Ski resort taking comments on uphill policy

After an outpouring of opposition to a new policy that restricts winter uphill traffic at Whitefish Mountain Resort, the resort has opened a one-month public-comment period on the hiking restrictions.

Resort spokesman Donnie Clapp said the resort and U.S. Forest Service received a mountain of feedback after announcing the policy last week.

Many of the comments have centered around finding a safe way to continue uphill traffic in the evenings.

The new policy went into effect Monday, restricting uphill “skinning” after hours and limiting uphill traffic to the Toni Matt run from 6:30 a.m. until the resort closes for the day and the ski patrol has conducted a sweep of the mountain.

In the fall, no uphill climbing will be allowed before the ski season begins.

Large groups of people hiked to the summit in the light of the full moon on both Saturday and Sunday.

“There were several employees there each time, most off-duty,” Clapp said. “We didn’t expect any problems, nor did we see any.”

Clapp said it was more of a “swan song” than a protest.

“As much as anything, they wanted to show us that the majority of uphill traffic is responsible and conscientious,” he said. “They did, and we appreciate that.

Resort and Forest Service officials collaborated on the policy that is aimed at reducing dangerous behavior such as skiing too close to grooming machines or near winch-cat cables.

Clapp said if a safety hazard is identified within the resort’s permit boundary, the resort has an obligation to respond under the terms of its special-use permit with the Flathead National Forest.

But officials hope to receive ideas from the public-comment period that will lead to a policy that is more amenable to everyone.

Comments will be taken until April 4, the last day of the ski season.

“We’ve all been talking to a lot of people, on the phone, on Web sites like Facebook, through e-mail and in person, and have come across some good ideas,” Clapp said in a press release. “We’re not completely satisfied with this policy, and neither are our users. We had to put something in place quickly because there was some very dangerous activity going on that needs to stop, but we’re very open to improving it.”

Enforcement of the restrictions will be handled by the resort within the administrative boundary of its permit, Forest Service spokeswoman Denise Germann said. The federal agency will assist the resort as needed, she said, but added that much of the agency’s role will involve the snow ranger and other personnel providing public awareness of the dangers associated with uphill travel.

The resort has posted the new policy on its Web site, but does not specify how citations or fines will be handled.

“Right now, we are not focusing on enforcement as much as education,” Clapp said on Tuesday. “However, if someone were to get aggressive with a groomer, security or other staff member, or repeatedly choose not to follow the policy, we would consider calling the Forest Service or the Sheriff’s Office. What we will be doing for sure is doing a better job of recording incidents, infractions and who was involved.”

The new policy immediately hit a nerve with skiers who have long enjoyed climbing Big Mountain after hours.

A skier who now lives in Seattle e-mailed the Daily Inter Lake to say he’s saddened to see the change.

“The resort operates on property owned by all of us, and I am hesitant to embrace restrictions on how the public is allowed to use public property,” he wrote.

Another reader who has skinned the mountain for more than two decades said Big Mountain “has had a long history of flexible tolerance” toward new and different ways of using the mountain.

“Out-of-bounds skiing, telemarking, snowboarding, freestyling — each in their turn — have caused conflict and dire predictions and then gone on to acceptance, integration and enrichment of mountain community, resort life and valley business,” the reader e-mailed. “All were integrated with small changes and adjustments.”

The majority of evening uphill climbers act responsibly and don’t pose a safety hazard, Clapp said, but resort policy must address the minority who are endangering themselves and others.

“If we can come up with a way to allow uphill access in the evenings, it will almost definitely involve relying on the uphill community to police itself, and to educate and correct those that aren’t following the rules,” Clapp said in a prepared statement. “So we’re very interested to see how well that community does with the current rules.”

 Public comments will be shared with the Forest Service and will be analyzed after the ski season ends.

To submit a comment or suggestion pertaining to uphill traffic within Whitefish Mountain Resort’s special permit boundary, send written submissions by April 4 to: Whitefish Mountain Resort, attn: Uphill Traffic Policy, P.O. Box 1400, Whitefish, MT 59937; or e-mail pr@skiwhitefish.com.

 Features editor Lynnette Hintze may be reached at 758-4421 or by e-mail at lhintze@dailyinterlake.com