Uphill Travel Policy

Feature image for Uphill_Landing_Page_.jpg

Update from Snowbasin General Manager, Davy Ratchford

Hello everyone. As you are aware Snowbasin is closed for the season. The team worked hard to “close down” the mountain in an expedited fashion. This allowed us to open Uphill Travel & many came out to enjoy what is now the backcountry.

I feel it critically important to continue to communicate points of safety related to uphill travel.

- There is no mitigation work taking place. We are closed & have no Ski Patrol available to help in an emergency.

- Earlier in April multiple avalanches took place. We encourage you to please learn more about these online at the Utah Avalanche Center. Luckily all parties are safe and accounted for but it illustrates the varying conditions of skiing in the backcountry.

- We continue to see lots of people recreate on the hill. Although it’s a very large area & people can disburse we, along with the Forest Service have concerns that this behavior may not be in the spirit of the Utah Governors directive to Stay Home as much as possible. We will continue to monitor the volume and will take appropriate action to mitigate this concern if it is deemed necessary.

- We only ask a few things of people while at Snowbasin after we close. Please respect each other & give space. Please adhere to backcountry safety measures. Please keep dogs on leashes. Please respect the property and clean up after yourselves. Please do not try to alter the mountain or build “terrain park” features or hike the terrain park. Please do not gather in groups or participate in any activity other than uphill travel, including sledding/tubing or motorized devices of any kind. Please be safe. And please be kind to each other and any Snowbasin staff that you may interact with.

Many resorts around the country have discontinued the Uphill Travel privilege because of many concerns. Right now this privilege is open at Snowbasin but we are continually monitoring issues that exist, rules that are broken (and boasted about online), potentially hazardous conditions & of course COVID-19.

I implore you to be safe and know we are trying to stay in good communication so we all can be good stewards of this incredible land.

Sincerely,

Davy Ratchford

Uphill Travel Now Open

Snowbasin opened uphill travel on Friday morning, March 27. Upon allowing uphill travel at Snowbasin, it is important for all participants to know the following:

Snowbasin is closed. Uphill travel is at your own risk with no resort buildings or services available in case of an emergency. No ski patrol staff will be here to assist you and no facilities are open. Ski Patrol are not maintaining the mountain for your safety while we are closed. We strongly encourage you to abide by all standards set forth while venturing into the backcountry
Group gatherings on-mountain and in parking lots will be STRICTLY PROHIBITED. We ask you to abide by the national guidelines set forth for gatherings more than 10 people. The parking lots are private property and are subject to legal enforcement
Snowbasin does not allow alterations to the mountain within the resort boundary, including building jumps, rails, or park features
Access from skiing, hiking or snowboarding is the only allowed activity at Snowbasin. Motorized vehicles including snowmobiles are not allowed. Group gatherings and activities like sledding are prohibited while on Snowbasin property or on the mountain.
Dogs are allowed on-mountain, but must be on leash at all times. Additionally, owners must clean up after their dog.

Thank you for your patience as we work to create an environment that allows for uphill travel.

Snowbasin to open Uphill Travel AFTER resort fully closes. Statement from GM Davy Ratchford:

"Uphill travel is currently prohibited as our team works to close the mountain. Closing the mountain is a challenging task and allowing our team to work without the concern of running into guests on mountain is a critical request. There has been close calls in the past with those guests not following proper guidelines and safety is our primary concern. Please respect this closure for your safety until machinery and equipment is removed.

We plan to reopen uphill travel as soon as the work is complete and conditions allow. You should be aware that future uphill travel AFTER we close will be at your own risk, with no resort services, ski patrol, reduction work or other safety measures in place to safeguard your journey.

Right now we have staff and equipment on the mountain doing our “tear down” process. It is unsafe for any guest to be on the mountain for any reason. PLEASE for your safety and the health and well-being of my staff, please do not up-hill travel until we can complete our work. Most of you know this but some may not. We are mandated under our permit from the Forest Service to operate a safe mountain. This includes uphill travel. We have had meetings on this with the public and even had the Forest Service representative join us one early Saturday morning this season so we could speak on this topic to the hundreds that traveled past us. It is not a correct assumption that you can do “whatever I want” on the mountain. We all need to respect the Forest Service and our duty to manage the land we all hold dear.

Snowbasin has had a very generous uphill policy and we’ve done a good job being great partners to each other in this process. The vast majority of you are wonderful and graciously understand how great this experience is, many of you have become my personal friends. There are some that still abuse this opportunity and an even smaller amount that blatantly put others at risk for fun and at times threaten my staff. It should go without saying that this is wholly unacceptable and we all should pause and remember now more than ever that civility is the answer. These mountains are a wonderful privilege and we want as many people to experience is as possible. Please respect the policy and the staff and Forest Service who work hard to open it up for our use.

Please watch our social media channels and this Uphill Travel Policy page for updates."

Uphill Travel Protocol During Pre and Post-Season

Safety considerations, maintenance or operational requirements, grooming operations, snowmaking operations, special events, avalanche hazard reduction work, wildlife or resource considerations, or construction, may cause public risk management issues to exist. To protect the public from potential hazards that may exist, prior to the opening of the ski season and postseason, the ski area is authorized, with Forest Service pre-approval, to close areas subject to those potential hazards and to post signs at typical uphill access points closing those areas.

The uphill travel routes are not required during pre and post-season. All mountain areas are open, at your own risk.

Uphill Travel Protocol Before Operating Hours During Winter Operations

During the Ski Season, Uphill Travel is Allowed on Green Days from 4:00 am - 9:00 am. The 'Uphill Travel Status' is posted on Snowbasin's Mountain Conditions page at 4:00 am daily to alert guests if the conditions are green or red. The daily status may also be found by calling the Snow Phone at 801-620-1100 or signing up for text alerts by texting UPHILL to 42427. Uphill travel goes red at 9:00 am. We are no longer offering night uphilling EXCEPT during the Full Moon each month. Uphill travel is only open to skiers, snowboarders, and snowshoers. We do not allow fat biking on our uphill route.

RED DAY = No uphill traffic permitted (usually avalanche reduction days), if found on the mountain, there will be consequences.

GREEN DAY = Uphill travel permitted if you abide by the following rules:

Uphill travel is only open to skiers, snowboarders, and snowshoers. We do not allow fat biking on our uphill route.
When traveling uphill, stay in the middle of the trail.
If you come to a sign that reads “Winch Cat Ahead”, this ends your ascent. Do not travel around winch cats.
All uphill travelers must be equipped with lights ON, front and back. (all times)
No dogs are allowed on the mountain.
Only stop where you can be seen from above and below.
Your uphill route is your downhill route.
All uphill travel must cease by 9:00 am.
For everyone’s safety, stay on the approved route. If found off the approved route, there will be consequences.
In accordance with Snowbasin's Backpack Policy, transporting a child in a backpack or a front-pack is not allowed. Click the link below to view our full safety policy.

MOUNTAIN SAFETY

Approved Routes During Winter Operations

During winter operations, ONLY approved routes are:

Powder Puff > School Hill or Snowshoe Road > School Hill > Bear Hollow > Sweet Revenge > Needles Lodge
Cut off Sweet Revenge to Middle Bowl Traverse > Porky Traverse > Strawberry Traverse > Needles Lodge

Use the same route downhill unless the mountain is open after 9:00 am. All uphill travel must cease by 9:00 am. Please do not go off the approved route, if found off the approved route there will be consequences. This is for everyone’s safety. The cache road that accesses Strawberry from Snowbasin Road is only for employee travel.

Uphill Travel Map

Mountain Policy - During the Season

Uphill Travel is Allowed on Green Days from 4:00 am - 9:00 am

The Uphill Travel Status is posted on Snowbasin’s Mountain Conditions page at 4:00 am daily to alert guests if the conditions are green or red. Uphill travel goes red at 9:00 am. We are no longer offering night uphilling EXCEPT during the Full Moon each month.

Uphill travel by the way of foot, snowshoes, trax, or skis is not allowed between the hours of 9:00 am and 4:00 am of the next day unless the resort reflects green status. Outside of operating hours, there may be circumstances in which the ski area may prohibit uphill traffic, or limit or restrict uphill traffic by designating specific times, days or routes that will be available for such use. These circumstances might include safety, maintenance or operational needs; grooming operations; snowmaking operations; special events; avalanche hazard reduction work; wildlife or resource considerations; or other reasons. The ski area is authorized, with Forest Service pre-approval, to perform any or all of these actions as deemed reasonable and necessary by the ski area. There is no ski patrol available outside of normal operating hours. You are responsible for your own safety and rescue. All participants within the permit boundary are considered skiers and are subject to Utah Skier Safety Act. Daily updates of current uphill travel restrictions (RED DAY/GREEN DAY) will be posted within the snowbasin.com Mountain Report as well as listed on the (801) 620-1100 snow phone.

Yield the right of way and stay clear of ski area machinery, i.e. grooming machines, snowmobiles, and snowmaking equipment. You are responsible for your own safety. Expect to always encounter ski area machinery and employees at any time and anywhere on the mountain. Mountain users should wear reflective clothing, headlamps and blinking lights on front and back. No pets allowed on the mountain. Adhere to Trail/Avalanche Closures. No person except a member of the ski patrol, an employee of the Forest Service, Sheriff or ski area operator employee working in the course and scope of his employment shall enter or go upon any closed area. If you pack it in, please pack it out. Help us keep the Forest clean for future users.

As Partners in Recreation with the US Forest Service, Snowbasin Resort’s Uphill Travel Policy allows access for uphill travelers (i.e. hiking, snowshoeing, skinning, etc.) under certain conditions. Across the country, increasing uphill traffic within ski area boundaries has driven the implementation of uphill policies. While uphill travel within ski area boundaries may seem innocuous, it poses significant safety risks and concerns for uphill and downhill recreationalists, ski area operations and ski area staff. For this reason, uphill travel is not permitted in any fashion at many ski areas. Snowbasin Resort’s policy reflects our commitment to seek a balance between mitigating safety concerns of uphill travel as a recreational use within the downhill ski area/Special Use Permit area with the reasonable needs of operating a sustainable and successful alpine ski area, for which we have been granted a Special Use Permit from the US Forest Service. Snowbasin Resort continues to work closely with the Ogden Ranger District, Uinta Wasatch Cache National Forest, and local organizations, to build awareness and provide public education regarding uphill travel and recreational uses. Our goal is to find a reasonable balance between and among user groups who share a common interest in recreating within the Snowbasin Special Permit area in a non-confrontational and sustainable manner while establishing safety rules for users designed to reduce the hazards and dangers related to such usage.

Mountain Policy - Pre and Post Season

Safety considerations, maintenance or operational requirements, grooming operations, snowmaking operations, special events, avalanche hazard reduction work, wildlife or resource considerations, or construction, may cause public risk management issues to exist. To protect the public from potential hazards that may exist, prior to the opening of the ski season and postseason, the ski area is authorized, with Forest Service pre-approval, to close areas subject to those potential hazards and to post signs at typical uphill access points closing those areas.

Legal Information

Snowbasin Resort Mountain Resort is the holder of a Special Use Permit on U.S. Forest Service land in the Uinta-Wasatch-Cache National Forest and Ogden Ranger District. That permit states that: “The Special Use Permit authorizes the resort to provide public opportunities for skiing and snowboarding and natural resource-based outdoor recreation in National Forest Settings … The lands within the special use permit boundary shall remain open to the public for all lawful purposes; except for any restrictions the resort and Forest Service agree to be necessary as documented in the Operating Plan … The resort is responsible for public health and risk management within the resort boundary.” During ski season, dogs are not permitted outside of parking areas at the resort.