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Beaver Creek Mountain Safety

Safety on the Slopes

At Beaver Creek, safety comes first for all of our guests and employees. The resort has put in place programs that promote the safety of everyone on the mountain as well as educate our guests on the importance of snowsports safety.

Beaver Creek National Safety Awareness Week January 16-22, 2010
Schedule of Events

2009 National Ski Area Association’s Best Overall Safety Award

Beaver Creek is the recipient of the 2009 National Ski Area Association’s Best Overall Safety Award, and has been recognized for the sixth straight year for safety efforts. Beaver Creek promotes safety through on-mountain activities, community outreach, employee education and endorsement. The Beaver Creek Skier and Snowboarder Responsibility Program is designed to communicate, educate and enforce the basics of responsible, courteous skiing and snowboarding as outlined in “Your Responsibility Code” and the Colorado Skier Safety Act. Because Beaver Creek makes the safety of each guest a priority, we have a dedicated safety crew called the “Yellow Jackets” consisting of staff from the Beaver Creek Guest Services and Ski Patrol departments. “Yellow Jackets” regularly patrol and monitor designated areas on the mountain for slow and responsible skiing and riding.

Harry and Milli

Beaver Creek's cartoon safety ambassadors are designed to promote and educate snow riders about safety on the mountain. They're frequent participants with the children's ski and snowboard school and you'll find this fun-loving duo blanketing the slopes all season long. Harry and Milli started as characters that represented life travel and positive thought not matter what they did or where they were in the world. Harry and Milli debut in Beaver Creek by being awarded the best new role models by the National Ski Areas Association in 2005/06 season. In the following year the characters were used to sign post a safety trail that highlighted aspects of the code and involved the alpine public in having fun while learning. This factor contributed to winning the best safety in the mountains in 2007/08. The characters are still at large and hope to reach all in a message that is simple and fun. That is that the mountains are a wonderful place to grow up in and enjoy forever, but while we are here there are a few things, like the alpine responsibility code that make it great for all in securing a fun and safe time that lasts forever.

Ski Safety
Freestyle Terrain
Back Country
High Altitude
Safety Videos

SKI SAFETY:
HEADS UP- KNOW THE CODE, IT'S YOUR RESPONSIBILITY

YOUR RESPONSIBILITY CODE:
Beaver Creek is committed to promoting skier safety. In addition to people using traditional alpine ski equipment, you may be joined on the slopes by snowboarders, telemark skiers or cross-country skiers, skiers with disabilities, skiers with specialized equipment and others. Always show courtesy to others and be aware that there are elements of risk in skiing and snowboarding that common sense and personal awareness can help reduce. Know your ability level and stay within it. Observe “Your Responsibility Code” listed below and share with other skiers the responsibility for a great skiing experience.

    1. Always stay in control, and be able to stop or avoid other people or objects.
    2. People ahead of you have the right of way. It is your responsibility to avoid them.
    3. You must not stop where you obstruct a trail or are not visible from above.
    4. Whenever starting downhill or merging into a trail, look uphill and yield to others.
    5. Always use devices to help prevent runaway equipment.
    6. Observe all posted signs and warnings. Keep off closed trails and out of closed areas.
    7. Prior to using any lift, you must have the knowledge and ability to load, ride and unload safely.

Be advised that Beaver Creek Resort does not mark all potential obstacles or hazards. When marked, poles, flags, fencing, signage, padding or other forms of marking are used to inform the skier/rider of the location of a potential obstacle or hazard. These markers are no guarantee of your safety. It is part of your responsibility under the Your Responsibility Code and the Colorado Ski Safety Act to avoid all obstacles and hazards.

COLORADO SKI SAFETY ACT
The Colorado legislature, recognizing risks that are inherent in the sport, has passed the Colorado Ski Safety Act which provides inherent risks of the sport and relative responsibilities of the skier; and the ski area. You must obey the Act. Under the Act, any person using the facilities of a ski area is considered a skier. A summary of the inherent risks is listed below:

WARNING
Under Colorado law, a skier assumes the risk of any injury to person or property resulting from any of the inherent dangers and risks of skiing and may not recover from any ski area operator for any injury resulting from any of the inherent dangers and risks of skiing, including: changing weather conditions; existing and changing snow conditions; bare spots; rocks; stumps; trees; collisions with natural objects, man-made objects, or other skiers; variations in terrain; and the failure of skiers to ski within their own abilities.

The Ski Safety Act was amended in 2004 to include CLIFFS, EXTREME TERRAIN, JUMPS AND FREESTYLE TERRAIN as inherent dangers and risks of the sport.

Skiers and Riders should be advised that a green circle, blue square, or black diamond trail at Beaver Creek is not necessarily the same as a green circle, blue square or black diamond trail at other resorts. The system is a relative rating of trails at each resort and does not compare trail difficulty between resorts. Skiers and Riders should begin with the easiest terrain and then move up in difficulty as their ability permits in order to understand the relative rating at Beaver Creek Resort.

EXTREME TERRAIN contains cliffs, very steep slopes as well as rocks and other hazards. Skiing or boarding Extreme Terrain is for EXPERTS ONLY.

ELECTRONIC DEVICES. Vail Resorts strongly discourages the use of electronic devices including cell phones, personal entertainment and communication devices, and any other electronic equipment that utilizes head/ear phones while skiing and snowboarding, or loading and unloading lifts.

LIFT SAFETY. Under Colorado law, you cannot board a lift unless you have sufficient physical dexterity, ability and knowledge to negotiate or to use such lift safely, or until you have asked for and received information sufficient to enable you to use the lift safely. You may not use a lift or any ski trail when under the influence of drugs or alcohol.

CAUTION. Snowcats, snowmobiles and snowmaking may be encountered at any time.

SLOW ZONES. Certain areas (indicated on the map in yellow) are designated as SLOW ZONES. Please observe the posted slow areas by maintaining a speed no faster than the general flow of traffic. Space and speed are especially important in these areas. Fast and aggressive skiing will not
be tolerated.

HELMET USE. Beaver Creek encourages our guests to educate themselves on the benefits and limitations of winter sports helmets. Regardless of whether or not you choose to wear a helmet, every winter sport participant shares responsibility for his or her safety and for that of others using the ski area facilities.

Any employee in uniform is available to assist with safety questions and is empowered to suspend or revoke the skiing or riding privileges of anyone demonstrating reckless or inappropriate behavior.

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