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surfsnowgirl

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May 12, 2016
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5,768
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Magic Mountain, Vermont
That reminded me of a friend's observation: "Given space and time, crap accumulates." I call it Matthew's Theorum, but it means, among other things, that if you carry a backpack, you will fill it.

And i often found it got filled with other people's crap. "do you have room for this in there"..... I love my friends but I'm not a sherpa lol

I always boot up in the lodge and use the bag check if there is one. Otherwise i just stash my bag in a cubby, on a hook or otherwise out of the way. Now i need to be mindful about what i have in there because I'd be super bummed if something was stolen from it.
 
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TonyC

Contact me at bestsnow.net
Pass Pulled
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Dec 14, 2015
Posts
678
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Glendale, CA
I guess were were in Austria when these backpack/lift incidents happened.

I always carry a day pack. It's small, can easily ride up over the back of most lifts and isn't that deep if it can't. Why? I have terrible temperature regulation. Thus I have goggles, an extra set of gloves and an extra mid-layer if I guess wrong on weather. Or I can dump/switch out what I'm wearing if it's too warm. And usually a water bottle. So don't tell me I can put this stuff in a jacket.

Lapping lifts, I think it's a nuisance to undo and redo backpack buckles. Most places with a backpack policy I just undo the chest buckle and swivel it around on my lap. If I have to undo the waist buckle too, that's a much bigger PITA, and having those waist buckles dangling is much more likely to get one caught on the lift.

Here's the weird part. You would think it would be the big corporate ski areas that would have a nanny state rule like this. But no, it's the mom-and-pops in Canada where I see this: Red Mt., Castle Mt. and Mt. Baldy on this year's road trip. And DanoT says Sun Peaks too. The Stairway to Heaven lift at Kicking Horse has always had a backpack carry policy, but half my rides there I'm in the gondola anyway.

Meanwhile as yet I have never seen a backpack policy mentioned at Mammoth, Alta, Snowbird, Whistler or any MCP or Vail Resort. I sincerely hope this obnoxious rule doesn't spread.
 

mdf

entering the Big Couloir
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Team Gathermeister
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It had spread to Stowe when I skied there in December.
Smuggler's Notch and Middlebury Snowbowl had a remove-backpack policy when I was there last year and the year before, respectively.
 

fatbob

Not responding
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Nov 12, 2015
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6,288
I have a pair of light trainers that I usually use for hiking to the lift/lodge in areas with remote parking. No gimmes but I have successfully stashed these at Vail, Beaver Creek, JH, Canyons, Alta, Highlands, Snowmass, Heavenly, Nstar and Kweed. Worse case they'll sling round a ski rack and be a bit frozen when I retrieve them. As they were sub $20 from Walmart and smell vile I don't worry for one second about theft. Being trash canned by a janitor possibly.
 

Varmintmist

Bear, with furnture.
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Apr 25, 2017
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W PA
If only they made resealable juice boxes ...
They have made them for years
w-flask-getting-loaded79194.jpg
 

Tricia

The Velvet Hammer
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Carolinacub

Yes thats a Cubs hat I'm wearing
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794
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Asheville NC
Since we only have a little snippet on the article. It sounds like the lift was shut down for the night though. Still no one should ever be on it if it is not being used. Hello lift opt, you would be fired where I patrol.
Word on the street among the WNC Patrollers is the kid snuck under the rope after the patrollers had gotten on to do the sweep, It still could have been prevented by keeping a lift operator at the lift base until the upper operator calls down and says last chair is clear. I understand that the low $ figures came about because since the kid went under a closed rope sign he was legally trespassing and therefore mostly at fault.
Again, this is the scuttlebutt among the local patrollers, not sure how accurate it is.
 

Scruffy

Making fresh tracks
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So, the incident that started this discussion ( A-Basin ) is closing in on two years now ( a year and 10 months). Since then, what has been the collective's experience with respect to small water hydration packs (e.g. CamelBak ZOID ) worn on the outside of a jacket and lifts? Are ski area's requiring these types of packs to be removed before boarding a lift? BTW: I have no problem with a policy that requires removal of ALL packs, even small hydration packs ( safety first and all ), but if there are no hanging straps to snag and it's smooth and small, with no real chance of snagging on the chair, I'd like to keep it on my back, esp. for quick lift rides.

Along this same discussion vein, what are people doing for "on body" hydration for lift served skiing. I've been a bottle of water in my jacket pocket guy for years for lift served skiing, but I'm thinking of moving to a hydration pack.

Also, does anyone have experience with a sling pack they care to share? @jmeb ? The Patagonia Atom Sling 8L

https://www.patagonia.com/product/atom-sling-bag-8-liters/48261.html

looks like a nice small lift served pack that slings easily around to your front for the lift ride.
 

jmeb

Enjoys skiing.
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Colorado
I used the Atom for a while. It works better than other things, but skiing aggressively means you'll want the additional cross strap which increases complexity.

I've moved on from using a pack in bounds. I have a 0.5L platypus bottle and a few small snickers bars in my pockets. The only time I use a pack inbounds is when I'm planning on leaving the ski area for a lift-assisted tour.
 

Philpug

Notorious P.U.G.
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I have a review of the LiftRider HERE. It's name pretty much says it all.
 

Tytlynz64

Getting off the lift
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Patagonia and Simms make sling fishing packs that rotate around your body easily. That might be a solition as well.
 

kayco53

Getting on the lift
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Jul 12, 2017
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174
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BC Canada
Our mountain allows packs. If you are on the chair whether a guest or a patroller packs come off. You put them on your lap. Even then I have had the buckles catch on the chair a few times. .
 

Rich McP

H20nSnow Elsewhere
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Breck whenever possible
Last weekend watched a woman get her (not removed) pack stuck in the chair and headed around the bullwheel. A few lift rides earlier I had a dad remove his pack and hold it in his lap - sort of - and crowded me while I tried to enjoy my allotted space on the same chair. I dont like packs on the hill.
 

Hawk45

Beginner Clydesdale
Skier
Joined
Nov 7, 2018
Posts
47
Location
Cincinnati Ohio
If you don't need a lot to carry, look into binocular carriers. They can fit under your shell on on your chest for easy access. Could probably fit a few bottles of water and a base layer in there with phone/chapstick/hand warmers.

pDjbdr9.jpg


l45wznI.jpg
 

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