David Taft circulated a petition in February 2021 hoping that a show of community momentum might be enough to convince management at Purgatory Resort to allow uphill travel. Two years later, Taft has left Durango for more accepting slopes and questions are still circulating regarding why the resort has not changed its policy.
Taft is a ski mountaineer racer, or skimo. Backcountry skiers like Taft use lightweight skis equipped with modular bindings and skins to climb uphill, before removing their skins, securing the heels of their boots, and descending, as any skier at a resort would.
As the name implies, most backcountry skiers enjoy slopes in the backcountry that are inaccessible by chairlift. But the sport has exploded in popularity in recent years, making resorts a critical resource. For skiers new to the sport, the perils of navigating avalanche hazards in the San Juan Mountain’s notoriously dangerous snowpack can be significant.
In the 2021-22 season, four people were caught in avalanches in the region, including one who was killed, according to the Colorado Avalanche Information Center. Five backcountry skiers and snowboarders were killed in the region during the previous season, when Taft circulated the petition.
Taft, along with the other 911 people who signed the petition, asked Purgatory to develop a policy to allow uphill travel. According to the U.S. Ski Mountaineering Association, Purgatory is one of just two resorts out of 29 in Colorado that do not allow uphill travel at all. Of the 27 resorts that do allow uphill travel, many require users to purchase a pass for a nominal fee, restrict terrain access and/or limit the hours during which the activity is allowed.
After Taft’s petition surfaced in 2021, Purgatory’s General Manager Dave Rathbun told The Durango Herald “the timing is not right. But if people want to talk about it, we’d be happy to talk about it.”
When asked about the 2021 petition and whether anyone had tried to take him up on his offer to discuss, Rathbun said, “nobody ever reached out.”
However, emails between petition organizer Taft and Rathbun tell a different story. After the Feb. 18, 2021, article in which Rathbun offered to talk, Taft emailed Rathbun on Feb. 25 extending a cordial greeting.
“I’ve spent some time this winter reaching out to different ski areas inquiring about how each of them manage uphill access in an effort to learn about the different approaches and challenges, and it sounds like many of them have some sort of uphill access volunteer committee just to keep things organized,” Taft wrote. “I’d be happy to assist in that effort if you deem it appropriate.”
Rathbun responded the next day and copied the ranger at the time of the Columbine Ranger District, James Simino.
“To be ambushed the way we were by the Herald really does not sit well with me, or our ownership, just so we are clear on the footing we are on at this very moment,” Rathbun wrote. “This situation has led me to a clear understanding of the reasoning behind Purgatory's policy with respect to uphill travel and this topic will be discussed internally and at our annual meeting with the Forest Service this summer.”
When subsequently asked about the exchange, Rathbun said, “that’s ancient history in my mind,” and said his comment regarding the silence from uphill users was in reference to the 2022-23 season.
Purgatory operates under a special-use permit on land managed by the U.S. Forest Service and owned by the public. A spokeswoman for the Forest Service confirmed in 2021 that an amendment to the permit would not be required for the resort to change its policy, and that the change could be made to the annual operating plan.
Rathbun said those internal conversations have taken place. Although he was open to discussing a change to the policy in 2021, he has since hardened his position.
“Nothing has changed,” he said emphatically this week. “Our situation remains the same and we are not entertaining a change in the uphill policy.”
When asked if he brought the issue up with the Forest Service, as he told Taft he would, Rathbun said he could not recall. A spokesman for the Forest Service said he spoke with four or five employees in the agency, and none remembered the issue being a topic of discussion.
Rathbun said backcountry users can access the backside of the mountain via Hermosa Park Road (Forest Service Road 578), and that the access it provides should be sufficient accommodation.
While Forest Service manual 2340 allows resorts to restrict certain activities, such prohibitions must be publicly listed. Scott Owen, a spokesman for the Forest Service, said Purgatory did not have the prohibition in its public policy online. However, the policy appeared online this week after the Herald brought the issue to Rathbun’s attention.
The resort’s rationale for the ban is safety. Unruly uphill travelers cause problems for groomers at night and can conflict with downhill skiers during the day. Rathbun said skiers trying to climb uphill at night consistently cause problems for the resort’s staff.
Durango resident and outdoor enthusiast Keith Roush said it might be time for Purgatory to reconsider. He owned Pine Needle Mountaineering from 2002 to 2012 and has extensive experience as an avalanche educator.
“I think they have to ask themselves why they’re one of only two that doesn’t do it,” he said while on a break from skiing laps at the resort. “Everyone else has seemed to find a good reason, (whether) it’s just getting more people to their facilities or good for the community. ... I think they need to examine why they’re not (allowing uphill travel) because obviously it’s popular.”
Local backcountry skiers agree.
Taft lived in Durango for four years before he picked up and left for the Roaring Fork Valley this fall. The lack of uphill, inbound access was a factor in that decision, he said. Now, he can train for races and get his uphill movement in at any one of Aspen’s four major resorts.
Taft was accustomed to participating in skimo races within resort boundaries all around the country.
“Ultimately, it was just really, really disappointing to come home from one of those trips and just really not have any option at home,” he said.
Purgatory is hosting a skimo race to benefit a Durango-based avalanche safety awareness nonprofit called Know the Snow in January.
Rathbun’s response, Taft said, was unnecessarily gruff.
“It’s appalling, I’m utterly furious at the man,” Taft said. “I think he handled this in basically the worst possible way. He could have embraced it as an opportunity to seek community input, but I think, sort of on brand with Purgatory as a whole, he took it as a threat and as a personal affront. ... I don’t think Purgatory sees itself as a community resource.”
Taft is not alone in that feeling.
“If Purgatory wants to be a part of the community instead of just a business, (this issue) feels pretty important,” said David Cummins, a Durango-based backcountry skier.
Cummins said the uphill access at Hesperus Ski Area, which, like Purgatory, is owned by Mountain Capital Partners, is not sufficient. Instead, Cummins makes the hour and 45 minute drive to Wolf Creek Ski Area when he wants to skin inbounds. Uphill access is free at the resort, but Cummins said he often spends money on food and beverages, noting that he also sometimes stays overnight in Pagosa Springs.
While the ban at Purgatory is rooted in safety, ultimately, the argument in favor of lifting the ban is also rooted in safety.
“The beauty of it for the community is it allows a backcountry skier who’s new to the area or new to the backcountry to get some skills scanning and picking routes and learning his gear without going out into dangerous terrain,” Roush said. “And as an avalanche instructor, that’s just a big bonus.”
rschafir@durangoherald.com
