What would you do?

[fatbob]

Yup off axis flip like Jonny Moseley's Dinner Roll he busted out for 2002 Olympic Moguls.

 

[Eddie S]

The risk to the children is the determining factor here. If a cell signal was available (and I'd had the foresight to program the ski patrol number into the phone, which I usually do) I would call ski patrol and stay with her and the children until help arrived. If she insisted on walking, stay with her. She seemed to be out of her comfort and competence zone (though I don't know this - perhaps she wasn't). Perhaps the terrain allowed for a walking descent, at least to a safer position, but if it seemed like the children would face danger with the descent, assistance or, at the least, accompanying her would seem the decent thing to do.

Very interesting scenario, and worth pondering.

 

[Monique]

I don't know about Vail, but my buddy got a courtesy ride down from the top of Lake Louise this past December. He's a novice skier and we were taking a blue groomer down from the top of the mountain, and his binding just came off his rental ski. Just pulled right out. No injury or anything, but ski was F'ed. We had about 2500' of vert to the bottom, and he can't ski on one ski AT ALL. Mountain host saw it and went to get patrol. They assessed the situation and strapped him into the toboggan. The patroller said he'd never taken an un-injured skier down the mountain in a toboggan, but I don't know how else he'd have gotten down. Of course, Canada is not the litigious hellscape that America is, so maybe that factored in.

At Breck (owned by Vail), I was involved in a collision last season. Ski Patrol came to check us out. I felt fine, but my binding brake was bent such that I couldn't use the ski. I volunteered to walk down, but Ski Patrol insisted I take the ride.

I got the impression they don't want people walking down the hill for any reason.

If a cell signal was available (and I'd had the foresight to program the ski patrol number into the phone, which I usually do)

You can call ski patrol directly from the EpicMix app, so you don't need to know the phone number.

 

[Lauren]

The fact that she had kids in tow, almost makes it a no-brainer for me.

The question is, did she have the kids in tow? Or did the kids have HER in tow?

 

[newboots]

I broke my glasses in a fall at Killington a couple of weeks ago. I was hesitantly planning to ski down (quite blind without them), but someone had called patrol and I was glad for the ride.

 

[at_nyc]

I broke my glasses in a fall at Killington a couple of weeks ago. I was hesitantly planning to ski down (quite blind without them), but someone had called patrol and I was glad for the ride.

Having taken a ride down due to injury in the past, I wouldn’t take another ride unless I absolutely have to. In a similar situation, I’d much prefer they simple guide me down the mountain than put me in the sled.

(granted, I can ski with my eyes closed. I only need someone to tell me which direction to head towards)

 

[Nathanvg]

OP here... so I replied, "I don't recommend taking off your skis. You could slide a long ways and pick up speed" I then pointed out the best way down. In retrospect I should have offered to contact patrol. I might have also suggested walking 15 minutes up to the nearby groomer.

After suggesting the best way down, I lead the way then advised the group about where to go exactly. The kids were good skiers and skied the line fine.

As the second kid was finishing, I saw the lady throw her skis off the cliff. The skis traveled down most of the run and I had to move to avoid getting hit. Immediately after that the lady sat down and started sliding. She picked up speed, became airborn repeatedly and came to a stop after about 50 yards.

Thankfully she was not seriously injured.
Ultimately, she made her choice but I'd be more forceful in my reply next time and emphasize the risk of serious injury.

 

[fatbob]

You can only do so much to save people from themselves - at least you stuck around, helped to see the kids were safe and were there to provide comfort if mum had killed herself.

 

[coskigirl]

I don't think Vail's Patrol can (will) give a courtesy ride down and more. My guess is it has something to do with liability.

I would think that Vail would have significantly higher risk of liability if they refused to assist a guest who is in danger. If they (or rather their attorneys and insurers) see it another way I'd love to hear their reasoning.

 

[Monique]

I would think that Vail would have significantly higher risk of liability if they refused to assist a guest who is in danger. If they (or rather their attorneys and insurers) see it another way I'd love to hear their reasoning.

Based on my experience at Breck, I tend to agree. I said I'd walk down because my binding was damaged. They insisted I take a ride. It might matter that they were already on the scene and the other person was injured.

 

[crgildart]

You can call ski patrol directly from the EpicMix app, so you don't need to know the phone number.

That app isn't available for my Windows phone. I have three others, but don't think any of them have contact info easily available. Not everyone has iPhone or Android. Quite a few of us old farts actually leave the phone in the car for the day and just take a whistle. I prefer the taking the phone, has a really good camera with a Zeiuss lens. Several people I know refuse to bring a phone.. mostly because work might call and they don't even want to see that work might be trying to reach them out on the mountain.

 

[Monique]

That app isn't available for my Windows phone. I have three others, but don't think any of them have contact info easily available. Not everyone has iPhone or Android. Quite a few of us old farts actually leave the phone in the car for the day and just take a whistle. I prefer the taking the phone, has a really good camera with a Zeiuss lens. Several people I know refuse to bring a phone.. mostly because work might call and they don't even want to see that work might be trying to reach them out on the mountain.

Well, then, programming the number wouldn't matter anyway. And apparently you guys don't have a mute function on your phones. I carry phone, beacon, and whistle. The phone is the only one I can use to help other people quickly.

 

[crgildart]

Well, then, programming the number wouldn't matter anyway. And apparently you guys don't have a mute function on your phones. I carry phone, beacon, and whistle. The phone is the only one I can use to help other people quickly.

They are too tempted to look at it between runs if they have it in their pocket.. even when it's turned off most of the time.. I take mine, but the screen locks in really cold weather... so bad the only solution is allowing the battery to run out then recharge and reboot. I've helped plenty of people by just blasting down to the closest lift or patrol shack and sending help. Not every phone call gets answered immediately.

 

[Monique]

Not every phone call gets answered immediately.

That may be true. It's never happened to me, fortunately, when I needed to call (or was around someone who needed to call). Maybe that's one area where VR does staff appropriately - answering ski patrol calls?

 

[Jenny]

Back over a decade ago my buddy was riding the Canyon Quad after skiing a run on a super icy Double Dipper. He watched a guy lose a ski near the top of Lower Double Dipper. From the lift he told the skier to wait right there and he would get ski patrol to help him and that it was too icy to try to turn with just one ski. Guy ignored the advice and fell resulting in a death slide headfirst into a snow making raiser pipe. He bled out at his final resting spot over near the trees. Giving good advice to a fellow skier is one thing. Getting them to listen is another.

That's horrifying.

 

[crgildart]

Back over a decade ago my buddy was riding the Canyon Quad after skiing a run on a super icy Double Dipper. He watched a guy lose a ski near the top of Lower Double Dipper. From the lift he told the skier to wait right there and he would get ski patrol to help him and that it was too icy to try to turn with just one ski. Guy ignored the advice and fell resulting in a death slide headfirst into a snow making raiser pipe. He bled out at his final resting spot over near the trees. Giving good advice to a fellow skier is one thing. Getting them to listen is another.

I saw that happen to a little kid, maybe 10 years old who was doing something in some iced over trees between main trails under the lift. Either they fell and ended up in there or they had dropped something from the lift and were scooting in there to try and get it??? I was on the lift, we were all loudly telling the kid NOT to go farther in to the trees, to stay put wait for help. Kid went in anyway, lost all grip on the solid sleet covered ice and slid about 50 feet SMACKING a tree with that awful bone crunching sound, then SCREAMING horribly.

 

[skibob]

They are too tempted to look at it between runs if they have it in their pocket.. even when it's turned off most of the time.. I take mine, but the screen locks in really cold weather... so bad the only solution is allowing the battery to run out then recharge and reboot. I've helped plenty of people by just blasting down to the closest lift or patrol shack and sending help. Not every phone call gets answered immediately.

Wow! i have the opposite problem. I'll ski for hours and realize i haven't looked at my phone all day. Hope work isn't trying to reach . . . ooh, look, powder bumps!

 

[Monique]

Wow! i have the opposite problem. I'll ski for hours and realize i haven't looked at my phone all day. Hope work isn't trying to reach . . . ooh, look, powder bumps!

I have definitely done this, in combination with massively underestimating how long it will take to get back to my laptop.

 

[Beartown]

I was on a chair with a patroller at Big Sky yesterday and asked about this issue. She said it's very common for patrollers to toboggan non-injured folks for a variety of reasons. Most common were binding damage, ski damage, or just getting over-terrained (i.e. going up a clearly labeled "experts only" lift only to inform patrol at the top that they "only ski greens"). She called them "courtesy rides" and actually enjoys them because there's no paperwork involved.

 

[CalG]

I can't recall just where on Vail Mountain the Challenger run is.

I only spent a couple years bumming there, and it's been ten years since I've been there.. but, Where is that run?