by Peter Buss, Division Director | Jun 9, 2026 | Division News
Dear Eastern Division Patrollers,
Winter has finally given up its hold on the East, and skis are being traded for bikes and boats. This is an exciting time of transition, and I am incredibly honored to step into the role of your new Division Director following the election on May 3.
As one of my first official actions, I asked Justin Guth, New Hampshire Region Director, to serve as the new Assistant Division Director. He has graciously agreed and will take on the ADD duties while continuing his excellent work as the NH RD.
I also want to extend a special thank you to Grant Fullman and his assistant, Chuck Dunn, for their guidance and leadership over the past few years. They have left the Eastern Division on incredibly strong footing, and I look forward to building upon that solid foundation.
ABOUT ME
To give you a little background on my journey: I have been a patroller for 35 years at Hidden Valley—a smaller resort in Western Pennsylvania. Over the course of my patrolling career, I have held nearly every role imaginable, from line patroller to paid staff shift supervisor. Currently, I serve as a ski patrol specialist and weekend shift lead, where I have the daily pleasure of working alongside some of the most dedicated patrollers in the National Ski Patrol.
For the past four years, I have also had the honor of serving as the Western Appalachian Region Director. During that tenure, our region shook off the post-COVID Senior Program slump—rebuilding both our instructor and candidate ranks, strengthening our YAP program, and revitalizing the Alumni Program. Throughout it all, we pushed the message that training never ends and that we can always learn and improve.
Along the way, I was humbled to receive my National Appointment #12346 and earn Certified #872.
On a personal note, I have the unique pleasure of patrolling with my wife, Lisa, who actually serves as my home patrol’s leader! Together, we share a blended family of seven adult children who keep us constantly on the move. With three of them currently in college, we have certainly learned a thing or two about how to stretch a budget and finance complex programs!
MY VISION AND PLATFORM
I stepped up to run for Division Director because I believe deeply in the future of our organization. As your director, I am committed to focusing on five key priorities:
• Define Our Purpose: Develop a clear, achievable, and modern Mission Statement for the Division.
• Fiscal Responsibility: Support our strong financial standing while robustly supporting our high-quality educational programs.
• Accessibility: Ensure that our premier programs and training opportunities are easily accessible to every single member across the Division.
• Mentorship: Empower younger patrollers by providing them with the tools and mentorship needed to grow into leadership positions within their local patrols, Regions, and the Division.
• Presence and Visibility: Ensure that the Director’s office is highly visible, active, and engaged on the ground throughout the entire Division.
LOOKING FORWARD
It is both my goal and my responsibility to maintain the robust financial health of our Division. Because we are currently in a strong position, we have an excellent opportunity to maximize the value that every member receives from their dues. I will work tirelessly to preserve this financial stability while ensuring our organization actively serves you.
I look forward to meeting many of you in the coming months. My virtual door is always open, so please don’t hesitate to reach out if you have a question, a concern, or a fresh perspective. If you have a great idea for an improvement, I’d love to hear it—just don’t be surprised if I ask you to help lead the charge in implementing it!
Thank you again for your trust and support. I look forward to working with all of you to keep the Eastern Division moving forward.
Warm regards,
Peter Buss, Division Director
by Bill Zink, Certified Supervisor | Jun 9, 2026 | Division News, Program News
The Certified Program had a very good year. We participated in the Far West Nutz and Boltz event at Mt. Hood in June, held our annual Boot Camp in Pennsylvania at Ski Roundtop in August, our Enhanced Patroller School at Swain in Genesee Valley, New York in September, two pretests – Hunter and Killington in January/February, Killington Patroller School and Intro to Certified Event in February, and our Annual Exam at Sugarloaf, Maine in March.
Turnout at all events was strong. We had a total of seven candidates take our exam. The weather turned warm, it rained, and then froze for two weeks prior. Needless to say, the terrain was NOT available to run the OET components of the exam. We also had to offer a bye on the Avalanche Beacon Search due to inadequate snow cover.
We are hot and heavy preparing for our visit to Nutz and Boltz again at Mt. Hood in early June. There is a strong push to introduce four-handled sled training in our Eastern Division quiver. We are seeing resorts with side country access and our backcountry and Nordic patrollers are seeing the value of this tool. We have been introduced to the basics of handling a four-handled sled and expect to perfect our teaching skills this year. In addition, we will be calibrating our rope and avalanche modules while participating.
Our next activity will be our annual Boot Camp. This year’s event will be held at Magic Mountain in Southern Vermont on August 7, 8 and 9. Our Enhanced Patroller School will be held at Swain on September 18, 19 and 20. We are currently planning our two pretests again this year. The first is yet to be determined and the second will be integrated into our Intro to Certified Program at Killington. Tentative save the dates are as follows:
• Pre test 1 – location TBD February 7
• Pre test 2 – location Killington February 12
• Intro to Certified – location Killington February 13 and 14
• Our exam will be held at Smugglers’ Notch the week after the YAP event on March 18-21.
Looking forward to seeing you soon!
by Grant Fullman, Division Director | Apr 26, 2026 | Division News
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!
by Tim Franz, Bike Supervisor | Apr 26, 2026 | Division News, Program News
The Eastern Division Bike Program is announcing two different bike patroller schools! Any NSP member is welcome, regardless of whether you’re on a bike patrol. This includes hosts, patrollers, Nordic patrollers, and physician partners. You do NOT have to be a bike patroller, just have an interest in learning.
The first patroller school is hosted by GROC Mountain Bike Patrol in the Genesee Valley Region. It will be at two parks that have cross-country trails designed by and for mountain bikers.
- Dates: Friday June 12 to Sunday June 14
- Location: Ontario County Park and Hickory Ridge (some accessible trails) in the Finger Lakes
- Highlights of the June Patroller School: Bike 1 training, Introduction to Bike Patrolling, One-wheeled Litter training, Search & Rescue/OEC training, and of course riding & socializing.
The second patroller school is hosted by HoliMont Bike Patrol in the Western New York Region. Like last year, it will be held at HoliMont Bike Park.
Dates: Friday September 11 to Sunday September 13- Location: HoliMont Bike Park
- Highlights of the September Patroller School: Bike 1 training, Instructor training, One-wheeled Litter training, Downhill Riding Skills, First Response
at a Bike Park, and of course riding & socializing.
Watch patrollerschool.org for more information on both these events or reach out to Tim Franz or John Wolf at bike@easterndivisionnsp.org.
by Trail Sweep Staff | Apr 2, 2026 | Division News, Program News, Spotlight Articles
Rich Pietrafesa, Board Member
No matter how you look at it, the 2026 Eastern Patroller and Alumni Event was an outstanding success. There were over 100 people signed up to participate, more than double last year’s event. The evening events with NSP Board members Rich Pietrafesa and Butch MacQueen, the NSP Safety Team, and the history of the 10th Mountain Division were well attended and very informative.
Butch MacQueen, Board Member & John Crandall, former SVT Alumni Advisor
Stratton Mountain did a great job welcoming us. The daily events included touring the snowmaking operations, the Carlos Otis Clinic and First Aid Center, and the Patrol Summit HQ. These provided us insight into some unique attributes of the daily routine of different departments at Stratton. Matt Jones, CEO of Stratton, even came and talked about the resort, the ski industry, and answered questions from us all.
Melanie Musczynski, EDIV Safety Team & Oliver Loewen, Stratton Patrol
Special thanks to Stratton Patrollers Larry Kneip, Steve Sabastian, Ned O’Rourke, Bill Vosmer, and Oliver Loewen for spending the better part of the week guiding us on the mountain and providing great conversations. Having our own guides really made for great days on the snow.
There were patrollers and Alums from all 15 Regions of the Eastern Division and from the PRO ranks as well. Folks from Maine to West Virginia, Buffalo to New Jersey were present. Good times, good food, and great fellowship were had by all. Oh, and some pretty fine skiing too. Hope to see you all next year!
Written by The Alumni Advisors of the Eastern Division
by Trail Sweep Staff | Apr 2, 2026 | Division News, Program News
ELK MOUNTAIN
Again, this year, the One-Day Women’s Toboggan Event at Elk Mountain on Friday, January 23, was a huge success! The collaboration between the Eastern Division Women’s Program and the EPA Region hosted 21 participants and five instructors. The day was filled with supportive coaching, training on toboggans and skills, while sharing laughs, lunch, and allowing everyone to work within their comfort levels. Women teaching and empowering other women is always a win! Please be on the lookout for more women’s programming next ski season.
Chrissy Ludka, Eastern Division Women’s Program Supervisor
Kurt Adam, EPA Region Director
GORE MOUNTAIN
Twenty women and several instructors from Eastern New York and beyond took to the glades, steeps and bumps on Friday, February 27 as part of Gore Mountain Women’s OET Clinic.
The clinic marked a major growth milestone for the ENY Women’s Program, with double the number of attendees as previous events in the region. It also marked the first year a women’s OET clinic was held the Friday before Gore Mountain Patroller School, giving many participants a three-day OET enhancement experience.
Here’s what participants had to say:
- What an incredible day! I gained so much confidence and takeaways to keep practicing.
- Very empowering and motivating!
- I really appreciated all of the support and cheerleading that my group provided to me. I ended up feeling almost selfish about how much I was helped. My Senior clinic the next day went well ALL BECAUSE of the skills I was shown and coached through on Friday.
Follow Eastern Division Women’s Program at @nspeastwomen on both Instagram and Facebook for next year’s clinic dates!
Amy Reinink, ENY Women’s Program Advisor
BRISTOL MOUNTAIN
We held an amazing women’s empowerment clinic at Bristol Mountain on Saturday, March 7. This also happened to be international women’s weekend. We hosted 24 amazing women from seven different patrols. Our ladies ran sleds, worked with PSIA and AASI 
instructors, and stretched out with some ” Snow-ga” (yoga in snow). We finished the day with an amazing charcuterie munch and mingle. Our amazing women patrollers felt empowered to be the best they could be!
Pam Welch, GVR Women’s Program Coordinator
by Sue-Ellen Helmacy, Awards Supervisor | Apr 2, 2026 | Division News, Program News, Spotlight Articles
Eastern Division has a New Award! The Red Merit Star fills a unique and necessary recognition gap—honoring patrollers whose instinct, training, and intervention made a profound difference, even when the patient may not show or present with immediate life-threatening signs.
Unlike the NSP Purple Merit Star, which recognizes life-saving interventions, the Red Merit Star acknowledges situations where timely and skilled action, including load and go, which may have prevented a potentially catastrophic outcome, but where the injury or illness may not have initially presented as immediately life-threatening.
The Red Merit Star recognizes NSP patrollers who demonstrate exceptional emergency care, critical decision-making, and compassion in situations where their intervention was instrumental in preventing a significant negative outcome, or death.
Patrollers may be recognized for incidents in which they worked up to two years back. The process is similar to that of other Eastern Division awards. Further information and the application will be on the webpage shortly.
by Chuck Boyd, Nordic/Backcountry Supervisor | Apr 2, 2026 | Division News, Program News
What a time we had at Pike Glades! The weather was perfect, the snow was deep, and everyone made new friends! Thanks to Orest Ohar and Linda Helms from the Eastern Division’s OET Training Team, we received training in the use of two types of breakaway two-piece toboggans.
One was a two-piece Cascade 100 with belay points and handles typical to the Cascade Legend. The other was a carbon fiber, four-handle AKJA two-piece toboggan. A big thank you to Jay Peak’s ski patrol for letting us use the AKJA! We all learned a lot about running these sleds through the glades.
Our SAR exercise using Caltopo teams had all searchers recovering their hidden prizes. Look for this event again next season, especially if your ski area deals with lost area skiers out of bounds.
If you ever wanted to learn about what Nordic/Backcountry patrollers do, come next year to our annual Bolton Nordic Patroller School at Bolton Valley Ski Resort in Bolton, VT. Bolton Valley has all types of Nordic terrain including XC track/skate, backcountry, and lift served alpine. We will be doing Nordic basic evaluations, Nordic Senior evaluations, SAR lost skier searches, and skiing with a Skedco rescue litter through the woods. As a patroller, learning to use Caltopo in a SAR situation is extremely useful for a successful outcome. Groups will be skiing on all types of Nordic skis, with some riders on AT gear and split boards.
by Rob West, Avalanche Supervisor | Apr 2, 2026 | Division News, Program News
The Avalanche teaching season has come to an end for the Eastern Division. This year we successfully ran two Level 1 classes and one Level 2 class. A total of 44 students completed their Level 1 training, and 12 students completed Level 2.
We had an amazing group of patrollers participate in the programs this year. Everyone was fully engaged in their learning and went above and beyond to complete both their online and in-person coursework.
We also had two new Level 1 avalanche instructors complete their mentorships. Congratulations to Jeff and Val Luby for their hard work and dedication to the program!
Looking ahead to next season, we plan to run three Level 1 classes and one Level 2 class.
In the meantime, remember to continue your training and education during the off-season. This fall you can attend the AMN Refresher (date and location TBD), as well as the Eastern Snow and Avalanche Workshop in Fryeburg, ME in early December.
While most resorts will be closing soon, there is still plenty of backcountry skiing to enjoy. Tuckerman Ravine typically holds enough snow for skiing well into May. This is my home patrol area, so feel free to reach out for current conditions.
Also be sure to follow the Mount Washington Avalanche Center daily avalanche bulletin. Please feel free to reach out anytime if you have questions about the Avalanche Program.
Linda Helms, the Certified Program Avalanche Chair, sent a couple of cool videos from YouTube. Yes, they are regarding avalanches.
The first is from Tuckerman Ravine on 3/15/26. I was patrolling that day and we heard about this slide, and even spoke to the person involved. He said it was about a 6″ crown and comprised of the new snow on the old bed surface which had seen some rain and re-freeze. Someone caught it on video. Pretty cool. Lots of drama. Tuckerman Ravine Avalanche
This next video is of a recent wet slide in the La Sal Mountains of Utah. The La Sals are south and east of the Wasatch so have a more similar snow pack to Colorado (continental vs inter-mountain). La Sal Moutains Avalanche
Also of interest is a recent podcast about an avalanche accident in the La Sal mountains that occurred in 1992. Avalanche Podcast
I have not had the chance to look into further developments of the Sierra Avalanche fatalities from February. I will update when I have the chance. Enjoy the weather, and keep hoping for snow.
