Lift patrol
Stuck in the gondola for what seemed an eternity last weekend at Loon, the thought of the Sugarloaf chair collapse didn't cross my mind. That is, until the other two yodels in the car decided to bring it up.
Admittedly, a chairlift collapsing is just something I don't worry about when skiing, leaving the responsibility to the professionals, concerning myself with more dire questions, like will my knee brace hold up, what's the next song on shuffle, and what's on draft in the lodge.
Seven Days' Andy Bromage caught up with the Vermont Department of Labor's Robert Pirie, whose duty it is to inspect each lift in the state for safety. That's 184 lifts and more than a half-million feet of cable to check out in Vermont alone. With only a three-man staff, that's no easy task. But Pirie sounds meticulous about his work, which is comforting. Hopefully there are more like him throughout New England helping assure the lifts are safe.
But if getting stranded - or worse - on a lift still scares you, then might I suggest you not rent the movie, "Frozen." Not because it will further frighten you, but because it's a terrible movie.
HT: Snow Journal
Contributors
Eric Wilbur is a lifelong recreational skier who spends most of his winter and spring in the mountains of New England. He does not ski in jeans. You can read more of Eric's work here.
Heather Burke is an award winning ski journalist with over a decade of ski news coverage. As a former ski instructor and a ski parent, she knows the ski biz from the inside out. She and her family visit New England ski resorts, as well as the West and Canada, to report on the latest trends and their best family finds. Her husband Greg takes all the accompanying photos, and their work can be seen at www.familysktitrips.com and www.luxuryskitrips.com.
