Welcome to Louis (Lou) Dawson's backcountry skiing information & opinion website. Lou's passion for the past 50 years has been alpinism, climbing, mountaineering and skiing -- along with all manner of outdoor recreation. He has authored numerous books and articles about
ski touring and is well known as the first person to ski down all 54 of Colorado's 14,000-foot peaks, otherwise known as the
Fourteeners! Books and free ski touring news and information here.
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Lou, I know you are fond of snowmobiles. I think they have there place too. Great rescue vehicles. The other day had climbed up one of the best ski mountains in Southern Oregon. It has easy access from the highway and is a 2300 foot climb to the top. The lava flows on the north side provide perfect ski runs. While standing there comtemplating my ski down in perfect powder four snowmobiles came roaring up riding four abreast and completley trashing my favorite run. I have been skiing this mountain for 33 years never saw a snowmobile up there untill 1985. To say I was pissed would be an understatement. The number of snowmobiles on this mountain is increasing and unpleasant confrontations are on the rise. They do not seem to have a clue as to how they affect the skiing. These machines are getting so powerful they can go up almost anyplace a skier can go. Last winter a snowmobile was abandoned on the mountain and it is still there now ,buried under the snow. The Pacific Crest trail runs on the west side of this mountain and in the summertime they do not allow motorized vehicles of any kind on the trail that encircles the mountain. Any thoughts on how to talk with these people or proceed with trying to diminish or limit snowmobile access. Skiers are willing to share this area. Your thoughts?
Russ, “fond” might be the wrong word. In your situation that day I would not have been exactly fond of snowmobiles!
As for how to deal with sharing ground, Winter WildLands Alliance is the place to start. See the following link:
http://www.wildsnow.com/1479/winter-wildlands-conference/
Russ, I could not tell from your comments whether or not sleds are allowed there. It is very common for over the snow motorized travel to be allowed when summertime usage is banned due to the impermanence of the tracks. If they were legal, then you have two choices. Accept them or play the politics game and try to get them banned. Often different users clash and tempers can flare. As an example, in the summer I kayak a lot. I have had fly fishermen snap their lines at me for disturbing the fish they are trying to catch. I try to be courteous and avoid them but sometimes it is unavoidable. No doubt they have fished these rivers for years in solitude and resent the rapid increase in the numbers of kayakers. Plus todays creek boats can go about anywhere! If the sledders were legal, I hope you kept your rage contained, as no one likes being berated or judged harshly when they did nothing wrong. If they were poaching, take a photo of the registration number posted on each side of the sled and turn them in to the authorities.
I own a sled and use it for access. I ride it over the snow covered roads and leave it at the bottom when I start skinning. It gets me 10-15 miles into remote areas and is a great access tool, not unlike a car or truck. Most of the area off the roads here is wilderness, so sleds where we ski are not a problem. I have to differ with the statement that they can go almost anywhere a skier can go. They are very hard to maneuver through trees and traverse side hills with. Slow riding due to trees or drifts can lead to getting a large machine very stuck. If someone finds themselves sharing challenging terrain with sledders, then the sledders are probably more talented riders than they are skiers