Wow, sounds like you took a pretty big one. Glad to hear that you are ok. I got a helmet this year for Christmas just incase of freak accidents like that....

About a month ago I was skiing Extrovert at Blue Knob, at the bottom I relaxed and got going too fast on the flatter section. I hit a bump and my skis went straight up as I fell backwards. The first thing to hit was my head and I hit hard. I lay there for about thirty seconds waiting for my wits to return. No major damage because I was wearing a helmet but my neck is still sore.

I haven't had a major crash for a number of years and this was the first in all my years of skiing (since 1964) that would have resulted in a concussion . Folks, get a helmet. It maybe 40 years before it really saves you a lot of pain but it'll keep your head warm in the mean time.

Ok.. first.. I solemly swear to get my daughter a helmet. Before you get onto me, the reason is, she has been wearing MY helmet (she outgrew hers) and I've been going without. We will fix that.

Second

That wasn't flying...
THIS is flying:


if you really want to try the real thing, I can arrange that.

glad your safe... thanks for reminding us all

Ouch.... I had my own event this week that made me thankful for wearing a helmet. I don't know, but I think my biorythms are off-scale this week. Last night I fell about 16 feet off my deck, thankfully to a snow drift. Friday, as I was finishing off my run out of Camp 59 into the Soaring Eagle lift approach, I heard a screeching "I CAN'T STOOOOOOPPPP!!!" and this snowplowing lady crashed right onto my back and knocked me off my skis and about 8 feet forward. I fell right on my derriere and hit my head on the compacted snow with huge force. Had I not been wearing a helmet, I would have been knocked out. Or worse.

Last night, EVERYONE in my family of 11 who are staying in my condo got outfitted with helmets...

You don't have to be on a black diamond to need a helmet... I'm a witness....

Yeah, I am usually much more afraid of getting hurt when I am on crowded greens and blues. Seems like there is always someone out there just trying to pick you off. My first time on Sawmill was pretty scary because there were nice sized moguls on it and Snowshoe didn't do a good job at letting people know that it wasn't groomed and that there were moguls on it. Needless to say there 1,000's of people on, 90% of which were gapers on rental skis that should not have been anywhere near that slope. I was happy to make it down with no concussion and both of my ACL's intact.

David,
A word to the wise, I always try to look at the daily grooming report to reveal which trails were groomed overnight. The report is posted at the ski school desks, lift ticket windows, and frequently at lodging front desks.I have noticed that most of the time Snowshoe does not groom the new trails, nor Widowmaker.
When at a really large resort, like those out west, I try to get a trail map and mark the groomed or ungrommed trails for future reference.
By the way, was all of Widowmaker ungroomed, or just one side of the trail?
The Colonel

I was ok with the trail not being groomed. It was all of the other people that were totally unable to ski a steep bumped run that were the problem.

David and Colonel, agree with the non-grooming. Today, Grabhammer was advertised as not being groomed. The result was that it was pure, edge-inviting, awesome corn conditions. The other trails were groomed and some of them turned to slush, at least in the sunny areas. Since it wasn't groomed, there were precious few people on it. Good for me...