I've came across skiers stuck on very difficult runs on many occasions.
My first question is "Are you OK?"
My second question is usually "Didn't you see the 'Expert Only' sign at the entrance to the run?"
The most frequent answer I get is "I didn't think that applied to me."
I feel sorry for these folks mostly. Yes, I come upon them too, and I do what they will let me do to help. I think of them as the great unwashed.
The worst is a trail at my mountain that is inadequately labeled. Not everyone takes out a trail map before entering a trail, so first timers enter it thinking it's what it looks like -- a big wide flat groomer.
It certainly looks like a flat groomer when you enter it. But sadly for them, no. It is never groomed, and the snow sits flat on it, That's not the issue. There's an unseen drop-off down a ways beyond the entrance, and that is the issue. At that point they are already pretty far down the trail, and have 4 times that distance yet to go on bumps with trees on a blue pitch.
For skiers wanting to try bumps, for those wanting to work on their bump technique, that trail is perfect. But for anyone wanting to cruise down a wide easy groomer, the terrain challenge comes as a disturbing surprise. Once they see what's ahead of them, it's too late to walk back up. The distance they've traveled is too far. If they walk back up, it can take 45 minutes to an hour or more depending on the depth of the snow.
I've given up getting mountain ops to label this trail properly with a visible sign that says it's an ungroomed blue run with bumps and trees. So many people don't see the sign ("Ungroomed"), and if they do they don't register what that might mean since what they see is a wide open flat expanse of low pitch easy-looking snow to ski.
When I come upon these lost souls looking down in panic, I either lead them down if they are willing, or get ski patrol to come give them a courtesy ride out of there.
