First, there are signs spelling out warnings: "Area boundary. No avalanche control, no ski patrol. Extreme hazard . . . Be aware!!"
Then there are the ropes, mile upon mile of woven strands, which are the acknowledged barricade between safety and jeopardy.But at some point simple common sense should weigh heavily on the decision.
Still, the lure of making that one turn in untracked powder, of being the first to ski an untouched slope, of facing danger and surviving, of simply challenging authority, is sometimes too much to resist.
Every year, people take the chance, however large or small it may be, and go under safety ropes or ski into the backcountry on high-risk days. And, while accidents are rare, they do happen, and in some cases with grave consequences.
Some problems occur because people violate the law. With others, it comes down to personal choice, albeit an unwise one.
Skiers who ski under or around ropes inside ski area boundaries or boundary ropes at resorts on private land are in violation of the law.
However, those who access public lands off ski area property have a right to do it.
"The only time this isn't the case," reported Kathy Joe Pollock with the U.S. Forest Services, "is if because of extreme danger we go in and close an area. In this case we post signs. Otherwise it's open to anyone . . . anytime."
But as one member of the ski patrol put it, "If you've lived and skied in Utah for any reasonable time, you know how deadly avalanches can be. Whether or not you choose to believe it's ever going to happen to you is another thing."
So, just where do the law and wisdom branch off?
Ski areas string ropes along their boundaries to warn skiers that terrain beyond the ropes is not safe, whether because of avalanche danger, control work or skiing conditions.
"If they want to leave our area, we can't stop them," said Onno Wieringa, general manager of Alta. "We will advise them, and we do, but we can't stop them if they choose to ski under the ropes. They have a right to access Forest Service land.
"We do have some designated openings, natural places to access the backcountry if people want to leave. Most of those spots are close to ski patrol huts. They can stop in and we'll tell them what conditions are like, but the choice is theirs to make."
A similar policy is in place at Snowbird, said Bob Black, chief of mountain operations. "We have access points, and we keep those access points open. Skiers are not supposed to ski under ropes, but are required to use those access points. We support this policy and work to maintain it.
"Inside our permit area we operate to protect the public to the degree we can and work to mitigate obvious hazards. That's not the case outside our permit area."
Earlier this month a Park City couple skied through an access point and outside the boundaries at The Canyons, were caught in an avalanche and died.
Skiing under ropes in closed areas within resort boundaries is another matter. There are county and city ordinances making it a misdemeanor, punishable by a fine and/or jail time.
Because areas like Deer Valley are on private property, the county ordinance states that is a misdemeanor to duck under "any ropes" within the area or guarding its boundaries.
"A roped-off area is for skier safety," said Bob Wheaton, president and general manager of Deer Valley. "Generally, when a skier goes outside the boundaries, they can't get back, which is a big concern. If someone breaks a rope line, we have the right to apprehend, transport and then notify the sheriff, which we've done."
Wieringa also pointed out that, "In some cases we've had the town marshal meet us in the parking lot. We're firm on that. But before that happens we try and eliminate most of the problems by educating our people and they, in turn, help educate the skiers," said Wieringa.
"We also have a good core of skiers here. If they see someone try and go under a rope they'll stop and yell at them to get back. Every once in a while, though, you get someone who thinks they're smarter than you."
Simply exercising wisdom, in most cases, is enough to avoid problems.
Rod Keller, who runs the Interconnect program for Ski Utah, where skiers are taken to as many as five ski areas in a single day, takes between 500 and 700 skiers into the backcountry each season. In his 14-year career he has never recorded a serious accident.
"We may do some control work, but most of it is we use good judgment. If we feel it's not safe, we may take another route or we may cancel altogether and wait until the snow stabilizes. It's not worth the risk," he explained.
"It's sometimes amazing what we see in other skiers when we do go out. They have no beacons (locating devices), no shovels and obviously little knowledge of the backcountry. You must be able to be responsible for your own rescue if something happens. Most of them wouldn't know what to do if there was a problem."
When skiing from a resort into Forest Service land, the responsibility rests completely on the skiers. Resorts are littered with signs warning of the dangers. Every winter, local and national media report stories of avalanche fatalities. Some dive deeper into the story and issue precautions and safety tips.
"But, it's their choice. This is, after all, America," said Wieringa. "I talked to one snowboarder who'd taken a couple of buddies into the backcountry. One was killed. He told me afterward they knew the risks before and all decided to go anyway. He said, 'We made the decision, it just wasn't a good decision.' That's what it comes down to."