Ever take a Rope Tow?

[billski]

How did you do first time? Where was it?


I came into skiing during J-bars, T-bars and Poma. when I did get to ropes, it was mostly really small areas or a beginner's area. I was fortunate and it came really easy for me, I guess the engineer in me helps. when I would fall, most lift lines were so narrow that I had to go out through the untracked skis full of downfall, no fun. I got pretty good at skiing around downfallen skiers too, but mostly on bar-type-lifts. You?

 

[hammer]

Took rope tows at Nashoba and Pats Peak as a beginner. The one at Nashoba was(is?) the worst, with no handles. Still remember trying to get my beginner son to hang on...not fun.

Feel free to be nostalgic if you want, but I don't/won't miss them.

 

[neil]

Yawgoo Valley. Once was enough.

 

[wa-loaf]

There's still a handle tow at Ski Ward. They unfortunately use it for their beginner lessons, so half the time is wasted teaching them how to use the damn thing.

 

[hammer]

There's still a handle tow at Ski Ward. They unfortunately use it for their beginner lessons, so half the time is wasted teaching them how to use the damn thing.

Now that I think of it, I wonder how many people who try out skiing get turned off in part because of the hassle factor in learning how to use a rope tow. :roll:

 

[Black Phantom]

How did you do first time? Where was it?


I came into skiing during J-bars, T-bars and Poma. when I did get to ropes, it was mostly really small areas or a beginner's area. I was fortunate and it came really easy for me, I guess the engineer in me helps. when I would fall, most lift lines were so narrow that I had to go out through the untracked skis full of downfall, no fun. I got pretty good at skiing around downfallen skiers too, but mostly on bar-type-lifts. You?

Oh yes. Rope tows at 4 years old were so much fun. :evil:

Let's see- Blue Hills, Bradford, Boston Hills, Boxboro Hills come to mind. I hated the rope tows. Ruined gloves, mittens, and palms. I guess you do get an upper body work out.

I much preferred graduating to a T-Bar.

 

[Method9455]

Used one last year, Winter Park Coloardo has one to move you maybe 200' uphill from the top of one HSQ to another HSQ. Pretty fun.

 

[SkiFanE]

Took rope tows at Nashoba and Pats Peak as a beginner. The one at Nashoba was(is?) the worst, with no handles. Still remember trying to get my beginner son to hang on...not fun.

Feel free to be nostalgic if you want, but I don't/won't miss them.

First lift ever was rope tow on beginners trail at Nashoba, then moved up to the War rope tow. Fast and ruined your clothes and mittens quickly. Carnage could cause backups lol.

My youngest kid started skiing at 2yo when SR put in the magic carpet - the rope tow before that just would have been too tough for us both, my older kids didn't start until they could hold onto the rope tow - 4 or 5yo.

 

[SkiDork]

Bald Hill on LI had one. Ruined many gloves on it.

Killington has a couple of handle tows as well.

 

[vonski]

Yawgoo once or twice in late 80's. But only once or twice as it does not get much steeper off the chair lift.

 

[mister moose]

I'm a veteran of the rope tow on Little Joe at Satans Ridge. It was well attended, and there were many people who would fall on the way up. If you didn't want to join the carnage, you were motivated to learn the technique of letting the rope slip in your hands just enough to stay stopped on the track but not slide backwards either, while the people who had fallen in front of you got off the tow path. The expressions of those kids who didn't know how to do that were priceless as they were drawn into a growing pile of bodies. Or, people would yell up the line to a fear frozen rope clinger, about to run onto a fallen skier, "Let the rope slip, let the rope slip!" The rope clinger would just let go completey, slide backwards, and take out 2 or 3 skiers behind them. I never saw anyone get hurt, but there was a lot of trips up the tow line that you didn't make it the while way.

(Satans Ridge, for those that don't know, was the predecessor to Ski Sundown. Little Joe was just to the right of Gunbarrel looking up )

 

[SkiDork]

again, burned out gloves...

 

[4aprice]

Mount Snow has an authentic rope tow. I was up there last New Years and rode the thing just for fun. My wife thought I was crazy and I gotta admit it yanked a few muscles around that hadn't been used in years.

Alex

Lake Hopatcong, NJ

 

[St. Bear]

Learned to ski via some combination of rope tows and J-bars at McIntyre and Pats Peak.

I tell you, kids these days are so pampered with magic carpets. Back in my day, we were yanked around and trampled by other skiers, and we were grateful for it!

 

[Glenn]

Blandford Ski Area...mid 80's. I learned on a rope tow. I was able to understand the concept of slowly tightening your grip around the roap. My younger brother didn't...he grabed tight righ away...faceplant.

I love the ropetow though...when no one fell, it was a quick ride up. You certainly did use some different muscles. They replaced the rope tow there with a cable tow that had handles. it just wasn't the same.

St Bear...I've been meaning to hit that tow at Mt Snow as well.

 

[bvibert]

I'm a veteran of the rope tow on Little Joe at Satans Ridge. It was well attended, and there were many people who would fall on the way up. If you didn't want to join the carnage, you were motivated to learn the technique of letting the rope slip in your hands just enough to stay stopped on the track but not slide backwards either, while the people who had fallen in front of you got off the tow path. The expressions of those kids who didn't know how to do that were priceless as they were drawn into a growing pile of bodies. Or, people would yell up the line to a fear frozen rope clinger, about to run onto a fallen skier, "Let the rope slip, let the rope slip!" The rope clinger would just let go completey, slide backwards, and take out 2 or 3 skiers behind them. I never saw anyone get hurt, but there was a lot of trips up the tow line that you didn't make it the while way.

(Satans Ridge, for those that don't know, was the predecessor to Ski Sundown. Little Joe was just to the right of Gunbarrel looking up )

When I started skiing it was at Sundown. The rope tow was long gone by then though, I used a Poma platter type lift to get up Little Joe instead. While I'm sure not quite the same fun as a rope tow the poma saw it's share of carnage from people who either got out of the track, or tried to sit on the platter. The upper part of the track was also fairly steep, which freaked some people out. Sadly the Poma is now gone too, and Little Joe completely reconfigured with a double chair.

Sorry to de-rope the rope tow thread. I've never had the pleasure of using one, though it sounds like I'm not missing much.

 

[Rambo]

 

[neil]

If guys like that are allowed in Alta, then why the hell aren't snowboarders?

 

[bvibert]

Awesome! :lol:

 

[The Sneak]

my 1st time skiing.
February 1990 @ Temple Mountain in Peterborough NH. The rope tow ran along the side of the road and serviced their learning area. Yes, the rope ate right through my gloves.

I was not quite 12 and absolutely hated skiing until just after lunch that day.