Helping People On The Mountain

[dmc]

I'll always report if someones down...
And if someone looks hurt... I'll stop... But i won't diagnose or touch anybody...

 

[tekweezle]

i gave some novice skier impromptu ski lessons at the end of the day at Stratton once. Seems like she got separated from her friends and was lost, looking for some green trail back to wherever they parked.

I pointed her in the right direction but I could sense that she was overmatched by the conditions. the problem was that it was getting warm, at the end of the day and the snow was mogulled up, choppy and cut up, especially on the green commuter trails. would have been challenging conditions for even an expert. So I stuck with her for the remainder of the trail going straight to the base and I could giving her pointers on how to tackle the conditions and encouraging her on.

well no good deed goes unpunished so I suppose I will burn in hell!

then again other people have help me alot too. A snowboarder picked up my lost ski after I did a death slide of about 200 feet at Kirkwood.

 

[tcharron]

I'll always stop if I think I can help, and they want it. But the one thing I always go out of my way to help with is those poor 7 and 8 year olds who are on the mountain, and are blankley staring down as they've dropped their poles or gloves or something on a trail that I know there is no way in hell they're going to get down. Like say, the terrain park. :-D I always offer to go get it for them, call it a daddy reaction...

 

[campgottagopee]

I'll always stop---lots of people bash cell phones on the hill but I've used mine many occasions to report a skier down, or to help find a lost kids parents.

 

[ctenidae]

Saw a total yardsale at BW on Saturday. My wife and I both stopped to check he was okay.

 

[Beetlenut]

... I always offer to go get it for them, call it a daddy reaction...

I think that's a good observation. I think people with kids have a different level of compassion for others who maybe struggling on the slopes, be they kids or adults. Maybe it's another level of evolvement attained by putting others needs ahead of your own. I know it sounds kewl to say "tuff it out kid", but I think many people remember what it was like starting out, or appericate it when someone helps them out. So returning the favor, or paying it forward is one of the many things that makes our sport so unique.

 

[Glenn]

I've stopped to check on people and helped out after yard sales. My wife and I usually stop near somewhat serious looking injuries as well...just to make sure things are OK. The last thing you want to do is stare and gawk so if things are under control, we'll move along.

 

[billski]

I always stop for one simple reason, not counting injury. I want people to have fun. to enjoy the sport as much as I do. Do I really want to pay money to have a bad time? More people having fun, we all win.

There is one thing I won't stop for, because I really can't help. A boyfriend trying to teach his girlfriend how to ski when she's upset as all hell because he can't teach or has taken her somewhere she doesn't belong.

 

[awf170]

I never grab any of their stuff. It's their fault they fell. I actually try to hockey stop right in front of them to get them even more covered in snow. Good skiers don't fall.

 

[billski]

I never grab any of their stuff. It's their fault they fell. I actually try to hockey stop right in front of them to get them even more covered in snow. Good skiers don't fall.

95% of first-timers never come back.

 

[2knees]

I never grab any of their stuff. It's their fault they fell. I actually try to hockey stop right in front of them to get them even more covered in snow. Good skiers don't fall.

dude, grab their stuff and bring it about 100 yards down the trail from where they fell. watch the carnage as they try to go downhill on one or no skis.

pure gold. the icier the slope and the more inexperienced the skier just ups the fun factor.

 

[awf170]

95% of first-timers never come back.

Sweet. Then the ski areas will all shut down and I'll be able to ski my powder in peace. I think I'm going to start being a complete a-hole to everyone at ski areas now. Thanks Billski!

dude, grab their stuff and bring it about 100 yards down the trail from where they fell. watch the carnage as they try to go downhill on one or no skis.

pure gold. the icier the slope and the more inexperienced the skier just ups the fun factor.

Good idea! I think I'm going to add a fake handoff when I ski by just to get their hopes up.

 

[tekweezle]

i once physically picked up a skiwee kid and put him on the chairlift . He was supposed to ride up with his instructor and 2 other kids and I guess he fell behind and just missed getting on the chair as the instructor was busy getting the other 2 on. you never know, a random act of kindness might make some difference in the world.

once i took about a 100 yard tumble on superstar at Killington, slipped a ski and couldn't retrieve it. they were blowing snow on it to recover from a thaw so it was buried and out of sight-a foot of manmade snow on hard ice and a 20-30 degree incline.. when I got to the base, a ski patrol guy gave me a voucher to rent another pair of skis so I could ski the rest of the day. by the end of the day, i found my lost ski behind the front desk.

earlier that weekend, us city slickers in our not made for VT honda civic got stuck on a muddy mountain road and ended in a ditch. we got all muddy and got passed by alot of vehicles(mostly NY plates) that wouldn;t stop to help. but one vehicle stopped and ferried our passengers and groceries up to our rental house. and then another stopped and 4 big guys got out and helped us physically lift/push the vehicle out of the ditch. i decided at that moment that I think i am going to retire in vermont somewhere down the road.

 

[billski]

i once physically picked up a skiwee kid and put him on the chairlift . He was supposed to ride up with his instructor and 2 other kids and I guess he fell behind and just missed getting on the chair as the instructor was busy getting the other 2 on. you never know, a random act of kindness might make some difference in the world.

once i took about a 100 yard tumble on superstar at Killington, slipped a ski and couldn't retrieve it. they were blowing snow on it to recover from a thaw so it was buried and out of sight-a foot of manmade snow on hard ice and a 20-30 degree incline.. when I got to the base, a ski patrol guy gave me a voucher to rent another pair of skis so I could ski the rest of the day. by the end of the day, i found my lost ski behind the front desk.

earlier that weekend, us city slickers in our not made for VT honda civic got stuck on a muddy mountain road and ended in a ditch. we got all muddy and got passed by alot of vehicles(mostly NY plates) that wouldn;t stop to help. but one vehicle stopped and ferried our passengers and groceries up to our rental house. and then another stopped and 4 big guys got out and helped us physically lift/push the vehicle out of the ditch. i decided at that moment that I think i am going to retire in vermont somewhere down the road.

Great stories. When I was growing up and learning to drive in the snow covered sticks, when someone broke down, you just stopped and help. It wasn't up for debate. You don't even think about it. It is just something you do.

When I do that down here, I either get treated as a potential axe murderer (but I think that's Marc's job,right?), or, more rarely, as a savior from heaven.

I was put on a chair with 2 ski wees (one instructor, 100 kids, so it seemed.) one kid almost slid off the chair. I grabbed him put him back in place. It was clear they gave him a teflon ski suit to wear, he kept sliding out, so I just had to brace him with my arm in front of him. I kept thinking the state police were gonna be waiting on top to arrest me for child abuse.

 

[billski]

Sweet. Then the ski areas will all shut down and I'll be able to ski my powder in peace. I think I'm going to start being a complete a-hole to everyone at ski areas now. Thanks Billski!




Good idea! I think I'm going to add a fake handoff when I ski by just to get their hopes up.

Havin a bad day awf?

 

[andyzee]

I usually stop if it looks someone has a problem.

 

[mister moose]

I still believe that part of skiing is learning to deal with what happens when you yard sale.. And if there's nobody around... You can't just stand there and wait... So better to know what to do and have practiced it...

I know you are an accomplished rider/skier, but this is a callous attitude, and is part of the reason NY/NJ/BOS urban folks have such a bad reputation. There's a lot of people out there that are the victims of the pushy boyfriend or parent, and are in over their heads, or just never got some good instruction in the first place. Helping them on an as encountered basis is just the friendly thing to do.

If what you're saying is that you don't want to live in a nanny state, then I'm with you 100%, but that doesn't sound like what you were saying.

I always stop for one simple reason, not counting injury. I want people to have fun. to enjoy the sport as much as I do. Do I really want to pay money to have a bad time? More people having fun, we all win.

Exactly.

My criteria for stopping:

STOP:
Stays down, or gets up staggering, appears injured.
Equipment is left strewn uphill where I can easily ski it down and save them a hike up. I love this courtesy when extended to me.
Is having trouble putting skiis back on due to steep pitch or deep snow.
Child is down, and way uphill from parent.
Fall is in high traffic area or blind spot and they are about to get run down.

DON"T STOP (Which ends up being 95% of the time):
Bounces back up, is obviously fine.
I'm downhill of them, and there is no serious injury.
Someone else capable stopped.
Yard sale'd, but a small enough yard.

 

[mondeo]

At some point people have to learn to fend for themselves...

I will stop for kids and someone hurt... But i won't stop to pick up a ski thats 10 feet above someone..
Part of skiing is learning to deal with yard sales... i did it... You all did it...

Agreed, everyone needs to deal with yardsales. But that really isn't that hard. Just walking uphill. It's not like helping someone retrieve uphill gear is really taking away a learning experience; after all, there are plenty of times where there won't be anyone to help.

When I fall (which is quite often,) it's not because I'm skiing stuff I can't handle, it's because I'm pushing myself or because of a pre-release. I'm plenty capable of getting up, popping the binding off the boot that still has its ski, hiking up, ... It's still nice when there's someone uphill who's willing to retrieve that wayward ski for me. I try to do the same for others.

Using your argument, you should never help anyone else. After all, making any experience more painful makes it more likely that a person will work harder to avoid it in the future.

 

[dmc]

I know you are an accomplished rider/skier, but this is a callous attitude, and is part of the reason NY/NJ/BOS urban folks have such a bad reputation.

No it isn't.... It would be callous of me to not stop if someone is hurt or is a child with no parents... That i would not do..

And this is not limited to the tri-state area....


Give a man a fish and he lives for a day
Teach a man to fish and he can live forever...

 

[dmc]

Agreed, everyone needs to deal with yardsales. But that really isn't that hard. Just walking uphill. It's not like helping someone retrieve uphill gear is really taking away a learning experience; after all, there are plenty of times where there won't be anyone to help.

When I fall (which is quite often,) it's not because I'm skiing stuff I can't handle, it's because I'm pushing myself or because of a pre-release. I'm plenty capable of getting up, popping the binding off the boot that still has its ski, hiking up, ... It's still nice when there's someone uphill who's willing to retrieve that wayward ski for me. I try to do the same for others.

Using your argument, you should never help anyone else. After all, making any experience more painful makes it more likely that a person will work harder to avoid it in the future.

BS.... Learning to walk on snow - especially uphill is important... Walking uphill is something we all need to learn... Skiing and riding isn;t just about going downhill... it's aabout learning to deal with your shti... Safely... Not dealing with your crap and depending on someone else is bad form...

UNLESS YOUR HURT or a CHILD!!!!