Hoping to deter further violations of the uphill ski policy at Whitefish Mountain Resort, the U.S. Forest Service is increasing its ability to enforce the regulations through citations.
The Flathead National Forest recently received approval to issue $100 citations to anyone who violates the uphill policy on Big Mountain. Repeat offenders face stiffer penalties, according to agency spokesperson Wade Muehlhof.
Previously, the Forest Service could only issue a citation to anyone who approached within 100 feet of grooming machines, whether stationary or moving. Now the agency can cite skiers who violate any aspect of the policy, including disobeying the approved routes or designated hours.
“We had a policy that we couldn’t enforce. It was frustrating to the mountain and frustrating to us,” Muehlhof said. “Now we actually have a tool to enforce the policy.”
Discussions have taken place in the past year about changing the uphill policy and possibly banning skiers from traveling uphill on skins during the winter ski season. Whitefish Mountain Resort is one of 122 ski areas across the country operating on U.S. Forest Service land under a special use permit. It is also one of a few ski resorts in the region that allows people to ascend ski runs and ski down for free. The activity has become increasingly popular at the resort, but there have also been several run-ins in recent years, prompting concern among resort officials and forest managers.
Last February, a ski patroller encountered a male and a female skier on the summit of Big Mountain. The patroller told the skiers that avalanche work was underway in the Hellroaring Basin and East Rim areas and asked the skiers to travel down the Toni Matt route. The same skiers were later given the same warning by a second patroller. Soon after, in Hellroaring Basin, the skiers were seen descending the closed slope near where an explosive charge was about to be deployed. The patrollers were able to extinguish the explosive before anyone was hurt.
“Last year is when this issue really came to a head,” Muehlhof said. “Those people could’ve really gotten injured. After that the mountain asked us to help them with this issue, and the best way we could help is through this special order that beefs up our enforcement ability.”
Riley Polumbus, spokesperson for the resort, said there continues to be reports of people skinning up the mountain after hours or veering off designated routes, creating a dangerous situation while machines operate on the mountain.
“We have grooming crews that are on the mountain from 4:30 p.m. to 8 a.m., and that’s why we have the routes we have and when we have them,” she said. “Getting close to those groomers is very dangerous. We’re trying to keep everyone as safe as possible.”
Muehlhof said if the problem persists and people continue to violate the policy, changes could be made that bar uphill travel.
“We’re really hoping the community of uphill ski travelers will take this seriously,” Flathead National Forest Supervisor Chip Weber said in a statement. “It’s very important to the Forest Service to continue to provide access to public lands, but we have to do that in a way that’s safe to the skiers and the folks at the resort. If people follow the policy, that opportunity will continue. But if people continue to violate that policy, we’re going to have to revisit the issue.”
Whitefish Mountain Resort and the Forest Service established a formal policy for uphill travel in 2010.
During the ski season, uphill traffic is limited to two routes on Big Mountain: Toni Matt and the East Route. The Toni Matt Route follows that run from the lift plaza to the summit and is marked by red diamonds and an arrow. It is open to uphill traffic from 6 a.m. to 4 p.m.
The East Route begins at the Base Lodge, crosses the bridge toward the ski and ride school and clinic and ascends lower Inspiration, Expressway, Moe-Mentum and Fill Hill to the summit. It’s open from 9 a.m. to 7 p.m. There are no route restrictions before or after ski season.
“I think there’s still a lot of people who need to familiarize themselves with the policy and follow it,” Polumbus said.
Click here to read the policy.