by Trail Sweep Staff | Feb 24, 2026 | Spotlight Articles
Though the season is more than half over there are a lot of events still to come. Check out the list below and be sure to add them to your calendar.
- Backcountry Patroller School, February 28, 2026 – March 1, 2026, 7:30 AM – 3:00 PM (2 slots still available)
- Women’s Backcountry Skiing/Riding, Mt. Washington, NH, March 14, 2026, 7AM-4PM
- Nordic Senior Training/Exam plus Nordic Master Training, March 21, 2026 – March 22, 2026, 8:00 AM – 3:00 PM
Eastern Division Alumni Days
- CT Region, Ski Sundown, March 3, 8:30AM meeting in the Bar Area, for information contact: Bob Cassello.
- WNY Region, Holiday Valley, March 6, for information contact: Ralph Estep.
by Trail Sweep Staff | Feb 24, 2026 | In Memoriam
Lloyd Alexander, age 95, of North Tonawanda, NY, entered into rest on January 1, 2026. He was born on December 3, 1930, and was the beloved son of the late Thomas and Eva Alexander.
Lloyd was married for 67 years to his devoted wife, the late Dolly Alexander, with whom he built a life centered on family, adventure, and service to others.
A proud veteran of the Korean War, Lloyd carried his sense of duty and discipline throughout his life. He devoted his professional career to education, serving as a teacher and Assistant Principal at Lewiston-Porter Junior High, where he impacted generations of students.
An avid skier for more than 80 years, Lloyd was a lifetime member of the National Ski Patrol and a member of the Professional Ski Instructors of America for over 40 years at Kissing Bridge. He was also a longtime member of the Glenwood Acres Ski Club. His love for the outdoors extended beyond skiing to camping, hiking, kayaking, golfing, mountain biking and traveling extensively across the country in a motor home with his family.
Lloyd was very active as a patroller achieving senior status and receiving Certified #167 in 1982. He served on the Eastern Division and WNY Instructor Development teams as coordinator, trainer, mentor, and instructor. In WNY he was active as the Certified an Instructor Development advisors.
Lloyd was also a certified PSIA Instructor who assisted with the S&T program for older ski patrollers in the region until Covid hit.
The list of the awards he received is long and varied.
1971 National Appointment #3749
1975 Patroller of the Year
1981 and 1999 Yellow Merit Stars
2001 Distinguished Service Award
2001 Regional Certificate of Appreciation
2006 Meritorious Service Award
2009 Eastern Division Patriot Star
2006 Meritorious Service Award
2025 65-year service where he said 65+ years well spent! “I am so proud and humbled to have been a member of such a fantastic organization.”
Above all, Lloyd cherished time spent with family, especially playing cards and sharing stories. He lived life with quiet determination, humor, and resilience, often reminding those around him with his favorite saying: “Don’t let the old man in.”
Lloyd’s legacy of service, adventure, and deep family devotion will be remembered and treasured by all who knew him. He is survived by his children: Jeanine (Paul) Lampkin, Joy (Glen Boddy) Alexander, Jeanette (Bob) LaMantia, James (Mary) Alexander, and Joanne (the late Charles) Huk. He was a proud and loving grandfather to Jennifer Swan; Eric (Stacie) Lampkin; Michelle (Andrew) Bacon; Sean (DeLacey) Lampkin; RaeAnn (Patrick) Halferty; Zachary (Casey) Huk; Nicholas Alexander; and Tyler Huk. He was further blessed with great-grandchildren Isabella (Xavier) Harris, Ava Scocchera, Emilee Bacon, Aidan Scocchera, Collin Bacon, Abel Lampkin, Remy Lampkin, Finn Lampkin, and Theo Halferty, as well as great-great-grandchildren Huxton Harris and Gigi Harris, as well as several nieces and nephews.
A Celebration of Life is scheduled for Memorial Day weekend at Glenwood Acres Ski Club at Kissing Bridge, more specific details will be announced. In lieu of flowers memorials may be made to the National Ski Patrol, 133 S. Van Gordon St., Ste. 100, Lakewood, CO 80228. Condolences may be shared at FrettholdFuneralHome.com
by Trail Sweep Staff | Feb 24, 2026 | In Memoriam
David Coakley passed away on February 12, 2026. He was the son of Joseph H. Coakley (1908-1976) and Florence M. Coakley (1910-2000) . He grew up in North Dartmouth and New Bedford, MA, where he was an accomplished scholar athlete. He went on to attend Southern Massachusetts University (now UMASS) where he played college soccer and earned a bachelor’s degree in mechanical engineering.
David was very proud of his New Bedford, MA roots. He was an avid sailor since a young age and sailed all around Buzzards Bay, Martha’s Vineyard and Nantucket, MA his entire life. He was particularly proud of the New Bedford Whaling History as David was a direct descendant of Captain John T. Coakley, a Whaling Captain out of New Bedford, MA.
Dave Coakley is the type of patroller we all aspire to be. He joined NSP in 1974 as a member of the Mohawk Ski Patrol and threw himself into his ski patrol career with energy and enthusiasm.
He started his career by learning everything he could about ski patrolling. Within the first ten years of his career he had taken his Avalanche, Mountaineering 1 and 2, and had become a Senior.
At the time, Dave was the Connecticut Region First Aid Advisor. Shortly thereafter the WEC program was created, and Dave played a significant role in implementing this new program.
In 1988 Dave took on the role of Region Director and continued in this position until 1991. His organizational skills were put to good use, and his easy personality moved the region toward excellence during his term. After leaving the position of Region Director, many people settle back and become just a regular patroller again. Not Dave. Dave became an OEC Instructor in 1992 and instructed in various ways. He also became a Senior OEC Trainer/Evaluator.
Dave continued to use his training skills for his local patrol, the instructor refreshers, and the region OEC refreshers for a great many years. He continued to be active with the Senior EMM program, helping facilitate activities or helping with clinics.
Dave had the complete respect and admiration of Connecticut Region patrollers and many others throughout the Eastern Division. he was a thoughtful and calming influence. He used his engineering-trained mind to analyze situations, scenarios, training opportunities and administrative situations to find the very best way to teach, demonstrate, administer or mediate. Lots of patrollers have outstanding training and experience in first aid. They all listened when Dave talked.
Dave was clearly a strong guiding influence through most of the Connecticut Region’s development. The Connecticut Region is what it is, due in a large part to the efforts, energy, talents, and personality of Dave Coakley. In recognition of his long dedicated service in 1983 Dave National Appointment #6233. He was also the recipient of a National Certificate of Appreciation in 2001 and the Distinguished Service Award in 2010.
Dave is survived by his five children: three daughters, Jean Gibeault (husband Greg), Susan Waldron and Sandra Coakley and two sons, Robert Coakley and Richard Coakley (wife Deborah). David also leaves behind 10 grandchildren, nine great-grandchildren and two great-great-grandchildren.
Donations may be made to the Descendants of Whaling Masters of New Bedford, MA.
by Trail Sweep Staff | Feb 24, 2026 | In Memoriam
Ralph Cooke of Glenwood, NJ passed away on December 23, 2025, at the age of 77. An avid reader with a keen intellect who loved games, Ralph warmed many lives with his good humor and insight. He was always ready to listen to others’ perspectives and share a kind word. He loved the outdoors, and spent his free time hiking, swimming, camping, and white-water rafting.
Throughout his life, Ralph was known for his generous heart, sage wit, and indominable spirit. Ralph grew up in Pompton Plains, where he served as a Boy Scout and played football as a teen. He graduated from Alfred University with a degree in English.
Ralph was a passionate teacher and a beloved contributor to his community. He taught English at West Milford High School; after directing several high school plays, Ralph developed the first high school news production program in New Jersey, leading students to produce a weekly local news show until he retired. Ralph was also a small business owner; he and his brother Ed ran the Culver Lake Wicker Outlet on weekends.
A lover of the wild, Ralph then moved to Tupper Lake, where he met his future wife Kathleen teaching in the Adirondacks. Kathy shared his love of folk music and literature and his dauntless spirit, and the two traveled abroad teaching ESL in Spain before settling down in Sussex County, New Jersey; they were married in 1977.
He was a lifelong skier, and he joined the National Ski Patrol at Hidden Valley in 1999 serving as an active member for 26 years. In addition to patrolling, Ralph taught Outdoor Emergency Care courses for nine years and served as the NJ Region Alumni Advisor. He was awarded Leadership Commendation Appointment #8537 in 2019 for his work on the patrol and was an active skier until he died.
“The mountains are calling, and I must go,” was one of Ralph’s favorite quotes. He leaves behind many loved ones and friends who will dearly miss his untamed spirit. Ralph will be remembered with a celebration of life later in the spring; for information, please contact his wife Kathy at kmscooke@gmail.com or his daughter Ana Cooke at ana.cooke@proton.me.
by Trail Sweep Staff | Nov 19, 2025 | Spotlight Articles
After we went to press, the authors felt that there were some corrections/additions that needed to be made. In the interest of everyone reading the corrected copy this article has been pulled. Stay tuned for the December issue.
by Trail Sweep Staff | Oct 23, 2025 | Spotlight Articles
AccuWeather released its winter forecast earlier in October, and the private forecaster said that a “bookend winter” is on tap for the central and eastern U.S., with the biggest storms expected around the opening and the final weeks of the season. “It can be an intense stormy winter for areas of the country, particularly across the Midwest, Great Lakes, Ohio Valley, Northeast and parts of the mid-Atlantic,” AccuWeather lead long-range meteorologist Paul Pastelok said.
by Trail Sweep Staff | Oct 23, 2025 | Division News, Program News
If you were not there, you missed it! The AMN 25 instructor continuing education refresher was a huge success! It’s going to be hard to find a location that will beat Pike Glades in New Hampshire. The weather was perfect, and we had the largest attendance ever for this event. This year we had many people who only did the online portion of the refresher. This is going to become a yearly requirement, with you only needing to attend an in person refresher once every three years.
AVALANCHE – Rob West, Supervisor
The leaves are changing, and the air is getting crisper. Winter will soon be upon us again. We had a great AMN refresher at Pike Glades in New Hampshire the last weekend of September. The avalanche station ran two beacon rotations, focusing on long-range searching and close-range bracketing. We also ran a station refreshing everyone on how to build hypothermic wraps for an injured partner in the back country with what they had in their packs. Thank you to all the instructors who came and helped out, and all the instructors who attended to continue their education and bring new knowledge to the students.
MOUNTAIN TRAVEL & RESCUE – Joni Porter, Supervisor
This portion of the refresher covered ‘How to Teach Low Angle Rescue’ utilizing a down-up-capture using a carabiner, pulley, and release, known as ‘DUC-CPR’ for short. This method has been chosen as the standard of training for the Eastern Division. Participants got lots of hands-on practice on Saturday, followed by an optional LAR Enhancement Seminar on Sunday.
The online lesson prepared the participants for the fieldwork by introducing the following objectives:
1. Why are we referring to foundational LAR as DUC-CPR?
2. The details of the process of Down-Up-Capture (DUC) using carabiners, pulleys, and release (CPR).
3. Show that there is room in DUC-CPR to create variations to fit specific needs.
Doing the online work in advance allowed AMN participants to dive directly into “doing” upon arrival at the field stations.
NORDIC/BACKCOUNTRY – Chuck Boyd, Supervisor
The field station involved navigation and built on the online pre-course work. Participants were given a set of coordinates which they had to add to their CalTopo app and plot a course. Then they went and located the plotted locations, which all returned to the start. Once back at the station HQ the students were given paper maps, and had to plot the same coordinates on the map. Patrollers learned a lot.
by Trail Sweep Staff | Oct 23, 2025 | In Memoriam
Sandy was born in Schweinfurt, Germany in 1947 of Lithuanian parents who were escaping the Russians. He moved to Vermont at the age of three and then to Connecticut when he was five.
He graduated from Paier School of Art with a professional degree in Interior Design.
In 1969, Sandy started patrolling at Mt. Southington, CT. Moving to Vermont, he became a professional patroller at Killington in 1970. In the two years he was there and in 1972 he passed the Certified test and was awarded #23. He was an active member of the program, examining in all the modules. In 2009 he was recognized by his peers in the program and was awarded Lifetime status. He joined the Sugarbush Resort Patrol in 1974.
In 1972 he discovered photography. For the next five years Sandy worked as a photographer with United Press International. In 1987 he became began a 15-year stint as a staff photographer at the Barre-Montpelier, Vermont Times Argus all the while continuing to be an active ski patroller.
In 2006, he went back to work as a Professional Ski Patroller. It was then that Sugarbush Resort discovered he was a top photographer. He took marketing photos, on-hill portraiture, and legendary scenic and action photos.
He took this memorable ski patrol photograph.
by Trail Sweep Staff | Oct 23, 2025 | In Memoriam
Walter “Buck” G. Berdan passed away peacefully on August 27, 2025, surrounded by family after a long battle with Alzheimer’s disease. He was born on July 29, 1949, to Leonard and Margaret (Bliss) Berdan.
Buck grew up hiking, camping, swimming and caving all over New York with his brothers and his many cousins and friends. He was an Eagle Scout, a certified scuba diver, enjoyed sailing his numerous boats over the years, and he was an avid winter camper.
Buck graduated from Schoharie Central School in 1967 and enrolled in Union College, Schenectady, New York. His education was interrupted when he volunteered to serve two tours in the Vietnam War. From 1970 to 1972 Buck was a cryptographic Specialist 5 with an armored cavalry unit of the 23rd “Americal” infantry division.
Following his return from Vietnam, Buck began working with troubled youths at group homes in Albany and Troy. He then became a teacher at Camp Cass, a correctional facility for juvenile offenders. In addition to working to rehabilitate troubled kids, Buck dedicated himself to helping people who struggled with drug and alcohol addiction. He celebrated 40 years of sobriety in 2025.
Following a serious car crash in the 1980s, Buck became an EMT and joined the Middleburgh and Schoharie Volunteer Ambulance Corps. He served for 30 years, responding to over 1800 emergencies and his service was recognized by a special award from the New York State Legislature. A lifelong skier, he also volunteered with the National Ski Patrol at Plattekill and Royal Mountain for over a decade. 2008-2020
Aside from a call to service, Buck discovered a newfound faith in Jesus following his accident. He worshipped at the Schoharie Reformed Church regularly for the rest of his life. Following his retirement, he volunteered regularly at church events and the town church camp. He taught Sunday school for many years and frequently brought friends and strangers alike to church with him. On his last Sunday before passing, he attended the christening ceremony for his grandson, James.
Buck’s large extended family was very important to him. He is survived by his children: Rebecca and Garrett (Ama); his grandson James; his brothers Leonard (Margaret) and William (Carey Anne); his longtime companion Sheila Kennedy; and many Berdan, Snyder and Grogan cousins, nephews, and nieces. The family would like to extend special thanks to Joseph Tetteh for his kindness and care during Buck’s final years.
A Memorial service was held on September 13, 2025 at the Schoharie Reformed Church, Schoharie, NY. Interment followed in the Old Stone Fort Cemetery, Schoharie.
Please honor Buck’s request to volunteer time or resources to help the church, a local EMS/fire agency, or any other charitable cause dear to them.
