Flat on my back in Fairfax Hospital.  As I mentioned in my thread about conditions at Canaan & Snowshoe, I was clobbered by a streaking boarder at the runout on Cupp Run late Yhursday afternoon.  Turns out there is a reason for the pain I am experiencing from the unwanted collusion: five broken ribs, some with multiple breaks.  As of now I think the Trauma Team plan is NOT to operate, but rather to treat pain and muscle tightness while watching the bruised lung and small space the collusion created next to the lung for possible infection and pneumonia.  If things go as hoped, I will clear the hospital in a couple of days.  Most here are astonished that I made the longer than normal drive back to NOVA on Friday.  Looks like my ski days this year are probably done.

I am fortunate the damage was not worse!  As Woody mentioned, speed driven collisions occur too frequently in the lengthy bottom flat run out area on Cupp as both skiers and boarders, especially boarders, need a lot of speed to clear the flat area.  The boarder that hit me was probably on the outside edge of control, carrying too  must avoid himuch speed.  Since collisions are not unknown in this space, hopefully Snowshoe can figure out better signage or trail modifications to minimize the potential for collusion casued by overtaking sliders!!'  We can never emphasize enough that on all trails the downhill skier always has the right of way, and the uphill boarder/skier must avoid collusion at most all costs!!!

MorganB,  aka The Colonel

Oh no.  That's turning out to be serious.  Sorry to hear.  My wife says to take it easy and get well!

Sorry Morgan that sucks almost as bad as snowboarding across flats does.  Guess we shouldn't try to make you laugh, or cough, our try to roll over in bed..  I've had a few cracked ribs in my time but never FIVE!  Holy cow!  Best and maybe we'll see you next season at Blue Knob.

Get well, Morgan.

Very sorry to hear it Colonel.  Get well soon.  

I'm convinced that crowded blue slopes and collection zones leading to lift lines are the scariest places in skiing.  Ski patrols, that once tried to control behavior on the slopes, appear to have abandoned that responsibility.  It was once common to see them giving warnings and pulling tickets.  I have often wondered if this change is at the direction of resort management, faced with slow decline in skier numbers.  

Awful news - get well soon.

Wishing you a speedy recovery!!

As I type, still having trouble bending my thumb from the gash I put in it foolishly skiing

down Cupp without gloves on. I fell right toward the end of the run. This was the Inaugural

Weekend that was much discussed on the board. The slopes were in very, very good shape

given what mother nature gave us. I speculate that east coasters like myself get a little tired

and sloppy toward the end of the run, since it is longer than most we find out here, and this

contributes to some accidents.

Hoping that you'll be back to form in no time, Colonel!

Oh no, Colonel! Get well soon I was so looking forward to skiing with you again. We'll miss you at T-line and I'll especially miss showing off Laurel to you. We're on for next season.

Sorry to hear Col. Morgan. Heal well, heal fast. 

http://wvmetronews.com/2017/02/05/1-dead-following-skiing-accident-at-snowshoe-mountain/

Looks like this is a serious issue at Snowshoe

That sucks Morgan. That had to be a long drive home. Heal well.

Sorry to hear about your injury, Colonel. Get well soon. I agree with Denis that crowded blue slopes and collection zones are some of the most dangerous places at ski areas. My wife had an incident a couple years ago where someone ran into her on a blue slope, and then someone else ran into her at the bottom of the run near the lift line. Her neck was sore the next day but she escaped serious injury, thankfully.

Oh no! Your friends at Canaan Valley Ski Resort are wishing you a speedy recovery, Colonel.

Sorry to hear it Morgan. Get well soon.

Hopefully the guy stopped or was caught? He does need to be sued.

I missed a collision like that last season by about 3 inches at the base of a lift. Also an out of control speeding boarder. I had about a second to execute an emergency right turn that moved me about a foot right. He hit a glancing blow off the center of my left ski edge. He was doing maybe 35. I was doing about 10. It would have been head on at a combined speed of about 45.

Luckily I'm an old geezer with great peripheral vision, reflexes and edge control. I needed all three to avoid what would have been a really bad collision.

Get better for next season.

The Colonel wrote:

  Since collisions are not unknown in this space, hopefully Snowshoe can figure out better signage or trail modifications to minimize the potential for collusion casued by overtaking sliders!!'

MorganB,  aka The Colonel

I'm seeing increased use of fences on trails in Colorado to minimize potential collision situations - inclding putting the equivalent of gates across trails to force people to slow down.. Also patrollers stationed where unsafe skiing regularly happens to issue warnings / pull passes from violators. Maybe something like that would help.

The Colonel wrote:

Flat on my back in Fairfax Hospital.  ..

MorganB,  aka The Colonel

That is outrageous - I hope ski partrol logged it and you have the contact info because I would definitly have a lawyer file a tier one (up to $50 k) civil complaint aganst the person - it may cost you in the end but at least they can garnish wages if the person can't fork over etc. and you will get something back. You will probably settle out of court of course but the mental pain you'll inflict on the defendant will be a good pay-off. And just a suggestion but if it goes to settlement don't dismiss with prejudice - keep it open so after you settle you can bring it back into court for any persistent, long-term health problems (i.e. you can put in another complaint again based on the original case).

Morgan, I'm really sorry to hear about your injury, but am relieved you're in good hands now.  Best wishes for a speedy recovery.  Let us know if there's anything we can do to help.