Open Terrain Policy

[ectobar]

Got out to JF on Sunday for the first time this season. Overal excellent day, good conditions, not so many people.

 

I did have one awkward encounter though. After taking several runs down Thunderbolt, a couple of us decided to explore the trees and the glade trail to the right. After riding it for a short while we shot back out onto the main slope at which point we were stopped by someone working for the mountain.

 

JF_Emp: Stick to the trails boys or we'll have to mark your ticket

Me: Correct me if I'm wrong but doesnt JFBB have and open terrain policy?

JF_Emp: Well,...its suspect.

 

And then proceeded to fumble on somemore words uncomfortably ended with, "just dont get hurt".

 

What was that all about?

 

We did end up going back down the trail and werent hasseled anymore.

[Papasteeze]

you must have looked like you shouldn't have been in the trees.

 

It's a good practice. think about it, a once or twice a season noob gets themselves wrapped around a tree and pretty soon it will be like camelback with chainlink fences and nobody will be allowed in the trees.

[fluffy]

What was said employee wearing? Or what did he/she look like?

[snorovr]

pretty soon it will be like camelback with chainlink fences and nobody will be allowed in the trees.

 

CBK has chainlink fences!?!?!

[Schif]

CBK has chainlink fences!?!?!

Yep and its one of my biggest turnoffs of that place. That and the huge stupid street signs

 

I don't totally hate CB, but it always feels like more of a theme park kind of thing there than a mountain.

[stever2003]

Doesn't the JFBB website specifically list the thunderbolt glades as open?

[Schif]

What Papasteeze makes a lot of sense and I'm hoping that he's right, but using that same logic wouldn't a patroller or anyone else have the right to mark/clip the ticket of a beginner attempting to ski a trail they aren't ready for yet?

 

Unless Frost puts a rule into effect where they have the right to judge people's skiing in the glades, which they certainly could do.

[jordan]

once JF gets sued due to their free domain policy, the policy will change, so they are just being overly cautious, and rightfully so...

[Papasteeze]

What Papasteeze makes a lot of sense and I'm hoping that he's right, but using that same logic wouldn't a patroller or anyone else have the right to mark/clip the ticket of a beginner attempting to ski a trail they aren't ready for yet?

 

At some places they do in the same way at some hills they blow whistles to slow down.

 

 

i actually like the chain link fences. dont really know why, but i just do

 

yah - it's cool on really crowded days - sort of like roller derby, just bump em off into the fence as you rip on by..

[askier87]

yah - it's cool on really crowded days - sort of like roller derby, just bump em off into the fence as you rip on by..

 

I did that to a friend of mine when we were skiing there, it was funny as all hell because he got tangled up in it.

[Justin]

They shouldn't have glade runs if they are afraid of a noob slamming into a tree. It would be the same as if they hit a tree anywhere else, or just got hurt, for that matter. The trail is a black diamond (although JF doesn't seem to use double black diamonds) and its clearly marked that it is a difficult trail. I mean anybody could in theory access it, noob or not, but if they do so, it is at their own risk.

 

Lawsuits end all the fun...

[Schif]

In addition to making the place seem incredibly man made and fake, those fences scare me for some reason. I like riding the very sides of trails to get good snow, but I'd rather stick to the side in VT where theres a huge drop off than next to the fence at CB

[Timeless]

Given the general quality of the skiers (and riders) at CB on a weekend, the fences can only be a good thing. They are only placed where there are big drops, or rocks off of the trail, or a drop down to another trail, and I think their (serious) injury count would go up significantly without them. Besides, it's much easier to unhook a dumbass New Yorker from a piece of fencing than it is to have to go into the woods after him/her.

[ectobar]

I'm not saying I'm the cats pajamas or anything, but I'm certainly competent enough to play in some trees. I thought the guy was just trying to flex a lil muscle, and I called him out on it. In the end it wasnt that big a deal. I do agree with the points being made though, it would be a shame to lose access to those areas.

[C1erArt]

Maybe the problem was your 'shooting back on to the trail'. If you come out of the trees and hammer someone on the trail - I don't think that would be appreciated. Especially if you come back on the trail just below one of the little headwalls so people on the trail can't see you. I keep telling my son if he is going to do something unexpected look up the trail to be sure it's clear. The glades are great at JF, and if you wrap yourself around a tree its your problem, but if you blind spot a 12 year old on the trail JF is going to have to reconsider the glade policy.

[ectobar]

Maybe the problem was your 'shooting back on to the trail'. If you come out of the trees and hammer someone on the trail - I don't think that would be appreciated. Especially if you come back on the trail just below one of the little headwalls so people on the trail can't see you. I keep telling my son if he is going to do something unexpected look up the trail to be sure it's clear. The glades are great at JF, and if you wrap yourself around a tree its your problem, but if you blind spot a 12 year old on the trail JF is going to have to reconsider the glade policy.

 

It was towards the end of the day, and the only other person on the trail was the guy who stopped me.

[fluffy]

Hopefully one misinformed person won't give you a bad impression of JF or confuse the policy. It is an Open Domain policy. If there's snow on it, you can go on it.

[C1erArt]

It was pretty quiet Sunday afternoon. But we old guys might go into cardiac arrest if someone skis too fast near us. ;)