Comments on: Mystery Glimpse: Hold On

By: kay van hees

kay van hees — Sun, 25 Feb 2018 17:11:18 +0000

Yup. Used it on Mt Spokane…maybe once. Didn’t work too well as I recall. No forgetting the soaked gloves and the dark stripes on the parka from the whizzing rope you were trying to grip and always that bit of panic at the top when you were suppose to let go and get out of the way. last one I used was in Europe about 20 years ago.

By: Norm Reynolds

Norm Reynolds — Sat, 24 Feb 2018 19:32:54 +0000

I had a device shaped like a letter “C,” that was screwed to the shaft of my pole, and would grab the rope. Problem was “ungrabbing” the rope. Learned early on to take the wrist strap off!

By: Wes Schimmelpfennig

Wes Schimmelpfennig — Sat, 24 Feb 2018 18:03:38 +0000

Rope tow gripper we used at Soda Springs, Dodge Ridge, Squaw Valley and Laings on old highway 40

By: Candy Walters

Candy Walters — Sat, 24 Feb 2018 01:47:48 +0000

It is a rope tow grip. I have one that belonged to my father. I believe they were later prohibited as they were deemed dangerous.

By: Bob Shane PSIA-E. Holiday Valley, NY

Bob Shane PSIA-E. Holiday Valley, NY — Sat, 24 Feb 2018 01:04:41 +0000

It is a tow rope clamp. The rope attached to a fabric belt. Used it growing up in Bradford, PA. Circa 40’s. Zippo ski slope. ( yes, named after the lighter. George Blaisdell, founder of Zippo provided the funding for the Zippo Ski Slope). I’m looking for a copy of Hannes Schnieder’s book on skiing circa 1940’s.

By: Bob Ohrt

Bob Ohrt — Fri, 23 Feb 2018 16:36:02 +0000

Many memories of using those contraptions from Wisconsin to Alaska. Mine was a little different design, came with a web belt, and worked on several sizes of rope.

By: Allen Hosie

Allen Hosie — Fri, 23 Feb 2018 16:03:27 +0000

I recognized it immediately as a rope tow gripper. We used them at Mt. Baker to grip the rope tows on Austin or Blueberry.

By: JC O'Keeffe

JC O'Keeffe — Fri, 23 Feb 2018 14:55:57 +0000

Ah, the memory of grabbing a sopping wet rope and having the moisture soak right through your mittens. I am trying to remember the last rope tow I used. Either the “practice hill” at Mad River or one of the several at Jimminy Peak.

By: John Emery

John Emery — Fri, 23 Feb 2018 14:43:29 +0000

I know Wayne – only a weenie needed a clamp but I didn’t have an unlimited supply of leather mittens and being four feet tall on those rope tows was tough when there was a grown-up ahead of you or the rope had carved it’s way into a icy groove when I was the only rider on the tow. As far as dangerous….you have to have some courage just to enjoy “hurtling down a frozen mountain brains first” as my dad used to say.

By: Dave Irons

Dave Irons — Fri, 23 Feb 2018 14:23:04 +0000

It was one of a number of devices used to grip rope tows. We just used relatively inexpensive “Chopper’s mittens” easily available in Maine where we had plenty of loggers. The mittens were simply a leather and we used wool liner mittens inside. We have at least one of the other devices in the Ski Museum of Maine in Kingfield. I believe it’s one that attached to the ski pole.
I never had one but I did wear out a few pair of Chopper’s Mittens.