Spring arrived in the Adirondacks suddenly. Yesterday I was starting to swat bugs, and it’s snowing today. We are done skiing, except for a few diehards on skins in the high peaks. By most measures, this was an awesome ski season―great snowmaking weather, a good amount of natural snow, and relatively few rain or warm weather events until very late in the season.
Most of our friends out West were nowhere near as fortunate. In the absence of an NSP Powderfall event, Central Division sponsored “Last Tracks” at Park City, Utah in late March and low attendance, largely due to lack of snow, cost them dearly.
Eastern Division had many noteworthy events that we should all be proud of; here are just a few, and I apologize for any left off this list:
• Multiple Patroller Schools across the whole Division,
• A first of a kind Eastern and Southern Division “joint venture” Patroller School at Canaan Valley and Timberline,
• Division Avalanche, MTR, and Nordic/Backcountry events in five different Regions,
• The YAP Summit at Smugglers’ Notch,
• Alumni celebration at Stratton, and
• The Certified exam at Sugarloaf―all in March.
And there were two MTR-1 courses delivered to the 10th Mountain Division at Fort Drum, customized to address unique Army requirements. Thank you and congratulations to everyone who made these possible!
Eastern Division’s 2025 National Board election turnout was more than double the previous year’s, and Eastern Division accounted for about 45% of all votes actually cast. All four candidates recommended by the Division won seats, which was also the case in the previous year. This is proof of what can be accomplished with a concerted effort.
The 2026 National Board election will have five seats to fill. The filing deadline is June 1, so if you’re interested or know someone who is (or should be), please don’t delay. Attending National Board or National program committee meetings by Zoom is a great way to learn more. You can find the schedule and login information on the National website.
And, speaking of the National Board, as of January the Eastern Division received the benefit of having two former Board members join our team. Paul Kelly is now Chair of the Eastern Division Finance Committee and Bob Scarlett has joined us as Assistant Division Legal Advisor. Welcome to the team, and many thanks for agreeing to share your time, talents, and wealth of experience with us!
The annual Eastern Division Spring Officers’ Meeting will be in Albany, New York starting May 1. Lots of excitement as we gather to recap the past year’s challenges and accomplishments, and set course for the coming year. Many thanks to everyone who makes what we do possible. We do amazing things when tireless individual dedication combines with awesome teamwork!
Enjoy every day!
