Hikers were on Big Mountain before lifts

Since long before the ski area and lifts were established, people have been hiking up Big Mountain to ski. I've been skiing for 48 years, 26 of those at Big Mountain. Twenty-six years ago, only a very small group of people hiked up the mountain. Over the years, their number has increased dramatically, and they are hiking at all hours of the day.

I have never been comfortable traveling uphill while the lifts are open. This is mainly because I know that many of the downhill skiers are not skiing under control and within their ability. The Skiers Responsibility Code (also known as "Your Responsibility Code" and is officially endorsed by the National Ski Area Association, the National Ski Patrol and the Professional Ski Instructors Association) says you are responsible to yield to people below you, yet I see many skiers not doing so.

If Whitefish Mountain Resort truly cares about public safety, they might do more to educate the public about the Skier Responsibility Code. Ski patrols on other mountains are out on the slopes assisting the skiers and enforcing the code. As a kid learning to ski at many different ski areas around the country, the ski patrol would stop my friends and me when we were being irresponsible. They always went over the code with us.

I have very rarely seen the Whitefish Mountain Resort ski patrol doing this. The resort also seems to have fewer patrollers on the mountain than I have seen anywhere in my skiing travels in this country and around the world. It seems the resort is not as concerned with safety as with paying as few people as possible. The patrol is made up of committed, well-trained people who do an excellent job of assisting injured skiers, but unfortunately, due to their small numbers and perhaps direction by the resort, they do a poor job of promoting safety on the slopes.

In my hikes up the slopes, I have always yielded the right-of-way to the groomers, stopping completely until they pass by or crossing all the way to the other side of the run to allow a safe distance. I know how I feel driving a car with bikes around me, and I imagine that the cat drivers feel the same way about us skiers. Once again, education as to the proper behavior around the groomers would go a long way towards promoting safety.

When the lifts are closed, there could be designated routes for up-skiers and hikers that would minimize contact with the groomers. I mostly ski out of the ski area and come back inbounds when the lifts are closed. I would like to see a route to exit the mountain from First Creek out Russ's Street to the base area. This seems to be one of the last runs to be groomed and would allow us a safe route out. This might be a good route for after-work skiers to go up as well.

Perhaps hike-skiers could register with the resort, signing a waiver of liability and agree with the responsibility code just like you do when buying a lift ticket. I would not object to a small fee to help cover the administrative costs of such a permit. I am not in favor of any restrictions as to time of day or time of year.

This has been a problem that has been growing for quite a few years and has not been adequately addressed. Suddenly it boiled over, and instead of involving the public, the resort and the Forest Service just threw together these new rules.

The resort is using public land for their private profit, and public funds just paid for a new road up to their private ski area. I think the public is tired of the Forest Service bending over backwards to do the bidding of private corporations instead of serving the public. Only 100 acres of the ski area belongs to the Whitefish Mountain Resort. The rest of the land belongs to the public.

I think it benefits us all to work together to create a new policy that works for everyone involved, and to keep an activity that has been going on since long before the ski resort ever came to exist.

Demetri Aravosis lives in Whitefish.