Skiers/Snowboarders - Need Gondola information (Vail, Eagle: ski resorts, school, eat)

[Amery523]

Can anyone tell me if there are any CO ski resorts that have a gondola like Keystone's River Run Gondola, where you can simply walk off the lift in your boots, and not have to worry about making a spectacular falling mess getting off the lift? For someone who has some anxiety only about this aspect of snowboarding, this is huge. Getting down the mountain - no problem. Getting off the lift - let's just say there have been LOTS of potential You Tube postings.

Thanks!

[Lupulin]

Vail, Steamboat and Telluride have gondolas as well. Your runs will be limited, though, if all you can ride are gondolas.

[alexis2005]

Breckenridge has a great one and it's actually a very pretty ride if you park down by the main station. You can be dropped off right at the base of peak 7 and 8! Winter Park's is pretty good also. It's a more family oriented ski resort.

[Amery523]

Thanks for the info. I figured Keystone would not be the only one to have come up with this idea. If the lift is slowed down a lot, I have no problem snowboarding off the lift. When the lift goes too fast and the lift operator does not see me frantically waving my hands to SLOW DOWN, that's when I just eat it bad and luckily my helmet has saved me twice now. The entire "getting off the lift" thing causes me so much anxiety. That's why I like Keystone's gondola and being able to just walk off, then walk over to Schoolmarm and strap in and snowboard down. I didn't know Breck and Winter Park had something like this too.

[FoRuMRideR420]

if you can make it down the hill you can make it off the lift......get a stomp pad and ride it out....dont think about it so much.....its a extremely easy task once you get it a couple times

[Fuzz]

The Breck gondola only gets you to the BASE of the mountain. To get to the runs, you still have to ride lifts.

[Dreaming of Hawaii]

I took a couple of snowboard lessons from a real instructor at Keystone (not a friend thinking he's an instructor). One of the basics they covered in the very first lesson was how to get off the lift. Don't limit where you can board just because you have trouble getting off the lifts. Take a 1/2 day lesson and learn how to do it!

[movementarian]

If you don't mind the $90 lift ticket - the Eagle Bahn gondola in Vail will take you to the top and there is a beginner hill right there at Eagle's Nest with a slower lift. Practice getting on and off that beginner lift a few times until you are comfortable. It is a very slow 2 person lift and they'll let you get on by yourself. When you feel pretty good, step it up and go down to the Pride Express lift - that nomally doesn't have long lines and you may be able to get on your own chair. Practice a few times there and you'll be fine.

Then again, I guess you could do the same thing with the Keystone Gondola - practice getting on and off the slow beginner lift (Ranger) at the top of Dercum Mountain.

[Amery523]

Thanks for the advice, all.
I have taken lessons with real teachers at various ski resorts
When the lift is slowed down for me, I can board off just fine. If the lift is fast, plus the operator doesn't see me motioning to slow it down-that's when I fall, and it's not even a little fall. It's a spectacularly bad one. My helmet has saved me many times already.
Is it ok to motion with my hands to the lift guy to slow it down for me? I guess that means he should actually be paying attention....

[FoRuMRideR420]

well he probably doesnt know what the hell your doing . If you are that worried tell the liftie at the bottom. My advice if your really having that much trouble would be for you to strap one foot in your board and practice skating around on a flat area. Push your self a couple times and the set your foot against the bindings like you would while getting off the lift. Also does your board have a stomp pad?