Deadly collision

Would I be incorrect in assuming that most of these accidents are occurring on moderate to moderate/steep groomed slopes?

It would be a good study and my guess is that the stats are available.

I believe that this type of slope attracts high speed cruising along with beginner/intermediates (who are limited by skills to the groomed trails). This to me is a bad mix since it brings the new skier into contact with the fast or reckless skier. Often at the break in the trail where the pitch increases is exactly where the beginners slow down and accumulate in droves.

My son's ski group had a kid (9 year old) get hit this weekend by a boarder and suffered a broken collar bone.

While my ten year old spends most of his time lately training with his group in a roped off area, when we do get to ski together we most often go to trails or meadows that are off the beaten path. There is quite a lot of that at Stevens and from what I have seen at Crystal it also has lots to explore. I know very little about Snoqualmie, but it seems mostly limited to groomers. However Stevens is known for lots of skiers skiing with speed and disregard for others. (A microcosm of what happens on the Seattle commuter routes.) Same people, same lousy etiquette. Same guys who tailgate on the ice covered road down the mountain when they are last in a line of 100 cars (like they want the whole line to move over and let them pass!).

In any case, most of the steeper ungroomed trails are not skied with abandon, are very much less crowded and I feel for that reason so much safer. My biggest fear now is for my 4-year old, who is just starting to transition from wedge to french fries. Such small kids, with small legs and skis do not adapt well to crud and powder. I always ski above her like a hawk and I sure hope that her instructors also keep control of the areas around those kids.

One solution may be to have lift tickets contain traceable id numbers on them. When a skier buys a ticket they fill out a form which has the state laws regarding etiquette on the form as an acknowledgement, then sign it and fill in their address and the form contains the lift ticket number. If stopped for reckless behavior, either from a patrol, ski instructor or just anyone who can make a "citizen's arrest" they yank their ticket there and then and turn it into the ski area officials. The responsible party then can do the explaining in the office or to the police and if the "arresting" individual is willing to collect witness info and participate they could nail the bum to the wall. It seems that tickets could be issued just as for driving infractions, etc. even lacking a collision if reckless behavior can be established, such a failing to slow down in a posted area, even after being signalled to do so.

Alan

After reading the posts over the last year I am moved to contribute.  I liked especially the very professional post from Gerry H.  Lowell's posts stand out as usual- and I agree slope grooming is a major issue.  My father was one of the founders of Crystal, and Iceberg was a bump run in those days.  No top to bottom high speed schuss.  In 2000, over a period of a half hour, I observed at least 10 skiers and boarders straightlining Iceberg, and yes it was spring morning ice.

My brother mentioned in the beginning, that my husband had been hit and thrown 20' by a snowboarder.  This was on a green run, top of Park City in the "Meadow".  There were three other people on the slope that is the size of 10 football fields.  I spent three years teaching full time at Park City, and was on this guy with a vengeance. I had witnesses taking his name and address and ski patrol was on the scene in minutes.  The kid tried to deny it until he found out I was a ski instructor. His life changed that day.. He ended up humbly helping my white bearded husband out of the trees, and sat sobbing in the snow after my tirade. I may have mixed emotion with my professional knowledge that day, but  education matters.  I thought it would be safe to take my intermediate skier husband to Park City in January when no one was there.  Crowding was not the issue.  This kid was dumped off the chair with a 3000' descent before him and inadequate skill to turn or control his speed. He was alone, left by friends to learn the hard way. Do skiers need licenses like drivers?

I started teaching in 1968, I stopped in 2001 when 4 snowboarders ducked the last chair rope and "joined me on the last chair up the mountain"  In doing so, the shoved me off the lift, so that I was left dangling by my arms as the chair swung out from the platform. Thankfully they pulled me back onto the lift.  I proceeded to let them know I was an instructor and that wasn't proper behavior.  They gave me such a rash of ____, that I feared for my safety as I exited the chair.  Two were teens and the other two were their Dads. I quit teaching that day.

I now ski the backcountry with my brother and my husband and I go to Winthrop for fabulous cross country skiing.  I have given up.

One other comment.  Helmets.  In 1999 I was given one to wear as a full time Instructor at Park City.  The resort was hoping to encourage students to wear Helmets.  Nice and warm.  Can't hear worth beans.  Can't see as well.  When skiing tele, if you happen to make any high speed face plants, like coming out of a bowl on one of those washboard tracks, Ouch. I found that my neck would make the loudest cracking sound....  I also found that my best defense against other people was my hearing them approach.  I am 60 this year and maybe getting hard of hearing, so no helmet anymore here.  I really don't feel I need one in the backcountry now.  I can't fathom carrying the extra weight on an overnight trip.
Jane

Just a few notes here on this thread.

As for the guy, Greg Doda, just imagine you are riding down some big steep line, be it anywhere around here, Cloud Nine at Stevens, for example and you have just ridden the glory line and now you are arcing out at full blast, screaming. As you roll over the last rollover down into the lower part of rock garden and someone has traversed slowly across right under the rollover. Who is more at fault? the person who was traversing in a blind area, possibly not knowing the terrain? or the knowledgeable skier/rider who is currently blasting down his/her favorite line and a new obstacle appears where usually there isn't one? Who knows, but I worry about this happening when I am riding up at Stevens.

I have been sliding on snow going on 28 years now. Through those years I have gained mountain awareness. I am constantly looking out for areas where I could be taken out, or worse take someone else out. I once hit someone when I was a skier. I was skiing fast at Crested Butte, CO and was cutting across the top of a steeper blue run in order to get to the other side I had to ski above an instructor with his class. I hit a patch of ice and slot my edge and slid across straight at the instructor. Luckily the process of sliding on my hip slowed me down enough not to cause serious harm to the instructor, but he was pissed off and rightly so. I was lucky he was ok and I didn't lose my job at the ski area, or worse be prosecuted. I learned an important lesson about how even the littlest thing can throw you off your line.

I have also taught snowboarding for many years and through that time I have been beaned at least once a year. Its like beginners like to aim for the guy in the instructor jacket. I always teach my students to stay in control and we always focus on getting down safely. Mountain awareness must be taught at its earliest moment, especially to young riders. I always wear a helmet when I teach and feel most likely to get hit when teaching.

As for helmet use. I ride fast, through trees, off rocks and did I mention I like to go fast? I have worn a helmet for a long time and def feel naked without it, even in the backcountry where I am likely to riding fast through trees, etc. I have had scary enough rides and wrecks where I wonder if I had hit my head what good my helmet would have done. But I think I like to hear a helmet and many other people I know do, but just as many don't and who am I to tell someone they should wear one? Its a personal decision.

Brian