Whether caused by mechanical failure, human error or, as another way of putting it, an act of God, every ski area with overhead lifts faces the possibility that some day the wheels will no longer turn. At the first and most successful Advanced Ski Patrol Technique Clinic held at Vail, Colorado, last spring, experienced ski patrolmen and mountaineers, often one and the same, spent four days exchanging ideas in the classroom and participating in practical on-the-snow sessions in such things as toboggan demonstrations and avalanche control explosive demonstrations. Included on the program was a practical demonstration of lift evacuation techniques. Vail’s gondola and chairlifts provided ideal demonstration props. The photos prove the point.
One of the most impressive pieces of evacuation equipment demonstrated at the Vail Clinic was the Johnson Descender, developed at Winter Park, Colorado, by Ken Johnson. To use the Johnson Descender, a line is thrown over the lift cable, then the Johnson Descender is attached and pulled up to the stranded skier. The skier slips into a simple chest loop, slides forward onto the seat of the descender and is lowered to the ground. The basic appeals of the Johnson Descender are that it (1) is simple to use, (2) can be used without the skier having to take his skis off (3) is economical to produce. The skier in the photos above has taken his skis off, the skier at the right demonstrates that this is unnecessary. During the demonstration, by using a light line, with a weight, the device was useable for chairs as much as 100 feet off the ground. At Winter Park, two to four units were kept available at each chairlift. The unit is not being produced commercially, but basic plans have been made available to Ski Area Management and will be mailed to interested individuals on request at no charge.
