I don't ski no fall zones. I suppose I get near terrain like that at times, but I don't ski it. Utah has a few places that might qualify, especially in low tide conditions. But generally, most lines in and near resort-patrolled ski terrain can be navigated without risking life if tackled slowly and carefully. When I read about people dying while skiing extreme terrain it makes me sick to my stomach. I can't relate. Skiing for recreational purposed is meant to be fun.
I think extreme skiers are motivated by something beyond fun, such as prestige, testosterone, fame and fortune.
In Utah there are a lot of people that ski backcountry terrain and every year a few die in avalanches, often in areas that aren't that steep, just unstable. I'm kind of scared of the backcountry too in a snowy area like the Wasatch. Extreme skier Dan Egan had a line that went something like, the more you know, the more you need to be careful. Many of the people that die in the backcountry in Utah are described as longtime experts.
Here are a few fun photos of steep resort terrain, but I don't consider any of it "you fall, you die". It's all in-bounds and typically open to regular recreational skiers/boarders, but it can potentially be dangerous.
My son in Corbet's Couloir, Jackson Hole, WY
Again, Blackcomb Glacier, Whistler, Canada
Friend skiing North Chute, Snowbird, UT
Friends above some very steep stuff in Cathedral Cirque at Solitude, UT:
www.outsideonline.com
