My wife is learning to ski and your mention of the T-bar sparked a youtube watch session of all the antiquated death traps she will never experience in this age of magic carpets and detachable chairlifts.
“back in my day, we had to hold onto the rope tow until our gloves ripped, our hands blistered and our shoulders popped out of the sockets. When the kid in front of you toppled over on the J-bar, you had about 4 sec to bail before you ended up in the middle of a pile-up because that rope wasn’t going to stop moving.”
For some reason, she now seems reluctant to get back out on the mountain.
Good times, Thanks!