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

[jimmywilson69]

damn... that is scary. I was at Killington once where there was thunder snow, actually saw the lightning. I wasn't on a lift at the time, but was on my way down. Needless to say after I stopped "briefly" with my group, we bolted for the bottom.

Can't imagine being on the lift...

 

[Warp Daddy]

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

TB glad u made it thru OK. I would need to change the tighty whiteys if it was me

 

[Conrad]

Scary stuff, I've been to a thunderstorm delayed hockey game, but fortunately I've never ran into a thunderstorm on the hill.

 

[Domeskier]

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.

Same thing happened to me as a kid. We were stopped at the top of large ferris wheel as a massive thunder an lightning storm was moving in. Within five minutes after getting off the thing, the power went out and it started to deluge. Luckily as a kid it just kinda seemed cool at the time.

 

[ERJ-145CA]

Twice I've been at Belleayre on the HSQ when a thunderstorm approached the mountain. Both times were in April. I just got off at the top and skied down to the lodge as fast as I could. I guess it's a hazard of spring skiing.

 

[skiNEwhere]

Just happened right now. I missed the lightning in the first photo by a few seconds. Ski patrol was in the process of closing all the lists about 10 minutes beforehand

 

[billski]

I don't see anything

I don't see anything but clouds in the three photos. What am I missing?

Just happened right now. I missed the lightning in the first photo by a few seconds. Ski patrol was in the process of closing all the lists about 10 minutes beforehand

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[thetrailboss]

Is that A-Basin, skiNEwhere?

 

[octopus]

grapple or graupel? mountain biking under powerlines when a lightning storm rolled thru sucked, fastest i've ever ridden.

 

[skiNEwhere]

Is that A-Basin, skiNEwhere?

Yes it is.

Billski, there was thunder and lightning

 

[darent]

happened to Jan and I at sunday river a few years ago, talk about nerve racking, couldn't wait to get off that lift!!

 

[thetrailboss]

Yeah thunder is kind of hard to photograph.


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[Nick]

Yeah you need a long shutter speed + luck

 

[mbedle]

As scary as it may seem when you are on the lift, the risk is primarily to the loaders and people getting on and off the lift (the moment you are grounded). There is also the bigger issue that if the lightning grounds at the electric motor and blows the motor out, you basically have a bunch of people stuck on the lift in the middle of a storm. If a tower was hit, it would simple discharge straight to ground. If the cable is hit, it would run the length of the cable until it found ground, which would occur at the loading and unloading areas or it would arc at the first tower and ground there. Still would be scary and wouldn't want to be stuck on a lift during a storm.

 

[pcampbell]

i was just arriving at the top of Sugarbush on my mountain bike when it opened up last Tuesday. I saw a few strikes hit the mountain lower than me. Was a little scared and booked it the hell off the mountain, trying to hug the side of the trails to get closer to the trees. Phew!

 

[steamboat1]

Yeah thunder is kind of hard to photograph.

Almost as hard as hearing lightning.

 

[mbedle]

Just a heads up - please do not ever hug the side of the trails to get closer to the trees if you are trying to be safe in a lightning storm. Better to stay straight down the middle of the trail and seek coverage in the nearest lodge.

i was just arriving at the top of Sugarbush on my mountain bike when it opened up last Tuesday. I saw a few strikes hit the mountain lower than me. Was a little scared and booked it the hell off the mountain, trying to hug the side of the trails to get closer to the trees. Phew!