Bra Trees

[SallyCat]

I came across this article, which is a plea to Grand Targhee to take down its "bra tree." I'm interested in what divas think of the trees to begin with, but also the predictable reaction to the request, which was to shout down the author, call him a "p***y", and defend the tradition of the bra tree. Is it even worth fighting these battles? Then again, what if we don't?

 

[Jenny]

I think they're gross, but not necessarily because it's a bra that's hanging there, but I think it just looks like trash. I feel the same way about the bead necklace trees, shoe trees, etc.

 

[ski diva]

We talked about this a while ago (here). I thought they were awful then, and I think they're awful now. Like someone upended a trash can onto a perfectly good tree. So for me, thumbs down.

 

[nopoleskier]

I don't like them, I think they are gross too. I believe it started w/a guy who stole the panties/bra of his conquest? Now They've morphed into anyone throwing their bras/panties onto the trees?
Who Does this??
No, I don't want to see anyone's old underwear interrupting my Mt Views! More Gross, I've seen some pooped in men's underwear on the trees! Extremely GROSS!!! They seem to pop up at most mountains? I'm shocked Ski areas allow them!

I guess I'm old, it seems immature, is major littering and super ugly and down right gross what some people throw onto the poor trees for their entertainment!

 

[slyfox4]

I always assumed it was because you were supposed to take your bra off during the ride...but it makes much more sense hearing that you "steal" your conquests undergarments. I am personally not a fan. They look ugly and gross, and what happens when they fall off and litter the ground? Or you miss?

 

[Littlesonique]

I’m not sure I would like to see a tree full of bras. Park City (in the city) does have a shoe tree which I find interesting

 

[SallyCat]

Yeah, it's the "conquest-trophy" aspect that bothers me (in addition to the littering).
I don't suppose that it's a coincidence that guys in the comment section who are ok with bra trees use denigrating words about female anatomy to slap down anyone who disagrees with them.

I wouldn't want my kids to see that not because the bras are "naughty" but because they reinforce an attitude toward women that is harmful and disrespectful.

It's so exhausting, the overwhelmingly (but not exclusively) male trait of refusing to engage in empathetic understanding and just shouting down anyone who threatens to ruin their fun.

 

[Christy]

I think they're gross, but not necessarily because it's a bra that's hanging there, but I think it just looks like trash. I feel the same way about the bead necklace trees, shoe trees, etc.

Like someone upended a trash can onto a perfectly good tree.

Well said. If I want to see litter including discarded undergarments I can walk around my city and look at litter. I go to the mountains for scenery/natural beauty. Maybe that's the angle to take with bra tree supporters. Not sure you can get anywhere with someone that likes this sort of thing, but positioning it as litter/garbage rather than a woman's issue would be my inclination.

 

[mountainwest]

Sadly that tree is on my home mountain and the article was in my local paper. It got shared on Facebook too, and the comments were even worse (all 100+ of them). A local ski shop even claimed that “no tree at the ‘Ghee has put more smiles on faces.” Holding offensive “traditions” dear is a big thing around here, sadly (we also have a sports team called the Redskins. An attempt to change the name went down similarly.)

Yeah, it's the "conquest-trophy" aspect that bothers me (in addition to the littering).

Same. Having to see that tree on every single lift ride while learning to ski (it’s under the beginner lift) was not fun. Nor did it put a smile on my face.

I don't suppose that it's a coincidence that guys in the comment section who are ok with bra trees use denigrating words about female anatomy to slap down anyone who disagrees with them.

Couldn’t help noticing that as well!

I wouldn't want my kids to see that not because the bras are "naughty" but because they reinforce an attitude toward women that is harmful and disrespectful.

It's so exhausting, the overwhelmingly (but not exclusively) male trait of refusing to engage in empathetic understanding and just shouting down anyone who threatens to ruin their fun.

And that’s the reason I opted not to comment, as it would likely have earned me an angry male troll army following me around all corners of the internet (it’s happened before.)

 

[mustski]

When my son was around 12, I explained the bra tree to him. It’s the tree where young men,and boys, discard the bras they stole from the laundromat. They lie and told their friends they got lucky. I know it’s a lie because no woman would sleep with a guy juvenile enough to steal her bra to prove to his friends he got lucky! Only a total loser would feel a need to prove it to his friends.

 

[SallyCat]

And that’s the reason I opted not to comment, as it would likely have earned me an angry male troll army following me around all corners of the internet (it’s happened before.)

Oh god, I read the Facebook comments. I swear, if MLK, Jr. published his "I have a dream..." speech on Facebook today, it would be followed by ten thousand posts telling him to get over it.

 

[Pixie Perfect]

I agree with it being removed, but my reasons are more from an environmental stanpoint. It’s a form of littering and I worry how it would impact local animals.

 

[KBee]

I've never heard of such a thing. We have a few beads here, but this is gross. Where is it? Can it be climbed? Whose land? Can we get a femenist arborist out there to do some counter guerilla work? That's not acceptable, and I bet it's not legal.

 

[SquidWeaselYay]

The only time I ever thought something about a bra tree was cool: somebody in Killington threw a lanyard with what seemed to be 20 years of plastic season pass cards on it. It landed so you could see what a lot of them were. I was just impressed and hardly noticed the other unmentionables.

 

[vickie]

20 years of plastic season pass cards on it

Some serious oneupsmanship. "A bra ... how cute. HERE's what I nailed!"

 

[SquidWeaselYay]

Right on!!!!

 

[Ice Kitten]

I listen to a true crime podcast called My Favorite Murder and they sometimes feature stories that people write in to them - about murders, disappearances, strange things found in walls, etc.

One of the stories was about a skier who disappeared from a resort somewhere in Utah....two years later his body was found in a bra tree. He'd apparently fallen into the tree and got tangled, and no one saw him through all the £%$.

I have no idea if that's a true story or not (the person who wrote it did say the lawyers spent a ton of money hushing it all up) but now when I see the bra tree at our local hill that's all I can think about!

 

[TravelGalTracy]

Hi, I’m new here but so glad to see like minded women on this thread. We ski Mammoth a ton and it’s chock full of bra trees, with the odd leopard thong. Seriously? Apart from being fairly attached to my undies (they’re not cheap) the symbolism is downright nasty. To the women who willingly hurl their lingerie into the trees, consider the message you’re condoning.

Off my soapbox. Happy to be here and if only I could figure out how to reply to the heat posts for which I have insufficient privileges!

 

[Liquid Yellow]

Can't see any resorts in Europe allowing that to happen for environmental reasons as well as the fact it looks awful, it's just littering. What a weird/stupid thing to do.

 

[ski diva]

Look what popped up in my Facebook feed today from Powder.com:

The story behind the original panty tree