Industry News
On Thursday, February 24, six poachers trespassed onto privately-owned Eagle Point Resort property near Beaver, Utah, and skied several of the western slopes of the ski area while it was closed, according to a social media post shared by Eagle Point Resort.
The southern Utah ski area called the local Sheriff, who came to investigate the scene.
Eagle Point wrote that a resort team member and the Sheriff located one of the trespassers and spoke with them, gathering names of those responsible and documenting evidence.
Eagle Point said they will be pressing charges and that there will be a hearing to hold the poachers responsible.
How do you feel about this?
Eagle can do what they want with their land….but don’t be surprised if the challenge has been accepted and poaching eagle pow becomes a thing.
It is private property. Leased or not. They trespassed and stole. Maximum prosecution and punishment.
Heavenly is on USFS land. Waivers are only needed for those who use the company’s infrastructure (i.e. the lifts, ski patrol, etc.) to ski there during operating hours. But since it’s public land, they can’t dictate what happens outside of operating hours – it’s perfectly legal to skin there before/after the lifts open.
This has been tried in court in other western states, In the white water community. The water is owned by the state. So as long as you dont get out of your boat on to the ground of a private property holder it is not trespassing. So these skiers only skiid the snow(water owned by the state. The ski areas may own the land but they do not own the snow.
Poached egg on face.
Steve, we all ride side-country or slack-country depending on the area and what their policy is. I feel like we don’t have all the information here. It looks to me like the “offenders” knew what they were doing and the ski area management is tired of them cutting up a bunch of snow and is trying to make an example of them. Two wrongs don’t make a right, there is plenty of backcountry skiing in Utah that doesn’t offend a business owner and the business owner should find a way to protect his pristine powder if it is that important to him. If the riders are continually poaching your goods why aren’t you there to tell them not to?
This resort is open Friday thru Monday. The skiers tracked the powder on a Thursday knowing that they would be the first down those slopes in several days. The product that the resort markets is fresh powder on unasked slopes. These “poachers” stole the product.
The fact that it is private property seals the deal, but if the resort were operating on public land they enter into an agreement with the government to manage the property and have a special use permit that entitles them to set the rules. If this happened at a resort on public land, the poachers did not have any right to vandalize the resort’s operation–they had the option of thousands of neighboring acre to ski. Saying that the public can do whatever they want on public lands that are within the boundary of a special use permit is the same as renting your house to someone then throwing a party there when they are on vacation and leaving the mess behind.
Eagle Point is entirely on private property.
Imagine paying hundreds of dollars to eat the last steak and lobster of year. Only to find out that 6 people broke into the kitchen and ate half of it. Would you be ok with that? Even if the kitchen was leased?
My question is – Did that representative of Eagle Point first ask the offender to cease and desist before threatening to press charges? If that was the case, and the offender chose to disregard Eagle Point’s request, then I would side with Eagle Point. Reason being is that I ride a lot of “sidecountry” at resorts. I’ve “poached” a closed ski area or two. I totally understand the offender’s desire to skin up for fresh powder. But if a mountain manager or ski patroller came up to me and asked me not to do it again in their area – and cited the reasons Eagle Point stated in this article – then I would willingly comply.
It’s not private property, it’s leased from the state, big diff
Is it Leased from BLM or USFS, but used privately? I thought you were allowed to walk-up/skin BLM/USFS lands? If not, my crew and I are screwed! Totally privately, could see an issue!!!
Private property home boy. As others mentioned before. I’d like to see how tone deaf you would be if someone trespassed into your home and did all the thing you were looking forward to doing? These people stay in business because they are able to offer a certain experience. Take that away and they lose patronage and people lose jobs all because some idiots took liberties with someone else’s property.
At Heavenly Stagecoach we have a number of skinners hiking up the runs before the lifts open.
I wonder how much of a issue regarding the grooming equipment and Vails mandatory waiver for season pass holders? Limited parking is also a issue.
Its private property. They had no right to go onto private property for any reason if they were not invited by the owners. How would you like for a stranger to simply walk into your home and eat your dinner, without an invitation.
Talk about tone deaf. Boo hoo eagle point
I fully support the resort’s right to press charges. Closed private property – ignored! Uphill policy (if they have one?) – ignored!
The resort could agree to not press charges in return for the offenders agreeing to wash all dishes for free, and apologize for their selfishness?