Laws that govern the backcountry are as powerful as those governing any natural force, and they all echo the same warning — enter at your own risk.

"When you cross that boundary, it's like stepping into the stone age," said Bruce Tremper, director of the U.S. Forest Service Utah Avalanche Center. "You have to become your own avalanche expert."

Tremper said people generally have a hard time "making that mental jump" from being in a well-groomed, safe and controlled ski resort to being completely vulnerable to Mother Nature.

Salt Lake County Sheriff's Sgt. Todd Griffiths works the canyon-area patrol. He said both the Forest Service and ski resorts have the authority to close areas of the resort or backcountry they designate as "too dangerous" for travel.

"They can decide to close areas of their property and it is illegal to enter those," he said.

If visitors are found intentionally disobeying posted warnings, misdemeanor citations can be issued. That citation is much like a traffic ticket — violators must either appear in court to plead their case or pay a fine. Fines can reach $299 and, in some cases, up to six months of jail time can be ordered.

"I was surprised at the number of people who actually use the backcountry," Griffiths said. "There are a lot of tracks out there."

He said ski patrollers, sheriff's officers and forest rangers have issued at least 50 citations this season.

During the 2004-2005 ski season, eight people died in avalanches triggered by either themselves or someone in their group. Tremper said all of last year's avalanche deaths happened in the backcountry, and at least one victim was in an area that was closed.

This year, three people have died after being buried in backcountry avalanches. None of those victims, however, were in areas that had been closed off.

Experience and having proper equipment can offset the chances of being caught in an avalanche, Tremper said.

"Nearly 85 percent of Utahns killed in avalanches did not consult (avalanche) reports before going out, did not have the right gear and had not taken avalanche awareness classes that are offered," he said.

Doing those three things, he said, can save lives.

"The vast majority of the backcountry is open to the public," Griffiths said. "But go in prepared because bad things can happen quickly back there."

A Chilean man died Monday in an avalanche in the out-of-bounds terrain of Brighton Ski Resort in Big Cottonwood Canyon. Atilio Giorgio Cremaschi Yazar, 27, and a friend went against warnings posted at the edge of the resort's boundary, and Yazar died as a result.