Unusual skiing incidents

[VTKilarney]

What are some unusual and interesting things that will probably happen only once in your life while skiing?

Here is mine:
In the early 1980's, I was skiing with a friend at Wildcat. They had the two-passenger egg-shaped gondola cars back then. It was an EXTREMELY windy and cold day. Hardly anyone was at the mountain. We got to Wildcat at opening, and took a run off of the gondola. We decided to stick to the gondola for protection from the wind and cold. The lift attendants put cinder blocks on the floor of each gondola car to help prevent the cars from swaying in the wind. On our second attempt to ride the gondola, the wind was howling. We got to the loading area, and were all set to board. Just at that moment, a loud bell went off. My friend got really worried, since the bell was definitely a warning bell. I'm not sure why, but all I cared about was getting onto the gondola. I looked at my friend and said, "Just get in!"

We road to the top, and while it was VERY windy, there didn't seem to be any mechanical issues. When were were about 80% up the hill, I just happened to turn around to look behind us. Low and behold, we were the very last gondola car that went up the mountain that day. The uphill side of the cable behind us was empty.

The only lift left running was a chair that served the lower part of the mountain - and they had shut that down pretty quickly. I can't remember if we got a full refund or rain checks. Whatever we got, we headed straight to Black Mountain and skied the rest of the day. It was probably the coldest day I've ever had while skiing.

I'll never forget that ride in the gondola, swinging with the wind with a cinder block at our feet, knowing that we were the last skiers to make it to the top.

 

[skiNEwhere]

An anti PBR avatar? Not sure when you changed that but this should be interesting

 

[VTKilarney]

Even I couldn't work PBR into my story. I wasn't even drinking age at the time.

 

[dlague]

Well - I was in college and a relatively new skier (2 years or so with no lessons). Our local hill was Brodie and students got to night ski for $5 so we went there often. One of the nights, just before St. Patricks Day, we noticed that they had build a rather large jump (twice my height) for the St Patricks Day slush jump filled with - you guessed it - green water. Every time we skied to the base we could not help but notice it. Now, conditions that night were freezing drizzle and everything was getting coated with ice. The other factor in the mix was the bravery potion in our bota bags - MD 20/20 (poor college kids) which seemed to improve our skiing. You probably can see where this is going but ...

Anyhow, my friend dared me to go off the jump all night and finally just before we were leaving I became that guy! Not intentionally though! I acted like I was going to go for it and got into a full tuck. Keep in mind that there was freezing rain! Just before I got to the ramp I decided to turn away, never really planning to go over it. However, my edge slipped out and I took a digger. As a result, I basically slid up the ramp at a good clip on my back and ice does not slow you down at all! Nonetheless, I was in heavy panic mode at this point because I knew this was going to hurt. Why? Because they had not created the pond part yet!

I hit the ground hard and found myself surrounded by people I did not even know and more kept running out of the base lodge. Looking around - my shit was all over the place and I had a serious yard sale. Luckily, I got up, walked away and headed in to the bar where I got myself a PBR to settle down a bit! Okay, I really did not get a PBR - I just had to slip that in there! I actually left the resort counting my lucky stars - there seem to be many of them!

 

[HD333]

Watching my daughter go around the wheel and fall upsidedown off the chairlift...then the ensuing panic of my wife who was riding with her.

My daughter was fine and proud of her bent pole, my wife on the other hand, who made it of the lift fine, broke her fingernail off in her mad scramble to see if she was ok.

 

[steamboat1]

Not me but one day I was skiing with my wife (who no longer ski's). We were at K & heading over to Ramshead from the base of Snowdon. As many of you know the trail leading over is basically just a run out. I make it over to Ramshead & then waited for my wife & waited & waited. After at least 10 minutes (maybe more) my wife comes walking around the corner carrying her ski's. As she gets closer I can see she soaking wet & is covered with mud with twigs sticking out of her clothing all over. She said she skied off the trail (accidently) & wound up in a stream off the side of the trail. It was a funny sight to see. She was a good sport & laughed about what happened to her.

Another time we were at Middlebury back in the days when they only had poma lifts. She was ahead of me & fell off the poma on a steep pitch right before the top. I get off the poma to help her but she said she hurt her ankle. A few minutes later 3 or 4 young handsome ski patrollers show up. They load her into a toboggan, take her to the bottom & bring her inside their first aid shelter. They then ask me to bring my car over to the shelter so they can load her in the car. She was all smiles as the young handsome patrollers carry her & gently place her in the back seat of the car. I then drive her to the hospital in Middlebury where a attendant was waiting with a wheelchair to bring her inside (I assume ski patrol had called ahead to let them know we were coming). After getting checked out & x-rayed they said nothing was broken & it was likely just a sprain. At our house later that evening she asked me if I wanted to go out dancing. I was like WTF!

I've got plenty more good stories about my wife's adventures on ski's.

 

[dlague]

Watching my daughter go around the wheel and fall upsidedown off the chairlift...then the ensuing panic of my wife who was riding with her.

My daughter was fine and proud of her bent pole, my wife on the other hand, who made it of the lift fine, broke her fingernail off in her mad scramble to see if she was ok.

Ya my son, the first year he snowboarded (7) got off the chairlift a bit early and slid backward and technically got sucked under the chair and into the netting at Gunstock. He thought it was funny! We all laughed about it. Later that night when we got home he told my wife and I almost died! The worst part is - it was not like it was his first time on a chair he had been skiing for four years prior.

 

[St. Jerry]

My best story is when I was in 6th grade (1983?) and went to Jimminy Peak for night skiing and there was a blackout while we were on the lift. Pure darkness for 45 minutes until they got the back up generator going and inched us up the mountain. Carried torches to help us see going down the trail.

 

[steamboat1]

A couple of good Glen Ellen stories with my wife. When she first started skiing I took her to Glen Ellen & put her in ski school for a morning lesson. I later met her for lunch & asked if she wanted to ski together in the afternoon. This is back in the day when the lower lift to the summit chair was a double chair that looked exactly like the Sunnyside chair that is still there today (yellow & blue color). I asked her which lift she was skiing & she points to the mid mountain chair. I asked her if she was sure that was the chair & she said yes. We get on the mid mountain lift & halfway up she says this isn't the chair I was on. She says the chair she was on wasn't this long. After getting to the top I try to find the easiest trail for her to ski down. We get a little ways down & she falls & I try to help her up. She starts yelling at me & tells me not to touch her over & over. I had to call ski patrol to take her down in a toboggan.

Another time at Glen Ellen after she became a better skier we were skiing the summit chair for two days & everything was fine. The thing is the mountain was socked in fog for those two days & she couldn't see where she was. On the third day the sun came out & the skies were clear. We head back up to the summit chair where we had already been skiing for two days. We get to the top & she starts freaking out. As some of you know Mt. Ellen has a beautiful view from the top that looks right down into the valley & across the Champlain Valley over to the Daks. Seeing how high up she was she got scared & refused to ski down. You can guess the rest. Yes I had to call ski patrol again to take her down in a toboggan

 

[Tin]

What are some unusual and interesting things that will probably happen only once in your life while skiing?

Here is mine:
In the early 1980's, I was skiing with a friend at Wildcat. They had the two-passenger egg-shaped gondola cars back then. It was an EXTREMELY windy and cold day. Hardly anyone was at the mountain. We got to Wildcat at opening, and took a run off of the gondola. We decided to stick to the gondola for protection from the wind and cold. The lift attendants put cinder blocks on the floor of each gondola car to help prevent the cars from swaying in the wind. On our second attempt to ride the gondola, the wind was howling. We got to the loading area, and were all set to board. Just at that moment, a loud bell went off. My friend got really worried, since the bell was definitely a warning bell. I'm not sure why, but all I cared about was getting onto the gondola. I looked at my friend and said, "Just get in!"

We road to the top, and while it was VERY windy, there didn't seem to be any mechanical issues. When were were about 80% up the hill, I just happened to turn around to look behind us. Low and behold, we were the very last gondola car that went up the mountain that day. The uphill side of the cable behind us was empty.

The only lift left running was a chair that served the lower part of the mountain - and they had shut that down pretty quickly. I can't remember if we got a full refund or rain checks. Whatever we got, we headed straight to Black Mountain and skied the rest of the day. It was probably the coldest day I've ever had while skiing.

I'll never forget that ride in the gondola, swinging with the wind with a cinder block at our feet, knowing that we were the last skiers to make it to the top.

 

[Mapnut]

A lot of these are going to be lift stories. Sugarloaf, December I think 1969, my 2nd year of skiing. There was enough snow to open most of the mountain, but not much base. I wanted to ski the Tote Road, which meant taking the #2 T-bar and then the #3, now called the Bateau. It's very steep all the way, and has telescoping shafts that only extend so far. I was riding with my brother who was 8" taller than me and a more experienced skier. When the bar went under a tower it extended all the way, and lifted me right off the snow. I fell off, and had to walk all the way down the liftline. (While walking, it seemed like there was plenty of snow.) My brother encouraged me to try it again. Again I fell off! This time, as I walked down, a ski patroller riding up snootily said, "If you can't stay on the lift you better stick to the lower slopes!"

Fuck that. I tried one more time and made it! Then had my best run ever down the Tote Road.

 

[St. Jerry]

Two good ones concerning the old Pico summit poma. If you remember that lift it's increadibly steep near the summit. If lifts were giving a rating by degree of difficulty to use, that one is a Double-diamond.

So the first story is that the round plastic seat for the guy ahead of me on the lift snaps off right near the summit. Dude rolls half way down the lift line before coming to a stop. (he was alright).

Second was with my brother, who was about 10 years old at the time. Apparently the spring on the poma either froze or got jammed and he ended up hanging 5-10 feet in the air on that little plastic seat for most of the way until he got to the summit.

 

[steamboat1]

Second was with my brother, who was about 10 years old at the time. Apparently the spring on the poma either froze or got jammed and he ended up hanging 5-10 feet in the air on that little plastic seat for most of the way until he got to the summit.

I had something similar happen to me on the T-Bar at the old Prospect Mt. near Mt. Snow. I was young at the time & the T-Bar was spring loaded. I wasn't heavy enough & after getting on the lift it lifted me in the air & spun me around backwards. I sat on the T & rode the lift all the way to the top backwards & in the air.

 

[Tin]

Two good ones concerning the old Pico summit poma. If you remember that lift it's increadibly steep near the summit. If lifts were giving a rating by degree of difficulty to use, that one is a Double-diamond.

A lot of fun to ski though.

 

[RichT]

Two years ago, on the west side of Hunter, after they put the quad there, you had to keep your speed up to make it to the chair because it was pretty up hill. Don't know why they did that. Anyway about 8 of us were skiing together, we stopped halfway down and I proceeded to tell everybody "keep your speed up from here on". So off I go! Zoom get down close to the bottom and the snow had those close bumps/ridges, bam!! Next thing I know I'm in the dirt with hay and red Hunter mud........down my back, in my mouth, in my ears, everywhere!!!! Good times!!!!

 

[〽❄❅]

Another lift story: In a frenzied dash to catch the chair, my 12 year old (at the time), sister confused at the sight of me moving into position for the next chair, jumped the gun and hopped on the just boarded chair crashing down on the laps of a young couple presumably on a date! Lift operator stopped the lift and helped her off the stunned couple! No injuries, just shaken and embarrassed. lol.

 

[twinplanx]

I had my backpack get stuck in the back of the chair at Jiminy one night. I attempted to get off the chair with the backpack strapped around both shoulders. I was pissed off, my friends pointed and laughed and the lifty stopped the lift as I was about 10' off the ground. As I figured out why I couldn't move at the proper unloading point. I could hear my buddy say "this is where your supposed to get off lol" so I jumped. Everything was fine but a few weeks later at Jay Peak I noticed one of my tips was at a strange angle?!? I must have broke it in my impromptu big air stunt...

Sent from my SCH-S735C using Tapatalk

 

[steamboat1]

Another wife story. We were riding the bubble chair at Vail that goes up from one of the villages. My wife lays her prescription sunglasses on the seat & of course they slid off the chair. They slid off in an area that is not skied & the snow was pretty deep hiding where they fell. I took notice of the next tower number so we'd have an idea where they fell. When we get to mid mountain my wife goes in the lodge & talks to customer service & told them what happened. I gave them the approximate location of where they fell off. The rep says don't worry, come back here at lunch time & we'll have your sunglasses for you. To my astonishment when we went back in later sure enough they had her sunglasses. I thought that was pretty amazing, especially considering where they fell.

 

[skiNEwhere]

I had to get lift evacuated from the old
Lynx double at wildcat because the haul rope came off of the sheaves.

Totally worth it though, got 3 free days of skiing

 

[Not Sure]

1980 Something, Scott boots , Rossignol Frestyle skis , Jeans with Gaiters . Local Ski Hill "Doe Mountain " Now Bear Creek.....Crusing down near the bottom of the far left slope (Blue Circle)
the adjacent Slope is 5' higher.Between the trail merge is a bank if you cut it with speed you could get great air.
I glance up hill to check for traffic, guy way to my left and no collision danger. I launch and got 5' air , back seat landing hear a loud snap.
I look at my ski and notice that my left tip is pointing uphill 180 from my right..Guy next to me comes over and see's my predicament and starts heaving like he's going to throw up. "Man Your Legs Broke, Oh Man,Oh Man, Oh Man"....I remove my gaiter to show him my boot upper shattered and my foot pulled out . Guy skis off with a pale face.