The t-bar at Breck goes up to @ 12,000ft but that has
nothing to do with the difficulty. Even after riding the t-bar for 20 years…it
is bit of a challenge and a scene (everyone is cool or trying to look cool in
the t-bar line). This is not a beginner’s lift and terrain off the t-bar is all
expert terrain…granted there are easier routes down than Lulu & Contest
Bowl). Depending on who you ride with it
can be a challenge for the most seasoned rider.
Guys look toward the outside and you have to implore “inside…inside!“…and
then the bar comes quickly between you…and you are just happy to have avoided catastrophe
at the start. Only major geeks try to
sit down…but that is the least of your problems. A lot of times guys will brace against you, pushing
their ski into your ski (at which point I just lift my ski up), but the encroachment
can be even more subtle…the tail of their ski crossing over on to yours and
effectively tripping you. On such rides I am uber-aware, because falling off
the t-bar is not an option in my mind. If they fall…fine, but I am not going
down with them.
I know that snowboarders
have a tougher time managing the t-bar than skiers. I know this not because I am a snowboarder, but
because I ride the t-bar a lot and the ratio of snowboarders falling off the t to skiers is
like 100k to 1. Generally they ride alone or with eachother. Snowboarders that can truly navigate the t-bar are rockstars
in my book. There are some great snowboarders out there, and they have no
problem with the t-bar. God bless them, and I prefer riding up the t with them
than any bad skier pushing his weight, boots and skis at me…and let me tell you
there are a lot of bad skiers attempting the t-bar. They will tell you they are from Boulder, but
really it doesn’t matter. Sometimes
skiers from Houston are better skiers than the ones from Boulder or
Breckenridge. They have grown up coming to Breck as kids and now they are
seasoned veterans on the t-bar. It’s the
ones who have the ego but no sense of balance that are the problems up there. (I say “up there” because it is “up there” in
the wind, in the elements at 12,000ft on a mountain in the winter.)
On any given day the longtime locals are in the t-bar line, and you
can spot them miles away with their stance, confidence and ease at getting on
the t-bar. There are quite a few of them in Breckenridge…the guys and girls who
have skied here for 10-20-30 years, and this is the lift they ride. They are the ones who will heckle the ones
who fall off the t-bar the loudest (because honestly you have no business being
up there unless you can really ski or ride). ”Back
of the line” is what you never want to hear.
It means you have fallen off the lift and you need to gather your gear
and yourself and wait in the long line again and re-attempt it…if you are
recomposed and so inclined. I’ve seen it
happen 500 times, it isn’t pretty. So I was naturally hesitant when my husband
said to our 7 year old: ”Ok Finn are you ready to ride the t-bar?” “Game on” our
little guy effectively said. And…he did
just fine.
