RANT: Beer drinkers and hell raisers

[Gerry Rhoades]

Yup, a ZZ Top tune, but that's not what is bugging me. It's the $%#!@^ snowboarders and their beer cans. I don't know if this is common at other areas, but at RLM, if you want to get totally wasted, load up your pockets with unopened cans of beer, and then get on a lift while drinking and damn near falling over, that's just fine. I haven't seen skiers do this since one time a few decades ago when I was at Snowmass and the Oklahoma City Ski Club was there. Almost every time I get into the trees at RLM I come out with an empty beer can, sometimes two. Is it common for ski areas to not care if some of their customers are blasted and straightlining every run they get on? Or is it that RLM is so desperate for income they don't care?

 

[Lorenzzo]

I'm not one to defend attorneys but this is where they can serve a purpose. Unfortunately someone needs to get hurt first.

I couldn't vote because I'm fine with refreshments but not overdoing it.

 

[Monique]

I've only ever once gotten on the chair with someone who proceeded to pull out a can of beer and finish it on the lift. I think he tossed it appropriately, though. He was obnoxious in numerous ways - I suspect he would have been just as obnoxious sober.

Some of our very own friends here do ski with flasks. I don't. I'm a super lightweight. I had a sip of wine from a friend's bottle at lunch once before going back out to ski - very daring!

 

[Gerry Rhoades]

I'm fine with refreshments too. Not much better than an ice cold can of Cold Smoke Scotch Ale after a day skiing at Bridger Bowl.

 

[Dadskier]

I have a few friends who pack a beer or two skiing, but they crush the can and put it back in the pack or pocket.

 

[SBrown]

Well. "Getting on the lift while consuming alcohol" and "skiing/boarding while drunk" can be very different things, but I am not aware of any ski areas that allow either. So, yeah, that is not normal. And littering is stupid.

As for the rest of it, it's kind of a personal thing (not as in private, but as in, what @Lorenzzo said). I could never actually finish a beer on a lift, but I've shared a few.

 

[Tricia]

I think the negatives are intoxication while skiing and littering.
That being said, I'm totally okay with a nip from a flask or other such practices.

 

[crgildart]

I'm fine with people having on one or two drinks and going skiing. I'd like to see it handled like driving since abuse and carelessness becomes reckless endangerment when someone's out on the slopes after they're too drunk. Serious harm can come to themselves and others. It's all good, but if you get caught out there wasted you lose your pass and access to the resort for the year. Should most definitely get charged with public intoxication. Ski resorts are places designed family fun. They aren't Hedonism.

Attitudes and culture used to be different a few or a lot of years ago. People used to smoke, pretty much anything on a chairlift with no one else batting an eye. I've skied pretty buzzed in the past. Not proud of it, but nobody got hurt. The people and traffic dynamics are different these days. Slopes seem more crowded too. A zero tolerance for alcohol and other mood altering substance use on resort property wouldn't bother me at all, but I'm pretty sure plenty of younger folks consider the buzz a fairly critical part of the experience. At least I used to. I'd ski without it if I didn't have any, but if I did there would always be some level of buzz from something whenever possible. As long as things are in moderation party on... If a person can't keep it under control they gotta go.

 

[KevinF]

I've always felt that if you need to regularly consume "medication" of some sort to enhance your ski day... well, you're doing something wrong.

I've never even remotely felt the urge to have a beer or anything other than water during a ski day. Afterwards? Sure. During? No.

 

[AmyPJ]

I've always felt that if you need to regularly consume "medication" of some sort to enhance your ski day... well, you're doing something wrong.

I've never even remotely felt the urge to have a beer or anything other than water during a ski day. Afterwards? Sure. During? No.

Same here. Besides, beer just makes me have to pee a lot. But, a swig of something? Not even that. I want my full faculties at my disposable when participating in a pretty dangerous sport. I've been offered shots from a flask from strangers more than once. Ewwww! Cooties.

As to people being drunk on the hill? I shudder at the thought now that my daughter is out there skiing. A guy cracked a beer open on the gondola last week and it didn't bother me. He clearly wasn't drunk. Not for me. My husband won't even drink a beer at lunch. The beers are saved for afterward.

 

[James]

What's RLM?

 

[Jilly]

OK, that was my question too?? RLM?

My hubby was a firm believer in "mouth wash". Ah...it was brandy and amaretto. He even started to carry disposal "shot glasses" to deal out on the lift. Another "trick" he had was to hide beer with a "sleeve". You can split open a Coke can, remove the top and bottom, tape the split and use it as a "sleeve" over your can of beer. It works in Quebec as long as you use Pepsi. We would also use it in the summer at Ontario provincial parks...

 

[Gerry Rhoades]

RLM is Red Lodge Mountain.

 

[KevinF]

You can split open a Coke can, remove the top and bottom, tape the split and use it as a "sleeve" over your can of beer. It works in Quebec as long as you use Pepsi.

Why would it matter if you use a Pepsi or a Coke or a Sprite or... can?

 

[Jilly]

Quebecer's seem to like Pepsi! And you can use anything except another beer can!

 

[crgildart]

They sell vinyl beer can covers. I had a couple back in the day when drinking seemed important.

I've always felt that if you need to regularly consume "medication" of some sort to enhance your ski day... well, you're doing something wrong.

I've never even remotely felt the urge to have a beer or anything other than water during a ski day. Afterwards? Sure. During? No.

You could add to enhance watching sports events or enhance playing golf in place of enhance your ski day in your comments above and I would still agree. I'm not sure others would agree that watching the SuperBowl, going to live sports venues, or playing golf with no alcohol is just as fun or more fun. Different strokes but I'd argue if anything is more fun with alcohol than without most if the time than that might also indicate "doing something wrong".

Beer can covers..

I had Mountain Dow and Dr Pecker. "I''m a pecker, he's a pecker, she's a pecker, we're all....." Looks like they don't have Dr Pecker anymore hahaha

 

[Blue Streak]

There is a reason they call it après ski.

(Mais, les attendees de Mothers Day ne parle pas le francais).
C'est dommage!

 

[Carl Kuck]

Same here. Besides, beer just makes me have to pee a lot.

Aaaah! TMI !!!!

"Back in the day", we had bota bags; usually with some kind of schnapps in them...

 

[Guy in Shorts]

Killington has a long history of being a party mountain. Last weekend one of the best ski houses held their 18th Annual Lift and Bar Tour. Ride the 14 lifts operating that day and have a drink at 8 different bars. Somewhere north of sixty folks made the tour this year. Since I was working the nightshift and slept away the morning I had the job of being the designated driver for my wife and her brother. The party spirit is alive and well here at the Beast of the East.

 

[graham418]

A friend of mine who lives near Blue Mountain hikes the lift lines with her dogs when the snow is melting away. Last spring she collected enough empties to buy this years 5x7 pass!!