There is currently (or was until the topic devolved into political garbage) a spirited discussion going on over at SKIVT-L with respect to Sugarbush's policy on hiking for turns when the lifts are closed, be it pre-season or when lifts are on wind-hold. Apparently, the policy is that such activities are either forbidden or require some sort of poorly publicized $15 payment. This policy, if true, is both curious and disappointing. First, most of Sugarbush's neighbors in northern VT either explicitly or implicitly condone such turn earning, so SB stands out with its tightfisted approach on this issue. I'm sure people will point out there there is machinery moving around the mountain and that creates a liability issue, but there are plenty of hills whose owners are familiar with liability and insurance risks who don't adopt this approach. More importantly, the type of individuals who would tend to be impacted by this are the very locals who are the core of any mountain. Why alientate the very people who are likely to be the best supporters and evangelists for the hill? To me, this really stands in stark contrast to the welcoming attitude that Win and SV have been cultivating since they bought the mountain from ASC.

So, two questions for Win if he chooses to respond.

1) What is the policy on hiking for turns while the lifts aren't operating?

2) If what I've described above is true, why is it in place?



What does everyone else think?