Ben Rose, Executive Director of the Green Mountain Club, has recently addressed skiers and riders in regards to backcountry access. In the VTsports.com article, Ben Rose continues hostile attacks and posturing rather than inviting a dialog. Having an actual conversation might force Ben Rose to concede that the problem is not just illegal cutting but a lack of official access and maintenance for backcountry tree skiers.
Rose’s defiance of logic is most acutely displayed when he writes that “If you can’t hack it, don’t hack it” as if to suggest Vermont has an abundance of naturally occurring glades that don’t need pruning. The fact of the matter is that nearly all tree skiing in New England is maintained with very few locations sporting respectable spacing. Speaking on a personal note, I love tight lines and thwacking through brush to earn a few yards of powder turns. I can hack a lot of things but it is hard to hack tree skiing in New England, even in Northern Vermont, without a little assistance. To suggest that the few naturally occurring glade lines in Vermont are enough to satisfy the masses of tree skiers–that yes, can indeed “hack it”–is naive.
The article approaches its conclusion with a statement that “Sorry, but we need to have a serious conversation.” Why the apology to begin a statement of truth? The insinuation seems to be that the backcountry skiing community does not want nor is ready for such a conversation. We DO need to have a serious conversation.
This conversation needs to be approached seriously by both sides of the issue. Hard line conservationists must realize that the reason this has become such a serious issue is because of pent up demand and no official and legal outlets for the activity. This “problem” will not go away by having a one way so called conversation. Rather, this issue needs to be addressed with both sides admitting the faults of their arguments, stop posturing, and find some compromise and middle ground. Otherwise, the calls to stop trimming tree lines will simply be ignored and the practice will continue business as usual but with perhaps a little more stealth due to the Big Jay incident.
Great lines are almost always made, not found, unlike what Mr. Rose’s article suggests. Considering the article title suggests addressing the “Future” of the Backcountry, it seems like Rose is only looking backward instead of realistically looking forward. Cease and desist ultimatums are never appropriate when trying to have a “conversation” and addressing the root cause of a problem.