What's your worst lift ride story?

[massbmx]

This thread is an interesting read. I only have one good story and it happened last year at Wachusett. Me and my brother were riding the main quad when all of a sudden the entire mountain goes dark and the chair stops. Ended up sitting for almost an hour in 20 degree windy weather (at night in the dark) where 10th crosses the auto road, which happens to be one of the windiest points on that lift ride, rocking back and forth pretty good.

Finally we start moving very slowly (must of been backup power) and see a light coming up the mountain behind us (mountain is still totally dark) that we assumed was a snowmobile because it was moving pretty quick compared to the lift. As it gets closer and finally passes us we realized it was a person walking and at this rate the rest of the lift ride was going to be a long one.

After about another 45 minutes we got to the top, told everything was closed and to go home. It wasn't all bad though because going back down in the (mostly) dark was kind of cool.

 

[Sparky]

This wasn’t my worst lift ride, but it was for someone. I was doing some night skiing at my local mountain, riding up on a fixed grip quad. There weren’t a lot of people on the lift, but two or three chairs a head of me was a chair full of early teenage girls. They were all talking and making the sound that girls that age make when I noticed that the pitch went up a couple of levels. When I looked up I saw three of the girls had gotten off but the forth was being dragged around the bull wheel by her hand. Apparently she had gotten her hand/glove/coat sleeve caught between the bar and the pivot point for the bail. I don’t know why she didn’t trip the safety bar but she was dragged around and was starting back down. I’m still headed up in my chair and by now I’m yelling my head off to get the lifty’s attention. When he finally stops the lift this girl is hanging by her arm at least 12 to 15 feet in the air, and is of course screaming her head off. I’m stuck on the chair so I can’t do anything by watch. Other skiers did stop and position themselves under her; I assume to break her fall if whatever was holding her suspended let go. The ski patrol got there quite quick and joined the skiers underneath her. With some encouragement she managed to get herself loose and drop to the guys waiting underneath her without any further harm. I don’t know what her injuries were but she was calm and alert as the ski patrol took her away

 

[k123]

Thats a pretty scary story. Every time when approaching the top I move my arms and hands to make sure they aren't caught on the lift for this reason

 

[Huck_It_Baby]

Every time I get on K-1 I end up hanging there for 10-30 minutes. Seriously. Maybe bad luck but it drives me crazy.

Not so much of a story but seems like a good place to vent.

 

[The Sneak]

I know someone who left his backpack on the bonaventure quad at Jay...watched helplessly as the chair went around the bullwheel heading downhill. phone, wallet, car keys etc inside.

Nearby fools mocked me for saying we need to beat the chair down. with 2 stops we still beat it down by a couple of minutes.

My worst lift ride story = the center pole double @ June Mtn California.
No bar and pretty high off the ground. Not good for my fear of heights. Quite panicky, in fact. Why are lifts so high off the ground out west?

 

[2sons]

This wasn’t my worst lift ride, but it was for someone. I was doing some night skiing at my local mountain, riding up on a fixed grip quad. There weren’t a lot of people on the lift, but two or three chairs a head of me was a chair full of early teenage girls. They were all talking and making the sound that girls that age make when I noticed that the pitch went up a couple of levels. When I looked up I saw three of the girls had gotten off but the forth was being dragged around the bull wheel by her hand. Apparently she had gotten her hand/glove/coat sleeve caught between the bar and the pivot point for the bail. I don’t know why she didn’t trip the safety bar but she was dragged around and was starting back down. I’m still headed up in my chair and by now I’m yelling my head off to get the lifty’s attention. When he finally stops the lift this girl is hanging by her arm at least 12 to 15 feet in the air, and is of course screaming her head off. I’m stuck on the chair so I can’t do anything by watch. Other skiers did stop and position themselves under her; I assume to break her fall if whatever was holding her suspended let go. The ski patrol got there quite quick and joined the skiers underneath her. With some encouragement she managed to get herself loose and drop to the guys waiting underneath her without any further harm. I don’t know what her injuries were but she was calm and alert as the ski patrol took her away

Wow I thought my broken ski tips/ ruptured appendix was pretty crazy. At least I got to ski down.

 

[darent]

was riding a lift in cortina with a fellow ski club member who was wearing a backpack. the back pack had straps dangling all over and one snagged on the chair. I exited the chair at the top and watched as he dangled from the chair around the bull wheel. he didn't get hurt, but it took I while to get him down.I was new to skiing and he was the experienced skier showing me the ropes!

 

[Nick]

was riding a lift in cortina with a fellow ski club member who was wearing a backpack. the back pack had straps dangling all over and one snagged on the chair. I exited the chair at the top and watched as he dangled from the chair around the bull wheel. he didn't get hurt, but it took I while to get him down.I was new to skiing and he was the experienced skier showing me the ropes!

I saw the exact same thing happened to a a guy who was hitting on my wife seconds earlier on the bear peak quad at Killington

 

[Smellytele]

I saw the exact same thing happened to a a guy who was hitting on my wife seconds earlier on the bear peak quad at Killington

Instant karma

 

[Nick]

Instant karma

Yep. It was about the best thing I have ever seen :lol:

 

[vdk03]

I saw the exact same thing happened to a a guy who was hitting on my wife seconds earlier on the bear peak quad at Killington

Thats awsome, did she make a comment to him as you guys skied by?

 

[andrec10]

Instant karma

+1

 

[SIKSKIER]

I know someone who left his backpack on the bonaventure quad at Jay...watched helplessly as the chair went around the bullwheel heading downhill. phone, wallet, car keys etc inside.

Would have been a lot easier to notify the liftie at the top and have him call down to take it off.Actually,a lot safer too as I'm sure they would like to know a chair is arriving with gear in it.

 

[darent]

I saw the exact same thing happened to a a guy who was hitting on my wife seconds earlier on the bear peak quad at Killington

must have laughed your ass off on that karma!!!

 

[ManySkills]

kid exited too early at Okemo

Couple of years ago at Okemo my young, beginner-level son and I were riding a lift together at Okemo. For some reason he got anxious and exited the lift too early, falling some 5 to 8 feet onto the piled up snow below the lift exit. I gasped and instantly went into Mommy mode, getting off the chair onto the exit ramp but turning around and holding onto the incoming chairs while trying to see what befell my child.

My son was scared but not injured, but I guess I ignored my own safety and barely avoided being clocked a couple times by the oncoming chairs (they were all devoid of passengers, as it was very late in the spring season). The lift attendant finally recognized that the kid was fine but the Mommy was about to become a statistic, and tried to find a way to nicely ask her to get the hell off the exit ramp :smile:

That night I realized I had lost my camera (with a weeks worth of family ski pictures on it) during the tumbling around. Also, to this day my son will not ride that lift :grin:

 

[billski]

Also, to this day my son will not ride that lift :grin:

...Because Mom embarrassed him

 

[AllTunedUp]

I was on the Spillway chair last season when it derailed. Luckily we were the last chair loaded before the derailment, so we were only thirty feet out of the gate. Unluckily we were the last ones evac'ed so we sat for a solid 90 minutes ten feet off the ground. 5 free tickets made it all better, plus we weren't hurt. It was amazing that no one was seriously injured further up.. I also skied some of the deepest snow ever in the trees thanks to the 22 inches that fell the night before. All in all not a bad day.

Other worst-- K1 gondola with a family that was fighting loudly before we even got in. I asked the liftie if I could take the next one so that I didn't have to ride with the unhappy group and was denied. It was the most uncomfortable ride to date. They were still yelling at each other when I skied away from them at the top.

 

[Abubob]

I asked the liftie if I could take the next one so that I didn't have to ride with the unhappy group and was denied.

I wouldn't have asked. I just wouldn't have gotten on. Liftie was being a jerk.:uzi:

 

[AllTunedUp]

I wouldn't have asked. I just wouldn't have gotten on. Liftie was being a jerk.:uzi:

I tried that and was told that if I didn't load I would have to leave the lift line.. it was way too busy to start an argument, especially when my complaint was about arguing. Now I try to avoid situations like that as much as possible by avoiding people like that.. And now I have the habit of counting heads as the line moves.

 

[Nick]

I tried that and was told that if I didn't load I would have to leave the lift line.. it was way too busy to start an argument, especially when my complaint was about arguing. Now I try to avoid situations like that as much as possible by avoiding people like that.. And now I have the habit of counting heads as the line moves.

Welcome to the forums!