A friend and I were discussing the need to lower the safety bar on a chairlift, and when to raise it before exiting the chair. I bring this up because very often people riding on a chair with me do not make any effort to lower the safety bar. Normally, they do not complain when I announce that I am lowering the bar (just after sitting down on the chair). The issue is often more concerning when people are nearing the end station. Many riders lift the bar long before they are close to the get-off point. This poses a safety concern. You should not lift the bar until you pass a sign indicating it is time to lift the bar, or you are very close to getting off the chair. Lifting the bar a couple of towers before entering the end terminal, leaves one vulnerable to falling off the chair. For instance, due to a medical emergency, or perhaps a wind event that might bang a chair against a tower or toss a smaller rider off the chair. Another issue may occur when kids are playing around on chair. Sometimes a chairlift stops suddenly, causing a chair to swing which might send someone sliding off the chair. Over the years, many people have been hurt falling off a chairlift. Many of these accidents could have been prevented if the safety bars had been in the down position. Many chairlift accidents have occurred near the end terminal when the chair is still well above the ground. Thus, do not lift the bar up until you are at the sign, or you are close to exiting the lift. Please consider the other people on your chair. Those people riding with you on a four or six seat chair, that are not sitting on either end of the chair, have nothing to hang on to other than the bar.
Other than chairlift safety, a skier or snowboarder should follow all on-mountain safety measures. Most ski accidents are as a result of:
• Skiing too fast
• Skiing off-piste in avalanche-risk areas
• Falling down a tree well.
If you ski sensibly and only on trails that match your level of experience, wear a helmet, and remain alert, the risk of injury is low.
How Was The Skiing?
Skiing on the mountain this morning was a mixture of firm groomed runs and even firmer groomed runs. Yesterday it was fairly warm. This caused some melting of runs that face the sun, followed by a good freeze overnight. This was especially true of the trails off the Sherwood Chair, Lakeview Chair, and Scott Chair. The standard trails off Summit and Roundhouse were well- groomed, but firmer today than yesterday. The fact that a 30 mile per hour wind was blowing in the morning, and the temperature was close to freezing, did not help. In addition, a thin cloud layer affected visibility. D8 does not receive direct sun in the morning hours. Thin clouds created a flat light situation on these shaded runs. We tried Sherwood at about eleven this morning in an effort to find some soft spring snow. We hoped to find spring snow on the main Sherwood run or on Sherwood Face. Conditions were not ready at that hour. Bobby’s run off Scott Chair had softened by eleven yesterday; today it was still a smooth, icy slope.
Race courses were set up on Kangaroo this morning
I am spoiled, so on a day like today, it is easy for me to hang up my skis after a few hours on the mountain. I did ask a few other people what they thought of the skiing. Most of them were happy and thought it was pretty good. Like I said, I am spoiled. I went off to lunch, and while munching on a sandwich, I noticed the clouds had receded to a great degree, and the winds seemed to have died down. Temperatures had risen making me think the south- facing slopes might have softened. I could not help myself, so I returned to the slopes with the nagging thought of skiing the High Traverse (closed for the past couple of days). I did not see anyone headed that direction from the top of Summit Chair, so off I went to find Nirvana. There was beauty all around me and solitude on the slope. Everything was perfect except the snow surface.
If I picked the right spot to turn, I enjoyed a patch of soft spring snow. If I did not pick the right spot to turn, I forced my turn through frozen skier tracks and beautiful-looking surface hoar.
The run was slow and challenging, but still enjoyable. As if this not enough off-piste skiing, I ended my day skiing through the trees on a run off the Scott Chair. Everything was going fine until I ended the day at the base of Subway Chair. Subway was broken and closed. I had to walk back to my locker from the base of Subway Chair.
Tomorrow should be interesting. The forecast noted on the Palisades site indicates a low of 18 degrees and a high of 22 degrees. I did not see a forecast for wind conditions, but a reliable source indicated it would be windy and cloudy.
Enjoy your day,
Andy
Editor’s Addition:
As a part of California Ski Safety Week, the Alpine Meadows Ski Patrol dog handlers and their dogs will be doing an informative demonstration tomorrow, Saturday 1/25 at 11am. The Facebook page simply says at the mid station of Treeline Cirque. Generally speaking the more specific location would be the flat area near Dog World, where the dogs get some training. This area is near Bill’s Hideaway. If you get off Hotter Wheels at the mid station and follow the groomer down the hill and to the right you will see it. Do not follow the sign to Lakeview.
From 11:45-12:15, the Sherwood groomer was fantastic! I got bored after four laps and went back around, but nothing else I skied was even close to as nice.
Due to the morning cloud cover it took longer for Sherwood to soften today. We tried once about 11:30 and the groomer was getting soft but busy. The off piste was meh. Went back at 12:30 and Sherwood Face was good to go as were parts of South Face. Slopes with an eastern tilt remained a bit crispy due to the morning clouds. Excellent fun in Chute Zero but it is getting rocky fast!
Also I loved the blue temporary painted safety messages under the lifts today!
Just wait until the groomers run over those messages and spread blue snow all over the runs.
The light may be a little flat the next two days so artificially blue snow may be helpful for skier safety. 😉
Per the “when to raise the bar”, ( not talking politics!), I think us OGers have a tendancy to raise early from our fixed grip days, no fixodent needed!
Kudos, Andy, for calling out the benefit of lowering the safety bar, and raising it only at the end of the trip. There are times when fellow riders make me feel awkward asking to lower the bar, but ask I do. A few years ago, I was in Verbier in Switzerland. I was skiing by myself, and took a lift in a less populated area. In fact, there was no one else there, and I was the only person on the life, bottom to top. I neglected to put the bar down, and as I rode up, I kept hearing someone shouting…finally, I realized it was the lift attendant yelling “Bar, Bar,” and waving his arms. Shamefully, I lowered the bar. Turns out, it’s a legal requirement. It should be here, too.
I’d use safety bars if they came with a foot rest. Sorely lacking on most Squawpine lifts.
In terms of the bar, many people do not have “bar etiquette ” and do not make a “bar down” or “bar up announcement . They merely get on the chair and slam the bar down or slam it up without any notice. A loud enough announcement is always appreciated.
Odd, regarding Melissa’s “slam down” comment. In near 40 years skiing here, I don’t recall that ever happening. Not everyone yells “bar down,” but I’ve never had anyone “slam” the bar down. If they don’t verbally acknowledge it, they gently lower it, waiting until everyone gets organized. . Anyway, putting it down should be the norm, not something you should ask permission to do. To be honest, it should, as in Switzerland, be mandatory.