Picto Diary - 08, 09 March 2019 - Down hill skier has right of way.

Above: (56) Stockli. Gondola. Deer Valley, UT. 08 March 2019.

Above: Stockl. Dew Drop Run. Deer Valley. 08 March 2019.

Skiing the powder on Dew Drop.

Incident

One of the most important rules of skiing is "down hill skier has the right of way." Today I was involved in a "near miss" incident where that rule may or may not apply as to who was at fault.

I was skiing a predictable, controlled, modestly paced, tight pattern down the fall line of Birdseye on Bald Mountain. I was skiing midway down the run on skier's left half of the run.

Suddenly, to my right, out of the corner of my eye I see a male skier, out of control, ski to his left in a wide, sweeping turn. He's heading to a space directly in front of me. Without rapid, evasive maneuver, I will ski into him as he crosses my path. At the point of collision he will be, effectively, the down hill skier... and technically, according to the above cited rule, not at fault in the collision. I will be at fault.

I make a rapid, evasive maneuver to the left and avoid the collision. The skier yells "sorry, sorry, sorry" as he whips by still in a state of semi control.

Were a collision to have happened, which skier... me skiing predictably and under control, or the other guy, skiing out of control, but downhill from me,... would have been at fault?

On your left

Two or three times a week I'll be skiing when I hear behind me a skier, figuring I'm skiing into her line, shout out, "on your left," or "on your right." That skier, in my view, has violated the time worn rule of skiing which says "down hill skier has the right of way." The skier who is putatively warning me that he/she is behind me and expects to overtake me is in fact engaging in a rude act by arbitrarily transferring at least some of the responsibility for collision avoidance from the uphill skier to the down hill skier. No provision has been made in the rules of skiing for such a transfer of collision avoidance responsibility.

Sole, uphill, responsibility for collision avoidance should be reemphasized by ski authorities. There is good reason to not hold the downhill skier accountable for a collision. Skiing requires intense concentration. Concentration is weakened and risks are heightened when a down hill skier must take into account the actions of a following skier issuing a verbal warning as to his/her directional intent.

Above: (57). Bishop, B1b, and Rudy Junior on Ruby lift. Lottsa people here. DV numbers must be going gangbusters.

Good snow. 5 or 6 inches new snow over past 24 hours. Intermittent flat to OK light.

Fun seeing Bud, Grrr, and Z at lunch with their various ski classes.

The other side of skiing: having fun with family. — at Deer Valley Resort

Addendum:

Steve –

I want you to know how much I enjoy your emails and pics about skiing. I’m just too busy getting myself and Carolyn moved to Washington to even try to ski this year. Plus my back is still bad (but getting better), and I’m hopelessly out of skiing shape. I hope to get decent exercise over the summer some skiing in next year. We’re keeping our place at The Canyons, and maybe I’ll get a chance to get together with your crowd next winter, and I’ll see if I can keep up!

The move to Washington is getting done. We’re down to one or two more loads before we hand the furniture over to the movers. I hope to get to LSDM for Cheryl Fox’ presentation next week. I’m far from convinced that the Osguthorpe Farm purchase (and vestment as an alfalfa farm in a water-poor area) is a good idea and anything close to “conservation” of resources, but I do adore Cheryl, and I look forward to discussing these issues with her. She, along with you, LSDM, and a bunch of other community stuff are the sort of things I will really miss when we’ve left Park City. But I am convinced that it is time for us to move on. Poulsbo will be a very good place for us.

And when we do, your messages regarding your skiing, travelling, and reading will continue to bring back good memories of Park City.

When you and TIMDT decide to travel to the northwest, I really hope you’ll visit. We’ve got plenty of room, lots of fresh air and a spectacular view of the Olympic Mountains and Hood Canal. And were the perfect jump-off point for a tour of the Olympic Peninsula.

Best always,

Billy Barker,
San Juan Islands, Washington

Billy. Looking for a ski rendezvous next year for sure! If I'm on a bike up your way this summer I'll check in.