Erik Stevens has lived in Haines for five years, and every year he hears about someone getting hassled by the police for skiing on the road.
“Every winter, a friend comes up to me and says, ‘Oh, the stupidest thing just happened,’” Stevens said in an interview this week. “It’s the same story every time: ‘They made me take off my skis and walk down the hill.’”
Fed up, Stevens decided to start collecting signatures to petition the Haines Borough to remove the section of code prohibiting the use of skis on townsite roads, certain sidewalks and in Lookout Park.
The current fine for a violation is $25, with a $5 increase for each subsequent violation.
“The people of Haines should have the right to ski around town as a mode of transportation without fear of being prosecuted,” Stevens said. “Besides giving residents a safe and effective way to travel in winter, this will send an important message to winter visitors that Haines is a great place to ski, and winter tourism is welcome in our town,” he said.
Stevens recently moved from Mud Bay Road to the townsite and has been biking to work. He’d like to be able to ski in the winter, especially considering cutbacks to plowing.
“I’d like to be able to ski when the roads aren’t safe to drive. I think there are a lot of other people who would appreciate that option,” he said.
The section of code that prohibits skiing on townsite roadways also prohibits the use of skateboards, roller skates, sleds and toy vehicles.
Haines resident Heather Lende was ticketed for skiing on Front Street near the Harbor Bar about 20 years ago, she said. It was nighttime and there was about a foot of snow on the ground.
A patrol vehicle followed her and activated its flashing lights. When she found out why she had been pulled over, Lende was angry.
“I was furious. I was like, ‘Oh, you’ve got to be kidding me,’” Lende said. “I knew that ordinance was on the books, but I just thought, ‘Seriously?’”
The ticket was ultimately dropped after Lende disputed the ticket and threatened to call media outlets and report an Alaska town had outlawed skiing on the roads.
“It just flies in the face of reason,” she said of the law. “We should be able to ski from the post office to the bank.”
Alaska Nature Tours and Alaska Backcountry Outfitter owner Dan Egolf has the petition available for signing at his Second Avenue storefront.
“It’s an age-old method of transportation around Haines. It probably goes back even to before vehicles were here,” Egolf said.
Stevens said he would like people to sign the petition by Friday, because he wants to submit it for consideration at Monday’s 10 a.m. meeting of the ad-hoc Minor Offenses Committee.
The portion of code in question is among the 250 or so violations outlined in the proposed minor offenses ordinance currently being revisited by the committee.
Stevens brought the petition idea to a Haines Alpine Touring Society meeting about a month ago, where everybody at the meeting – about 15-20 people – agreed abolishing the law would be a good step.