Backpacks on Lifts- A Change in Policy

[KingGrump]

But think of the impeccable fore and aft balance it would bring to the frontal plane alignment.

 

[Oleg S]

just curious, assuming you are not skiing with kids and do not have to carry tons of stuff with you, also assume you are skiing inside the resort and using lifts.. Why do you need a backpack?
I have my phone and small snack in my jacket pocket ( I have 5! pockets). I am just a lift away from water, I have extra clothes in the rental box (spear sweater, gloves, etc). I don't carry photo equipment with me, nor backcountry gears, etc.
Why would I spend $100+ for the backpack which could cause a lot of problems for me on the lift? Is this because PRO riders ride with backpacks and I just want to be as cool as they are? (remember, that applies only to resort riders, not sidecountry, backcountry, etc).

 

[David Chaus]

Usually I'm carrying assorted weapons (shurikans/throwing stars, nunchucks, knives, poison, small explosives) to use on people who annoy me by asking what I need a backpack for.

No handguns, though. I'm a firm believer in no handguns.

 

[Monique]

I have extra clothes in the rental box (spear sweater, gloves, etc).

The Breck lockers are $12/day.

I don't wear a backpack, but neither are the lockers an option.

(What a luxury to go to Loveland and leave a boot bag stashed in a corner of the locker room!)

 

[Oleg S]

I could leave my pack at cafeteria/change room at Kirkwood and Northstar; however, Heavenly, Sierra or Squaw don't have this option. Heavenly and Sierra lockers goes between $8-12 (based on the size) and Squaw is $8

 

[KingGrump]

Now, please slow this down for me. I am one of the few Asians that's bad in math.
So let me work this out long hand.

Cost of locker - average $10/day.
100 day/season.
$10 x 100 = $1,000

Damn, That's more than I spend on my season pass.

P.S. BTW, I looked at the new fangled lockers at WB. All electronic and touch screen stuff. Look like I will have to sign up for a five day end user course prior to renting one.

 

[raisingarizona]

The difference being if it were to snag when you're holding it in your lap (far less likely, I'd have to say) it won't drag you around the bullwheel by your neck.

And I have to ask, why was your nephew on your lap on the lift?

This is spot on and it's why you don't see people like long time ski patrollers and other vets wearing their packs on the lifts. It's more comfortable to take your pack off and put it on your lap anyways.

I took a ride around the bullwheel in uniform once. My pack was on and I didn't realize my waiste belt was unbuckled. It was scary getting dragged like that!

I think it would be s good thing If taking your pack off on lift rides becomes the standard policy.

 

[Oleg S]

I rarely use lockers; most of the times I keep my things in the boot bag in the changing place (Kirkwood and Northstar). I ski rarely in the other places, so it works for me so far. $1000 is too much money for a locker in anybody's books

 

[KingGrump]

Just messing with you. Sorry about that.

I don't carry a pack. For those that does, I understand. Sometimes it's just a routine and/or comfort type of thing.
Whatever work.

 

[NonNativeRado]

After having stuff stolen at ABasin and having friends lose their boots/skis/other items from changing rooms or other places at Breck/Keystone/Vail, I'm reticent to leave things of value anywhere vulnerable at ski resorts

 

[Oleg S]

Now, please slow this down for me. I am one of the few Asians that's bad in math.
So let me work this out long hand.

Cost of locker - average $10/day.
100 day/season.
$10 x 100 = $1,000

Damn, That's more than I spend on my season pass.

P.S. BTW, I looked at the new fangled lockers at WB. All electronic and touch screen stuff. Look like I will have to sign up for a five day end user course prior to renting one.

Btw, not that I will ever be a customer,
Season locker rate at Squaw is $1200 for new customers, about $100 less if you are renew. It is more than season pass cost

 

[DanoT]

Btw, not that I will ever be a customer,
Season locker rate at Squaw is $1200 for new customers, about $100 less if you are renew. It is more than season pass cost

I pay $400 CDN/year for my locker in the basement of the Village Day Lodge at Sun Peaks. If I arrive by 9 or 9:30 I can park right in front of the Lodge. On the other side of the lodge from the parking lot is a quad chair that is about 100ft away and a quad bubble chair that is about 200 ft away.

The locker is huge as it can hold 4 pr of skis and has shelves for 2 pair of boots with tubes to go inside the boots pumping out room temperature air. Lots of room for jackets, sweaters, gloves etc.

I guess it would be no surprise that I was on the waiting list for 7 years before I got my locker and then it was only because they jacked up the price and some people dropped out when they changed from seasonal to year round locker rental.

 

[pchewn]

Now, please slow this down for me. I am one of the few Asians that's bad in math.
So let me work this out long hand.

Cost of locker - average $10/day.
100 day/season.
$10 x 100 = $1,000

Damn, That's more than I spend on my season pass.

P.S. BTW, I looked at the new fangled lockers at WB. All electronic and touch screen stuff. Look like I will have to sign up for a five day end user course prior to renting one.

I saw this electronically-controlled $6 locker for the 1st time. And that is the LAST time I paid that price for a locker. I'll carry it with me all day, hide it in the woods, walk to the car, or do without. Anything over $0.75 is a locker rip-off.

 

[Philpug]

I don't mind the option of a locker but I do not like when it is the only choice. If I want to risk leaving my bag unsupervised in a designated cubby area, that is my choice. The angled tops of lockers so you cannot put bags on top is IMHO, greedy...don't tell me it's for safety.

 

[Louiggi]

Enforcing a backpack policy is even harder than a "lower the safety bar" policy. I remember way back when Vermont encoded a mandatory safety bar policy in state law. Especially when ski resorts are also encouraging avalanche and survival packs for backcountry.

Build up conscience of the need to be safe. And leave it at that. After all, the releases one signs inherent in the purchase of a ticket or a season pass, protect the resorts.

 

[Nathanvg]

Sure there is. Nab people as they get off the lift, fine them or pull their tickets or whatever. Not that I'm advocating this, but it's not like it's impossible.

Maybe "impossible" is too strong a word but I don't see it happening. Who's doing the enforcing, the lifty while the lift is stopped (can't hold up the lift). Maybe a ski patroller (seems expensive to allocate one to each lift). Even if you have a dude enforcing it, the skier says something like, "I use a pack all the time at my home ski area, I had no idea it wasn't allowed here." I don't see them yanking his pass, maybe they warn him.

Put simply, that's a lot of hassle with minimal return.

 

[raisingarizona]

Some simple signage and light enforcement would clear the ski area of liability I would think.

Taking your pack off on a lift isn't that complicated. Any ski tourer should be able to figure it out or they shouldn't be skiing in the back country. After years of experience I take mine off as standard protocol.

 

[Monique]

After having stuff stolen at ABasin and having friends lose their boots/skis/other items from changing rooms or other places at Breck/Keystone/Vail, I'm reticent to leave things of value anywhere vulnerable at ski resorts

Completely understood. You have to weigh the risk vs the annoyance of whatever the other solutions are. Thinking about it, the only thing I might have in the pack of value are my spare lenses ($$$), only if they were there in the first place, and my street footwear. This would not be pleasant, but I like the convenience of putting my boots on in the warm lodge at the last minute.

I don't mind the option of a locker but I do not like when it is the only choice. If I want to risk leaving my bag unsupervised in a designated cubby area, that is my choice. The angled tops of lockers so you cannot put bags on top is IMHO, greedy...don't tell me it's for safety.

Preach! It is ridiculous. I have friends who apparently designated a potted plant for storing excess layers, etc. I have thought of just leaving spare gear in a corner of the bathroom and seeing if it would stick around ... but my guess is it would be "cleaned up" by staff. There's a lost and found, but I'm thinking they'd cotton to me if I came in every weekend.

Maybe "impossible" is too strong a word but I don't see it happening. Who's doing the enforcing, the lifty while the lift is stopped (can't hold up the lift). Maybe a ski patroller (seems expensive to allocate one to each lift). Even if you have a dude enforcing it, the skier says something like, "I use a pack all the time at my home ski area, I had no idea it wasn't allowed here." I don't see them yanking his pass, maybe they warn him.

Put simply, that's a lot of hassle with minimal return.

Absolutely agreed with this.

 

[mdf]

For long runs removing a pack isn't too bad. But the first time I ran into the new policy we were lapping a lift very quickly. Combined with not knowing about the rash of incidents... major annoyance.

I skied without a pack for the first time in years at Whistler. Aside from looking like a beach ball, it wasn't too bad. There were a couple times I wanted something I didn't have with me.

 

[NonNativeRado]

Completely understood. You have to weigh the risk vs the annoyance of whatever the other solutions are. Thinking about it, the only thing I might have in the pack of value are my spare lenses ($$$), only if they were there in the first place, and my street footwear. This would not be pleasant, but I like the convenience of putting my boots on in the warm lodge at the last minute.

My friend rented boots/skis at Breck and her boots were stolen from the rental area (literally from their shelves). Two months of emails and calls with management... and nothing. She refuses to go back to Breck because of it. Another friend had flip flops stolen out of their boot bag.

Next season my goal is to look for hiding spots at all the Epic pass resorts so I have a spot to stash my lunch so I don't have to walk back to my car in my ski boots.