Backcountry Skiing Trail Etiquette

This thread suffers from terminology misunderstandings.  

A skin track on a skiable slope?  Not only does uphill traffic have the right-of-way, downhill traffic generally shouldn't even be skiing there, unless it is obvious there is no uphill traffic.

A low-angle exit route?  Entirely different story.  I exited Grizzly on Sunday also sclair.  The cat track is the accepted exit.  Uphill traffic should be single file and keeping their mouth shut.  Downhill traffic should slow down and not be an ass.  It's not difficult but condition dependent.  A narrower treed exit like Mill D is best managed if the uphill traffic steps off the track and lets the downhill traffic survive the exit, but it is up to the uphill skier to initiate this.  Most understand and do so.  If they don't I bear them no ill will.

Mark Pilate wrote:

We found the guy on the trail with his elbows out

You're clearly misunderstanding the situation I'm talking about 

Tumbling snowmobiles ALWAYS have the right of way. (Video gets interesting at about 45 seconds in.)

Edit: is it possible to start embedded videos at a certain time? I used the URL for a specific time, but that doesn't appear to have worked.

OMG we're famous!!!  well, at least John is...

https://www.outsideonline.com/2421791/backcountry-skiing-right-way

curt86irocwrote:

OMG we're famous!!!  well, at least John is...

https://www.outsideonline.com/2421791/backcountry-skiing-right-way

How this asinine drivel got published is beyond me.

Perry Norriswrote: I am having trouble visualizing the conflict. Who skis down the skin track?

Wins the Internet today!

I used to be pretty adamant about the person traveling uphill should have right of way... but that's because I was mostly a trail runner. Now that I mountain bike more, I am starting to think about it the other way.

First, I try to avoid going uphill against what is going to be downhill traffic having a great time. Not always possible, but where I mountain bike at RROS in COS, I know what trails I am going to encounter rowdy downhill traffic on, and I avoid uphill travel on them.

The person going downhill has also worked their butt off to get to the top. Let them have their fun on the way down.

I never try to run over anyone on the way down. If someone is struggling to get out of the way, then I don't worry about stopping. This even applies to the people who are letting their dogs wander off leash in the middle of the trail. They aren't right, but I am not going to let it ruin my day, or let any of us get hurt.

I think its an interesting game to try and get the facial and visual clues together so each of us can still go uphill and downhill at the same time; i.e. we were both skillful/clever enough to let each other use the trail simultaneously. Not everyone can do this. Its fun to see people freak out over this.

However, my final judgment call is based upon who is exerting the most effort. If you are going uphill, and I can tell you are turning yourself inside out with the effort, of course I am going to get out of your way. I respect what you are up to!

that article was pretty funny and good.  

My absolute favorite is people that linger in the runouts of steep ski trails and runs. The Breckinridge Nordic Center has a snowshoe trail that crosses one of their black cross country runs right in the runout zone. It's super awesome coming around that blind corner on Hang Ten and then having to ditch to avoid a couple just talking on the runout. 

Tim Stichwrote:

My absolute favorite is people that linger in the runouts of steep ski trails and runs. The Breckinridge Nordic Center has a snowshoe trail that crosses one of their black cross country runs right in the runout zone. It's super awesome coming around that blind corner on Hang Ten and then having to ditch to avoid a couple just talking on the runout. 

Meh, learn to ski better.

Nah, Learn to check better

brian burkewrote: same as biking and hiking.  uphill traveller have the right of way.

Actually downhill skiiers especially on narrow trails have right of way as often there isnt allways room to stop.  In the Adirondacks where there a long history of backcountry and xc skiing thats the official rule anyway.  Also nice up there mandatory snowshoes whenever there is snow on the ground wish that was the rule everywhere. Too many covid postholers.

It’s been established pretty well here that in the BC, in restricted maneuver areas, uphill travelers should defer to downhill traffic

The Outside article, while amusing, didn’t really add much clarification other than tacit acceptance of the above. 

People already pointed out that nordic skiing isn't AT skiing, right? And that the uphill thing didn't start with mountain biking, it's all travel and even works with cars across the pond?

(I did have a good time reading a few needless rage posts. But they were largely content free, so I'm not sure what already got said. And really, 7 pages?)

Insert name wrote:

General rule of thumb both Nordic and AT is downhill have right away.Goes against the other seasons. 

everywhere I have been it is practiced by everyone but Jerry and da boys 

Jerry rides in bounds though, or at best the side country. His crunchier cousin Jerrald keeps trying to apply edgeless cross country ski rules to AT skin tracks. 

Again, this is terminology and situation dependent.  Not all skin tracks are created equal. Some are even roads. Some are tree-lined ice rinks. Some are flat and I'm trying to keep my speed up so please get the hell out of my way.

It seems like no one read that OP had a “conflict “ in RMNP (one of the busiest NPs, summer or winter) on a hiking trail that’s also a access trail for BC skiing in winter. In this instance it’s situational and he should have stopped and let the uphill person pass.

Unless it’s a 6ft chute you should be able to stop on a dime in any terrain while BC skiing, especially on mellow approach trails like in RMNP.  If you can’t stop, then don’t fly down a trail that you perfectly know others might come up same way you did.

Chad Millerwrote:

Meh, learn to ski better.

What are you going to do, ski through the people in your way? 

Just yell loudly three times , ‘ON YOUR LEFT!’

It’ll help them step to their right and keep things flowing - like traffic. 

Michael Rushwrote:

Just yell loudly three times , ‘ON YOUR LEFT!’

It’ll help them step to their right and keep things flowing - like traffic. 

I did more than that. I stopped, yelled for them to move, and they just sat there, gaping. I yelled again and then the old woman got mad at being yelled at. Well, we are far apart, so I am yelling. And it went on like that until I skied down, passed them, and the old woman continued to bitch at me for a solid ten minutes while my friend fucked around with her skis and finally came down. It was unreal.