Alta protocol

[mbaydala]

So first off I need to say that yesterday I had the run of a lifetime out in Devils Castle. I was about 14th in the line up before the rope dropped and managed to pass everyone and get first tracks other than ski patrol all the way out in the Castle. It felt like there were no local skiers over there yesterday and thats probably why I managed to be first out there, usually I get dusted on any sort of sidestep. With that being said I'd love for you all to weight in on Alta Devils Castle traverse protocol.


So after my first sick run out there I immediately rushed back to do another lap because the families and 50 and 60 year old tourists just weren't headed out very far so I new things would be almost completely untracked again for lap two. As I approached the gate just above Sugarloaf I noticed just an all out flail session going on, on the traverse. People were talking of jackets and overheating not even 30 yards past the gate. They were buckling boots, talking on cell phones just madness. One guy had is family of 4 five to ten year olds being pushed up the sidestep and this all before you even rounded the bend to enter the castle. I just got so frustrated that I dropped below the traverse and started side stepping and putting in my own traverse. Well my God did I get yelled at. It was like a reverse Alta scolding but now not by locals, instead it was people who maybe thought they were local or just a bunch of vacationers. I very very kindly tried to explain to people that its first come first serve and if your going to go at a snails pace, people are simply going to pass you. Well that didn't go over well, not at all. One woman called me a total ass hole, another guys said,. "Why not just go knock over some old ladies and 4 year olds while I'm at it." After being verbally assaulted I decided to duck back in line but it was just two painful. So asked everyone around me, "would anyone like to go first and put in a higher traverse" They all just continued to jaw at me so I just went on my way and blew by them. Sure enough on my third lap, people who moved a bit faster were on my high line, while the hoards of gapers continued blew.

I respect all of your opinions so tell me was I wrong? Never was I rude and I just simply tried to explain to people the way things work. Like I told one guy, "we aren't waiting in line at a Supermarket to check out. We are in race to ski pow, I shouldn't be punished because you guys aren't fast. Try moving a side for faster people. One note, the guy with the five kids was the nicest of them all. As I passed him he said sorry, he just wanted his kids to have an "Alta experience", then all his kids gave me high five. Please let me know if I was being a dick...

 

[Tony Crocker]

People were taking off jackets and overheating not even 30 yards past the gate.

I plead guilty here, as I overheat very quickly. But I'm sure you're supposed to step above or below the traverse line to do that.

 

[Marc_C]

Alta (anywhere, actually) traverse etiquette is:

1) Never ever stop on the traverse. If you want to stop for any reason, step up above and fully out of the traverse - that includes your poles, ski tips, elbows, and pet poodle.

2) If you're moving slower than the person behind you, let them pass....by stepping up out of the traverse (see #1).

3) If people are being idiots and not letting you pass and you're moving faster, it's entirely cool [most of the time] to cut a new line. It should be sufficiently far above or below to avoid dumping snow on the traverse or causing it to collapse. As to above or below, you should know the area well enough to know if your new traverse is going cliff out or end in shrubs. HOWEVER if the traverse crosses top to bottom lines accessed from above the traverse (the continuation of the Saddle Traverse across West Rustler or the Instructor's Traverse across Backside are good examples), it is considered extremely poor form to cut additional traverse lines from those cut by Patrol.

4) Two specific spots warrant special mention: the Devil's Castle traverse at the low point of the Sugarloaf Cliffs and the Baldy Shoulder traverse at the top of Tombstone. In both those spots it's very tempting to cut straight across on gravity instead of the extensive sidestep climbing that starts at each of those spots. If it's untracked, it's extremely poor form to cut a gravity line as it destroys the fresh top to bottom lines that commence from above. Patrol even puts signs at these spots to alert the (usually visitors) of the boneheaded move they are considering. Once things are tracked out, then the gravity traverses cutting the lines are fine.

5) One other major annoyance are the visitor gapers that stand in front of a gate blocking it while contemplating their navels or whatever.

In short, if you can't follow these pretty simple bits of etiquette and courtesy, please stay the off the traverses.

 

[socal]

I agree with Marc_C's post but I've always wondered, why not post a list of "suggestions" somewhere? A lot of people really don't know any better and want to follow the proper etiquette but just need a little direction. Something as simple as ASKING people not to traverse a run until the bottom or explaining that if you're going to stop on a traverse to move off to the side.

 

[mbaydala]

Thanks everyone, I was begining to think I was an a-hole.