Industry News
A recent summons issued at Copper Mountain, Colorado, draws a clear line where public recreation ends, and resort liability begins. An uphill skier at Copper was issued a court summons on May 9 after reportedly ignoring warnings from ski patrol and continuing uphill despite the restrictions in place. According to reports, the skier had already been warned by ski patrol at the base, who informed him that uphill travel was prohibited. Rather than stopping, he continued further up the slopes at Copper Mountain Resort, prompting ski patrol to contact law enforcement.
A deputy later traveled up the mountain with ski patrol by snowmobile and rode up to the skier. The individual eventually agreed to transition to downhill mode and return to the base, where the summons was issued by the deputy. This particular interaction shows how seriously resorts are beginning to enforce their uphill travel policies, especially during periods when access is closed.
While some skiers and riders may view uphill restrictions as overly strict, resorts typically close uphill access for significant safety reasons rather than convenience. During the off-season, ski areas regularly operate heavy machinery on terrain, including snowcats, winch cats, and snowmobiles. Snowmaking equipment, grooming operations, lift maintenance, and race training can all create hazards for anyone traveling uphill.
This concern is especially relevant right now, as Copper Mountain is welcoming the U.S. men’s ski team for training on the mountain. These high-speed training environments can add another layer of risks for everyone involved, but particularly for the speed specialists, who are known to ski at speeds of up to 80 mph. In situations like this, even a single uphill skier can create dangerous conditions for both resort staff, coaches, and athletes.
Copper Mountain clearly states on its website that “UPHILL ACCESS FOR THE 2025/26 SEASON IS NOW CLOSED!” This website statement, combined with a warning for ski patrol, leaves little room for speculation in this case. This incident appears to be less of a misunderstanding and more of a deliberate violation of rules.
While this is just one case, the summons raises larger concerns about liability and insurance for ski resorts. Unauthorized uphill access can increase the likelihood of accidents, complicate emergency response efforts, and expose resorts to legal and financial consequences. As uphill skiing continues to grow in popularity, many ski areas have responded to stricter enforcement when it comes to uphill travel.
Protect your local resort, follow the rules, and respect the mountain staff and athletes.
The lamb belongs to national forest industry. The ski resorts lease that land from the national forest for the duration of the ski season along with times during the summer. However, that is why we have a mud season that mountain belongs to the people. As long as you are not using their equipment, you should be able to use it whenever you want.If you get injured, it is not the liability of the mountain.It is the liability of the person. I love to ski, but this is getting ridiculous.
Yeah, this feels tricky. Most of these ski resorts are on public land–our land–but have the ability to close them at a whim while making millions using our public land during ski seasons and even now during bike seasons. The resort nearest me does run cats and such once the ski season is over, but they only run them 9-5, so it would be nice if they’d let us recreate on our land at least before and after work hours.
It’s still National Forest. They should leave at least one run open for uphill. The monopoly Vail/Ikon has is killing the industry.