PSA Silver Basin is part of Crystal Ski Area

I don't see Crystal closing Silver Basin to *ALL* users and I think without fatalities resulting from an action attributable to Crystal's Employees e.g. using explosives for snow control that ends up burying uphill travellers -- it seems unlikely that such a closure against uphill travel would be enacted -- I also believe that such a closure action would be subject to review and public comment by the USFS.

Great. So when they are using explosives to make avalanches happen, don't skin up underneath them.

Just for clarity, the points I would like to make are:

1) Inside Crystal's permit area the ski patrol will use explosives and initiate avalanches.

2) Parties have approached active avalanche control work from below.

3) I consider this to be inappropriate behaviour.

4) Continuing this inappropriate behaviour will force the ski area to do something about it.

Just for clarity, the points I would like to make are:
...
2) Parties have approached active avalanche control work from below.

3) I consider this to be inappropriate behaviour.
...

Certainly -- As I've stated previously, I think the appropriate behavior is to check-in with the Crystal Mt Ski Patrol before heading up (and checkout with them when you leave)

Crystal's uphill policy crystalmountainresort.com/safety/uphill-travel/ contains the following

Crystal Mountain accepts no liability or responsibility for accidents that occur or as a result of uphill travel. RCW 4.24.210

and RCW 4.24.200 and 210 pretty well protects the landowner from recreational users getting killed on their land.

app.leg.wa.gov/rcw/default.aspx?cite=4.24.200

The purpose of RCW 4.24.200 and 4.24.210 is to encourage owners or others in lawful possession and control of land and water areas or channels to make them available to the public for recreational purposes by limiting their liability toward persons entering thereon and toward persons who may be injured or otherwise damaged by the acts or omissions of persons entering thereon.

app.leg.wa.gov/rcw/default.aspx?cite=4.24.210

So even if some knuckleheads chooses to ignore all the warning signs and gets killed/injured by a ski patrol triggered avalanche -- any lawsuit against the ski area would have a very tough go.

So even if some knuckleheads chooses to ignore all the warning signs and gets killed/injured by a ski patrol triggered avalanche -- any lawsuit against the ski area would have a very tough go.   

Right, but you still have to show up in court and pay a lawyer, there's a PR hit etc. etc. The law being on your side is only part of the equation. Plus, you've killed someone.

With all that as background, I'm quite sure they'll take the blowback you might get from a microscopic segment of the public railing about "this land is my land" and "the Man" over killing someone and winning in court.

There's all the incentive in the world for them to dissuade people from touring in their management area.

Certainly -- As I've stated previously, I think the appropriate behavior is to check-in with the Crystal Mt Ski Patrol before heading up (and checkout with them when you leave)

Crystal's uphill policy crystalmountainresort.com/safety/uphill-travel/ contains the following

and RCW 4.24.200 and 210 pretty well protects the landowner from recreational users getting killed on their land.

app.leg.wa.gov/rcw/default.aspx?cite=4.24.200

app.leg.wa.gov/rcw/default.aspx?cite=4.24.210

So even if some knuckleheads chooses to ignore all the warning signs and gets killed/injured by a ski patrol triggered avalanche -- any lawsuit against the ski area would have a very tough go.   

any lawsuit against the ski area would have a very tough go.

A good lawyer would try to establish gross negligence and then those disclaimers would be more or less worthless. Even if a lawsuit was tossed out as a result of a request for summary judgment, a ski area would be left with a very large bill for attorneys and depositions and whatever else had transpired up to that point. Provided the suit was brought in good faith, and that there was even a slightly reasonable basis for the suit, it would be probably very tough for a ski area to get fees awarded.

Not a lawyer, but spent far too much time around them. This is how they get trained and paid to think.

I thought I'd take this from the TAY facebook and put it on the main site.

A group skinned up into Silver Basin on Monday under active avalanche control work.

Other than being truly clueless about where you are travelling, why would anyone do this? Now that Crystal is open wall-to-wall that is a terrible place to tour. When the terrain is open to skiers there will be tons of people hurtling down at you, when it's closed AC work can commence at any time. If you don't know where the ski area boundary is, educate yourself. It's your responsibility.

If you hear explosions going off TURN AROUND!!! You could die and that's not cool.

I'm perplexed as to why this is an issue. There are warning lights throughout the base area that alert you to the fact that uphill travel is not allowed and/or AC work is going on. Call ski patrol or stop into their office in the base area.

Limiting uphill travel into Silver is on the table now thanks to these actions.

crystalmountainresort.com/safety/uphill-travel/

crystalmountainresort.com/safety/boundary-policy/

crystalmountainresort.com/safety/avalanche-safety/

Seriously.  And please remember this for Alpental too.  Last year, an early morning skinner shut the place down for the day.  He interfered with the active control work we were doing and put himself in a bad spot under the cliffs where 3 main shots go off.  The program was thrown off so severely that it made more sense to cease control efforts.  The power outage didn't help either.. Lose the 'this is my land' attitude and just use your head.  These measures are in effect for your safety and everybody elses.  Really bad shit can happen.  Or you could delay skiing for hundreds of people, just because 'you had the right to skin on your land'.
Check in with patrol and get the scoop on whats going on. It's really easy; The lifty can get them on the phone for you if they're all up top. They may tell you no, and why, or they may provide you with a safe travel route. This has become a more frequent issue, especially with the huge number of Seattle people getting into touring.