Die Traversers Die!

[fez]

Clear rules have been developed. They go, "The downhill skier has the right of way." Valid inbounds, because he can't look behind him to know who's about to fly past. Valid OB because people above him could put him in danger.

i've already explained this once, but it seems to have been missed.

a traversing skier is essentially merging with every line they cross and in that sense have the obligation to look uphill and yield to oncoming skiers.

the whole 'the downhill skier has the right of way' is the only line of the skiers responsibility code that most gapers can quote and as such the use it as carte blanche to be complete inconsiderate (and unsafe) morons assuming that everyone uphill from them is completely under control.

under control means different things in different places. coming out of a chute it may mean barely keeping your shit together until you can reach the apron and cool things down a little. traversers at least need to look uphill while traversing and make sure they dont get themselves or anyone else schmucked.

[philippeR]

Clear rules have been developed. They go, "The downhill skier has the right of way." Valid inbounds, because he can't look behind him to know who's about to fly past. Valid OB because people above him could put him in danger.


How was Thirds-Eagle's yesterday? Best ever?

That's 100% valid when both skiers ski in the same direction, down the hill. But when the downhill skier is traversing, ie cutting the fall line, he has a responsability to check that the way is clear.
That's how I understand things, anyway.
On piste or hors piste.

[old goat]

Been skiing 45 years (that's why it says Old Goat)--traversing across a powder field has ALWAYS been bad manners, and if you are traversing below a chute it is up to you to look uphill to keep from getting it (in fact it's the law, sort of)
As far as sidelipping goes--the other day a boarder sideslipped the whole way down a chute at Squaw Palisades--which was closed cause it was Saturday.
I'm not that great of a skiier--never have been, but I see nothing wrong with showing some respect for those who are. When you buy a lift ticket you have the "right" to traverse and sideslip tough terrain, but that doesn't make it right.

[MMP]

It seems to at Alta

under the high t there are a dozen or more traverses. my kids like to ski sunspot but once you clear the traverses there are only a few turns to be had under them.

[tone capone]

i've already explained this once, but it seems to have been missed.

a traversing skier is essentially merging with every line they cross and in that sense have the obligation to look uphill and yield to oncoming skiers.

the whole 'the downhill skier has the right of way' is the only line of the skiers responsibility code that most gapers can quote and as such the use it as carte blanche to be complete inconsiderate (and unsafe) morons assuming that everyone uphill from them is completely under control.

under control means different things in different places. coming out of a chute it may mean barely keeping your shit together until you can reach the apron and cool things down a little. traversers at least need to look uphill while traversing and make sure they dont get themselves or anyone else schmucked.

Thought I'd repost this fez, since more people will probably chime in without reading.

And this too.

Been skiing 45 years (that's why it says Old Goat)--traversing across a powder field has ALWAYS been bad manners, and if you are traversing below a chute it is up to you to look uphill to keep from getting it (in fact it's the law, sort of)
As far as sidelipping goes--the other day a boarder sideslipped the whole way down a chute at Squaw Palisades--which was closed cause it was Saturday.
I'm not that great of a skiier--never have been, but I see nothing wrong with showing some respect for those who are. When you buy a lift ticket you have the "right" to traverse and sideslip tough terrain, but that doesn't make it right.

Lots of wisdom on this thread. Worth drilling into peoples heads.

[Hugh Conway]

re: Hardcore inbounds skiers

You are the most despicable type of skier I know. You are the bad attitude ruining the vibe on the playground. You are so blinded by how rad you perceive yourself to be that you can't possibly see the bigger picture. You are skiing at a ski resort, yet complain when someone else skis your line, doesn't do it the cool way, or lacks the skills and knowledge that only someone blessed enough to ski everyday could have. If you yourself were really so much more enlightened, you would just laugh knowingly at what you see below you and drop off the other side of the proverbial ridge into a perfect line, meeting your friends waiting below. But instead you buzz by the person wanting to know more about the mountains, who, until your outburst of aggressive profanity was probably having a great time. You are no better than that novice, in fact you are much worse. Perhaps you should hang up the sticks for something more fitting like being a used car salesman or meter maid, where you are offered a daily opportunity to attack the needy with your malicious, pathetic personality.

/rant

I wholeheartedly agree with this!

[supermodel159]

re: Hardcore inbounds skiers

That's all you needed to say.

[iceman]

fixed that up for ya endless.

heh, that was funny.

[DougW]

A picture would make this more clear but. People and were not takling about beginers here , as soon as they are out of the chute start traversing across the side hill. Why ? maybe to get a little more vert at the bottom of ridge? Anyway you can if you go fall line all the way to the valley bottom get caught in a low spot that you have to climb out of but its pretty easy to miss that. We're not talking about a lot of tracks but it does kinda ruin the bottom half of the run having to cross over several traverse lines. Idon't see the point of traversing through powder. Lower down there is a choke point so you don't have any advantage as you can't stay up on the slope.

[Rideski]

I'm with Fez on this one.

Your Responsibility Code

* Safety on the slopes is everyone's responsibility. Ski safely-not only for yourself, but for others as well.
* Always stay in control and be able to stop or avoid objects.
* People ahead of you have the right of way. It is your responsibility to avoid them.
* Do not stop where you obstruct the trail or are not visible from above.
* Whenever starting downhill or merging into a trail, yield to others.
* Always use devices to help prevent runaway equipment.
* Observe all posted signs and warnings.
* Keep off closed trails and out of closed areas.
* Prior to using any lift, you must know how to load, ride, and unload safely.

Although I'm not much for law and rules, the above line does apply to this thread in the sense that traversers are merging on to "runs" for every exit they cross.

As someone else mentioned, it's hard to blame the gapers for this when there is so little done to try to let people know the 5 w's about this kind of stuff. This is one topic of many that should be discussed before they rent their first pair of skis.

[DougW]

well heere is a marked up pic, the upper line is the "BAD" traverse the lower line is what you can ski to.

[skier666]

5 pages...?

If you are on a snowboard, on a traverse, not moving, and you see my over 6 foot/200lb ass coming toward you....what are you going to do?

Kirkwood is the king of traverses...if we are up above one...we yell down and ask politely to hold up. That seems to work for us.

[Ottime]

well heere is a marked up pic, the upper line is the "BAD" traverse the lower line is what you can ski to.

That picture clears it up a bit. There you are talking about a "boogie-slide" traverse. Kind of what one may do at Jackson, off of Thunder, once in Larame(?) Bowl. Staying right, in the shadows, and traverse, to short fall line, to traverse, to short fall line. I can see why it fucks things up, but people are going to do it to find the better snow.

5 pages...?

Kirkwood is the king of traverses...if we are up above one...we yell down and ask politely to hold up. That seems to work for us.

Yeah, why not 5? I'm an unemployed gimp. I am just wasting time until my afternoon exercise stroll.

The KW is different than the "boogie-slide". People who do not want to side slip the chute from the top will traverse underneath trying to access the lower 1000' of powder, while you rip the top 200'. At Alpine as well. And it is true, an "excuse me" from the ridge usually does the trick.

[ill-advised strategy]

there needs to be a "real men of genius" commercial saluting you: mr. hardcore inbounds skier.

[nova2]

When I grow up I wanna be a "Serious Inbounds Skier" wow! I can buzz underling skiers and feel more important.

Got Stoke?

[tone capone]

Yeah, dickhead, it's all about being more important. Right. Thats what were talking about here.
Nothing about common courtesy and protocol and what the "skiers code" actually says.

How bout you, you got any stoke? I don't seem to recall you ever posting any

Go fuck off.

[ill-advised strategy]

I was having a killer run on Paradise Lost at solitude today and fully got rocked by the traverse-then-bumps scenario. As I was fighting to keep my feet under me I thought of this thread.

[s.p.c]

funny cause i got mad yesterday when someone fell in front of my friend on the traverse. buddy pulled out and dug into stop. i pulled out to stop and almost hit my buddy. then i got mad cause not only did i have to stop, but i could have gotten hurt and i could have hurt my buddy. so then dude keeps going and starts flailing- and so i tell him i am going to pass and he flails more and i am forced out of the traverse- so i can't to where i want to go and am stuck going where i don't want to be.

then next run after calming down, some snowboards are hiking on the traverse- so i say, please don't post hole the traverse- to which i got "they paid as much as you to ski here" back. which is true- but- common sense and etiquette go a long way i think. if you can't ride the traverse- maybe you should think twice about taking it to where you want to go.

and look up when traversing at the ridgeline so you don't get hit or put the skier above you in a dangerous position to have to do something they originally didn't plan to do.

it is not so much who is right/ wrong, but common sense and making sure we all have fun in as safe a manner as possible, whether we are just beginning or have been skiing/ boarding/ butt munching for a long time.

[DougW]

That picture clears it up a bit. There you are talking about a "boogie-slide" traverse. Kind of what one may do at Jackson, off of Thunder, once in Larame(?) Bowl. Staying right, in the shadows, and traverse, to short fall line, to traverse, to short fall line. I can see why it fucks things up, but people are going to do it to find the better snow.

It doesn't get you to better snow as far as I can see. As run out from all the chutes is about same angle so the vert you loss on the traverse you don't gain anymore with the drop of the valley. You can kinda see at the top of the valley there are some rollers. Below that you can get stuck in a low spot if not careful esp. on a pow day if one of the first ones in. I've skied knee deep days after a storm by skiing down the fall line longer than most.

[DougW]

here's a look down the ridge

[Gripen]

well heere is a marked up pic, the upper line is the "BAD" traverse the lower line is what you can ski to.

That pic is good, but extend that upper line under the Steps, Comptons and Red Light all the way to Poachers and you get the picture.

I am not talking about people on a traverse, rather people coming out of a chute and immediately beginning to traverse across the fall line and the exit of all the other chutes in order to get a few more turns after a couple hundred meters of traversing.

EDIT: Ok, edited my own pic. Black line is the bad traverser. They will traverse everything below that in stairstep fashion in order to go all the way to the left and get those three-four extra turns. The red line is the proper and accepted way out of the bowl. It is well maintained and marked. Also keep in mind that to traverse all the way over on the black "bad" line you must cross at least three anti-traverse rope-lines.

[LIP]

then next run after calming down, some snowboards are hiking on the traverse- so i say, please don't post hole the traverse- to which i got "they paid as much as you to ski here" back.

That's why you sharpen your poles!!

[Caucasian Asian]

EDIT: Ok, edited my own pic. Black line is the bad traverser. They will traverse everything below that in stairstep fashion in order to go all the way to the left and get those three-four extra turns. The red line is the proper and accepted way out of the bowl. It is well maintained and marked. Also keep in mind that to traverse all the way over on the black "bad" line you must cross at least three anti-traverse rope-lines.

Most of the time the proper ski out is groomed as well.

[liv2ski]

Yep, he is totally welcome to his opinion.

It was quite well written and makes very valid points. I enjoyed reading it and it made me laugh. We all have irrational, inane rants concerning things that bother us. This is one of mine, I stand behind what I wrote and I hope alto stand behind his. I have no problem with that!

There you go folks, perfect proof that there is always at least 3 sides to every story. Now can't we all just get along??

[Lonnie]

I'd traverse the shit out of that!