Colorado Cracking Down On Skiers

Filed in archive Winter Adventures on November 10, 2006

Colorado is fed up and this year state regulators are serious about cutting down on out-of-bounds skiing and snow boarding. Citation books are in hand and officials have already been busy writing this season.

According to the Associated Press:

In an effort to stem the rising tide of rescue calls for wayward skiers and snow boarders, the state has increased the penalty for skiing in restricted areas. The penalties for ducking the ropes and cruising those enticing - but forbidden - backcountry trails goes from $300 to $1,000 this year.

Summit County Sheriff John Minor was quoted by the AP as saying the number of rescue calls to help out-of-bounds skiers has increased in each of the past three years.

"The rescues required volunteers to put themselves in dangerous situations, just because people wouldn't follow the posted rules and stay on open trails," Minor said.