Glossary

Anti-rollback - mechanical system which prevents the weight of passengers on a lift from making the lift roll backwards in the event of engine or gearbox failure.
Bale - metal structure attaching the lift chair to the haul rope.
Bamboo - used to mark hazards, close areas of the trail, and create rope wings and chicane.
Beartooth Basin - Summer ski area at Beartooth Pass where patrollers work following the RLM season. Dependent on spring snowfall.
Barry net (B-net) - safety net system installed for alpine ski racing events as well as areas on trails to protect guests from hazards
Blue room - portable outdoor toilet positioned near lifts
Break-away - safety clamp used with halloween rope on a gate which will release if struck
Brittle bar - a component in the tower’s safety system designed to activate a catch system if the haul rope comes off the sheave train.
Bull wheel - the main driving wheel powered by the gearbox designed for moving loaded chairs uphill.
Capacity - the number of people who can board or disembark over a given period of time (typically one hour). Current upper limits on double chairlifts is about 1200 persons per hour (2 persons every six seconds, which is twenty persons per minute, or 1200 per hour). Similarly, triple chairs have an approximate limit of 1800 per hour; and fixed grip quads can handle a maximum of 2400 per hour.
Campbell Snow Sensor - digital, ultrasonic snow-depth sensor that provides continuous and accurate snow-depth measurements. Located in trees above Miami Beach.
Carrier - generic term for the device guests are moved up the mountain (e.g., chairs, gondola cabins, tram cabins, T-bars, etc.)
Chainsaw  - tool used for clearing trees and deadfall. Used by pros only.
Chicane - bamboo and rope used to narrow and direct guests on an otherwise open run (e.g., Silver-Pine Ridge blind merger point, bottom of Thompson’s, Greta’s/Tipi Trail merger)
Cookies - hard chunks of snow churned up by cats during grooming
Counterweight - massive concrete weight at either the top or bottom of a lift, attached to the bullwheel, which maintains the correct amount of tension on the haul rope and therefore, the appropriate amount of friction between the haul rope and the wheel.
Courtesy ride (C-ride) - courtesy toboggan or snowmobile ride for uninjured skiers who may have broken skis/snowboards or may be unable to continue skiing the run.
Crud - transition snow not packed down by skiers or grooming machines. Altered by temperature changes and repeated snowfalls, it has variable consistency, making it difficult to ski on.
Deadman - fixed cable anchor at the top of steep runs used by snow cats to winch up and down in order to move snow and groom the run. Marked with bamboo and tied off to a tree.
Deropement - when the haul rope leaves its operating position relative to the groove of a sheave, carriage wheel, or saddle.
Detachable chairlift (High Speed or Express chairlift) - chairs are connected to the haul rope by a powerful spring-loaded cable grip which detaches at terminals, allowing the chair to slow considerably for convenient loading and unloading. (Palisades, Cole Creek, and Miami Beach)
DIN—Deutsche Industrie Normen (German industrial standards organization). Sets standards for many things, among them alpine ski binding release settings. DIN typically refers to the binding release values relating to alpine skiing. Lower DIN setting will release with minimal pressure and is best suited for beginners, while higher DIN setting will require greater pressure and is suited for more advanced skiers on technical terrain.
Discs - round plastic discs attached to boo or halloween rope to mark a run to alert guests
Drill - cordless power tool with a one inch drill bit used to create a hole in compact snow for placing boo, SLOW, and LOOK signs.
Emergency brake - used in emergencies to stop the lift in case of a roll back or other drastic event. The brake presses against the bullwheel stopping the lift with great force.
Fall line - the line of gravity or the most direct route down a slope.
Falling leaf - toboggan technique used on steeper terrain when the patroller controls descent speed without rotating ski direction
Feathering the chain - toboggan technique when chain is down to control the speed of the toboggan by pressing down on the handles to slow, and lifting up to accelerate depending upon the terrain.
Fireman’s Net - woven polypropylene net kept at the lower terminal of chair lifts used to help catch a guest at risk of falling from the chair
Fixed-grip chairlift - chairs are permanently attached to the haul rope, therefore moving at a speed which allows skiers to comfortably load and unload. (Triple, Willow, and Grizzly Peak lifts)
Graupel - precipitation that forms when supercooled water droplets in air are collected and freeze on falling snowflakes, forming 2–5 mm balls of crisp, opaque rime (aka soft hail, hominy snow, or snow pellets)
Gearbox - transfers power from the motor or auxiliary to the bullwheel at the drive terminal
Grip - mechanism attaching the carrier to the haul rope. Grips can be either fixed, meaning that the grip is clamped into a precise location and remains there, or detachable, meaning the grip contains a complex system of springs and clamps which allow it to be automatically attached or detached to the haul rope in the terminals.
Groomed Run - ski run that has been smoothed over by machine for more consistent skiing
Halo - frame around the tower designed to protect the system from swinging lift chairs during high winds.
Halloween rope - black and orange twisted polypropylene utility rope used to close trails, create chicane and tie up boo.
Haul rope - lift cable that moves the carrier up the hill while supporting its weight and passengers.
High visibility tape - used to mark trail cuts and safety hazards.
Hoar frost - deposit of ice crystals on exposed objects.
Loaded side - uphill side of the chair lift carrying passengers
Magic Carpet - A brand name for a type of surface lift which performs like a conveyor belt. Skiers and snowboarders simply step onto the surface, which is a continuous belt.
Mashed potatoes - lumpy, wet snow that catches ski tips and edges easily, making skiing challenging.
Moguls (bumps) - humps of snow created by skiers repeatedly making turns in the same places on the slope.
McDonald's fence - orange and yellow plastic fencing used to catch skiers from passing through a closed or protected area.
Off-piste - French for area beyond the groomed runs of a ski area or backcountry away from developed ski areas.
Piste - French for a groomed course on snow or the groomed portion of a ski area.
Poker - metal T-bar used by upper mountain patrollers to place bamboo
Powder - fresh, dry snow, prized by skiers and snowboarders for its lightness.
Prime mover - a gas, diesel or electric motor that powers the lift.
PSIA - Professional Ski Instructors of America. The organization that certifies most ski professionals in the U.S.
Retention bar - A device which can be lowered to help retain skiers and snowboarders in the chair on a chairlift.
Rime - The formation and buildup of ice on a lift chair and haul rope.
Rock hockey - removing loose rocks from trails, typically using hockey sticks located at Dispatch, Summit, Cole Creek.
Rock skis - Old skis used for thin snow conditions in early and late season when hitting rocks is more likely.
Rope wing - bamboo and halloween rope used to block off a run or area on the slope.
Schuss - "to shoot" or "shot" in German. To ski straight downhill very fast with skis parallel. Straight line.
Sheave train - a series of wheels through which the haul rope passes on a terminal.
Side-stepping - using skis to pack powder and create a base on runs susceptible to blowing off due to sustained winds.
Sign bank - multiple ski trail signs stacked vertically designating the route for each trail. (e.g., the sign bank at the base of the Griz Peak lift)
Silver Run Ski Club (SRSC) - Club formed in the 1930’s, integral to the development of RLM, which now runs an alpine race team and a freestyle ski team.
Snowmobile (bile) - transportation used by pro patrollers, maintenance, and management for quickly accessing areas on the mountain. Patrollers may attach a special toboggan for evacuating injured skiers from difficult areas of the mountain.
Snowcat (cat) - machine driven over the snow (on belts similar to a bulldozer's) to groom slopes for skiing or to transport people and gear.
Snowplow - toboggan technique used when the patroller controls descent speed by angling ski tips inward.
Snow stake - platform and measuring stake located above Miami Beach, Barriers, and Cole Creek for recording overnight snowfall. Also checked during the day during a storm.
SNOTEL - USDA weather equipment located in Cole Creek which measures precipitation and temperature
Toboggan - sled used to transport guests down the mountain.
Unloaded side - downhill side of the chair lift typically not carrying passengers.