Instructor common sense?

[TheRat]

Yesterday my wife and I were going down Twister, a low angle glade on Ramshead, when a guy attending a fallen little kid down below us waved at us and yelled out, "Can you help the girl up there?" I looked around and then saw a little girl, probably about 6 or 7 years old, off to my left trying to excavate herself from deep powder and fallen tree branches. She had her skis off and was struggling to stand up in the deep snow. Plus she was stuck in the branches.

I side stepped up in the deep powder and finally reached her. I got her to hand me her skis (no poles), directed her to stand up and use the branches for leverage, and got her to a scraped off spot. With no level ground and deep snow, we couldn't get her skis on, so we got her to slide down on her ass to a level spot and she was able to get her skis back on. This all took about 15 minutes. Way over on the side of the adjacent trail, the guy was waving at us. I asked the little girl if that was her dad. She said, "No, that's my coach." I thought, "Coach ... WTF?"

This little girl wasn't that great of a skier, and the other little kid with the guy was even younger. What the hell was the "coach" doing taking these kids into the woods? And why did he get himself into a position in which he couldn't take care of both kids? I think the staff needs to have a meeting about safety and common sense.

[DES]

I have to agree, some instructors/coaches at K should definitely try to put a little more effort on the common sense/ski etiquette...my beef is a few times since I started skiing midweek (after retiring from work at the end of January (Yay)) I've tried to ski up to a lift, and the group of kids are standing right before the loading chairs, and the kids are standing there trying to figure out who is going to sit with who...as empty chairs are going up the mountain. I'm the person to "say something", while the coach is just standing there.

[brownman]

There are many superb coaches and instructors here.
However, wearing a special parka does not assure good judgement and care.
Some choose to bring a positive impact to a shared, often sacred experience.
Some just don't possess that quality .. that's on them.

[daytripper]

I often see instructors with a group of 5+ talking to the group standing in the worst places on busy trails. You can't blame people for doing stupid sh*t when the mountains own instructors teach them to do it.

[Dr. NO]

In defense of coaches, kids see other kids in the woods and follow. My grandchildren saw woods, jumps, you name it and they just had to do it, making it tough for coaches or instructors to maintain the group. As for knowing where someone is also difficult when you have a group following you. I have helped coaches get kids off the side of Viper pit and other places by slipping down to the missing child and using my skis as a platform to get them out. Coach was grateful and probably happy someone assisted instead of having to hike up, about 30 yards or more.

[icedtea]

I have to agree, some instructors/coaches at K should definitely try to put a little more effort on the common sense/ski etiquette...my beef is a few times since I started skiing midweek (after retiring from work at the end of January (Yay)) I've tried to ski up to a lift, and the group of kids are standing right before the loading chairs, and the kids are standing there trying to figure out who is going to sit with who...as empty chairs are going up the mountain. I'm the person to "say something", while the coach is just standing there.

Congrats on your new job skiing everyday!

[DES]

Thanks! (and there's still not enough time in a ski-day, and I've actually tried to explain that on one of the rides with the ski school kids...not everyone they're holding up behind them in line get to ski as often as they do)

[biged]

Thankyou for your help to the instructor.

[f.a.s.t.]

Even worse are parents that take their kids down trails they shouldn't, saw it twice yesterday. Both times a man with a kid about five years old. The first one was on Goat that was extremely hard to ski on the steep top part of it, only a one to two wide mogul line with snow, the rest of the trail nothing but ice over ledge and rock. The poor kid was crying. The second time was on Starr, the kid was lying on the snow asking his father to call ski patrol over and over again. His father just kept saying no over and over again. Photos of Goat attached, no place for a five year old.

[boston_e]

I was not there, so it is hard for me to judge, but I'd be willing to give the instructor the benefit of the doubt. Treezy is nothing like Goat... and kids of that age do go into low angle woods similar to that all the time and love them. Maybe she has skied it multiple times before.... obviously just not on the heels of a 33" storm leaving powder pockets where kids can get stuck in.

I'm glad you were there to help out and thankfully it does not sound as if the child was in any real danger.

[skifaster]

Goat?!?!
That dad is an idiot, Poor kid....

[Highway Star]

Even worse are parents that take their kids down trails they shouldn't, saw it twice yesterday. Both times a man with a kid about five years old. The first one was on Goat that was extremely hard to ski on the steep top part of it, only a one to two wide mogul line with snow, the rest of the trail nothing but ice over ledge and rock. The poor kid was crying. The second time was on Starr, the kid was lying on the snow asking his father to call ski patrol over and over again. His father just kept saying no over and over again. Photos of Goat attached, no place for a five year old.

Upper Goat and Upper Starr are the two most difficult and unpleasant places to ski inbounds at Stowe.

[specialp]

Saw some parents with their 4 year old kid all with rental gear and day passes at the top of Lower Ovation. The kid was saying "I'm scared" and was in pizza wedge position. I normally do not say anything because I know that there are some small kids that are good. But this time I told them "You know if your kid falls on this trail they are not going to stop until they reach the bottom if they don't hit something else first. Taking your kid on here is child abuse" They didn't say anything. I then went down but I think they turned around because I was watching them to come down.

[hillbangin]

Even worse are parents that take their kids down trails they shouldn't, saw it twice yesterday. Both times a man with a kid about five years old. The first one was on Goat that was extremely hard to ski on the steep top part of it, only a one to two wide mogul line with snow, the rest of the trail nothing but ice over ledge and rock. The poor kid was crying. The second time was on Starr, the kid was lying on the snow asking his father to call ski patrol over and over again. His father just kept saying no over and over again. Photos of Goat attached, no place for a five year old.

Goat is no place for anyone unless it's at least a 1 foot dump day!

Looks like the wind got it.

[f.a.s.t.]

Even worse are parents that take their kids down trails they shouldn't, saw it twice yesterday. Both times a man with a kid about five years old. The first one was on Goat that was extremely hard to ski on the steep top part of it, only a one to two wide mogul line with snow, the rest of the trail nothing but ice over ledge and rock. The poor kid was crying. The second time was on Starr, the kid was lying on the snow asking his father to call ski patrol over and over again. His father just kept saying no over and over again. Photos of Goat attached, no place for a five year old.

Goat is no place for anyone unless it's at least a 1 foot dump day!

Looks like the wind got it.

Skiers left was pretty good on Upper Goat with nice snow on the tops and sides of moguls and the usual ice in the troughs. You had to be very precise though because one wrong move and you would end up on the right side in the ice, rocks and ledge; the photo doesn't show how bad that ice was on that side. Once you got down off the steepest part, it was really good.