CBMR adding new protocol for terrain openings

Skiers and riders packing beacons will get first ups on the High Lift and NFL

With season snowfall totals reaching 144-plus inches Monday at the ski area, the rumor mill is starting to spin. On Monday, the buzz in the lift line was “I heard the Headwall is opening.” Nope, not quite yet. And when it does, there will be a whole new set of rules for accessing the steeps.

In anticipation of opening the “Extreme Limits” as conditions permit, the Crested Butte Ski Patrol has created new guidelines for terrain openings that will apply throughout the season, starting now. The new protocol goes into effect immediately, and according to CBMR, has been designed to create greater awareness of the inherent risk in skiing and riding extreme terrain. The resort says it also wants to recognize those who take extra precautions that can be helpful in the instance of an in-bounds slide.
As CBMR explained in a press release, “While snow safety and mitigation efforts reduce the risk of avalanches, slides may still occur at ski areas, both inside and outside posted boundaries. Avalanches are an inherent risk of the sport due to the nature of snow and its presence on steep mountainous terrain.”
The all-out frenzy that takes place at rope drops is a thing of the past; patrol will be more proactive in managing the flow of skiers/riders into the extremes this winter. Here’s the new protocol:

• Ski Patrol will allow skiers and riders with transceivers (avalanche beacons) to enter first at terrain openings.
• Ski Patrol will now use a gate rather than a rope lifting or dropping to allow more space between skiers and riders.
• When the gate is open, skiers and riders will proceed, one at a time, through the gate.
• Any ducking of ropes will result in the loss of lift passes and a delay in the opening of terrain for everyone.
• Ski Patrol will be stationed at High lift and North Face lift on terrain opening and re-opening days and skiers and riders with transceivers will load the lift first; Patrol will manage a designated lift line in each instance.
• Ski Patrol will be present at all terrain openings, or re-openings throughout the season.
Ski Patrol Director Erik Forsythe explained how things will line up at the High Lift and North Face Lift openings. “We will have patrollers at these openings checking for beacons. At lift openings (High Lift and NFL) we will have an “Avalanche Beacon Users Only” line that will load the lift before other lines are allowed to alternate into the mix. This policy will be in effect all season. Any time we are opening or re-opening terrain initially or after new snow and/or any time the public has gathered awaiting terrain opening with potential avalanche danger, no matter how slight, we will be providing avalanche beacon users with access to that terrain ahead of those without.”
Ken Stone, chief operating officer at CBMR, explained the impetus behind the changes. “We are all excited about the incredible snow Mother Nature has provided already this season,” he said. “As resort operators we are constantly focused on the safety of our guests and with this new policy we hope to encourage courtesy and preparedness. Tackling the Extremes should not be taken lightly; this terrain demands respect and focused attention.”
Is this a shift towards treating the Extremes as sidecountry, or lift-accessed backcountry? Forsythe said no. “I would not say that we are starting to treat the Extremes as ‘sidecountry.’ We have not changed our attitude regarding avalanche mitigation inside our boundary. We are implementing this policy in an effort to add an extra measure of precaution, based on the reality that no avalanche mitigation can eliminate 100% of the risk.”