Skiing the Glades Alone

Coach's post in another thread got me thinking.

Signs at Gore and other mountains (?) ask you not to ski alone in the trees.

Do you follow this guideline?

EDIT: I realize now I forgot to have "I don't ski the trees" as an option, please use "Other" for that.

Do you ski alone in the trees?

Yes, don't think twice about it.

No, would never do it.

Try not to but will do it if it's the only option.

Other, explain below.

Login to vote   

You cannot change your vote after voting.
You have to vote before you can see the results.

My wife worries a lot when I go out by myself. I too have gotten more cautious about going on back country tours alone. Over the last several seasons I find myself going less and less alone. The injury I suffered this past spring and the 3 month heal time has led me to realize I am not as young as I used to be - damn it.

I'd say it depends

I've skied in bounds glades that have lots of traffic at WF by myself.  I would not ski the off map stuff that does not get traffic or patrolled alone.  No way no how would I ski back country alone.

i have also skied in bound glades alone, in the morning or early afternoon. i'm usually gassed by 2:00.
the worst part of skiing alone is the chairlift ride.

Good point I also would think twice dong it late in the day

 ummm not sure how to vote  
My wife says I need to up my life insurance

You been talkin old. How old

Did ya hear about the State senator the other day who proposed implanting prisoners with chips so that could find them after an escape? Yup, brilliant! That's what we skiers need. And maybe a flare or two.

Thacheronix wrote

You been talkin old. How old

Old enough to know better. Let's just say, my first car was a 56 bird - 330V8 - cherry red with a white removable hard top - sweet.

Guess I shouldn't but, I ski 80% percent of the time by myself. I don't care if the glades are on the map or off, I'll ski them. If I got hurt on some of my runs at Powder Mountain last March they would still be looking for me.You know how much skier traffic there is  when you can still ski untracked a week after a storm. I think I need to carry a whistle.

I would not ski PowMo by myself

When we go out west my son and I both carry whistles so we can locate each other in the woods

Whistles are a good idea! Going to get some.

We finally got radios this year and I tell you, what a difference that made. After losing our son once in the woods, and spending what seemed like forever finding him, we decided it was time we got radios and used them.

As for going in the woods alone - I have done it many times and only on busy days and in marked woods where the woods are patrolled.  At Mad River a couple of years ago, we were in a group, skiing off the top in some dense wood onto creamery, we split and I went into a tree well. I was in head first but, managed to move and get my head out of the snow. I was stuck in about 3 feet of snow, on a steep slope. I yelled and yelled and nobody heard me at all. After a few minutes, I started to worry since this was not a marked trail and it was already late in the day, and snowing.

I started to push my body downhill a bit and then the snow slid, like a mini avalanche and was able to get my legs in a position where I can push more out, head first sadly.  After about 15 minutes I got out and there was my son and friends waiting at the adjoining trail worried. One went to get patrol and none of them could here me. They were maybe 100 feet away but, it was windy.  So, after that I told myself that it's not really worth the risk.

Whistle is attached to the zipper of my butt bag. From many places at Gore (but not nearly all) a whistle could be heard. I also carry ear plugs to protect my ears from repeated blowing (and also snowmaking).  I wouldn't go out on the ridge at Plattekill alone. You'd never hear a whistle from out there.

Wasn't really thinking about backcountry in this case, but interested in all answers.  I was thinking inside the boundaries.

I actually think I am safer on my own.  I have a hard time finding people I can truly ski with in the trees.  Most of the people I ski with are better and faster than I am.  I take more chances skiing with others, trying to keep up.

When I ski alone, I ski much more deliberately, slower and I feel safer.  I rarely crash when on my own.

I was thinking "I only do it when I have to" but it's often." Ultimately I chose "I don't think about it."

Reality is I live for tree skiing and I'd do a lot less if I had refused to do it alone.  Been busted by Gore Patrol for it too. Maybe stupid, but life is short, I'm skiing the trees.  

(Neve, if you are reading this, my account was hacked.)

I worry about this with my kids. I firmly tell them not to go in alone, but that doesn't mean a whole lot. I put a whistle in their coat in the beginning of the winter. I also put some sort of small light up device, something that you can find at an EMS checkout. If patrol is looking for them towards the end of the day and the sun is setting, a device that can signal with light might locate them sooner. Other than that, I keep my fingers crossed...

I'll ski in trees or whatever in bounds solo but I don't push it much. I don't really like skiing alone any more unless it's a powder day or there is just really fun conditions. I don't really feel threatened skiing in bounds at the Snowbowl. In the back country I would still tour solo but it wouldn't be doing anything risky, I really only do that to go on scouting missions. Skiing alone just isn't that fun to me, I love skiing but I love sharing the experience with friends even more.

raisingarizona wrote

I'll ski in trees or whatever in bounds solo but I don't push it much. I don't really like skiing alone any more unless it's a powder day or there is just really fun conditions. I don't really feel threatened skiing in bounds at the Snowbowl. In the back country I would still tour solo but it wouldn't be doing anything risky, I really only do that to go on scouting missions. Skiing alone just isn't that fun to me, I love skiing but I love sharing the experience with friends even more.

Roger that BIG TIME. Speaking of sharing a skiing experience, what is your nearest mountain and how far are you from Phoenix..

I will ski in-bounds glades or easy BC alone but I do think twice about it and ski very conservatively. When skiing the woods around home, I carry cell phone and whistle, even though cell service is spotty in some places. Last year, I did a solo trip to Jay and took a SPOT messenger. They are not perfect though, one of the "I'm OK" messages I sent from Timbuktu did not go through, which may have been due to tree cover.

@ Harv: if you are laying in the snow with a broken femur that whistle on your butt bag is next to useless. Put it on a lanyard around your neck (under the outer layer), or in your jacket's chest pocket where you can reach it easily.

I almost always ski alone--in trees or not. And I carry a whistle as well in my outside chest pocket so I can get to it easily if I ever need it. One of those multi-purpose utility whistles with a small LED light, compass, magnifier, and such.

As for my kids, they always go in the trees with others--never alone. And I've actually started trying to break the habit of taking them in the unmarked. Even if the unmarked coverage is good and easy to access--and they're strong skiers, I finally accepted the fact that it just sent the wrong message as a parent. When they get older and are more capable of making informed, rational decisions and understanding the risks, then they can go unmarked if they want. But to follow me blindly in because "I said it's ok" wasn't something I could continue...

first of all harvey its called a fanny pack. second why is everyone skiing alone me included? there has to be a better way

True. And the whistle is probably worthless with a head or chest injury.

I'm not truly choosing to ski alone, it's just that if I do it, I get much more tree skiing.  If Zelda and Neve quit at one and I've got two hours on my own, I'm headed for the trees if they are in play.  Sure I look for peeps, but I'm going in regardless.