Vail ice climbing restrictions next year???

I was climbing in Vail this past Friday, and on my way back to my car I was stopped by a guy CC skiing from the nordic ski center. He started giving me and my partner shit about walking on their groomed track (which we weren't, we were off to the side of the track). He said ice climbers have been causing all kinds of problems walking on the track, he said a handicap skier took out a couple climbers a few weeks before. He told me that we are going to have to start parking at the Nordic ski center next year and pay a fee and then walk all the way over from there. Does anyone have any info on this??? This raises a few questions, does the nordic center own the property we approach on? If they start making us pay, are they going to then groom us a trail for our approach or at least not bitch if we use their trail? Couldn't the skier have run down another skier rather than an ice climber if a skier had been in his/her way? Are all people that work at the nordic ski center douche bags or was this an isolated incident?
Dont get me wrong, I can respect that these guys find this sport cool, and they have a nice little track to play on, but we were walking way off to the side of the groomed section where the only reason you would be if you were skiing is if you were about to crash into the bank or do an awesome jump over the bank.

They can bitch all they want, the nordic center & the skiers don't own the pumphouse and the community supports climbing access; hell, they even dedicated a footbridge, that the skiers use as well, to Sue.

No -- we do not have to park at the nordic center to climb ice.

Now, we also should respect their activity and not stomp out the parallel ski tracks which is what they are complaining about; which can be attributable more to Joe Q Public just walking around. Frankly, NO, you did not experience an isolated incident. I've been accosted more for respecting their activity simply by my existence along side their activity than I have received a nod of thanks for not disturbing them -- if this is how they are going to act, then ... something, something, something, & something else.

I worked up at Vail years ago. There are a lot of great people in the community there. Because it is "Vail" there are also a lot of self important A-holes I run into around town and on the slopes. My advise, just shrug it off. The Vail valley is also home to some big time, high profile millionaire type mountaineers, I doubt they are going to sit by and let access to the ice be impeded. Some people up there think they are more important than they actually are.

Ditto the last poster. We actually went to the nordic center last year to ask about access and talked to a very nice woman who was very helpful. They only ask that we use the designated and marked trails for climbers. Being a
track skier myself, please be careful of the flat-groomed skating lane as well as the parallel track. As for the alleged accident, aren't all skiers supposed to ski in control - disabled or not? (not very PC I admit)

I guess you all caught me after a helping of crab-ass!
not that I'm gonna tell you how I really feel....

I was up at vail this past weekend. We parked at the booth creek trail head. Its not much farther then any other parking I know of and there's no fees or worries of anyone hassling you. When we walked in, we were easily able to stay off the ski trail the whole way in an out. God know's there's plenty of signs.

These were really easy things to do, and I think they go a long way to promoting good relations between ice climbers and Vail residents.

Is "snowshoe trail" an oxymoron?

Chris Sheridan wrote:When we walked in, we were easily able to stay off the ski trail the whole way in an out. God know's there's plenty of signs. These were really easy things to do, and I think they go a long way to promoting good relations between ice climbers and Vail residents.

Thats my point, I wasn't on their trail, but I wasn't going to post hole throught the deepest section of snow either. It doesn't sound like they are trying to promote very good relations as the guy was very specific to ice climbers, he didn't say one word to the snowshoer who walked past us as we were talking, I mean getting lectured.

It'll freak the crap out of people who know me that it's me saying this, but sometimes, it's the people who are rude to us that we need to be nicest to. Leading by example and all that. Better than convincing them that we ice climbers are a rude and nasty bunch (even if we are! ;^) (I'm not accusing Dan of being nasty back to the guy either).

ya mean a tool upside the head is a bad thing? Nah....

Lady, sometimes those ice chunks just avy all the way down the hill; on their own and such. Vail can be a sketchy place at times, ya know what I mean?