Ski School - Lift Proceedures 2024/25

Group lesson students under age 6 at the time of instruction will access terrain from the Little Mule and/or Magic surface lifts.

• Students aged 4 or 5 may ride chairlifts in a 1:1 student-to-instructor ratio private lesson. The student will wear a "Kinderlift” vest in such a case.
• All students in orange vests will access their teaching terrain only from magic carpet surface lifts.
• Students in Red, Yellow, Blue, and Green vests or armbands have access to Wizard, Galena, Lakeview, Northwest Express, and Zephyr Express.
  • Instructors will receive prior authorization from a Children's Ski & Ride School supervisor to access the Zephyr chairlift
• Chairlift Loading
  • • Explain to the students the loading process at the Wizard loading area
    • Students will demonstrate loading, riding, and unloading on the static chair
      • Instruct students to sit with their backs against the chairback, sit still, face forward, and not use horseplay or clapping skis.
      • If students cannot lower and raise the bar on the static chair, they may not ride without an instructor or other responsible adult.
    • Students will observe the entry and loading of the chairlift
      • Point out the red and green wait and load boards embedded in the snow
• Unloading
  • Students will be explained what to expect at the top of the chairlift and shown how to exit the chairlift once they arrive at the top
  • Instruct students to lift the bar at the “Raise Bar Here” sign, not before
  • Request a “slow” from the unload lift operator for first-time riders
  • Instruct Students to:
    • Raise ski tips
    • Stand up at the vertical yellow “unload here” signs
    • Clear the unloading area immediately and regroup with the instructor
• The instructor/coach will always ride on the chairlift prior to the group they are teaching/coaching
• When loading Wizard, Galena, and Lakeview chairlifts load a maximum of 3 riders per chair, two students and one instructor
  • Communicate with the lift operators so there are not more than 2 students per chair
• Ski team Rippers/Shredders coaches may load no more than 2 athletes per chairlift
  • Rippers/Shredders athletes and coaches may share the chairlift with the public. Coaches will communicate with the lift operators so they know they may fill the chair
• All Mountain, Freeride, Lake League, and Far West athletes may ride lifts in any combination of athletes and public. Riding solo, and in groups of two to six is permitted
  • See the coach's manual for competition program guidelines
• For Wizard, Galena, and Lakeview chairlifts, the instructor load sits between the students
• For Northwest and Zephyr chairlifts, students will load using the two (2) lanes on the side closest to the lift operator's loading shack. On Northwest this is on the right, on Zephyr the left

In the event of a chairlift misload act quickly to prevent elevation gain:

• Instruct student to stay down and keep head down. If necessary, push/help the student down.
• Yell “Stop Lift” to lift operator.
• Help student remove equipment and return to green load board.