Alpine Touring Thread

[Huezee]

Were they in a permanent closure? Was it clearly marked as so?

The snowboarders that ripped out tempter in telluride a few years back were in a notorious closed poach and actually did kill a hiker below. Those guys are probably going to get some serious time I imagine.

If you have driven I-70 back to Denver you'd see the reason... From my understanding, this slide occurred near the Loop Road by the entrance to the tunnel.

 

[JTG]

I don’t believe that is a permanently closed area, although it’s an area that carries a lot of risk for the loop below in the event of a big slide. Maybe it should be permanently closed?

Either way, if people thought more about consequences below them, no matter how ‘unlikely’, maybe they’d think twice about it. While you can’t always know what’s going on below you, seems a lot of backcountry skiers don’t give that as much thought as we should.

 

[raisingarizona]

I'm pointing out the fact that if it's not a permanent closure they probably have a good stand in court with a decent lawyer. Being how dangerous those areas are above a major road you'd think it was a thing but I have no idea. I haven't skied around Loveland Pass/A-Basin for over 20 years now. I do believe that there are some areas above the highway there around Loveland ski area that are recognized as permanent closures and have been so for as long as I can remember. Having an area established as such and others not is another usable point for a good lawyer that it wasn't clear that they shouldn't have been there or I'd imagine so but I'm just a man of simple means and trail builder.

This is also why I mentioned the Telluride incident from 2019. https://the-journal.com/articles/128345

The big distinct difference here is the obvious that someone was killed from the snowboarders slide while in a very well known, permanent closure and notorious poach that has a very long history of being deadly.

 

[tirolski]

Here’s what the Avalanche folks have up about the Ike slide. Boarders were out after ski areas shut down due to vid last year.

CAIC

 

[JTG]

I’m with you RA, not a lawyer but I think the DA is overreaching with the charge, and there are plenty of reasonable grounds for a defense.

The fact that the DA is potentially putting the backcountry skiing public at risk (by discouraging reporting) by filing a trumped up charge makes it even worse.

 

[Huezee]

Defense is that CDOT and CAIC should have mitigated the risk for them. Here's a video of the actual slide:

Restitution figure may be high but that's what a restitution hearing is for.

 

[Low Angle Life]

Made it out to the Cathedral area on my splitboard today but not before having to replace a ladder strap that I noticed was broken when starting to strap in at the skin track... restaurants may be closed on Mondays but I found plenty of fare to suit my tastes. For anyone planning on getting up that direction tomorrow you're in for a good time. Lots of quality snow falling and good temps on the mountain, made for an interesting drive home on 28. Thank you to those of you who reached out with intel, hopefully karma will throw fresh turns your way.

 

[raisingarizona]

Defense is that CDOT and CAIC should have mitigated the risk for them. Here's a video of the actual slide:

Restitution figure may be high but that's what a restitution hearing is for.

Your eye rolling comment is annoying and you are missing the point.

The CDOT should be making things as safe as possible for the people on the highway and keeping areas mitigated properly or clearly marked as closed. If you think the the general public can be responsible themselves and make good decisions when it’s ok to ski something or when it’s not you are definitely too trustworthy of them.

The main point was that they have a strong defense if it wasn’t marked as an off limits area, especially since there are areas marked as such.

take a lap bud.

 

[Ripitz]

Made it out to the Cathedral area on my splitboard today but not before having to replace a ladder strap that I noticed was broken when starting to strap in at the skin track... restaurants may be closed on Mondays but I found plenty of fare to suit my tastes. For anyone planning on getting up that direction tomorrow you're in for a good time. Lots of quality snow falling and good temps on the mountain, made for an interesting drive home on 28. Thank you to those of you who reached out with intel, hopefully karma will throw fresh turns your way. View attachment 8288View attachment 8289View attachment 8290View attachment 8291

Nicely done. Most people don’t have the courage or will power to try it from the bottom.

 

[Huezee]

Your eye rolling comment is annoying and you are missing the point.

The CDOT should be making things as safe as possible for the people on the highway and keeping areas mitigated properly or clearly marked as closed. If you the the general public can be responsible themselves and make good decisions when it’s ok to ski something or when it’s not you are definitely too trustworthy of them.

The main point was that they have a strong defense if it wasn’t marked as an off limits area, especially since there are areas marked as such.

take a lap bud.

Personal attacks are uncalled for on this forum. I'm being completely civil and have a professional background in this field.