Kraus: A local’s take on how to avoid on-mountain collisions
Valley Voices
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After hearing that yet another friend was hit on the Mountain, I’d like to share a few things about skier accidents that the average Vail visitor may not know.
On-mountain collisions are alarmingly common
Up to 55 injured skiers arrive at emergency rooms in Colorado each day. There were at least 17 skier deaths at Colorado resorts during the 2022-23 season.
Even the most aware and in control skiers get hit
My circle of skier friends are expert skiers who ski at cautious speeds with their heads on a swivel. Within this circle, I know of at least 10 serious collisions that occurred on Vail Mountain within the last 12 months. My father was hit three times over spring break last year.
Even the most in-control skiers might hit you
Look uphill and avoid 90-degree turns. Technically, the downhill skier has the right of way, but that rule is tough to live by on busy days. I have been skiing since I was 4 years old and can ski every inch of Vail Mountain in control, under nearly any conditions. However, if you shoot onto a run from behind a tree or make a 90-degree turn without looking uphill when I am in a stream of skier traffic, I will not be able to avoid hitting you.
Keep your guard up on cat tracks, green runs and lift lines
It’s counter-intuitive, but I cannot think of a single friend who has been hit on expert terrain. Every accident I know of has occurred on beginner terrain, mostly on cat tracks and lift lines. These are typically the most congested areas, and people are often distracted and impatient.
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Pretend you are on a busy highway
This is especially true on front-side groomed runs and cat tracks. Just like with cars, a collision with even a compact human could kill someone under the right circumstances. Would you stop abruptly or swerve across traffic on a busy highway?
- Many cat tracks, like the lower Blue Sky Basin tracks, have jumps on the sides. Watch for people making sharp turns off of and onto the cat track to hit those jumps.
- Keep your feet parallel in lift lines. Especially on steep and icy sections like in the Skyline Express line, avoid snow plowing. If someone loses control behind you and slides forward, they can take out your knee.
Rethink your aversion to lessons
Even as an expert skier, I always improve my ability to ski in control each time I take a lesson. You may gasp when you see the cost of a ski lesson. However, when compared to the cost of rehabbing an injury, dealing with the aftermath of a collision, or, at the risk of sounding too dramatic, death, the price is much easier to stomach. Skiing with an instructor helps skiers at any skill level to understand how to avoid busy areas and collisions in general.
Elizabeth Kraus can be contacted at elizabeth@mergelane.com.
