kids on lifts and what is a surface tow?

Gary S. wrote:
Also the T-bar, where there is a bar at the end of the
rope, and you place this between your legs, and sort of partially sit
on the bar.

I would suggest that the next time you go skiing, that you inquire to
the lift attendant the correct way to ride a T-bar. It's made for 2
people, you don't place it between your legs and you don't partially
sit on it.

snoig

Sparky wrote:
Please don't come to Colorado.

I won't come back to Colorado if you NEVER come to Texas. What an
Ass....

Sounds like a deal to me.

But seriously, if you have little kids, you should avoid major resorts
in Colorado during the holiday season and spring break. Some of the
smaller southern Colorado resorts will be fine but things can get
pretty crowded during the high season. The same probably goes for the
larger NM resorts. It's much nicer for any begining skier to not need
to worry about getting run down when they are trying to get the basics
down.

snoig

wrote:
Gary S. wrote:

Also the T-bar, where there is a bar at the end of the
rope, and you place this between your legs, and sort of partially sit
on the bar.


I would suggest that the next time you go skiing, that you inquire to
the lift attendant the correct way to ride a T-bar. It's made for 2
people, you don't place it between your legs and you don't partially
sit on it.

Don't discourage him - it's a rare treat for observers when someone
places a t-bar between their legs or partially sits on it. Très amusant.

lal_truckee wrote:
wrote:

Gary S. wrote:

Also the T-bar, where there is a bar at the end of the
rope, and you place this between your legs, and sort of partially sit
on the bar.



I would suggest that the next time you go skiing, that you inquire to
the lift attendant the correct way to ride a T-bar. It's made for 2
people, you don't place it between your legs and you don't partially
sit on it.


Don't discourage him - it's a rare treat for observers when someone
places a t-bar between their legs or partially sits on it. Très amusant.

A t-bar, unlike a platter-pull/poma-lift has a great "hook" and
WILL drag you up the hill in whatever situation you were in after
you had tried to sit.

My first ride in a Poma type lift was in 1957. I tried to sit.
Fell. Was dragged up the hill because I was hanging on tenaciously.
Some one yelled "let go". So I did. By this time my head was facing
uphill and the platter was below me. When the platter let go, it
caught me just above the eye. Black eye, beautiful, for a week
or so. Coulda been worse. I stood up forever after.

It's a deal. Any other takers?

Sparky wrote:

Please don't come to Colorado.


I won't come back to Colorado if you NEVER come to Texas. What an Ass....

BTW, I realized later that my mention of Vail was not good. The only
reason that Vail has a gondola to the beginner's area is that the
beginner's area is at the top of the mountain. You would still need to
deal with either a regular lift or a "magic carpet."

I think that perhaps the places with the best pure beginners areas are
Beaver Creek - it's right at the main base area - or Copper which has
two - one of which has a nice set of easy trails in the same vicinity.

Please keep what passes for Texas courtesy to yourself.

Sparky wrote:

Please don't come to Colorado.


I won't come back to Colorado if you NEVER come to Texas. What an Ass....

lal_truckee wrote:

[snip]

Every above ground lift I have ever seen has some type of metal bar
that you lower in front of your waist after getting on, and rasie just
before getting off.


Not around here. "Safety" bars are common on high speed detachable lifts
but there are plenty of older lifts left around, often on the more
desirable terrain for kids. Safety bars seem more common in the east and
Colorado tourist towns than farther west - I don't know about the SW.
Even when we do have bars lots of folks decline to lower them.

When there is a small child (although 3 is
definitely too young for this, and probably 5 would be) the lift
attendant makes certain they are riding up with someone older enought
to handle the bar. The kiddie ski classes/day care tend to work around
using the lift.

[snip]

lal is right about a significant number of lifts in CO, i.e. they are
without safety bars. The bars are reassuring but don't really hold one
on the chair.

BTW, when sharing a chair, it is common etiquette to inquire whether the
other person minds having the bar down or, at least to mention that one
is putting the bar down, before yanking it onto the other person's head
or leg.

rumpius wrote:
lal_truckee wrote:

[snip]

Every above ground lift I have ever seen has some type of metal bar
that you lower in front of your waist after getting on, and rasie just
before getting off.



Not around here. "Safety" bars are common on high speed detachable
lifts but there are plenty of older lifts left around, often on the
more desirable terrain for kids. Safety bars seem more common in the
east and Colorado tourist towns than farther west - I don't know about
the SW. Even when we do have bars lots of folks decline to lower them.

When there is a small child (although 3 is
definitely too young for this, and probably 5 would be) the lift
attendant makes certain they are riding up with someone older enought
to handle the bar. The kiddie ski classes/day care tend to work around
using the lift.


[snip]

lal is right about a significant number of lifts in CO, i.e. they are
without safety bars. The bars are reassuring but don't really hold one
on the chair.

BTW, when sharing a chair, it is common etiquette to inquire whether the
other person minds having the bar down or, at least to mention that one
is putting the bar down, before yanking it onto the other person's head
or leg.

In the East, all chair lifts are required by law to have saftey bars,
and the skiers are required by state law to use the saftey bars (and
yes, I've seen people get warnings, and even have their lift tickets
revoked by ski patrol).

For the OP:
As for the kids, put them in the age appropreate ski school program.
They will learn with other beginners their age from instructors that
know how to teach kids. And DO NOT project YOUR fears of children on
chair lifts onto the kids. The ski instructors will teach them the
proper way to ride the lifts, and the "lifties" do slow down the chairs
so kids can get on and off - besides, chairs in beginner areas go slower
than in other parts of the mountain. The only surface lift useful for
little kids are the magic carpets. Forget about the old fashioned
surface lifts - there's a reason they are not really used anymore - they
are NOT better than chairs just because they are on the surface. It's
much more difficult for a beginner to learn to ride a T-bar, poma, or
rope tow than it is to use a chair lift.

Janet

p.s while your at it - take a lesson - it's really the best way for any
beginner (adult or child) to learn. And look for beginner lift, rental,
lesson packages. Saves money vs getting each thing separately.

I just hook the backs of their ski bibs over the tips of my skis. In
all these years, I've only dropped one. Remember to keep your tips up
as you near the upper lift station.

Sorry, couldn't resist. Others are pointing out that everything will be
OK.