Tail rope? - Page 3

 

 

eblackwelder, I think you are confused - I know pretty well what 70 degrees is.  I'm the one that was sure that the trails in question are not 70 degrees.  I use a clinometer regularly.  

 

 

PM me the name of your favorite brew and the name and location of your favorite local package store and I'll see if I can't have a sixer waiting for you.  

No need for brew. You were closer to actual than I was. I think I made a case for the question. Can the 'roper' control the sled when necessary? After dropping this hill, absolute yes. I for one, hate the rope position. Nearly impossible to maintain correct position in the crud. Feels like riding a friggen bull! Then again, I would want it on steeps in the crud. On our hill, you get the code, you chose either the handles or 'The Bull'.

FRDMFTR - just wanted to thank you for stepping up, doing a measurement, setting the record straight, admitting your mistake (which wasn't a biggie, those slopes all feel steeper than they are), and putting us back on topic.

 

Good show and good form.

 

You are too gracious.  

 

And yes, the tail roper has a crappy job.  

I don't know what current style on tailropes is.  I patroled at Sugarloaf back in 69-70.  We ran all sleds solo except in exceptional situations.  In the entire season I was only involved in 2 tail rope sitiuations.  One time I was on the tail evacuating an injured skier after she fell off the #3 t-bar after an ice storm and was injured.  To bring her down we had to haul her and the sled through the woods to just above the headwall on Narrow Gauge, 47 degrees after the other guy brought the sled down the t-bar track from the top.  It had a quarter inch of ice perfectly coating every little granule and lump of snow due to a freezing rain after the slope was skied out one day after a fresh snow.  The assistant patrol director was up front with a triple chain down and sideslipping.  We were using a rigid crossbar sled.  I had the tail rope.  It took everything we could do to hold that sled.  I held at max all the way and he controled the rate of descent by slipping his edges just a little.  Once we made it down to the Lower Gauge transition I took it the rest of the way.

The other time was the last accident the last day of skiing at 3:30 in the afternoon when I was making my last run before sweep.  I was coming down the snowfield above Bubble Cuffer and a skier right behind me fell and busted his leg.  I stopped when I heard him scream.  It was deep corn that day, about 18 inches of loose corn and really fun to ski but heavy going.  We were just above the cattrack coming over from #5 T and I managed to shout a message and have it relayed to have somebody bring a sled over.  Bubble Cuffer from there to midstation level was a series of 3 stepped 38 degree pitches. It's the slope they did the very first PSPA tests on that year.  The chains wouldn't hold in the corn which just slid along with the sled.  I had the other guy take the tail rope and we sideslipped the sled down to midstation level.  It probably would have been okay solo except if too much corn started sliding, so why take a chance.  The bumps had all lost their tops and the slope was as flat as a billiard table and nothing at all to stop you.

Since Bob Lee linked this thread again, a couple of more comments, both pictures show the sled in a steep, narrow chute or trail with rock outcroppings that must be navigated around. In this type of instance, the tail roper is in a position to keep the tail of the toboggan from skidding out of control during a turn. Although the chain brake can be used on a straight line descent there is a possibility of loosing control of the toboggan tail (allowing it to "spin" around the lead) when a straight line descent is not possible.  Both pictures depict the tail person in correct position (directly above the tail with the rope parallel the fall line) to control that toboggan tail movement.

Bob, these are excellent pictures of how and why the tail rope is used, the more you study them the more answers they give and the more correct things you notice.  My congrat's to you and your patrol for sharing them

 

Thanks, it's nice to think the pics may be of some help.  

 

On a related note, I've already run tail rope with experienced 'trollers on two wrecks this season which renewed my appreciation for the difficulty of the job.  One time was in a rocky cliff area and the other was in steep tight trees.  It's a skill well worth practicing.