To say I don't like to let my skis run and rip some fast turns would be a complete lie, but I never compromise the safety of myself or others in the process. That being said, we are all excited that ski season is here and look forward to long hours skiing or riding our favorite trails, but whether it's early or season of mid-week in the heart of January, we should respect slow skiing and riding zones. They're marked as such for a reason and just because a ski patroller isn't standing around waiting to chase you down doesn't mean it's safe to ignore the simple warning.
Maybe this wouldn't be at the forefront of my mind if I were not hit from behind by someone on Saturday, but that is the case. Thankfully, neither myself or the person who flailed out-of-control before hitting me, were hurt, but especially in early season, when many skiers and riders are packed on to a few trails, we need to be cognizant of our surroundings. When afternoon approaches and shadows begin to cover the trails, we are less likely to see ice and even more less likely to react to it as we would early in the morning. There are plenty of places to let 'em rip, but trail sections with children and merging trails are not those places. For the safety of yourself and those around you, dump some speed so we can all enjoy a long season!
1 comment:
Thanks for putting up this reminder. Several years ago when I was just learning to downhill I was hit from behind by an out of control skier at Aspen. It hurt my knee at the time, but seemed to heal completely. Then starting this summer I started having extreme knee pain when I run. Turns out it is from damage done then that is coming back to haunt me now.
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