that risk and we are confident the people of this community that enjoy hiking the mountain will embrace whatever policy we come to in the end so that this activity can continue in the future in some form."
Whitefish Mountain Resort's current uphill traffic policy is an anomaly in Montana. Bridger Bowl Ski Area explicitly states that "uphill travel is prohibited 24 hours of the day." Montana Snowbowl prohibits it during days they are open, and Big Sky Resort prohibits hiking on resort property in winter, although they have a designated route for snowshoeing.
Other resorts across the West that previously allowed uphill travel have recently altered their policies due to safety concerns, including Mt. Bachelor Ski Resort in Oregon.
Mt. Bachelor implemented a policy last month that states uphill travelers must stay on a pre-designated 'summit route" that will only be open "under conditions that do not adversely impact avalanche reduction, slope grooming, parking, snow removal, maintenance or other downhill ski-area operations."
The resort cited a recent increase in the number of uphill travelers as their main reason for changing the policy.
"The amount of uphill traffic has grown rapidly in the last few years," Mt. Bachelor spokesman Alex Kaufman said. "More uphillers equals more conflicts with downhill traffic that may not see or anticipate them. Also, there were conflicts and safety concerns with winch-cat grooming and avalanche control operations. Unknown public travel on the ski area while we are grooming or conducting avalanche control was increasing to the point that it put our staff and the traveling public in unsafe situations."
He went on to say that many ski areas don't allow uphill traffic at all, so Mt. Bachelor's move to create a 'summit route" is how they are trying to strike a balance.
"All ski areas are different though," Kaufman said. "There are some where a route makes sense, and others where it is less realistic."
Many ski resorts are located on Forest Service land and operate under a lease, including Whitefish Mountain Resort. Big Mountain falls within the Tally Lake Ranger District, and Becky Smith-Powell oversees recreational uses in the district for the Forest Service.
Smith-Powell told the Pilot she is aware of the uphill travel issues and that as soon as the resort comes up with a travel plan, the ski area and the Forest Service will sit down and have a discussion.
"Any decision made will be a joint decision," Smith-Powell said.
Tim Thomas, at The White Room Mountain Shop in Whitefish, reports a spike in sales of alpine-touring gear over recent years. The gear allows skiers to lift their heel while skinning up a slope and then lock it down to ski back down. The advancement in this technology and the convenient access to Big Mountain's controlled environment has boosted the number of uphill travelers there.
"I think there is a large demographic (in Whitefish) that doesn't want to invest in a ski pass and who spends most of their time in the backcountry," he said. "But when they are short on time, 'skinning up Big Mountain) is a very convenient thing to do. They have 2,500 vertical feet of skiing at their fingertips."
Thomas understands the safety concerns the resort might have with uphill traffic and cites a number of times he has seen people hiking up the middle of the Toni Matt slope during a busy day. Toni Matt is one of the most popular groomed slopes on the mountain.
"And sometimes it's really hard to see up there," Thomas said, noting the mountain's foggy conditions.
He said he isn't sure how most of his customers will react to the resort's proposed restrictions, whatever they may be.
"We have such a diverse community, you can't please the masses," Thomas said. "It's hard to say."
Whitefish skier Randy Hohf knows exactly what he would think of any restrictions.
"It would stink," he said at the resort on Monday as he started his evening climb to Big Mountain's summit. "It would be a shame. We have a great opportunity to be able to do this. There is such a wonderful backcountry community in Whitefish."
Hohf said he doesn't see much of a safety issue with hiking the mountain — it's the downhill skiers who might pose more of an issue.
"When you're hiking, you're looking up and watching the whole time," he said.
Alyssa Jumars said she's been skinning up Big Mountain three to four times a week since she moved to Whitefish this fall. While she would love to be able to hike the mountain when and wherever she wants, she thinks uphill traffic could pose safety issues.
"On a day like President's Day, when it's busy and foggy, skinning up maybe isn't the smartest thing to do," she said.