Backcountry skiers once again have legal access from Telluride Ski Resort to some of the area's most popular sidecountry terrain, known as Bear Creek. The U.S. Forest Service closed two of Bear Creek's backcountry gates in 2010 in order to try to keep skiers off of private property. Since then, the closures have done little to change skier activity, so the Forest Service has decided to reopen the access points with more avalanche education. [Telluride Daily Planet]