EXCLUSION OF LIABILITY

The use of ski area premises and facilities and participation in activities at ski areas involve various risks, dangers, and hazards. It is a condition of your use of the premises and facilities and your participation in these activities that you assume all risk of personal injury, death or property loss resulting from any cause whatsoever, including negligence, breach of contract, breach of statutory duty of care, or breach of any other duty of care on the part of the ski area operator. Your legal responsibility as a user of the ski area premises and facilities or participant in activities at the ski area is explained in the following notice, which you will see posted at the ski area.

Skiing and Snowboarding

Skiing, snowboarding, and cross-country skiing (nordic) involve various risks, dangers, and hazards, including, but not limited to the following:

• boarding, riding and disembarking ski lifts;
• changing weather conditions;
• avalanches;
• exposed rock, earth, ice, and other natural objects;
• trees, tree wells, tree stumps and forest deadfall;
• the condition of snow or ice on or beneath the surface;
• variations in the terrain which may create blind spots or areas of reduced visibility;
• variations in the surface or sub-surface, including changes due to man-made or artificial snow;
• variable and difficult conditions;
• natural and man-made objects;
• freestyle terrain and other recreational features;
• streams, creeks, and exposed holes in the snow pack above streams or creeks;
• cliffs; crevasses;
• snowcat roads, road-banks or cut-banks;
• collision with lift towers, fences, snow making equipment, snow grooming equipment, snowcats, snowmobiles or other vehicles, equipment or structures;
• encounters with domestic and wild animals including dogs and bears;
• collision with other persons;
• loss of balance or control; slips, trips and falls;
• accidents during snow school lessons;
• negligent first aid;
• failure to act safely or within one’s own ability or to stay within designated areas;
• negligence of other persons; and NEGLIGENCE ON THE PART OF THE OPERATOR.

TRAIL SIGNAGE

Circles, squares, and diamonds: Understanding trail designations

These symbols represent a ski resort trail designation system that categorizes ski and snowboard slopes by difficulty. Resorts throughout North America (and much of the world) use green circles, blue squares, and black diamonds to indicate difficulty. Nordic trail systems also often use these symbols. Each resort ranks its own trails based on the relative difficulty of their specific area. Normally, about 25 percent of the trails are designated green, 50 percent blue, and 25 percent black.

FREESTYLE TERRAIN

Freestyle Terrain has four levels of progression and designation for size.  Start small and work your way up.  It is your responsibility to familiarize yourself with the terrain before attempting any of the procedures.

When using the Freestyle Terrain, you assume the risk of any injury that may occur. The ski area operator’s liability is excluded by the terms and conditions on your ticket or season pass release of liability. 

LIFT SAFETY

To travel uphill at Ski Areas, skiers and snowboarders use a variety of ski lifts.  Users should be familiar with the use of lifts for their own safety and the safety of others.

There are many signs on and around ski lifts. Each is important in its own right, informing you about the process for loading, riding, and unloading the chair. Pay attention to and obey these signs when riding a chairlift. If you are unfamiliar with a lift or have questions, please ask a lift attendant for assistance and directions.  Ski and snowboard lessons are also great ways to learn about using the ski lifts.

Important!  Alpine Responsibility Code #9 states “You must not use lifts or terrain if your ability is impaired through the use of alcohol or drugs.”