Whistler yanking passes from backcountry skiers

Ski patrol yanking passes

32 passes cancelled for skiers and boarders not observing closures, sneaking around signs

By Andrew Mitchell

A delay opening a chairlift could be the result of almost anything - a huge amount of snow to clear, avalanche bombing, a dud explosive, high winds, low visibility, mechanical problems, signs and ropes covered with ice, and even housekeeping chores like grooming.

This season though, Whistler Blackcomb Ski Patrol is also attributing delays to powder hounds - people hiking or traversing past the boundary line into areas where patrollers are still working, delaying the opening of those areas.

"This week we had people boot packing up into the Crystal Zone, and when our team gets there and sees the tracks they have to stop what they're doing and follow the tracks," said Tony Sittlinger, senior avalanche forecaster for Blackcomb.

"They have to do avalanche control (before a lift can open) and the lift won't open until they ensure that nobody is in (the path of avalanche bombing).

"That can cause a half hour, 45 minute, hour delay. If people are walking uphill, we can't secure those areas. We can't work.

"At this time of year, with the snowpack we have, we're operating everything when we can. When a lift is closed it's because we can't turn it, it's not because we're saving it."

To date, Whistler Blackcomb has suspended ski passes for 32 people - about twice as many as they would suspend in an entire year as a result of people not observing temporary avalanche lines and ropes around permanently closed areas.

Passes are not reinstated for an entire year after a suspension, and the ban also applies to the Whistler Mountain Bike Park over the summer. As well, passes can be pulled for other offences, like skiing too fast in a Slow Zone or skiing recklessly.

Sittlinger said that patrol might have inadvertently conditioned guests to disregard ropes and signage.

"In the early season we have boundaries that we can't open because of the lack of snowfall, but you can still enter those areas at your own risk," he said.

"So people think that when we're not running a lift they can hike into areas above what we're operating."

However, said Sittlinger, those temporary boundary signs really only apply early and late season. Avalanche closures are different and entering an area that is temporarily closed by ski patrol - or a permanently closed area - is grounds for taking a pass.

"That's 32 passes, which is 32 years of seasons that we've taken away from people already this year," said Doug MacFarlane, operations manager for Whistler Blackcomb.

He said the unusual number of cases this year prompted the resort to contact the media and urge skiers and snowboarders to be patient. As well, he said, the people losing passes are generally younger and less experienced, adding that he would like veteran mountain users to help out patrol by explaining the situation.

MacFarlane said the problem started early on Whistler this year, with people skiing out towards Flute and the gate to Garibaldi Park before patrollers had completed avalanche control. As a result the Symphony Chair Road is now closed until avalanche work is completed to open the Harmony Express.

Lately, the problem has moved to Blackcomb. People are traversing from Jersey Cream to the Glacier Chair and Crystal area before they're officially open, or using the Glacier Chair to access 7th Heaven, the Blackcomb Glacier, Spanky's Ladder and other zones that are still officially closed.

MacFarlane said it's possible to access many of those areas without crossing a fence line or coming across a sign, but said you have to deliberately avoid them.

"If you're sneaky you can get into terrain without going past the sign line by hitting ridges, hiking up chutes into terrain, but if you get caught in a permanent closure or behind an area with an avalanche closure we're going to pull your pass," he said. "We can't put rope and sign lines around the mountain, it's physically impossible. If you're not sure then you can always ask a friend or a patroller."

As well as potentially holding up avalanche work, MacFarlane said the mountains are concerned that someone will be hurt or killed. As well, the patrollers themselves could be endangered if people above them start avalanches, or they have to ski into an area that hasn't been controlled to stop or rescue someone who shouldn't be there.

Accidents do happen. On Dec. 31, 2008 and Jan. 1 2009, there were avalanches within ski area boundaries on Whistler and Blackcomb that resulted in two deaths. Both victims were skiing in areas that were closed by ski patrol because of the avalanche risk.

Sittlinger emphasized that there are usually good reasons why an area remains closed, even if it's not obvious to skiers and boarders.

"Wednesday (Feb. 16) was a good example," he said. "We had 42 cm on Blackcomb and 35 cm on Pig Alley, and once the public was up there it seemed like everyone was following traverses to get a little higher. You couldn't glide that day, there was too much, so patrollers were breaking trail into areas and people were following. People were coming up to the patrollers and asking what was taking so long because there wasn't much avalanche activity, but from our side it was step by step - it took one of our teams an hour-and-a-half to go up Road Runner, when that traverse is usually four to six minutes for a good skier."

MacFarlane acknowledged that communication is an issue, and that there is some frustration from the public when lifts take a while to open. However, while they want to provide more information to the public, he said it's difficult.

"The only person with the final say on when (an area) is going to open is the forecaster of the day on either mountain, and there's a lot of moving parts trying to get that systematically taken care of," he said.

"If there was an explosive dud it would cause a hang up, for instance. And for patrollers cycling by (the lift lines), sometimes they're doing work on one area and as such don't have all the information. We've told people it was going to be 15 minutes, but it hasn't opened until an hour later - we've been stung many times trying to give information to people in the lineups."

Tabetha Boot, public relations coordinator for Whistler Blackcomb, said the resort is working to get more information out to the skiing public via smart phones and their Facebook page.

"We want our Facebook page to be a source of information for people, and to provide a little more context on a daily basis as to what's going on, on the mountains - especially on heavy snow days," she said. "(Information like) what patrol is working to open, or the conditions, or wind speeds where it won't be feasible to open the alpine. We want to paint a better picture to help people plan their day on the mountains."

More serious than the lost passes is the possibility that less of the mountains may be open in the future.

The worst-case scenario, MacFarlane said, is that the mountains may have to change the way lifts are opened if people continue to access avalanche areas.

"We can't be everywhere babysitting (the people) behind us, because we're ahead of them trying to get the terrain open... god forbid that it will change things and we won't be able to open terrain in the manner we are today," he said.

For example, if people are using Jersey Cream to access the Glacier and Crystal areas, then Jersey Cream will remain closed until those areas are ready to open. If people are using 7th Heaven to access the Glacier area, then that chair may stay closed until those other areas are open as well.

"Our mandate is to open those lifts in a safe manner for everyone," said Sittlinger.