March 9, 2011 Take Responsibility For Your Actions

Please explain why the ski area is entitled to $$$ for the S&R (WACs and RCWs).

Depending on how they word the signage now they passed the law to fine anyone who enters a closed area $1000, so there will be some future backing from WAC and RCW.

But in this case It's pretty simple.
A) The guy skied under the area boundary ropes out of the SUP.
He called for help outside the SUP area. So any support would have to be done with hourly Patrol employees working overtime.
C) He agreed on the phone to pay the cost overtime for Patrol to get his sorry butt out of a predicament.
D) He welshed on his agreement and basically gave the finger to the people who helped him.

If he was in the area they probably would not have charged him, but he is out of the area so the cost is on him.

Following up with charges or litigation would be more costly for the mountain, so why pursue it?
That dude just won't be able to ever buy a ticket or pass there again and that is the biggest penalty in my mind.

Then, the "fine" is essentially un-enforcable if the ski area doesn't want to step up to the plate.

The ski area should then "Take Responsibility for its own Inaction."

Or do what ski areas in other states do and have a law enforcement officer waiting at the base when the offender is brought back...

hourly Patrol employees working overtime.

Maybe. Maybe not. Ski areas don't pay overtime until 56 hours. Whether strait time or OT, you're only talking about a bill of $50-$80 for two guys for a couple hours. Small potatoes. And for that they saw fit to publically shame Mr. Price and make an example out of him. The Crystal patrol, assuming they take some pride in their work, could have found a classier way to handle this. Not naming Mr. Price in a blog, d-bag or no, would have been a good place to start.

Can we expect to see proposed legislation from Crystal that mandates rescue fees?

Then, the "fine" is essentially un-enforcable if the ski area doesn't want to step up to the plate. 

The ski area should then "Take Responsibility for its own Inaction."

Or do what ski areas in other states do and have a law enforcement officer waiting at the base when the offender is brought back...

There is no fine in this case. Just charging for service, overtime/labor. It's a service that was offered to rescue someone who called in need so not sure where you are thinking about a fine?
If you really want to troll the issue everyone needs to be responsible for their own actions and you can OJ Simpson your way in believing anything you want. But a dude welshed on his promise and from the sounds of it, I get the feeling that you think that is OK too.
I think duct taping him to the outside of the gondola for the day would have been a better penance.
As Hyakbc knows, but probably forgot that the patrollers were working over 6 days and many, many hours that week with the search for Melby and just adding this on top of the list of hours and tired patrol. Think not of the hours but the fatigue and risk that they place on the patrol too.

With the new law that can not be enforced in this case, if the signage is properly placed he could be fined and hauled away by local authorities in the future. I was against this law tooth and nail, still am and wrote every Senator in the state to voice my opinion against the law.

So essentially the ski area is having a hissy fit over a client not wanting to make a voluntary contribution?

The hours and compensation are issues for the ski area to work out internally and if part of the problem is a result of the patrol being pushed beyond their limits, then ski area management should consider a review of labor policies...


... or have the land manager look at the operating agreement.

walking out on deal such as this warrants a public shaming. my guess is that naming that loser on a blog was Kirchners' call, not patrols. I'd be inclined to hang wanted posters around town..