Safety and Risk Awareness

Skiing, snowboarding and other activities that take place at ski areas involve the risk of injury. The information contained in the Safety and Risk Awareness section of this website is intended to inform you of the risks, dangers and hazards that you may encounter at a ski area and help you to stay safe while enjoying these activities. Whether you are a participant in these activities or a parent or guardian of a minor participant, please take the time to familiarize yourself with the Safety and Risk Awareness information on this website.

Exclusion of Liability

The use of ski area premises and facilities and participation in activities at ski areas involves 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, or breach of any 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.

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;
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

Trail Difficulty

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 it's 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.