The fate of the Washington skiers snatched up by an avalanche last weekend is one all such back-country adventurers risk, when their skis slide from resort property onto the wilderness of public domain.

It's a chance many are willing to take at North Idaho ski resorts.

Spokespeople for Schweitzer Mountain Resort, Silver Mountain Resort and Lookout Pass Ski and Recreation Area all reported that skiers and snowboarders venture outside their resort boundaries every day, with a varying rate of accidents and lost recreators.

"Honestly, the appeal for most people is it's fresh snow when you ski out of bounds," said Sean Briggs with Schweitzer Mountain. "It's not snow skied by other people. You can always get a fresh powder line."

The resorts don't fine for leaving their permit areas.

But the businesses have made it clear their staff doesn't patrol those regions, and they aren't responsible for what happens to ambitious outdoorsmen.

"We post signs out there letting them know they're responsible for their own actions," said Silver Mountain spokesperson John Williams.

Back-country jaunts have become more common thanks to modern equipment, he noted.

"Bigger, wider skis have made it easier for folks to go into areas they may not have been comfortable with in the past," Williams said. "There are more people interested in going into the back country because they can. Some get the right equipment, some bypass that."

Only some check in with the resort before they venture out, he added. Friends also check in with the resort if recreators are late in returning or have gone missing.

The biggest issue is folks getting lost, he noted.

"Avalanches are the worst kind of experience, (victims) are in a giant panic, but getting lost is equally bad," he said. "It doesn't take very many things to go wrong to end up in a very bad situation."

Rescues around Silver Mountain are conducted by Shoshone County's search and rescue, he said, or the resort's own ski patrol.

There's a fee for the effort, Williams added, typically starting around $1,500.

There have been no back-country emergencies this year, he said, a nice break from last year.

"Last year, it was a string of almost every day, somebody was lost," he said, adding that most call about out-of-bounds emergencies from cell phones. "It sort of comes and goes in cycles."

Schweitzer has six access points recreators are encouraged to use to hit the back slopes, said spokesman Sean Briggs.

"If events like (an avalanche) were to happen, it gives someone a starting point on where to search," Briggs said, adding there have been no incidents this season.

There is usually no charge for rescue, he said, depending on the situation.

Back country skiers and mountaineers are particularly attracted to Lookout Pass because it's a popular access point to the St. Regis Basin, said resort President Phil Edholm.

"Very rarely do we see a problem, but it's always a concern," Edholm said, adding that rescues are conducted by local sheriffs departments from Montana or North Idaho. "Fortunately it appears that most folks who go back there are well prepared."

All the resorts encourage such recreators to take hazard evaluation classes offered by the U.S. Forest Service and some ski shops.

"They'll teach about route selection, how to dig snow pits and what to look for," Edholm said. "That's valuable information."

A slew of equipment is suggested, at minimum a GPS and cell phone in case of getting lost.

Recreators should also carry signal-sending beacons and avalanche probes, Briggs said.

Above all, he added, they should tell others where they'll be and when they plan to return.

"I definitely think back country and side country skiing is an awesome thing," he said. "But you need to be educated."