Vibe-Winter-2425 - Flipbook - Page 73
Wildcat Ski Area - Nate Ramsbottom photo
present a hazard to the skier, but it also impacts the mountain
operations team, who work tirelessly to get the mountain
ready each night for the following day.
If an accident were to occur, it would also have a lasting
impact on the winch cat’s operator, who was simply trying to
lay down the perfect corduroy for skiers and riders to enjoy.
Not to mention, encountering individuals ski touring in the
vicinity of grooming operations makes their job more difficult.
“If we see a skier while we’re winching, it scares us real
bad and we kind of have a little freak-out moment where we
have to stop and reset and figure out a new game plan,” says
Cabot. “Because it wouldn’t take much to wipe somebody out
with the cable. And with more people around, it’s inevitable
that they’re gonna bump into each other.”
Luckily, Attitash, Wildcat, and the other ski areas around
the Valley have uphill policies and safety measures in place
to account for increased uphill use and its effect on mountain
operations. Usually, specific uphill and downhill routes and
hours are designated with the intent of ensuring skiers and
high-tension winch cables don’t cross paths. Unfortunately,
there isn’t a one-size-fits-all policy—some resorts allow uphill
travel only during operating hours, while others only allow it
outside of operating hours. Some have one route designated
for uphill and downhill travel, while others have separate
uphill and downhill routes. Luckily, these policies are usually
pretty easy to find on each ski area’s website.
Ski areas often take safety precautions a step further,
utilizing flashing beacons, signs, and sometimes even piles of
snow to let skiers know winching is in progress and that they
shouldn’t be in the area.
While encounters are often brief, amounting to not much
more than the cat operator letting the skier know about their
uphill policies, there is potential for mountain operations to
be disrupted, impacting the guest experience.
“It’s our goal to create a snow surface and experience that
our guests will appreciate and connect with,” says Cabot. “And
when that operation is being interrupted by somebody out
there, whether they’re ignorant to the rules or not, it slows us
down, and ultimately, adversely impacts the whole ski area
and ski community.”
In addition to becoming familiar with and adhering to
each resort’s uphill policies, there are several things skiers
and riders can do to help minimize the impact they’re having
on the staff, like skinning uphill on the side of the trail in a
single-file line, wearing high-visibility clothing, and trying not
Winter 2024/25
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