Backcountry Skiing Trail Etiquette

• *I know this isn’t climbing related, but the PowderProject community isn’t as robust**
  
  What’s the downhill skier and uphill skinning trail etiquette on tight hiking trails in the trees? Moderately fast.
  
  Thanks in advance for the commentary. 

same as biking and hiking.  uphill traveller have the right of way.

Uphill skinning moderately fast?  Ain't me.

Seriously, all things considered, in general, follow what mountain bikers do: the skier coming downhill should yield/pick a line.  The guy skinning up is most likely looking at his tips.  Guy coming downhill has a better field of view. However, it is easier for the guy coming up to stop and step aside. So, it's situation specific.

edit: Brian beat me to it.

Ryan Khey wrote: **I know this isn’t climbing related, but the PowderProject community isn’t as robust**

What’s the downhill skier and uphill skinning trail etiquette on tight hiking trails in the trees? Moderately fast.

Thanks in advance for the commentary. 

Can you explain the question more clearly? Am trying to imagine what the conflict could be.  I find it hard to imagine downhill skiers wanting to, or having to, ski down an uphill skin track.

The only issue I've experienced are snowshoers stomping out skin tracks.

Terry E wrote:

Can you explain the question more clearly? Am trying to imagine what the conflict could be.  I find it hard to imagine downhill skiers wanting to, or having to, ski down an uphill skin track.

i'm assuming the op is talking about the scenario of ripping down the road/trail often found on the way too and back from the skiing.  this road/trail is often occupied by dog walkers, snowshoers, hikers, and other detritus (grin). 

John Byrnes wrote:

Absolutely fucking wrong.   DOWNHILL TRAFFIC has right of way.    It's a hell-of-a-lot easier for an uphill skier to stop.

Downhill skiers can yell "TRACK" and the uphill skier should yield.   Usually, the uphill skier(s) should just stop and stand still, letting the downhill skier(s) go around them.    Hopefully, there's enough space between the uphill skiers for the downhill skiers to turn in between them.    Trying to get out of the way takes too long and if there's several uphill skiers, it's too unpredictable, resulting in a collision.

EDIT: Sometimes I also yell "Don't move!"  or "Stand still!" to get the desired result.

i hope you at least slow down and are courteous to other trail users... no need to fly by people yelling at them....

brian burke wrote: same as biking and hiking.  uphill traveller have the right of way.

In gravity / momentum type places, including kingdom trails (rip), downhill bikers have right of way. 

As far as OP, probably best to judge on the fly who has an easier time stopping and starting. 

Agree with John.  Makes more sense for skiers traveling up hill to yield or adjust in restricted terrain.  Very similar to nautical right of way on a river in that boats heading downstream with current have right of way over boats traveling upstream.  Speed and gravity (or current) make for more restrictive maneuverability and in general,  the one with easier adjustments yields to the one who has more difficult adjustments.

Again, this only applies in restricted terrain, not an open slope, where there really shouldn’t ever be an issue.

to clarify....the downhill person is the person further down hill...not the person MOVING downhill, right?  In a ski resort...the downhill person (physically) has the right of way. On a single track trail the person moving downhill should be able to manage their speed safely and not be a dickhead yelling "MOVE" every time they come across someone utilizing the trail.

Terry E wrote:

  I find it hard to imagine downhill skiers wanting to, or having to, ski down an uphill skin track.

The only issue I've experienced are snowshoers stomping out skin tracks.

sometimes the skin track is the exit- in my very, very limited experience, it is often the exit for just a bit at the end. I can think of a number of areas in the central Wasatch that this is the case.

I would assume uphill has the right of way based on other rules for multi use trails. However, I always move over on the skin track for people coming down. When I am riding down, I definitely slow down and make sure we are all passing safely. When I have my skins on, I can pull over and be still. When I'm sliding downhill, its not as convenient for me to pull over and let skinners up. Maybe it's specific to the exit- yesterday I was definitely happy to keep riding because we were exiting on switchbacks- the terrain off the skin track was mostly unrideable yesterday for a variety of reasons. In other terrain it's been in my experience easy enough to move around each other without much issue.

Now let's spice this conversation up a bit- what about DOGS in the skin track as well as up and down hill traffic- AND THE DOGS ARE PLAYING. And there's poop bags on the side of the track to be "picked up on the way out"

WinstonVoigt wrote: to clarify....the downhill person is the person further down hill...not the person MOVING downhill, right?  In a ski resort...the downhill person (physically) has the right of way. On a single track trail the person moving downhill should be able to manage their speed safely and not be a dickhead yelling "MOVE" every time they come across someone utilizing the trail.

You are correct, on piste....the further downhill skier generally has right of way because it is generally assumed that both skiers are traveling down hill at a ski resort, and so this is an overtaking situation and again, as in nautical rules of the road, the person being overtaken has right of way.  

Most other “etiquette” rules follow similar logic to maritime rules simply because the logic and legalities have been vetted for many hundreds of years over nearly everything else.  

Courtesy, common sense, and being in control are always part of the scheme, and no rules anywhere let anyone off those hooks.  

And where total confusion and malfeasance is unavoidable, the middle finger is universally understood. 

the important thing is that no matter what this thread decides, there will be a fb/insta post decrying those "asshole backcountry skiers" for whichever method they took, with 100+ thumbs up.

John Byrnes wrote:

Resort skier, eh? 

BC badass chip on your shoulder much?

Also don't pee on the skinner

John Byrnes wrote:

Absolutely fucking wrong.   DOWNHILL TRAFFIC has right of way.    It's a hell-of-a-lot easier for an uphill skier to stop.

Downhill skiers can yell "TRACK" and the uphill skier should yield.   Usually, the uphill skier(s) should just stop and stand still, letting the downhill skier(s) go around them.    Hopefully, there's enough space between the uphill skiers for the downhill skiers to turn in between them.    Trying to get out of the way takes too long and if there's several uphill skiers, it's too unpredictable, resulting in a collision.

EDIT: Sometimes I also yell "Don't move!"  or "Stand still!" to get the desired result.

Nope, you are wrong. Google "mountain biking etiquette".

https://www.singletracks.com/trail-advocacy/mountain-biking-basics-trail-etiquette/

https://ntxtrails.com/who-has-the-right-of-way-on-mountain-bike-trails/

https://www.bouldermountainbike.org/trail-etiquette/

I am having trouble visualizing the conflict. Who skis down the skin track?

John Penca wrote:

Nope, you are wrong. Google "mountain biking etiquette".

https://www.singletracks.com/trail-advocacy/mountain-biking-basics-trail-etiquette/

https://ntxtrails.com/who-has-the-right-of-way-on-mountain-bike-trails/

https://www.bouldermountainbike.org/trail-etiquette/

Ahhh, MP...the only site where someone can ask a question about ski touring etiquette and you get replies regarding mtb etiquette...

Perry Norris wrote: I am having trouble visualizing the conflict. Who skis down the skin track?

Lots of areas have access on existing trails which are used for both entrance and egress, and they become icy and fast (luge tracks) through out the winter. 

Perry Norris wrote: I am having trouble visualizing the conflict. Who skis down the skin track?

Me too, although on some deep days where the exit kind of traverses it can be helpful to gain some speed on the skin track I suppose...but even then one can easily ski uphill or downhill of the skin track to avoid anyone skinning...so I dunno...

Tapawingo Markey wrote:

Ahhh, MP...the only climbing site where someone can ask a question about ski touring etiquette and you get replies regarding mtb etiquette...

Fixed it for ya.

Tapawingo Markey wrote:

Ahhh, MP...the only site where someone can ask a question about ski touring etiquette and you get replies regarding mtb etiquette...

to be fair, it is a reasonable comparison to make....or at least the closest comparison i can think of....