BC Etiquette

Right up there with booting the skin track...
Don't ski directly over my ski tracks.-Unless there is very limited terrain or high avy dangers that merit this. Save the spooning for the bedroom. Spooning seems of a bit of overkill and takes the individual art out of skiing adding to much conformity. Just don't ski over every bodies tracks. I think for inexperienced skiers or mountainiers it makes them feel safer to do that.

I do think to stop and check on the ski partners when the terrain/snowpack merits the danger. I have to figure the time it would take to have me re-skin and get to a partner that is buried or missing.

A lot of snowboarders have this inherent need to slide over and down a bootpack. I'm not sure what the need to do that is, but it needs to stop! There will be untracked snow right next to the bootpack and for some reason they have to slide down the bootpack. ???

my understanding of bc etiquette also includes that group members should form a grid search

Only one person should perform the "grid" or as it is more properly described the "fine" search.

Others should assemble their shovels, probes and generally just stand around bitching about that guy that passed them on the way to the hill this morning while they were attempting to enforce a more moral speed limit. It also acceptable for them to beat down on the guy trying to perform a back up fine search who is actually just getting in the f*****g way. Obviously metal shovels are the preferred tool for this.

If you are taking a lunch break atop some line and I come along... I may ski it.  It is your line once you ski it.  
It is my line if I ski it.  Take your lunch at the bottom if it is important to you.   :

Agreed.  Therefore I will continually urge you to take your lunch at the top.

If someone abandons the tour for perception of danger the entire group need not always retreat in unison.  If it is reasonable, go back the way you came... you are a big boy and if you are not, how did you end up touring with me in dangerous conditions?

I set the best track that I can and not the best track that the least capeable person in the area is likely to come across.

I abandoned a tour I was on and retreated alone because the others I was with thought I was being too concerned about the slide potential.  I recall it vividly...it was the Sunday the three snowboarders died at Crystal a few years ago.  Needless to say, although I agree about your "big boy" comment, I will also never tour with those folks again.  I don't have kids or a wife or crazy financial assests, but I'd still rather be safe than sorry and ski another day.

However, I think setting a steep skin track deters other groups from following and if that's the case, then I like that idea.

However, I think setting a steep skin track deters other groups from following and if that's the case, then I like that idea.

I set a steep skintrack to the Bad Ass Shoulder once to detour others. Only to find that the skiers without BC gear just sidestepped up my steep skin track-Go Figure more power to em :

BC etiquette:
F-most of it.
If you are taking a lunch break atop some line and I come along... I may ski it.  It is your line once you ski it. 
It is my line if I ski it.  Take your lunch at the bottom if it is important to you.   :

I set the best track that I can and not the best track that the least capeable person in the area is likely to come across.

Note that on the skin track, I stressed setting a track that ones party members can cope well with, and added a bit about taking pride even in what you leave for others (fully realizing that pride in workmanship is fast becoming a thing of the past). On the steepness, I've seen fast steep folks take much longer to reach the top than they would have otherwise due to problems that some of their party members were having (lost skins, blisters...) that could have easily been avoided with a slightly mellower track. Now of course I also believe in not just dropping lagging/struggling party members during the climb. If one f-s that bit of protocol, then my skin track logic makes no sense for them.

As for the lunch break thing, that was my compromise on the "if you get to the top of my track, please move on to a new area rule" silliness. But in retrospect, I don't think I'd mind if you scooted ahead of me, nor would I pass on a great line as you sauteed your sausages if I were ready to go. So fair BS-calling on that one.

And sure, I went a bit far in using the term "spoon turns," but geez, can't we at least try to be a little mindful of leaving some canvas for others to paint by thinking factoring that in just a touch into line selection?

As an aside, I sense some irony in the contrast between the desire from some for BC etiquette, but a desire for a complete pass on any notion of netiquette.

Right up there with booting the skin track...
Don't ski directly over my ski tracks.-Unless there is very limited terrain or high avy dangers that merit this.

Do you mean your downhill tracks?? I understand people's desire not to have some inconsiderate and unworthy gaper that just followed the righteous and truly hardcore trailbreaker to the ultimate secret stash 'steal' first tracks. I don't really understand not wanting somebody to ski a slope after you, though. Are you preserving your tracks for later admiration? How much of a buffer should be left around your tracks?

Or do you mean skiing down over the skin track?