House Bill 5186

This is entertaining
blog.seattlepi.com/seattlepolitics/archives/236606.asp

The newspaper article is very SILLY. I doubt a judge would ever enforce a $1000 fine for dropping your ski pole off the chair lift or accidentally skiing across a Jbar path.


If you read the bill it sounds like they are trying to make the "skiers code of conduct" a law.

When the ski area closes an area in-bounds, it is for grooming, avi control, lift ops, a ski race, or other man-made hazzard. They also close areas with extreme hazards like cliffs, waterfalls, and runs with too many hidden dangers. This law is just making it illegal for you to disregard the closures. 

If a skier is injured by another skier, the skier who "broke code" can be held accountable in a court of law. Examples of illegal skiing would include skiing out of control, stopping (or skinning uphill) in a blind spot, loosing control of your ski/snowboard because you dont have a leash, throwing your ski pole off the lift.

Thankfully the bill does not require you to take a swim test before you are allowed in the deep end and it is still OK to skin up the left hand side of quicksilver chair.  :

Jackson hole has a open gate policy 100% of the time and it seems to work

I would contend that they also do not have 6 lanes of concrete connecting them to a major metropolitan city within a 60 mile radius either. That level of access invites higher than normal level of participants, some educated and equipped, others not so much.

I would contend that they also do not have 6 lanes of concrete connecting them to a major metropolitan city within a 60 mile radius either. That level of access invites higher than normal level of participants, some educated and equipped, others not so much.

Good point, but then again, several of Jackson's gates are on the edge of blue runs, with thousands of (non BC equipped) tourists from all over the country/world shussing by.

A lot of people do not understand the bill as evidenced by everybody ,and I mean every single person in my office coming up saying that I won't be able to backcountry ski anymore from Crystal which is not correct.
The bill as I understand it specifically relates to those that enter areas in a SKI AREA that are CLOSED by patrol.
I agree that its stupid but it doesn't seem to me be a backcountry issue.

However, it says if you are a member of the National Ski Patrol you wil have the right to investigate.........Can volunteers or even people that don't work at a ski area become members of the National Ski Patrol ?????
If so, I'm going to join so I can investigate people!

True, true...

But then, I have yet to see such a comprehensive array of signs by any of the Alpental gates either.  

Seriously and I'm sure that reasonable minds could debate this all day long, however I'm thinking that the regular audience (Local/tourist) at Jackson presents a different dynamic than a "drive time" audience with quick and easy access to a local mountain?

Scots - Agree, this is only about discouraging people from poaching closed areas.
That said, cant wait to see you doing toboggan drill in a candidates class 

Scots - Agree, this is only about discouraging people from poaching closed areas.
That said, cant wait to see you doing toboggan drill in a candidates class 

Well according to this I can sign up and take some classes and become a National Ski Patrol Investigator or should it be NPS Detective?? www.nsp.org/about/joiningnsp.aspx
Will I be allowed to have a tazer???? I'd like that...... I could investigate poachers, ski after them... tazer them at the bottom and wait for the Sherrif while using my Voile ski straps to handcuff them.
I like it!