Would You Rather Be Stuck In Ski Gondola Or A Hot Plane?

Have you ever played the game in which you are asked to choose between two scenarios that are usually undesirable. Like having to swim the length of a swimming pool with a blind shark or run slap a sleeping lion on the butt and run away before he wakes up. So here are two real life situations that happened recently that are both very real and potentially dangerous. Stuck in a ski gondola or a hot plane?

A skier in Lake Tahoe was taking the lift back down the mountain last Thursday when it stopped . . . and she ended up stranded in mid-air OVERNIGHT.  The employees just didn't realize she was up there, apparently.

Her name is Monica Laso, and she's from Chile  She didn't have her phone, and no one could hear her yelling for help.  So she was stuck for 15 HOURS in freezing-cold weather.

Luckily, it was a closed-air gondola, not an open-air ski-lift.  So she at least had that going for her.  There was also a survival kit inside, but she didn't find it.

She never ended up getting rescued.  Her friends reported her missing, but employees only found out she'd been up there when they got to work the next day . . . turned the lift back on . . . and it dumped her out at the bottom.

She says she screamed for help so long, she lost her voice.  But luckily, she's okay.  Firefighters checked her out, and she decided not to go to the hospital.

No word on if she plans to sue, or if anyone's been fired.  The resort says they're investigating what happened.

(Tahoe Daily Tribune / Huff Post)

An airplane passenger was arrested after he defiantly stormed out of an airplane’s emergency exit and walked out onto the wing after a four-hour delay at the Mexico City airport — but other passengers say he saved their lives.

The Guatemala-bound AeroMexico plane was parked and waiting for takeoff at the Mexico City International Thursday when the fed-up passenger exited the plane and then re-entered the cabin “without affecting the aircraft or anyone else,” airport officials said.

He then turned himself into the police, according to the airport.

However, scores of passengers signed a written statement claiming the airline made them wait for four hours without ventilation or water while the flight was delayed.

They said the man’s apparent outburst was “to protect everyone, with the support of everyone.”

Would you rather be stuck in a gondola or the hot plane? For me the choice is somewhat easy. I would prefer to be on the gondola for 15 hours. Sure, it's cold and lonely being suspended in mid air for 15 hours, but being stuck on the tarmac of a hot plane in Mexico for 4 hours sound a lot more miserable to me. I don't think that I would have been the first guy to climb out the window and onto the wing, but I surely would have been cheering the man on.

How about you?

Top Ski Resorts for People Who Hate Skiing? And One is in New England?

I don't like it because one: why would you strap long pieces of waxed-up wood to your feet and launch yourself down an icy hill at top speed?

And two: All this happens in temperatures below 32 degrees?

But as we all know, humans are bonkers, so that's what they do. And odds are, someone in your friend group or family wants to do this every year.

It costs you a a fortune, you're freezing and I won't even get into walking in those farkakte boots. Oy.

One time I went to Banff, one of the world's BEST ski resorts. It was a dead of winter, beautiful, POSH. But hot damn, I never put on a pair of skis. People were stunned. But as I found out, there are a LOT of fun things to do in the snow that do not involve risking your life and ensuring a trip to urgent care.

Anyway, so I don't like skiing. But I LOVE resorts. And I love the concept of "apres ski". Because "apres" anything that involves potentially injuring yourself is worth a celebration.

The Points Guy put together a list of of top ski resorts for people who hate skiing. And one is in New England!

"On the rare occasion that I do find myself at a ski resort, I gravitate toward sitting by the fireplace with a hot toddy or exploring the area by bike. If you, too, are a member of the nonskiers club, check out one of the eight resorts on this list. They all have plenty of fun activities for visitors who prefer to keep their feet ski-free while their friends and family hit the slopes."

"You can still get a taste of the Olympic athlete life by touring the Alf Engen Ski Museum or the George S. and Dolores Doré Eccles Salt Lake 2002 Olympic Winter Games Museum at Olympic Park. While there, tube down a 1,200-foot sliding hill or go for a thrilling (and professionally-piloted) bobsled ride on the same track that was used for bobsled, skeleton and luge events during the Olympics."
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"While everyone else skis the day away, you can stroll through the shops and restaurants in Teton Village. You can also "chill" at slope-side lodgings like the Four Seasons Resort and Residences Jackson Hole (the resort's only ski-in/ski-out hotel) or the Snake River Lodge & Spa. Both properties have heated pools and hot tubs where you can stay warm without having to bundle up."

"Nonskiers can go sledding or tubing in the area or opt for a two-wheel ride on a fat bike. If you are looking for accommodations close enough to the slopes for skiers in your group to have easy mountain access, check out Marriott's Mountain Valley Lodge at Breckenridge or One Ski Hill Place. Both properties boast great views for nonskiers to enjoy from the hot tub."

"Sun Valley Resort is home to a full-service spa where you can spend the day getting pampered with massages, nail treatments or a sauna steam session. Guests of the resort also have access to a glass-enclosed outdoor pool and hot tub as well as the Poolside Cafe."
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"Whistler Village is a pedestrian-only area, making it a prime spot for afternoon shopping and evening strolls. In the heart of Whistler Village, you'll find Whistler Olympic Plaza — a venue designed for the 2010 Winter Olympics. During the winter months, the plaza is transformed into a large ice skating rink and adjacent snow zone for sledding and snowball fights."https://www.instagram.com/p/CiDEZhPM_I3/?hl=en

"Other activities include rides on the 28-mile-per-hour Breathtaker Alpine Coaster, tubing and snowcat rides. You can also take a sightseeing gondola ride to the top of Aspen Mountain to enjoy a scenic lunch — then take the easy way back down the mountain with a return ride on the gondola."
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"Spruce Peak Village at the base of the resort offers opportunities for shopping and dining as well as an outdoor skating rink and a playground and green space called the Enchanted Forest. If you venture a bit farther out of town, you can tour the original Ben & Jerry's Factory, visit the Trapp Family Lodge — made famous by the "Sound of Music" Von Trapps — or imbibe at Stowe Mountain's most popular apres ski bar, aptly named the Matterhorn."