Progression, Ability Levels & Pelagic Species
Nudibranch submitted this comment regarding my recent post about patrol talking to people at the bottom of High Campbell:
What warranted patroller presence in addition to the clearly marked expert-only signs? Crystal's ski-sky interfaces do not usually attract pelagic species.
Can you believe what I have to put up with? So of course I have to look up the word "pelagic". It refers to the deep ocean and things populating it, as opposed to the near-the-shore part of the ocean. Am I the only one who didn't know that? I'm not quite getting how that relates, but yeah, it doesn't come up much at the ski area!.
What warranted a patrol presence that day was a beautiful sunshiny day, ICE on the slopes and beginners & intermediates making faulty decisions! We had an unusual rash of 'em riding the High Campbell chair and getting in over their heads the week before that. We try to respond when we notice an unusual trend like that. We had to download quite a few people--which we're glad to do for people in over their heads. But it slows down lift traffic, scares the bejesus out of some people, and burns patrollers to help out. It's best avoided!
Soooo.....please take note: The signs for Northway and High Campbell say "EXPERTS ONLY" and that's what they mean! Taking unprepared friends there isn't cute--it puts them in harms way. And in the spirit of Valentines Day, taking girlfriends (and boyfriends) there before they're ready isn't romantic. It's just Lame!
Progression baby. It's all about knowing and respecting the progression:
Beginner - Intermediate - Advanced - Expert
Easier (green circle) - More Difficult (blue square) - Most Difficult (black diamond) - Experts Only (double diamond)
The definition of these varies from Ski Area to Ski Area. We recommend you start on terrain WELL within your ability when you're familiarizing yourself with a ski area, and progress carefully through each level! Thanks!
I saw the title of the post and though...progression...yeah progression that's what we need. Support progression, build a terrain park, follow what other areas are doing. Oh well, my feedback is probably pointless. At least without a park I am getting my aging body in better shape by being out on my AT gear every weekend. BTW great snow still in the Crystal Lakes area. Maybe some hard working teen will go build us a fat cheese wedge kicker out there :). Thanks for keeping the blog going.
Corey,
Nice work on the blog. How about asking for and posting weekley best times on the Easy Searcher? You might stir some competitive juices AND get people using that and honing their beacon skills. Keep it up - Bruce. CMVSP Patrol 3
Corey,
Nice work on the blog. How about asking for and posting weekley best times on the Easy Searcher? You might stir some competitive juices AND get people using that and honing their beacon skills. Keep it up - Bruce. CMVSP Patrol 3