Kimball Junction
In February of 2010, I visited Crested Butte for the first time. Not knowing the mountain, nor being a very strong skier, I found myself about 10 feet below a mandatory traverse skirting around a 30-foot cliff band. In an instant I was summersaulting. I waited for the lights to go out, but when I opened my eyes, I didn’t have a scratch. I later found out the run was named Body Bag. Skiing is dangerous, whether on a green circle with out-of-control skier’s flying by my 7-year-old or venturing into the backcountry.
On Tuesday, Park City Mountain Resort shut all backcountry gates. From my understanding, PCMR is under no obligation to allow public access to U.S. Forest Service lands. The backcountry gates are a luxury, although they feel like a necessity for me as I buy an Epic Pass for two specific reasons: to take my 7-year-old son skiing and to access the backcountry via the gates.