Does this drive anyone else crazy?

[ski diva]

When someone gets it into their head they HAVE to go down a particular trail, even if it's way beyond the ability of their skiiing companion (usually a spouse or child). They're cruising along having a wonderful time, completely oblivious that they've left their spouse/child/friend about a quarter mile back -- who now probably HATES both skiing and the person who put them in this position in the first place. And if the spouse/child/friend falls and gets hurt, then what? How's the moron up ahead going to handle that?

See it all the time, and it never fails to get me going. (I think you can tell)

 

[Snowbird]

I never could figure that one out. Bothers me, too.

When I ski with my son, I stay a little ways behind him so I can keep my eye on him. Plus I don't take him on any trail he's not ready for.

 

[dburdenbates]

I have a friend that took his wife skiing for the first time and took her up the lift to an intermediate area for her very first run! He thought that since she is very althletic and a professional water skier that she could handle it.

Thankfully, she made it down in one piece. If he were my husband, I wouldn't have spoken to him for weeks after that stunt.

 

[QA1]

The Vasquez Ridge lift at WP passes over a tree lined mogul run. Without fail, a good skier with bad judgement will be attempting to teach a "first time on skis" skier how to negotiate the treeline, ski the bumps, or traverse the field. Wow! Who thought moguls would be a good first time experience? :duck: Maybe a ski lesson next time, if there is a next time?

 

[abc]

When someone gets it into their head they HAVE to go down a particular trail, even if it's way beyond the ability of their skiiing companion (usually a spouse or child).

It's call MAN.

Enough said.

 

[Kiragirl]

MAN = Moron Ad Nauseam

 

[SkiNurse]

And this was my pointfor my anwer in the poll of "no friends on a powder day". You need to be responsible for the people you bring.

 

[altagirl]

And this was my pointfor my anwer in the poll of "no friends on a powder day". You need to be responsible for the people you bring.

A lot of people are really mis-interpreting that.


The "No friends on a powder day" rule isn't about convincing people to ski with you and then ditching them as they flounder around. It's an advance-warning explanation before you go that hey - if it's a great powder day - this is how our group works - everyone in the group is comfortable skiing alone on the mountain and staying safe. We are very likely to get split up. If that would make you uncomfortable, maybe you should take a lesson or plan to meet up with us after lunch or just ski with us on a non-powder day when we aren't completely mental over how amazingly good the snow is. Or I guess you are also welcome to consider me and other powder-hounds a bunch of selfish jerks and not ski with us at all. :p

But it's NOT AT ALL the same as dragging someone down a run they can't handle. In fact, it's the exact opposite - it's explaining up front that the situation will not be a hand-holding experience and if you're not prepared to get through it alone, don't head out with this group.

 

[SnowHot]

There is a fine line between taking friends into terrain they are not prepared for, and urging friends to step up to the next level of ability.

As much as I hate it when I see someone who can not make a parallel turn, being urged to snowplow down a black run, I also hate seeing someone stuck in "intermediate" land because no one urges them to step up!
Most of use had the white knuckle, fear factor when we made progress, and are glad we were pushed a little bit.


And like Altagirl says, there is a difference between
"No friends on a powder day" and "Ditch your friends because they're green"