Sketch Problem 1: Chairlifts

What is a ski lift? Ski lifts come in all shapes and sizes. There are rope toes, Pomas, T-Bars, Single Chairs, Double Chairs, Quads, Six Packs, Gondolas, Trams, etc. The most basic one, the one that I am most familiar with, is the chairlift. It essentially is a suspended bench that transports six people from one place to another. It is not a confined space by any means. The metal structure is simple: the frame, the bench, the safety bar, and a few odds and ends to connect the chair to the cable. There is some foam padding on the seat to provide minimal comfort as well as some protection from the coldness of the metal seat. Every component of the design has a function. It is a machine designed to move people quickly and efficiently. In that way, it is very much like McDonald’s.
Despite its minimal structure and lack of enclosure, a ride on a chairlift is a safe and restful experience. Once one sits down on the chair and lowers the bar, there is a clear sense of enclosure although your feet are dangling high above the ground and you are suspended on a seemingly small cable. It is like you are in a bubble.
Even though the structure helps to define the chair in physical space, what really makes a chairlift a space is the human interaction that occurs while riding up the mountain. It is a space for people, old friends and new, to come together. Prior to getting on the chair in the very mechanical, impersonal corral, it is possible that none of the six passengers have ever met. For those five minutes, six potential strangers come together in one location and communicate with one another. There is no physical escape from one another. They are suspended in space together. All sense of personal space is dismissed. The void between people is minimal. This may be an uncomfortable experience for many. Touching strangers is not a common or comfortable practice for many. Ironically as soon as you get to the top of the mountain, this rather intimate experience is over. Everyone gets off of the chair and goes their separate ways much like the subway.
Conversely, one can have a very different experience in this space if riding the lift alone. The space can become a refuge. It is not only a place to rest your tired feet, but it is also a place to be alone with your thoughts while in nature. Often times, this can be a lonely experience if you are used to riding the chair in larger groups. The normally small void between you and another no longer exists. It can be cold and incredibly quiet.
Regardless of how many people are on the chair with you, the chairlift and the air that circulates around it is a very real space. To me it is almost like a second home. The whole process of going to the chairlift, getting in line, bending down to unbuckle my boots, seeing acquaintances in the lift line, saying hello to the lift attendants, sitting down on the chair has become my memory of the space. The chairlift is really a way to weave together and strengthen the mountain community.