An Old Pro Shares Thoughts on Staying Safe on the Hill
The way skiers and boarders enter the sport determines their behavior on the hill. Years ago, many were introduced to skiing by their parents; skiers who knew the commonsense safety rules and made sure their children knew them, as well. For decades, those entering the sport through ski school have been exposed to the Skier’s Responsibility Code during lessons, their instructors citing examples in real time:
- Looking up the hill when entering a trail is pointed out each time an instructor takes his or her class onto a new run.
- Stopping at the edge of a trail and not obstructing traffic is taught by example as instructors always pull to the side when talking to the class.
Unlike driving there’s no requirement for beginning skiers to pass a test before taking to the trail. They simply show up, usually with a friend who attempts to teach them; a friend who may not know the safety basics himself.
There can be serious consequences. Eight years ago at Cranmore Mountain I was struck and seriously injured by a boarder who was uphill from me. As the uphill rider, it was her responsibility to avoid anyone below. She knowingly entered a populated slow-skiing area without slowing down. Had we been in Colorado, she would have been held liable for my injury.
Over my years patrolling at Sunday River, I always pointed out, “If you’re good enough to overtake another skier, you had better be good enough to avoid them.” Skiers have don’t have rearview mirrors or turn signals. If one turns into your path, it’s up to you to change your path to avoid her. The responsibility code calls this skiing under control.
Another frequent safety violation is skiing closed trails and out-of-bounds terrain. Trails are closed for a reason, and that reason could be hazardous conditions. Years ago, a skier at Loon Mountain fell on an intermediate cross trail and slid under a rope onto a closed steep and icy run. His companions had to work their way through the trees to reach their injured friend. It even was difficult for patrol to reach the injured skier, who eventually died. The double lesson here: 1.Stay off closed trails. 2.If terrain and conditions between you and the injured skier are beyond your ability, wait for patrol.
Know how to report an accident. The key is to know where you are on the mountain. You can always go to the bottom of a lift, where the accident will be called in. Most areas have a number to call for ski patrol. Make sure it’s in your cell.
Out of bounds is another issue. There is no grooming, and unless your skills are up to handling all conditions, stick to the groomed runs. These areas are not patrolled and not swept at the end of the day. Never ski these areas alone. Three or more is preferred. If someone is in trouble, one can stay with the injured party while the other goes for help. If you choose to ski out-of-bounds, think of the sign at the top of Killington: The mountains will be just as cold and lonely tonight as they were 200 years ago.
The Skier’s Subway: Most Unusual Lift in Skidom
Park City, Utah started as a mining camp in the 19th century, transferred business from silver mining to skiing in the early 1960s and never looked back. These days Park City Mountain Resort, owned by Vail Resorts, has about 1,200 miles of underground tunnels and shafts and mining structures all over the mountain that you ski by and over along 348 trails.
In 1963 United Park City Mines, the last active operation in Park City, opened Treasure Mountain Resort on the 3,700 acres it owned. Relying on mining engineering know-how, it put up J-bars, a gondola, and a Skier’s Subway.
Now in the Park City Museum, this “subway” car used to transport skiers into the mountain, where they would enter an elevator and travel to the base of the Thayne’s chair.
In what has to be the most unusual lift in skidom, the Skier’s Subway ran from January 1965 to July 1967, starting near the spot where the Silver Star chair is now located. Skiers rode more than three miles through the west end of the Spiro Tunnel on repurposed mining carts, water dripping onto their parkas, to the Thaynes Shaft where they got hoisted 1,700 feet up to the Thaynes chair lift. From out of the dark depths…Voila!, the slopes. The ride took about 25 minutes. Most skiers did it once for the novelty, once for the kids, and that was enough.
Early March, I skied to the Silver Star base area and discovered this bit of mining history: In 1917, owner Solon Spiro built a tunnel 21,675 feet into the mountain to draw excess water down and away from mining operations above.
The town now uses the tunnel to provide about a quarter of its water for drinking, snowmaking, and golf course irrigation. To protect this resource, a few years ago the town removed debris and shored up the first 400 feet of the tunnel to prevent cave-ins.
On a guided skiing tour of Park City’s mining history. Photo: Tamsin Venn
The very active Friends of Ski Mountain Mining History collaborated with the town to open a commemorative plaza in the fall of 2021 with signage at the fenced-off tunnel entry at Silver Star Village. It’s a delightful starting point to the day, away from the crowded Park City Mountain Resort’s nearby free parking area. The Silver Star chair gives easy access to King Con chair. The village has a small lift ticket booth, friendly lift attendants, the well-equipped Silver Star Ski & Sport, located in an old mining building, and the Silver Star Café that transforms from skier-patio-lunch-spot to award winning restaurant at night.
For a fuller view of Park City’s mining history spread throughout the mountain, take the Silver to Slopes Historic Tour, a complimentary two-hour visit led by PC’s mountain services guide (See SeniorsSkiing article: There’s Silver in Them Thar Hills!).
“Come Ski With Me”: A New Don Burch Video
Don Burch recently returned from his first ski trip to Colorado in almost 50 years. He titled this video summary of his time at Beaver Creek, Copper, Keystone, Breckenridge and Vail, “Come Ski With Me.” It’s another fine example of Don’s refreshing new genre of ski video: brief, graphically interesting, and easy to watch.
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