Mountain Policies

Rules of Use

Introductory Statement from the Forest Service:

Within the permit area, the ski area and its representatives are authorized to discourage and report to appropriate authorities:

1. incidents of offensive or derisive communication directed at any other person who is lawfully present when that communication has a direct tendency to cause acts of violence by the person to whom the remark is directed; and
2. communications or actions directed toward inciting imminent lawless action and likely to incite such action.

The ski area may enforce Rules of Use, including a Rule of Use that prohibits the foregoing conduct, within the permit area and may remove persons who violate the Rules of Use. The ski area may use private security services or security guards and/or off-duty state or local law enforcement personnel to enforce the rules of use. The ski area may also call upon state or local law enforcement agencies to enforce violations of state or local law and forest service law enforcement officers to enforce violations of federal law.

Definitions:

The terms “skiing” and “skier” will also refer to “snowboarding” and snowboarders”, and to any other users of the ski area.
The Ski Area Permit Holder will be referred to as the “ski area”.

The ski area may remove/trespass persons from the permit area for the following acts/behaviors:

• Violations of state/federal/local laws or regulations.
• Threats of violence or communications or actions likely to incite imminent violence or other imminent lawless behavior in others.
• Disruption of business including harassment, rude or disruptive conduct, language or materials.
• Use of designated trails, lifts, terrain parks, and/or half pipes without a valid lift ticket or pass.
• Unauthorized resale or purchase of lift ticket/pass, or any other fraudulent use or alteration of ticket/pass.
• Actions likely to cause harm to self or others such as violation of closed areas, reckless/hazardous behavior on the slopes, including but not limited to reckless jumping, out-of-control skiing or boarding, excessive speed in designated slow areas, unauthorized construction of jumps or obstacles.
• Sledding or tubing within the Mission Ridge permit area.
• Uphill travel on designated trails and runs during the period of winter preparation, maintenance and operations.
• Unauthorized public use of snowmobiles or other motorized vehicles within the Mission Ridge permit area.
• Unauthorized removal, destruction, defacing or relocation of any signs, barricades, rope lines, cones, or other warning or marking devices.
• Reckless or hazardous behavior on lifts that may endanger self or others such as jumping from lift, deliberate excessive swinging of chairs, climbing towers or in any way interfering with the safe operation of the equipment.
• Any conduct that interferes with the safe administration of avalanche control, including any failure to respect avalanche closures or posted hazards.
• Unauthorized overnight parking or camping.
• Use of any unapproved/unauthorized equipment or downhill devices at the ski area.
• Construction and occupy any unauthorized physical structures.

WASHINGTON STATE LAW STANDARD OF CONDUCT as per RCW 79A. 45 et. seq.

1. In addition to the specific requirements of this section, ALL SKIERS SHALL CONDUCT THEMSELVES WITHIN THE LIMITS OF THEIR INDIVIDUAL ABILITY and shall not act in a manner that may contribute to the injury of themselves or any other person.
2. NO PERSON SHALL:
   1. Embark or disembark upon a ski lift except at a designated area;
   2. Throw or expel any object from any tramway, ski lift, commercial skimobile, or other similar device while riding on the device;
   3. Act in any manner while riding on a rope tow, wire rope tow, j-bar, t-bar, ski lift, or similar device that may interfere with the proper or safe operation of the lift or tow;
   4. Willfully engage in any type of conduct which may injure any person, or place any object in the uphill ski track which may cause another to fall, while traveling uphill on a ski lift; or
   5. Cross the uphill track of a j-bar, t-bar, rope tow, wire rope tow, or other similar device except at designated locations.
3. EVERY PERSON SHALL MAINTAIN CONTROL OF HIS OR HER SPEED and course at all times, and shall stay clear of any snow-grooming equipment, any vehicle, any lift tower, and any other equipment on the mountain.
4. A PERSON SHALL BE THE SOLE JUDGE OF HIS OR HER ABILITY to negotiate any trail, run, or uphill track and no action shall be maintained against any operator by reason of the condition of the track, trail, or run unless the condition results from the negligence of the operator.
5. ANY PERSON who boards a rope tow, wire rope tow, j-bar, t-bar, ski lift, or other similar device SHALL BE PRESUMED TO HAVE SUFFICIENT ABILITIES TO USE THE DEVICE. No liability shall attach to any operator or attendant for failure to instruct the person on the use of the device, but a person shall follow any written or verbal instructions that are given regarding the use.
6. Because of the inherent risks in the sport of skiing ALL PERSONS using the ski hill SHALL EXERCISE REASONABLE CARE FOR THEIR OWN SAFETY. However, THE PRIMARY DUTY SHALL BE ON THE PERSON SKIING DOWNHILL TO AVOID ANY COLLISION with any person or object below him or her.
7. ANY PERSON SKIING OUTSIDE OF THE CONFINES OF TRAILS OPEN for skiing or runs open for skiing within the ski area boundary shall be responsible for any injuries or losses resulting from his or her action.
8. ANY PERSON ON FOOT OR ON ANY TYPE OF SLIDING DEVICE SHALL BE RESPONSIBLE FOR ANY COLLISION whether the collision is with another person or with an object.
9. A PERSON EMBARKING ON A LIFT OR TOW WITHOUT AUTHORITY SHALL BE CONSIDERED TO BE A TRESPASSER.