By Bret Wirta-The Incidental Explorer
Distance: various – Time out: All day
Degree of Difficulty: 2 – Elevation: 5,240
Pet Friendly: No
January 26th 2013
The morning was sunny in Sequim so Trish and I set off for a day of outdoor adventure with our good friends, Joel and Lynne. We carefully drove the winding road up Mt. Angeles and parked at The Hurricane Ridge Ski and Snowboard Area. The ticket seller told us the Poma Lift wasn’t running because it needed a new cable. Without the Poma Lift the diamond and double diamond trails were closed too. People were skiing at the rope tow, so Joel bought us four tickets and we carried our skis to the base of the slope.
The whirring rope had slipped through my hands and burned a hole in my leather gloves before I could grasp tightly enough. Next time I’ll wear work gloves. The rope was heavy and my body was heavy and I had felt all of that in my arms and back as I was pulled up the hill. I concentrated on keeping my toes pointed straight and letting go of the rope at just the right moment at the top of the hill. This old-fashioned rope tow was not easy, but it was an unpretentious way to ascend that hill, though not as unpretentious as hiking up with your skis over your shoulder, I suppose. A rope tow is not a chairlift.
Lynne is ready to ski
Skiing up the hill, while holding the rope, was a continuation of skiing down the hill. That was different than being carried up the hill on a chairlift, which is a lazy break from skiing, and nowadays, a time to check Facebook on your phone. But a chairlift is easier on your back than a rope tow, and I should have thought of my wife’s back. A rope tow is not a place for those with back problems.