Well, this is unfortunate. The TV program “Inside Edition” did a show highlighting the smoke shacks of Colorado this month. This lead to Vail Resorts’ lawyers ordering death sentences for every smoke shack they could locate at Vail’s Colorado ski resorts.
Nearly every ski resort has secret smoke shacks. These are small shacks that people hang out in, escape bad weather in, socialize in, enjoy mountain culture in, and occasionally smoke marijuana in. They’re very cool, full of soul, always eclectic, and they speak deeply to our inner fort-building child. Anyone who strolls into one of these shacks during mid-winter will feel more alive than they did 10 seconds before.
Smoke shacks are exclusive. Few know about them, few use them, and their whereabouts are well guarded via camouflage, strategic location, and tight lips.
Breckenridge ski resort in Colorado likely had the most intricate smoke shack in the USA. The thing had multiple stories. It was gorgeous and they blew it up this week along with every other smoke shack they could find at Breckenridge, Vail, Beaver Creek, and Keystone ski resorts.
They blew them up because it had been exposed to the public via Inside Edition and Breckenridge’s lawyers likely freaked out about it. If someone got hurt in there, they’d be liable. Ah, the lovely American litigation system. Lawyers have really made US ski resorts lame…
VAIL PRESS RELEASE:
BROOMFIELD, Colo. – Feb. 26, 2014 – Vail Resorts and the U.S. Forest Service (USFS) have confirmed that a number of structures associated with prohibited marijuana use and constructed illegally on USFS lands within the permitted boundaries of the company’s four Colorado resorts have been destroyed over the past several weeks.
Vail Resorts works closely with the Forest Service each year to eliminate these illegal structures, commonly referred to as ‘smoke shacks’, as they are made aware of them. In the past year, mountain operations teams and USFS officials have destroyed several structures at its Vail, Beaver Creek, Breckenridge and Keystone resorts.
“The safety of our guests and our employees is our highest priority and we therefore take a zero tolerance approach to skiing or riding under the influence,” said Blaise Carrig, president of Vail Resorts’ Mountain Division. “We do not permit the consumption of marijuana in or on any of our lifts, facilities or premises that we control. In addition to destroying illegal structures where this kind of illegal activity may be taking place, we are communicating the legalities around marijuana use with our guests and the community through signage, our websites, social media, and handing out informational cards to our guests in the base areas. We want the public to know that the consequences of being caught smoking marijuana on our mountains are removal from the mountain and the suspension of skiing and riding privileges.”
In spite of the passage of Amendment 64 last fall, public consumption of marijuana continues to be illegal under Colorado law. In addition, possession and consumption of marijuana continues to be illegal under federal law. Vail Resorts’ four Colorado ski resorts – Vail, Beaver Creek, Breckenridge and Keystone – are all located on U.S. Forest Service land, where possession and consumption of marijuana is illegal. In addition, using any ski lift or ski slope or trail while under the influence of drugs and alcohol is prohibited under the Colorado Ski Safety Act.
“Despite Colorado law, marijuana remains illegal on federal lands period,” said Scott Fitzwilliams, forest supervisor for the White River National Forest. “For the 22 ski areas in Colorado that operate on national forest system lands, marijuana is still prohibited. Let me remind everyone that you can be cited and fined for marijuana use and possession on national forests. I will also add that it is against the law for anyone to build any structures on national forest system lands without a permit.”
Furthermore, there is “no smoking” of any kind (tobacco, marijuana or e-cigarettes) permitted in any Vail Resorts owned andoperated facilities, including restaurants, lodges and hotels, and officials will continue to enforce that policy. Vail Resorts will work with local law enforcement and the U.S. Forest Service to continue to closely monitor any illegal activity within the permitted boundaries of their resorts and will take immediate action against those who do not comply with the law.
This is so lame, peep will simply ski into the woods and sit on a log to light
up joint. Or light up on a chairlift.
Meanwhile all those getting shitfaced drunk at the bar during lunch will
crawl out and maybe injure themselves doing one last run down to the base
in the afternoon. So much for safety.
This is Bullshit and Hypocracy.
tell us again how much you despise lawyers! shouldn’t you be angry with the idiots who took inside edition to the shacks? or angry with inside edition for their ridiculous story? or angry with the USFS? or angry with VR marketing, which probably wanted the whack job more than the lawyer cared? I’m pretty sure VR and patrol (and probably USFS) knew about the shack, so the shack isn’t news to the lawyer. but it WAS news to the outside world, and that’s where marketing comes in.
anyway, this sucks
— signed, just another douche lawyer making ski resorts lame
I want to build a fort in protest.
Inside Sedition is a hotbed for yellow journalism may their offices suffer the same fate as the smoke shacks – not to mention they did not ONCE go to a bar and film the alcky holicks heading back to ski or ride drunk…. and SCREW VAIL – did they blow up any bars or order them not to serve alcky hall before the lifts close ?? did they clean up the mess they created ?? NO, they did not so all their safety crap they spouted in their statement is just more bullshit… Vail is the Death Star of the ski world.
“SOMEONE” talked..!! But in all seriousness this story is blown way out of proportion its a crying shame.