Clearing Trails for Ski in & Ski Out

Questions we get asked

When does this work need to happen?

Summer through early autumn. The line has to be walked on bare ground, and the work finished before snow. A trail planned in January is a next-summer project.

How wide should a private ski trail be?

It depends on pitch and who is skiing it, and wider is not automatically better — a wide corridor scours and drifts, and it exposes more edge trees to wind. We set width to the terrain.

Do we need permission if the route crosses an easement?

Almost certainly, and it is worth resolving before anything is cut. Resort easements and HOA common areas both come into play on these properties.

What happens to the material that comes out?

Usually chipped on site, and the chip is often the best thing to put straight back down as trail surface. Hauling it off the hill is an avoidable cost on most of these jobs.

Will clearing a trail affect my defensible space obligations?

It generally helps, because a cleared corridor breaks up fuel continuity. Worth planning the two together rather than separately, since the thinning serves both purposes and you only want to pay for the access once.