Skier deaths at Hunter Mt

Three NJ skiers passed skiing Hunter this winter:

Daily Record: 3 NJ skiers died on Hunter Mountain in 2 months

https://www.dailyrecord.com/story/news/2019/03/19/three-nj-skiers-die-crashes-hunter-mountain-trails-two-months/3209694002/

It's a shame...  I know the patroller that worked on all 3 of them...  

But the terrain is awesome and advanced intermediate.
Totally rideable - I get on it at least 3 times a week.

Some videos i took this week of Overlook and Twilight.

Twilight video- great intermediate pitch..
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=l5tu6mJFOmc

Overlook video - nice intermediate trail...
http://youtu.be/dnRDwaNjQfE

dmc_hunter wrote

It's a shame...  I know the patroller that worked on all 3 of them...  

But the terrain is awesome and advanced intermediate.
Totally rideable - I get on it at least 3 times a week.

Some videos i took this week of Overlook and Twilight.

Twilight video- great intermediate pitch..
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=l5tu6mJFOmc

Overlook video - nice intermediate trail...
http://youtu.be/dnRDwaNjQfE

I agree and do love the terrain..

The problem lies in the feeder trail "Belt Parkway" witch is also rated intermediate. Most of the riders and skiers on that trail are beginners / low intermediates. They see  the trails rated intermediate and are way over there heads.

JasonWx wrote

The problem lies in the feeder trail "Belt Parkway" witch is also rated intermediate. Most of the riders and skiers on that trail are beginners / low intermediates. They see  the trails rated intermediate and are way over there heads.

Only Overlook is fed off of Belt Parkway..  
The 2 trails in the article are off Way Out..

I've taken intermediates down Overlook - they get scared but they can handle it..

All true..Upper Way Out has become quit the shit show too..
not sure I know what the answer is..

I remember in the late 70's , if you came on a bus . You had to go to a ski off to get your lift ticket validated, so you could go to the top of the mountain..

JasonWx wrote

All true..Upper Way Out has become quit the shit show too..
not sure I know what the answer is..

I remember in the late 70's , if you came on a bus . You had to go to a ski off to get your lift ticket validated, so you could go to the top of the mountain..

I used to work the bus lot back then and directed people to the tests...

@dmc_hunter in e vid of Twilight.

  For the guy who died at 3 PM. We'll never know but I wonder if fatigue was a factor. Late in the day, already a bunch of runs in the legs.

Peter Minde wrote

@dmc_hunter in e vid of Twilight.

  For the guy who died at 3 PM. We'll never know but I wonder if fatigue was a factor. Late in the day, already a bunch of runs in the legs.

It's possible that happened...

Twilight is a great trail and people should check speed where the slow skiing sign is because there is a bit of a drop..  but it's a solid intermediate trail

 It "caused him, I believe, to encounter icy conditions not corrected by Hunter Mountain," his aunt said.

Huh?

Saratogahalfday wrote

 It "caused him, I believe, to encounter icy conditions not corrected by Hunter Mountain," his aunt said.

Huh?

Agreed, that's kind of a whacked out quote. Yet earlier in the story they said he was a good skier. You're gonna encounter ice in the east.

You can’t expect a rational response from the family of the deceased.  They are experiencing unimaginable tragedy, and they are looking for someone to blame.  No matter how crazy that placed blame is.  At some point they will come to realize their loved one’s personal responsibility to maintain control on slippery ski slopes in the presence of other people.

Really, to have a crushing chest wound.....seems he must have been skiing pretty fast.

The amount of drinking by young people while skiing is crazy. Did they mention if there was alcohol involved?

The article didn't say anything about alcohol.  Back in the day though, I had a roommate who was a weekend ski patroller at Hunter.  Said he used to see more than a few people with hip flasks.

@ Saratogahalfday, the more I re-read it, that whole paragraph that you quoted from is a shitshow.

Skiing is dangerous.

This happens to be a bad string of unfortunate events and I’d bet that’s all there is to it.

raisingarizona wrote

Skiing is dangerous.

This happens to be a bad string of unfortunate events and I’d bet that’s all there is to it.

That's what most people think that aren't preloaded with hatred for a ski area..
Including the ski patrollers that attended to the accidents..

dmc_hunter wrote

raisingarizona wrote

Skiing is dangerous.

This happens to be a bad string of unfortunate events and I’d bet that’s all there is to it.

That's what most people think that aren't preloaded with hatred for a ski area..
Including the ski patrollers that attended to the accidents..

Agree.

Huntah is 6 deep at the bar at 9 am
It’s a tort lawyers wet dream

I ski Hunter alot, usually on weekdays, the terrain except for K-27 and conditions are no worse  or more dangerous than any other Eastern Ski resort, where natural snow may be at a premium and temperatures can wildly flucuate.  The new trails are wide with some steep spots but nothing that a decent intermediate couldn't handle. On weekdays when there is few people skiing the most dangerous part of the mountain are the older expert [+65} senior skiers who are frequent fliers and  act like they own the mountain, along with the college kids , again usually very good skiers and boarders. Somehow the normal rules of the slopes are forgotten by both sets of skiers. On weekends the fact that almost all the beginners and lower intermediates are funneled into the Belt Parkway is problematic. The patrol is very good , I just wish they would sometimes control the guys who ski super fast and don't seem to mind coming up behind slower decent skiers even when there is plenty of room on the slopes. Like I said this isn't your usual young cowboy but some older gents who have gotten used to having the whole mountain to themselves on many a Tuesday or Thursday.

I've been at Hunter many a 9am and would daresay you haven't, the bar does get crowded around noon, but most are skied out by then as the six pack gets you up pretty quickly even on a crowded day.
The new lift and Zephyr Express in Hunter West never has a line. If the new owners really want to make the mountain safer they would try and open more terrain at Hunter West. Keep the real good skiers there. This year only Wayout and Claire's was open. What a waste. Somehow snowmaking and fencing should make the rest of Hunter West skiable.

I'm pretty sure a few people die every year at Killington - no links or facts to back that up.  I'd be surprised if Hunter didn't have a few deaths a year quite frankly.  

I remember my dad went to Hunter hit a tree and came back with a broken arm when I was little, said if he fell a foot to the right we would have collected on his life insurance policy and we would have been rich