Silverton being sued -- time to hurry up and get down there

[ACH]

Nostradumbass says within a couple years he'll be divorced.

Highly unlikely

Seattle to Silverton is quite the switch.

It's seasonal AFAIK.

[k2skier112]

Not taking issue with this statement...

However it reminds me that, when I have ever been on a fixed grip chair (locally) where I noticed people walk-on, for up or down loading, it appeared that operators on both ends were in communication, regarding things like which chair(s) and how many, and they slowed the chair down so the people could safely dismount. I am curious what the SOP was at Silverton, for chair related foot traffic?

I can't remember ever riding a chair (during public operation) where there wasn't an operator at both top and bottom.

If the chair was slowed, it would be easy to off load on foot. Off loading on foot at over 400fpm takes some skill and a bit of room. That unload platform, ramp, lack of lift op and a drop off everywhere screams law suit...

[Benny Profane]

Nostradumbass says within a couple years he'll be divorced.

At least he'll have a warm female body to sleep with before that.

[Skidog]

What he said. I didn't notice anything out of the ordinary about offloading when I was there last season. They did advise us to take our packs off our backs and carry them on the lift.

Numbnuts they weren't on skis. Try getting off and walking down that. I wouldn't want to do it on feet.

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[Peruvian]

It’s likely that the business carries $1mil in liability coverage and the suit was filed after the plaintiff and carrier couldn’t reach a settlement. I doubt this will impact the company financially and its highly likely that it will settle before trial.

And Backcountry Mag did an interview with Tim Patrick when he took on his new role - https://backcountrymagazine.com/stor...rton-mountain/

[grskier]

The rough around the edges image is all part of the Silverton appeal.
A few shitters, rickety chairlift, canvas lodge, old school buses and milk trucks shuttling you around, it's what makes the place sweet.
You have to cross a creek by foot when you're done skiing Colorado & the Stooges. It's not because there too cheap to buy a few 8x8s...

I kinda always thought it was both

[half-fast]

Numbnuts they weren't on skis. Try getting off and walking down that. I wouldn't want to do it on feet.

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That ramp is practically horizontal. Not scary on skis or on foot. And you guys give benny shit.

[toast2266]

It’s likely that the business carries $1mil in liability coverage and the suit was filed after the plaintiff and carrier couldn’t reach a settlement. I doubt this will impact the company financially and its highly likely that it will settle before trial.

I'd be pretty surprised if their coverage was that low.

[Danno]

I'd be pretty surprised if their coverage was that low.

Agree, given their operation. But Peruvian knows the insurance biz a lot better than me so maybe he's right.

[baron]

What he said. I didn't notice anything out of the ordinary about offloading when I was there last season. They did advise us to take our packs off our backs and carry them on the lift.

Some sanity finally^

yea this ladies story is tragic... but I been on a bunch of rickety lifts ,and all the junky ones ,like this, run rather slow usually.
... really , I see Video cameras coming to exit ramps ,to clarify who did what, with these types of accusations .

The Resort shouldn't be responsible for a person who misjudged their ability to exit the chairlift..heck maybe altitude got her dizzy?..there could be some different factors not discussed.. did she have medications?.. past health problems? Distracted?



Maybe this lady will recover(ya never know)...maybe Silverton will live on...sounds fun there

[Bunion 2020]

The Resort shouldn't be responsible for a person who misjudged their ability to exit the chairlift..heck maybe altitude got her dizzy?..there could be some different factors not discussed.. did she have medications?.. past health problems? Distracted?

^^^ Sorry but that is not how ski area liability cases usually work.

[ASmileyFace]

As a local skier I'm not the biggest fan of the Brills. That said, I've had my fair share of fantastic days at the hill and love the concept of Silverton so I don't mind supporting it. This lady's story is tragic. I have a lot of sympathy for her situation and feel like she has every right to sue over what happened. After talking to a couple Silverton employees today, I'm concerned for the future of the ski area. The legal battle is going to take a while (baring a quick settlement) and has people on edge.

I'm worried about the people Silverton employs. What that mountain has done for the town of Silverton in the winter and for the people it employs cannot be overstated. If this suit kills the ski hill it will be a sad day for many, many people.

Vibes to everyone involved.

[Skidog]

That ramp is practically horizontal. Not scary on skis or on foot. And you guys give benny shit.

Guess the lady who can't walk anymore because of it probably thinks differently eh?

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[old goat]

Some sanity finally^

yea this ladies story is tragic... but I been on a bunch of rickety lifts ,and all the junky ones ,like this, run rather slow usually.
... really , I see Video cameras coming to exit ramps ,to clarify who did what, with these types of accusations .

The Resort shouldn't be responsible for a person who misjudged their ability to exit the chairlift..heck maybe altitude got her dizzy?..there could be some different factors not discussed.. did she have medications?.. past health problems? Distracted?



Maybe this lady will recover(ya never know)...maybe Silverton will live on...sounds fun there

Misjudged her ability to exit the chairlift? We're talking about a sightseer who quite possibly had never been on a chairlift before, and very likely had never tried to exit one on foot. How is she supposed to judge her ability to exit when she has no idea what she is facing? As far as the lady is concerned this was an amusement park ride, not something that required some degree of athletic skill. My guess is that that is the standard Silverton will be held to.

[tbssux]

As a local skier I'm not the biggest fan of the Brills. That said, I've had my fair share of fantastic days at the hill and love the concept of Silverton so I don't mind supporting it. This lady's story is tragic. I have a lot of sympathy for her situation and feel like she has every right to sue over what happened. After talking to a couple Silverton employees today, I'm concerned for the future of the ski area. The legal battle is going to take a while (baring a quick settlement) and has people on edge.

I'm worried about the people Silverton employs. What that mountain has done for the town of Silverton in the winter and for the people it employs cannot be overstated. If this suit kills the ski hill it will be a sad day for many, many people.

Vibes to everyone involved.

So weird. They created a business that is a major employer of a town. Their business model is to provide access to pow in a no frills way. Yet they're disliked. Sounds like they work hard to keep a business going but have bad PR and/or manners. I loved skiing there. I hope they survive this, stop doing sightseeing rides and mend some fences with the locals.

[GeezerSteve]

I have no clue re Silverton's liability insurance limits. I had heard from a reliable source that a WA ski area that got sued a few years ago had policy limits of $4 million.

[Danno]

I suggest we do more airmchair QBing with no facts except as stated in the article.

I think we're doing a great job.

[MakersTeleMark]

I think we're doing a great job.

Split personality much?

[Alkares]

As an ex-intern there I feel like I gotta throw in my .02.

Silverton the town, and the mountain itself are awesome experiences, definitely something rare in the ski world these days.

That being said, I left the place seriously disenheartened. What I saw there while being an Intern I still shake my head about to this day.

The mountain is run on what one could best call a shoestring. There were so many things not in proper repair at that place, I was suprised there werent more accidents. Id have expected something similar in eastern Europe, but not in the US where people are so sue-happy.

The GMC had absolutely 100% bald tires, bad brakes, had to be jump started all the time, and wouldnt idle often unless you gave it gas. The UPS truck was even worse. The truck almost never started on its own, and simply wouldnt idle without giving it gas. The rubber on the brake pedal was gone, and knowing how many interns and guides drive that thing in ski boots, Im suprised there werent more accidents. The fact that the Truck would often die without gas was especially spooky when sitting on a hill, as your brakes are effectively gone.

There was actually an incident I'd heard about where the UPS truck was rolled into the creek with people inside, while one of the guides was driving in ski boots. Why they didnt get their shit together after that and how they walked away from that one Im not entirely sure.

The fact that the Brills bring on so many interns is also a telling fact that they're cheap. The interns aren't paid a dime the entire time they're there, and are brought on with the false promise of potentially becoming a guide. There is no on-the-job training, and you're basically everyone elses bitch for the entire season. The interns are usually the ones shuttling people back to base, so think about that one and tip your intern if you go there!

The other major issue I have with the place is the amount of arrogance and ego flying around the older "guides". They only got into the position they were in because they were there first, not because of their training or other qualifications. Some of them only had an Avy2 cert, not even WFR or EMT training. Not suprisingly, there wasn't a single IFMGA cerified guide in the staff, most likely cause they're not willing to pay for one.

My advise to anyone who wants actual Ski Patrol/Ski Guiding experience - Look elsewhere!

IMO the chickens are coming home to roost on this one...

[cravenmorhead]

I have no clue re Silverton's liability insurance limits. I had heard from a reliable source that a WA ski area that got sued a few years ago had policy limits of $4 million.

I'm also not sure what their limits are, but if they're running the operation under a $1m policy they're severely under-protected. The ski liability cases I've been involved in have involved caps of $5m-20m; some at bigger resorts, but not all.

[GPP33]

I'll bet a beer it gets settled out of court. Beyond insurance money there's not much to take from Silverton, it's not like they'd take ownership of the land and they don't have much in the way of assets to liquidate. Neither party wants to go through a trial and the insurance company wants it to go away. Silverton will probably live on.

As for the Brills, I've had two interactions with Jen, she's been awesome and went out of her way to help my situation which was in no way due to her/Silverton's wrong doing.

[uglymoney]

The interns aren't paid a dime the entire time they're there..........The interns are usually the ones shuttling people back to base, so think about that one and tip your intern if you go there!

Good to know. I never tipped the drivers.

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[creaky fossil]

^^^ Sorry but that is not how ski area liability cases usually work.

Please say more. I can't wait to hear from all the self-appointed "insurance experts" here. Or the National Lawyers Guild frauds. That stuff kicks ass.

Color me surprised a couple of vampires set up an operation, under-funded it, gave ZERO fucks about ramifications, and are being plumped by people as "they're good peeps!"

As goes Boulder, so goes Colorado.

[GPP33]

Nostradumbass says within a couple years he'll be divorced.

He'll have a hard time hanging onto her with all those dirt bag ski bums hanging around. The romance of a wood fired stove in a leaky cabin and having to drive to Durango once a month to do laundry is undeniable!

It'd be an awesome place to live for the right person but I could see 99% of Americans going absolutely crazy down there. There's a reason there's only about 600 people in that entire county and most of them are guys.

[Hacksaw]

There was actually an incident I'd heard about where the UPS truck was rolled into the creek with people inside, while one of the guides was driving in ski boots. Why they didnt get their shit together after that and how they walked away from that one Im not entirely sure.

Things like this make me wonder about their helicopter......