Poaching

[Southside_Bobby]

Some of my favorite people, closest ski friends, and adept skiers/riders I know will poach trails. I have never been able to get them to take me seriously, when I tell them I wish they wouldn't do it.

For a ski patroller, one of the most annoying things you ever have to deal with is a poacher. At most ski resorts, patrollers are strictly forbidden from following poachers down a closed trail. You can try to catch them at the bottom, or radio the description around the mountain, but that's about it. I have the impression that K patrollers are allowed to follow poachers. Which means they are putting themselves in danger, just because some skiers think they are all that. And of course, at any ski resort, if you suspect someone is hurt or in distress down a closed trail, then you do have to put yourself in danger to help them.

You can be the best skier in the world, and still fall and get hurt, or collide with an object. You can have a medical emergency at any moment. As far as I am concerned, there is peace of mind knowing that a patroller will be around to assist you. That's what they are there for.

It seems to be the same mentality as people who think it's ok to ski at excessive speeds on crowded trails, because they are "in control".

I think that when most people get caught, get their passes pulled and have to sit through a humiliating lecture about how selfish they are, they usually stop poaching. But most don't get caught. For many, that is all that matters - not getting caught.

If you are reading this and start thinking "yeah, but this doesn't apply to me because....."

Think again.

[daytripper]

There is only 1 rule to poaching, don't get caught. I poach much less then I did when I was younger but it still happens every now and then.

[Downdraft]

Ski fast, take chances, GFY, catch me if ya can

[snoloco]

I admit to have ducked a few ropes over the years. Probably every avid skier has done it. I've never lost my pass, but I say don't do it unless you are prepared to face the consequences. I usually find that it isn't worth it.

[skiadikt]

newly posted on the the conditions is this: Please respect the ropes! Poaching closed trails will result in immediate loss of pass privileges. they're serious ...

word is that 50 passes were pulled yesterday. observed a lot of poaching monday including one numbskull who poached lower o. was at okemo yesterday, but friends at k reported that more folks were skiing closed trails than open trails. pretty easy for patrol to nab them as all they had to was wait at the bottom of the runout. perhaps you can get away with it when the mtn is wide open but now you're sitting ducks.

[snoloco]

I saw on the Facebook group that they're just silently blocking passes, rather than having patrol go out and catch people. Pulling passes for poaching is to be expected, but this big brother style surveillance crosses the line. And if they're doing this, you can bet that they'll be super militant about speed enforcement like Vail is.

[SPORE]

There are RFID readers spread out on various trails - they can easily pick you up on one of those and then deactivate a pass. If you're gonna poach, get an RFID sleeve for a debit card and put your pass in that

[SPORE]

I saw on the Facebook group that they're just silently blocking passes, rather than having patrol go out and catch people. Pulling passes for poaching is to be expected, but this big brother style surveillance crosses the line. And if they're doing this, you can bet that they'll be super militant about speed enforcement like Vail is.

Vail isn't super militant about speed enforcement - calm down skippy.

[Bayfive]

Oh , the chickens have come home to roost , I guess the “ I’m not putting anyone else in jeopardy “. Theory doesn’t work at Killy anymore ,

[ski]

There are RFID readers spread out on various trails

What ? Where are these? How do you know?

never heard of such . .

[SPORE]

There are RFID readers spread out on various trails

What ? Where are these? How do you know?

never heard of such . .

Was told this last year - it is how Killington estimates the lift line times in the app by seeing and predicting where people are heading by reading the RFID data picked up along various trials.

Could be a bunch of bs.

[ski]

There are RFID readers spread out on various trails

What ? Where are these? How do you know?

never heard of such . .

Was told this last year - it is how Killington estimates the lift line times in the app by seeing and predicting where people are heading by reading the RFID data picked up along various trials.

Could be a bunch of bs.

Sounds a little out there . . Sensors in trees or what? They can't even get the regular gate sensors to work much less something out on some trail . .

[ski]

Was riding the bubble today first lap around 9:10 or so and saw a patroller setting up the rope across Great Bear on Upper Chute . . A little further up I spot a guy in tele gear who just ducked the rope at the top of upper Chute. He was headed right for the patroller but had not crested the little rise where you can see the entrance to GB . . Not sure what happened after . . But pretty brazen . .

[simpletwist]

I saw patrol today waiting at the Cascade runout a little higher up than Highline. Presumably waiting for Canyon poachers?

[ski]

I saw patrol today waiting at the Cascade runout a little higher up than Highline. Presumably waiting for Canyon poachers?

10:30 ish today . .
There were a couple tracks down Lower East Fall . . Looked like one track in Downdraft . . Didn't see any on Cascade proper . .