The current storm not withstanding, we have been in the doldrums. Lack of snowfall and prolonged high pressure has left us with plenty of time on our hands. Keeping busy skiing the same runs over and over, most of us had tried every line variation possible. Acres of terrain remained closed and it becomes a daily task to find something to keep us entertained. Our Thanksgiving came and went as we gorged on leftovers dropped off by well-wishers. Morning meetings sound like a broken record. “A zonal flow will keep us dry and temps will be above freezing” is the opening line each day from our snow safety department.
However, it is times like this that we take the opportunity to practice skills not often used in the course of duty. Sure everyone likes throwing explosives and busting avys, but when it is sunny and warm, those diversions seem a long way off.
Our resort is like many across the nation in that we rely heavily on our ski lifts working properly. Thousands of skiers per hour are whisked to the top of their favorite runs by these marvels of modern machinery. Most people sit ideally in their chairs eyeing their prospective lines, but few stop to think what would happen if the ride came to a halt. There is any number of scenarios that could play out to get people back to business. Backup generators and diesel engines are the standard go to. Unfortunately, these don’t always do the trick. That is where the ropes and anchors come in. We have a variety of rescue equipment at our disposal and keeping abreast of the latest techniques becomes very important.
On a particularly sunny day in late November we utilized an easily accessible lift that happened to be closed. Anchoring ropes to the top of the crow’s nest, we set up the cable riding system. Our friends at Petzl have designed a specific system for attaching ourselves to the lift line and descending it all the way to a chair. This system gets used very seldom, but it is fun to practice with anyway.
To properly execute a chair evacuation, the team of rescuers must develop a sound plan and stay in constant contact with each other. Setting up mock situations like this keeps us sharp and we feel confident that we could carry it out in real life. However, it is still a bit nerve racking when you slide out into open air with nothing much holding you onto the line.
Other methods for getting customers out of the chair include specially designed T-seats and a hell of a lot of rope. Depending on whether the chair is a detachable or a fixed grip, the methods of getting people out of the chair differ tremendously. Most notably is the technique in which we have to flip the rope over a fixed grip to get to the next chair. The process is likened to fly-fishing and it takes patience and a bit of luck to get it down. Otherwise we risk looking quite foolish as we snag the rope and further prolong the evacuation. Personally I think we should just use a giant net for people to jump into. But with skis and all, it could get pretty messy.
Now that we have received a bit of fresh snow, our focus will return to monitoring snow pack conditions and hypothesizing what will happen when we finally do receive that heavy storm. Myriad conditions exist throughout the resort and one can find anything from sun crusts and wind slabs, to sugary facets and sustrugi. For now, get out there and see for yourself. The skiing is quite good in certain areas and it makes us thankful that we can slide around with these sticks on our feet. Cheers!