Industry News
Solitude Mountain Resort in Utah has reiterated its stance against rope-ducking following recent avalanche incidents, one of which resulted in a fatality in the adjacent Silver Fork backcountry terrain. On February 8, 2025, a guest also triggered an avalanche in Honeycomb Canyon after entering a closed area, requiring a response from ski patrol.
The resort now warns that entering closed terrain will result in pass suspension for at least 30 days, potentially extending to the entire season. Additionally, offenders may face legal consequences, including up to six months in jail and a $1,000 fine for a Class B misdemeanor.
“DO NOT DUCK ROPES! CLOSED MEANS CLOSED!
– Rope ducking endangers the lives of our ski patrollers.
– A guest ducked a rope yesterday (2/8) into Honeycomb Canyon and triggered an avalanche that required a response from patrol.
– Rope ducking is causing significant delays in lift and terrain openings. Our patrollers can’t open terrain when they are pulled away because of bad guest behavior. We are now considering keeping lifts closed until patrol has completed work on that terrain and the adjacent terrain.
– Entering closed terrain will result in your pass being pulled for no less than 30 days, and up to the remainder of the season. It is also punishable by a Class B misdemeanor, including up to 6 months in jail an a $1,000 fine.
– Yesterday (2/8) an avalanche also occurred in backcountry terrain adjacent to Solitude, resulting in a fatality. Our thoughts are with the family and friends of the victim. Ducking ropes into closed areas of Solitude prior to the completion of avalanche mitigation work could result in a similar accident.
– Ducking ropes selfishly puts your immediate desires above the safety of others. Don’t be that person. ⚠️TLDR: Ducking ropes and entering closed terrain endangers the lives of patrollers and guests, while delaying the opening of lifts and terrain. ‼️”
– Solitude Mountain statement
The resort is considering keeping lifts closed until patrol has completed avalanche mitigation work on adjacent terrain to ensure safety. This decision comes in response to significant delays in lift and terrain openings caused by diverting patrollers to address incidents involving guests in closed areas.
Solitude’s strict policy aligns with industry-wide efforts to combat rope-ducking. Bear Valley Ski Patrol in California recently shared a similar message, reminding skiers and snowboarders that ducking ropes expose them to numerous hazards above and below the snow. And last season, Mammoth Mountain introduced stricter policies, saying “ducking a rope closure will now result in suspending the offender’s season pass for 30 days upon the first offense. Subsequently, a second violation will revoke the season pass for the remainder of the skiing season. For holders of single or multi-day tickets, all remaining days will be forfeited upon the first offense.”
