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  1. #1

    Default Hike Up, Ski Down

    Does anyone have a list of trails that you can hike up and then ski down the adjacent ski resort? Also do ski resorts mind if you do this, without paying for a pass?

  2. #2
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    People do this at Wildcat Mountain all the time. I understand there are trails going down the "back side" of Wildcat to the town of Jackson, but I've also seen people X-C skiing down Polecat on the front side. (Polecat is the long, winding cat-trail cut for beginner skiers.) Wildcat is open for skiing as I write this.

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    Registered User egilbe's Avatar
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    Sugarloaf comes to mind. I think they charge $10 to access the trails. Saddleback was closed last year, but you can still walk up the mountain.

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    Back country skiers (including myself, sometimes) do this all the time in Colorado. Most (all?) Colorado ski areas are actually on public lands (mostly national forest), and non lift-riding skiers have as much right to be on the slopes as lift-riding-paying customers. One pays a fee at ski areas to ride the lifts, no fee required to ski the runs. I suspect this is similar at a lot of eastern ski areas, but folks in the east can correct me, it's only a guess.

  5. #5

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    Wildcat requires backcountry skiers and hikers to buy a special pass for access and full pass if someone plans to ski down the slopes. They started enforcing this 3 years ago. It is on national forest land but the area is leased by the resort from the USFS and as part of their special use permit they get to control who can enter the ski area. The cost for liability insurance of guests is quite high and a hiker of skier heading down the ski area and getting hurt is just as likely to sue. It just a lot easier to check for ski passes as lift lines. Other local ski areas reportedly are less vigilant about skiers skinning up. I have met folks climbing Cannon from the backside and skiing down and it seems to happen frequently at Tecumseh. One of the issues at Wildcat is there is popular backcountry ski terrain adjacent to the resort that folks use the ski trails in the AM to access but there were reportedly numerous folks who were heading up and grabbing first tracks in the AM. If someone really wants to background here is a link to a very long thread on VFTT http://www.vftt.org/forums/showthrea...t=wildcat+pass

    Of course there is always Tuckerman's Ravine and the Sherburne trail along with Doublehead. There was an article in the local paper this weekend regarding a group that is trying to restore the historical CCC trails in the area.

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    ^^^

    Ski area operating under special use permits not only have the reponsibility (in the US) to control access in and out, but also get to tell you what you can and cannot do on their land. Duck a rope... get thrown off , even banned. Slide downhill on wrong type equipment...get thrown off. etc.

    Access backcountry from thier property any way but at a controlled gate....you can be arrested and charged. This is because of our sue happy society that refuses to accept blame for their own stupidity, and puts the blame on the property owner.

    So while it is public land. You cant necessarilly do anything you like. You can do what you are allowed to do.
    Last edited by MuddyWaters; 11-26-2016 at 22:04.

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    No foot access allowed on Waterville Valley slopes. Used to be that anyone snowshoeing or skinning up had to have a pass (even if not using the lifts), but I haven't checked this year whether even those are permitted (policies change often here). I suppose one could hike the Tecumseh Trail from the parking lot and ski down, but that's a heck of a brutal climb carrying ski gear. You'd have a better time elsewhere.

  8. #8

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    The hike up, ski down is generally preformed after the area has shut down but there are still some limited runs up high. Don't get hurt, at that point it's all on you.
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    Quote Originally Posted by Slo-go'en View Post
    The hike up, ski down is generally preformed after the area has shut down but there are still some limited runs up high. Don't get hurt, at that point it's all on you.
    Sometimes preseason as well with resort permission to consolidate snowpack. The perks of being a patroller or friend of.
    Last edited by MuddyWaters; 11-26-2016 at 23:01.

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    I have a close friend who routinely skis off-piste at Sunday River. He's gone out of his way to scout and blaze trails off the back side of those peaks. In some cases, involving a substantial hike or ride back to the ski area.

    The Wapac Trail in southern New Hampshire winds through a mile or so of a large cross-country ski area called Windblown. http://windblownxc.com/

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    I have skinned up Wildcat 2 Winters ago ( not including this one) and only needed their uphill ticket for one run down. Honestly, most will only go up once, maybe twice.

    Wildcat tends to be icy and hard/wind packed so i would be careful without metal edges or hard boots to hold the edge.

    Many ski areas are softening their rules as the sport of skinning up gains more converts.

    But last winter was a disaster... on the East Coast south of Bangor line.
    Let me go

  12. #12
    Registered User egilbe's Avatar
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    It was a good year for Saddleback to close its doors. I still cant believe all that ice.

  13. #13

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    Quote Originally Posted by kf1wv View Post
    No foot access allowed on Waterville Valley slopes. Used to be that anyone snowshoeing or skinning up had to have a pass (even if not using the lifts), but I haven't checked this year whether even those are permitted (policies change often here). I suppose one could hike the Tecumseh Trail from the parking lot and ski down, but that's a heck of a brutal climb carrying ski gear. You'd have a better time elsewhere.
    The Waterville valley foot access issue was mostly driven by a meetup group who were planning large sledding events during hours when the resort was in operation. There are folks who ski up the Mt Tecumseh trail and lot more that ski down it, especially the center section that runs parallel to the ski area. The trail is quite narrow in spots and is usually a chute without a lot of options to set out of the way. I have almost been hit a few times by skiers coming down.

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    As is common where trails meet civilization, I got lost. Next thing I know I'm walking up the main lift-line slope at Mt. Wachusett on my section hike of the MA Mid-state trail. It was early May and the ski season had just ended. So I got to choose between slushy mashed potato snow, or the slick, muddy margins just emerging from snow cover. A good share of my blue blazes are accidental like that.

    Agree with TSKozbol about the "skinners" at Wildcat. Most will probably not get more than one run (from the top) per day. Telemark gear is what's called for, not your skinny XC skis and soft boots. You'll need edging. Big time.

    The ski area itself claims 2112 feet of vertical. It was my #1 favorite years ago but nowadays I settle for Wachusett, a hella lot closer to home.

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    Just to point out Mt Greylock, Highpoint of MA, no lifts, but several ski trails exist and a emergency hut at the summit.

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