Nordic Fest was a blast! It started snowing on Friday night and we woke up to several inches of new snow blanketing the area. Highland Forest was our gracious host providing the Pines Cabins for the weekend. Saturday started with half the group taking skate ski lessons with PSIA L3 Instructor Candice Raines, who did a superb job teaching. Her husband, Thayer, worked with those who required more basic skate ski instruction. Highland Forest provided rental skis for those who needed them.
The other half of the group took classic ski lessons with division staff members Phil Galka and Mike Lapierre. The highlight of the classic lessons was doing the ‘Dead Bug’ to get up after a fall. Lunch was back at the Pines Cabins as we prepared for the afternoon sessions.
Three stations were set up for the afternoon. One was shelters and fire starting, the second was improvised toboggans, and the third was low-angle rescue (LAR). The LAR station drew the most comments as we tried to standardize the system across Nordic/Backcountry, MTR, Certified, and Nordic Master programs.
Once the day was done, the group shared a huge meal and dessert working them off practicing a nighttime navigation exercise. The following day some of the group again took a PSIA L3 classic skiing lesson with Candice and Thayer. The rest of us went on a ski tour and candidates’ patroller skills were evaluated.
Besides great skiing, Jennifer Jones of Highland Forest Nordic passed her Senior Nordic OET. Sten Winborg of High Point Nordic became a Nordic patroller passing all the required skills. A big shout out for their great efforts and to all who attended!
But wait, if you missed this one there’s more coming. Our next event is at Pike Glades in New Hampshire. Registration and details are available on wwwpatrollerschool.org. This event is more backcountry-oriented and requires climbing skins on skis or split boards. I look forward to seeing you.
On the weekend of March 21-23, 2025 we are planning our final Nordic/Backcountry event. The activities include a Nordic Senior evaluation and possible Nordic Master training. We are still looking for a venue; any patrol interested in hosting this event please contact me asap. The only requirement is plenty of snow.
