Member of the Month

abjectwoe
May, 2025

Online

Welcome to the Newschoolers forums! You may read the forums as a guest, however you must be a registered member to post. Register to become a member today!

Tow ropes

profile picture
stone__
Posts: 34 - Karma: 322
I've never understood why more mountains don't have a tow rope. I grew up in the Midwest so I had one but now I live west coast and I just don't understand why there aren't ropes. The parks are great and there are plenty of places for a rope and plenty of funds.
2 years ago
23 0
profile picture
dwt802
Posts: 3368 - Karma: 33,191
pretty sure it has to do with insurance
2 years ago
11 0
profile picture
snowfinder
Posts: 2939 - Karma: 34,906
tow ropes < t-bars
2 years ago
3 28
profile picture
Frenchmayo1287
Posts: 255 - Karma: -785
snowfindertow ropes < t-bars


Bro whatchu smoking dawg
2 years ago
33 0
profile picture
Vish-shoe
Posts: 1949 - Karma: 14,600
snowfindertow ropes < t-bars


Worst take of the century
2 years ago
27 1
profile picture
NateFick
Posts: 64 - Karma: 112
my mountain doesn't have a park
2 years ago
13 0
profile picture
muffMan.
Posts: 2894 - Karma: 27,636
Would make bridgers park solid, lifts are way too long for it
2 years ago
10 0
profile picture
bandagedbrando
Posts: 172 - Karma: 1,124
fr, sick of waiting 20-30 minutes for a chair. Make tow ropes great again!
2 years ago
10 0
profile picture
snowfinder
Posts: 2939 - Karma: 34,906
Frenchmayo1287Bro whatchu smoking dawg


meth and weed, you?
2 years ago
4 3
profile picture
stone__
Posts: 34 - Karma: 322
snowfindertow ropes < t-bars


gotta b joking
2 years ago
9 1
profile picture
stone__
Posts: 34 - Karma: 322
dwt802pretty sure it has to do with insuranc


I ski at big bear and if they have insurance for a freestyle team, full sized halfpipe, and a bunch of rails and jumps I imagine they could get a rope
2 years ago
15 0
profile picture
snowfinder
Posts: 2939 - Karma: 34,906
stone__gotta b joking


To be fair I have never skied in the midwest, I've only skied at real mountains and they never have tow ropes just t-bars.
2 years ago
4 9
profile picture
verynormalguy
Posts: 500 - Karma: 8,142
Ski bowl and mission ridge have a rope tow park. Heard mt. Ashland will be getting one soon. I never understood why there aren’t more out west, especially for smaller mountains that don’t have the staff to build and maintain big parks
2 years ago
7 0
profile picture
hoodratz47
Posts: 12028 - Karma: 9,579
Skibowls rope tows have been there for years. But skibowl in all fairness has been a very smart ski area. They were one of the first ever to have summer activities and they just converted one rope tow to a park. Very smart on their part
verynormalguySki bowl and mission ridge have a rope tow park. Heard mt. Ashland will be getting one soon. I never understood why there aren’t more out west, especially for smaller mountains that don’t have the staff to build and maintain big parks
2 years ago
6 0
profile picture
stone__
Posts: 34 - Karma: 322
snowfinderTo be fair I have never skied in the midwest, I've only skied at real mountains and they never have tow ropes just t-bars.

i would be excited about a t bar even but rope tows are usually better for park because you can grab the rope at any point and more people can be on it at once
2 years ago
7 0
profile picture
muffMan.
Posts: 2894 - Karma: 27,636
stone__i would be excited about a t bar even but rope tows are usually better for park because you can grab the rope at any point and more people can be on it at once


Plus t bars are slow, I’ve seen tow ropes whipping before
2 years ago
6 0
profile picture
theabortionator
Posts: 52609 - Karma: 174,414
I get it but places out west have chairlifts that actually go somewhere. You can ride more than a 20 second run with a chair. That said tows are a cool vibe in the park.

The only ones I know of are Ski Bowl at hood, Kingvale in Tahoe, and Mission Ridge in WA.

I wouldn't mind seeing more ropes out there for small hot lap parks, but people from the midwest that complain all the time about not finding them should explore their mtns a bit. Get down on full park laps, maybe even make the forbidden turns. Ride some tree runs, hit a cliff. There are some good mountains with top to bottom parks on chairlifts and also plenty with some fun terrain on the way too the park.

Ropes are cool, but so is the mountain.
2 years ago
15 0
profile picture
Wadyatalkinabout
Posts: 120 - Karma: 1,474
dwt802pretty sure it has to do with insurance


Yeah mountains suck with park insurance most of the time. It’s Why my hill can’t have big jumps anymore
2 years ago
1 2
profile picture
crimeenthusiast
Posts: 794 - Karma: 3,581
sometimes when you tryna dial a trick you need hot laps on one feature. any park can benefit from having their most hot lappable features serviced by a rope.
2 years ago
10 0
profile picture
theabortionator
Posts: 52609 - Karma: 174,414
programmed_robotsometimes when you tryna dial a trick you need hot laps on one feature. any park can benefit from having their most hot lappable features serviced by a rope.

Idk. Hike it? I get it but takes the same amount of time. A hike sesh on a feature always goes hard too.
2 years ago
5 1
profile picture
Rparr
Posts: 5752 - Karma: 49,092
snowfindertow ropes < t-bars


I would fucking love t bars in parks. I've been having hand and wrist issues for years and rope tows can get a bit rough on my hands
2 years ago
2 3
profile picture
saucemastrscotty
Posts: 140 - Karma: 786
Grouse just put in a handle tow this year, kinda halfway between a rope tow and a tbar, has these bars that swing off the rope and go behind ur butt. Their park was already sick af but has made it way more convenient to lap
2 years ago
5 0
profile picture
rojo.grande
Posts: 1532 - Karma: 12,523
I feel like with mountains that have an issue managing their park scene a two rope would be the easiest solution. It keeps us on one trail/one section of the mountain and keeps things more organized. IMO even mountains with great chair service should have a tow or a t bar for their rail yards/ middle sized parks
2 years ago
3 0
profile picture
tutipups
Posts: 1691 - Karma: 10,625
the hill i first skied at had a tow rope as the begginer area lift after deciding begginers was better than park. anyways why would a mountain invest in something that less than 1% of people would use. the big mountains out west arent losing people over a rope tow and anyways they rather invest in begginers and tourists that make them money instead of a guy using his ikon pass 130 days a season.
2 years ago
0 1
profile picture
mackcamp
Posts: 1211 - Karma: 266
Unfortunately, Jerry and the family aren’t going to pay $100+/ticket a day to ride a mountain covered in ugly rope tows. Even if they are efficient and keep the park rats sequestered away from the general public. Most mountains would rather spend that money on a high speed 12 person bottom to top gondola or something similar. Maybe an 8 seat high speed chair designed by Porsche is in your future.
2 years ago
1 4
profile picture
stone__
Posts: 34 - Karma: 322
mackcampUnfortunately, Jerry and the family aren’t going to pay $100+/ticket a day to ride a mountain covered in ugly rope tows. Even if they are efficient and keep the park rats sequestered away from the general public. Most mountains would rather spend that money on a high speed 12 person bottom to top gondola or something similar. Maybe an 8 seat high speed chair designed by Porsche is in your future.


yea cause a tow rope costs just as much as a high speed 12 person bottom to top gondola. Where i’m skiing is where terrain parks became a thing and i would assume they would try and keep the culture going with something like a rope. they could easily do it they just don’t want to
2 years ago
3 0
profile picture
stone__
Posts: 34 - Karma: 322
tutipupsthe hill i first skied at had a tow rope as the begginer area lift after deciding begginers was better than park. anyways why would a mountain invest in something that less than 1% of people would use. the big mountains out west arent losing people over a rope tow and anyways they rather invest in begginers and tourists that make them money instead of a guy using his ikon pass 130 days a season.

the places i’m skiing at like bear and mammoth have huge park communities and bear/summit is actually where the first terrain park came from. they both have freestyle teams and mammoth especially is huge for park.
2 years ago
1 0
profile picture
stone__
Posts: 34 - Karma: 322
rojo.grandeI feel like with mountains that have an issue managing their park scene a two rope would be the easiest solution. It keeps us on one trail/one section of the mountain and keeps things more organized. IMO even mountains with great chair service should have a tow or a t bar for their rail yards/ middle sized parks


Literally the perfect way to explain why a rope would be beneficial for any mountain with any sort of park community. Everyone acts like if there were a rope, only the actual park rats would use it. Lots of people like to do a few laps in the park and hit some jumps even if it’s not their main thing.
2 years ago
3 0
profile picture
stone__
Posts: 34 - Karma: 322
theabortionatorprogrammed_robotsometimes when you tryna dial a trick you need hot laps on one feature. any park can benefit from having their most hot lappable features serviced by a rope.

Idk. Hike it? I get it but takes the same amount of time. A hike sesh on a feature always goes hard too.


hike sesh does go hard but the difference in my skill level when i’m hiking vs when i’m using a rope is insane just because of how many laps you get
2 years ago
2 0
profile picture
stone__
Posts: 34 - Karma: 322
theabortionatorI get it but places out west have chairlifts that actually go somewhere. You can ride more than a 20 second run with a chair. That said tows are a cool vibe in the park.

The only ones I know of are Ski Bowl at hood, Kingvale in Tahoe, and Mission Ridge in WA.

I wouldn't mind seeing more ropes out there for small hot lap parks, but people from the midwest that complain all the time about not finding them should explore their mtns a bit. Get down on full park laps, maybe even make the forbidden turns. Ride some tree runs, hit a cliff. There are some good mountains with top to bottom parks on chairlifts and also plenty with some fun terrain on the way too the park.

Ropes are cool, but so is the mountain.


I do love the mountain don’t get me wrong, it’s just it’s hard to see how much progression i’m losing because i have to wait 20-30 mins between each lap when i know i have so much more potential
2 years ago
3 0
profile picture
tutipups
Posts: 1691 - Karma: 10,625
stone__Literally the perfect way to explain why a rope would be beneficial for any mountain with any sort of park community. Everyone acts like if there were a rope, only the actual park rats would use it. Lots of people like to do a few laps in the park and hit some jumps even if it’s not their main thing.

yeah but those people would still be there if there wasnt a rope tow
2 years ago
2 0
profile picture
olddirty
Posts: 722 - Karma: 2,794
snowfindertow ropes < t-bars


T-bars= wait in line like a regular ass 2 seater lift
Rope tow= Get on whenever the fuck you want
2 years ago
6 0
profile picture
Jems
Posts: 7725 - Karma: 101,113
RparrI would fucking love t bars in parks. I've been having hand and wrist issues for years and rope tows can get a bit rough on my hands


wear leather gloves and get them wet they almost grip on their own
2 years ago
2 0
profile picture
icy_park_jump
Posts: 249 - Karma: 1,893
a few of the boxes at my local are right next to the rope tow, you can probably get 3 hits on them in 1-2 minutes. It's pretty awesome
2 years ago
2 0
profile picture
icy_park_jump
Posts: 249 - Karma: 1,893
actually it's not a rope tow it's a surface lift with a plastic thing you lean back on. Way better than a rope to imo
2 years ago
1 1
profile picture
Paul.
Posts: 1656 - Karma: 11,557
theabortionatorIdk. Hike it? I get it but takes the same amount of time. A hike sesh on a feature always goes hard too.

Im down with hiking a feature, but in what world does it take the same amount of time to hike vs grabbing the rope? I could probably get 5 hits on a feature via a rope in the time it takes to take my skis off, hike uphill 40 feet, and put my skis back on. Not to mention the effort of hiking will probably shorten the sesh
2 years ago
1 0
profile picture
BigmoneyMatt
Posts: 1545 - Karma: 1,215
Fuck a rope bruh, #escalotr gang gang, get churself a carpet magic carpet.
2 years ago
2 2
profile picture
zoots_place
Posts: 139 - Karma: 913
theabortionatorIdk. Hike it? I get it but takes the same amount of time. A hike sesh on a feature always goes hard too.

I'm always down to hike rails. but my problem is if I want to sesh a jump, you have to hike like 5 minutes to get on hit. also at my local the chair that services the park is the chair that all the people who are just sightly better than the bunny hil ride, so that this is stopping at least 5 times on the way up and slowing down probably 8
2 years ago
1 0
profile picture
twoskip
Posts: 6 - Karma: 60
rope tows are how you get good at rails
2 years ago
1 0
profile picture
Zteezegod
Posts: 128 - Karma: 723
snowfindertow ropes < t-bars


💀
a year ago
0 0
All times are Eastern (-4); Currently it's 7:19PM