Jumping off the Ski Lift?

On one level this story is a little embarrassing. But, on another level it is about how I have always been very intuitive.

It's embarrassing because it scared people working on the ski lift and my friend sitting next to me on the 3 person chair lift. But, at the time it was the only thing that made sense to me.

My friend is late 60s and I'm 70 almost 71. So, getting on a ski lift is more art than science for us at this age. This particular time my poles got caught somehow in his skis as we boarded the lift and one of my poles popped out of my hands. Then I was upset that one pole had left which caused me to drop the other ski pole.

However, then I quickly thought: "I'm not going to be able to ski down at this age without 2 ski poles". So, in the next instant I jumped off the ski lift to retrieve my poles. I intuitively knew I would be fine doing this, even though I wasn't thinking about what it would be like to jump off a ski lift with skis attached to my boots. I jumped about 4 to 5 feet to the snow and sure enough since I had my rental skis set to intermediate instead of advanced they popped off like a charm. The guys working on the ski lift stopped the lift until I picked up my skis and then they gave me my poles. So, then I let several people hop on the ski lift as I put back on my skis and got another chair to ride up on.

However, I'm used to being this way and covering myself always. I'm used to taking care of myself. So, after I jumped the lift operator said, "We would have sent up your poles for you!" And I said, "I didn't know that and didn't want to be stuck at the top of the lift without poles.

So now if this ever happens again I will know this is how this is actually done.

But, here's the point I'd like to make here. I knew intuitively that I wouldn't get hurt jumping 4 to 5 feet onto my skis from the lift. Intuitively I just knew this and it was true. This is a lot about being physically very intuitive about what I can survive and what I can't. However, it's also true that my back hurt some for a few days after that too but nothing serious because I'm fine now.

But, once again the point is I always intuitively know what I can survive and what I cannot automatically. So, this was normal for me but not normal for anyone else. So, my friend and the lift operators were very surprised a 70 year old skier jumped off the ski lift to retrieve his ski poles.

But, in the end this kind of thing is normal for me but maybe not for anyone else.