Thunderbolts and Lightning, Very, Very, Frightening (Especially on a Chairlift)

thetrailboss · Feb 16, 2014

Yep, happened today at Canyons. I could see the dark clouds of the cold front crashing into the Wasatch and figured it was just snow. Well, it hailed for a while, then we got some grapple.

At about 1:00 or so I got on Super Condo HSQ. For those that have not been to Canyons, it is one of the longer HSQ's that goes to a peak per se. The sky was pretty dark and the winds were crazy. I saw a flash in front of me...it was a guy taking a picture...so when I saw another flash I did not think anything of it until I heard the thunder....and it was close.

So I'm suspended 50 feet off the ground on a mountain ridgeline sitting on a chair and it is thundering and lightning. Awesome.

I hoped that the lift would speed up to get us off....but it stopped for a couple minutes. The lightning didn't. And I was about half-way up. Needless to say I made it and they closed the lifts for 30 minutes, I made a beeline for the Sun Lodge and waited it out. I had 20 text messages from my wife asking if I was OK.

Ever happen to you?

The grapple skied well....

Abubob · Feb 16, 2014

My wife never sends text messages to me.

steamboat1 · Feb 16, 2014

I was at Stratton one time when they closed the mountain for about an hour because of thunder & lightning. This was done before the storm arrived though.

BenedictGomez · Feb 16, 2014

Wow, that's scary. What was the temperature?

thetrailboss · Feb 16, 2014

30's and dropping. 30 minute delay. I was just glad that I was not on 9,990.

ss20 · Feb 16, 2014

thetrailboss said:
So I'm suspended 50 feet off the ground on a mountain ridgeline sitting on a metal chair suspended by a steel rope, which is supported by 50 foot steel towers and it is thundering and lightning. Awesome.

Same thing happened when I was at Smuggs last year. I wasn't on the chair, but I waited in the lodge for them to re-open after the "lightning hold". That lightning storm brought 2 inches with it in 45 minutes. I got one of the first dozen chairs up Madonna 1 afterwards 8).

thetrailboss · Feb 17, 2014

Ss20 good clarification! :lol: It certainly emphasizes the "oh shit" revelation I had on that lift ride.

snoseek · Feb 17, 2014

Alta somewhere in the 90's on the sugarloaf lift before it was high speed. It was followed by intense graupel and they shut it down for the day. Indeed scary

jaytrem · Feb 17, 2014

Don't quote me on this, but I seem to remember reading that being on a chairlift isn't a terrible thing in a lightning storm. I think it acts like a giant Faraday cage...

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Faraday_cage

Of course that doesn't make it any less scary, and eventually you have to get off.

Nick · Feb 17, 2014

That is scary.

@salsgang and his A Family Skiing in Maine are in Alta right now and he posted a pic on Facebook yesterday with the caption Thundersnow. Must have been the same system.

Nick · Feb 17, 2014

jaytrem said:
being on a chairlift isn't a terrible thing in a lightning storm.

Thanks but not thanks!!! Science consensus or not I would be scared sh1tless.

thetrailboss · Feb 17, 2014

Nick said:
That is scary.

@salsgang and his A Family Skiing in Maine are in Alta right now and he posted a pic on Facebook yesterday with the caption Thundersnow. Must have been the same system.

Yes it was.

thetrailboss · Feb 17, 2014

jaytrem said:
Don't quote me on this, but I seem to remember reading that being on a chairlift isn't a terrible thing in a lightning storm. I think it acts like a giant Faraday cage...

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Faraday_cage

Of course that doesn't make it any less scary, and eventually you have to get off.

Yeah not sure that works considering you sit against the same steel frame.

bvibert · Feb 17, 2014

We closed the lifts 5 minutes early Thursday night due to lightning.

I wouldn't be too worried about being on a lift during a storm, it's all well grounded. I wouldn't recommend holding your metal poles up in the air though.

Sent from my DROID RAZR using AlpineZone mobile app

Twism86 · Feb 17, 2014

Never on a ski lift but I once at six flags in NJ when the power went off, was trapped on a ride as lightening was approaching.... Pretty helpless feeling.

Once was caught off guard on my boat as well on a big empty lake with lightening all around.

SIKSKIER · Feb 17, 2014

Cannon many years ago.Almost exiting the top quad when out of nowhere was the loudest bang from thunder I've ever heard.It was a raging blizzard at the time so not the usually warm thunder squall.I also beelined for the summit lodge.

bobbutts · Feb 17, 2014

Yeah, got stuck on the summit quad at Sierra at Tahoe many yrs ago for a thunder and hail storm
was way off the ground with a guy who had broken his back in a long fall years prior
he said he'd rather die of lightning vs. break his back again, so we sat on the stopped lift and waited it out
was awful, one of the most frightening things I've experienced

Glenn · Feb 17, 2014

Yep. At Burke in the early 1990s. I guess there was/is some law in VT about running the lift when lightening is in the area. They evacuated us. Interesting experience and they gave us a free day pass the next day.

Sent from my iPad using AlpineZone mobile app created by Dan Egan...who also invented the iPhone

billski · Feb 17, 2014

TB, I would have soiled my snowpants if it was me! There is absolutely nothing you can do, except maybe pray...

thetrailboss · Feb 17, 2014

Yes, I prayed and just tried to focus on the snow beneath me.......

Thunderbolts and Lightning, Very, Very, Frightening (Especially on a Chairlift)

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