Five Front Range ski areas and the U.S. Forest Service have collaborated to produce a video message imploring uphill skiers to stay away from their resorts.
All five resorts — Copper Mountain, Breckenridge, Keystone, Arapahoe Basin and Loveland — have officially prohibited uphilling. The video, which they , includes messages from officials in upper management from each resort and Bill Jackson, a U.S. Forest Service district ranger.
“We are not doing avalanche mitigation, and our resorts are like the backcountry right now,” said Jody Church, vice president and general manager at Keystone.
“If an injury or accident were to occur, you would be putting at risk all the resources that are working so hard to fight COVID-19,” said Arapahoe Basin chief operating office Alan Henceroth.
Only few Colorado resorts continue to allow uphilling. They include the four Aspen-area mountains.
“We are reviewing this daily with all involved parties,” said Aspen Snowmass spokesman Jeff Hanle. “At this point, we do not plan to close to uphill access. We would like to offer this activity to our community, as we feel it is vital to overall mental and physical health in these trying times.”
Other mountains where uphilling is still allowed are Ski Cooper, Monarch, Telluride and Wolf Creek, according to Colorado Ski Country USA.
