by Melinda Mingus, Patroller Stress Awareness Advisor | Oct 14, 2024 | Division News
We’re pleased to announce that the Eastern Division Patroller Stress Awareness Team (PSAT) has partnered with Responder Alliance, a leading resource for stress injury tools and education, to offer patrollers discounted training access. All NSP Eastern Division members will receive 25% off the Stress Injury Awareness for the Individual online course through a discount link. Click here to register.
Don’t miss the next Patroller Stress Awareness Forums Zoom Meetings:
• November 13 at 7 pm
• December 11 at 7 pm
Learn from the experts – Network with colleagues – Share information about patroller wellness – Patrollers Supporting Patrollers.
Zoom Link for all meetings. Visit the Stress Awareness page on the Eastern Division website for more information.
by Simon Thomas, RD EMARI | Sep 15, 2024 | Division News, Ski Industry News, Spotlight Articles
Get ready to hit the slopes with the National Ski Patrol at the Snowbound Expo in Boston! Ski Patrollers mark your calendars!
The National Ski Patrol is gearing up for another thrilling appearance at the Snowbound Expo in Boston, set to take place November 15-17, 2024. After last year’s smashing success, where our booth drew crowds and lots of smiles, we’re more excited than ever to showcase what makes NSP the gold standard in winter sports safety.
Last year, our booth was a standout hit, buzzing with excitement and filled with families eager to learn about the crucial role of ski patrollers. We had fantastic interactions with winter sports lovers of all ages, from enthusiastic kids dreaming of their first slopes to seasoned skiers sharing their own snowy adventures. The feedback was overwhelmingly positive, with attendees particularly enjoying our interactive displays, exciting video, and cool giveaways.
This year, we’re bringing back all those fan-favorite elements that made our booth so memorable, plus some new surprises to keep the excitement rolling. Our goal is not just to present a positive image of NSP but also to connect on a personal level with the winter sports community. We’ll have patrollers on hand to answer questions, share stories, and explain how we ensure safety and fun on the slopes.
We’re also on the lookout for patrollers from the entire Eastern Division to join our team of volunteers to run the booth over the three days. This is always a lot of fun and worth your time. And if you are interested in helping promote this event, the Ambassador program comes with some fun perks. Click here to apply.
The Snowbound Expo is becoming a big hit with families, offering a perfect blend of entertainment and education. Guest speakers include Alice Merryweather, Hannah Kearny, Todd Richards, Dan Eagan, and “Maine’s Finest Athlete” himself, Donny Pelletier. Plus, there will be many more.
There is plenty of great food and a few local breweries to help make it a complete day. And don’t forget about the indoor ski slope and rail park. It’s truly a celebration of what we love and we are jazzed to be right in the middle of all the action again.
Stay tuned for more information and get ready to join us at the Snowbound Expo for an unforgettable winter experience!
by Steve Barnes, ORM Supervisor | Sep 15, 2024 | Division News, National News, Program News
By now you have all heard about the new Outdoor Risk Management program (ORM). I am happy to announce that as of March of this year the program is available on the NSP website! ORM was over four years in the making and was created by subject matter experts, education professionals, members of the legal community, and, of course, patrollers. There was specific input from the National Ski Areas Association, the Patroller Wellness Taskforce, the Responder Alliance, as well as the NSP Education Committee.
It is designed to give the line patroller a base of knowledge of risk management with an emphasis on how to recognize potential risk and how to approach it. The program consists of 10 modules ranging from the need for ORM general concepts of risk management to ethical considerations. I believe this course will make every patroller a better patroller from the beginning and more of an asset to their patrol and the resort they serve. It is important to note this program is, and will be, a work in progress and nothing is to be interpreted as a strict requirement. We need to be consistently monitoring changes and updates within the industry.
As I said the course consists of 10 modules which take about 10 to 15 minutes per module to complete. They can be completed all at once or one at a time at your leisure. While it is designed to be an individual course many patrols are using some modules in their refreshers, specifically modules 3 (Personal Risk Management and 6(Patrol Operations), with some patrols making it mandatory for this season.
Here are the steps to take to enroll:
1. Sign into your account at nsp.org.
2. On your member home page click on the Center For Learning tab at the middle of the top of the page.
3. On the next page click on Go to your Learning Center tab at the middle of the bottom of the page.
4. On the next page type ORM in the search catalog bar and click on the magnifying glass on the right side of the page.
5. In the box titled Outdoor Risk Management click on the black Enroll button.
The feedback we have been receiving has been nothing but positive. With comments like “The content is great,” I never thought to look at it that way,” to “The best couple of hours I’ve spent on any course, NSP or not.” I urge you all to give it a try, you won’t be disappointed. If you have any questions feel free to email orm@nspserves.org.
by Grant Fullman, Division Director | Sep 15, 2024 | Division News
Division Director Grant Fullman getting first tracksShorter days, and longer and cooler nights. The unmistakable signs of Fall are all around us – and that means three things: OEC Refreshers, vote in the National Board election, and get ready for snow! This has been a long, hot, and busy summer but I actually had skis on August 27 after a freak hailstorm deposited piles of white stuff around our house in North Creek, NY; just couldn’t resist the photo opportunity! Seriously, business is picking up all across the Division – and the pace will only increase for the next several months.
OEC Refresher Season
Feedback on the OEC Cycle B online and skills refreshers has been very positive. Most who have completed their refreshers agree that this year’s online modules are more user-friendly and effective than last year’s and the skills refresher is straightforward. Many thanks to all of the OEC Instructors and Instructor Trainers who deliver the refreshers. We couldn’t do this without you!
NSP National Board Elections
Fourteen candidates are running for four National Board of Directors seats this year. The candidates’ names were announced in a special edition of Sweep on September 13, along with dates for three candidate forums that will be conducted via Zoom on September 30, October 8, and October 16. Please mark your calendars and try to attend as many of these forums as possible. The Eastern Division leadership team will be well represented, and we will develop some recommendations based on what we hear at the forums. Most of all, I highly encourage everyone to vote. Turnout has historically been low, so every vote matters more than you might think! Voting will run from October 15 through December 1, 2024 so don’t miss the opportunity to influence the future of NSP.
Preparing to get back on snow is serious business. Biking, hiking, working outdoors, or hitting the gym are all great ways to get in shape. Most agree that trying to ‘ski yourself into shape’ is ineffective, so don’t wait! And if you need some additional inspiration, consider attending https://snowboundexpo.com/ (aka the Boston Ski Show). Eastern Division will have a booth; please contact Simon Thomas if you would like to help.
by Ed Riggs, Instructor Development Supervisor | Sep 15, 2024 | Division News, Program News
Ed Riggs, Instructor Development SupervisorFor those who don’t know me, I’ve held many positions in over 35 years in NSP but have been out of ski patrol management for quite a while. So why get back into it? As I did then, I still believe in what we do. In the past I’ve been a patrol director, a region OEC administrator, an assistant region director, and the national Instructor Development (ID) program director. I am currently an IT for both OEC and Instructor Development, as well as a senior trainer evaluator for OET, and a PSIA ski instructor.
I’m not listing these things to brag about my resume, because I’m sure many patrollers have equal or better credentials than mine. I’m just trying to illustrate my love of teaching and my dedication to patrolling. Education is my passion. In my real job I’ve been an educator at the college level for over 30 years.
What are my goals for Instructor Development in the Eastern Division? I must admit, I was left with an outstanding program to manage. The reports I received from region advisors are very impressive. One region offered three ID courses in the last five months. That type of initiative reinforces my goal to continue strengthening and building the strongest ID program in the nation.
As many seasoned instructors in all disciplines leave or take a break from teaching, we must continue to bring new instructors into the fold. That starts with Instructor Development courses. Now that we are able to offer hybrid courses, I am encouraging all region advisors to increase their course offerings to accommodate the busy lives of patrollers. There is no longer the need to have a big enrollment to offer a course. In fact, the National ID program is offering frequent virtual course sessions to further meet the needs of those desiring to get started on the road to becoming an NSP instructor.
There are several new things happening in the ID program at the national level. I promise to keep everyone updated. Until then, I hope everyone enjoys what is left of the pre-skiing season.
by Joanna Eckhardt, Harriett Hollister Spencer State Recreation Area | Sep 14, 2024 | Division News, Program News, Spotlight Articles
I learned a lot of things at the Women’s MTR clinic organized by the Genesee Valley Region, under the leadership of Deb Whalen, however two things stood out for me the most.
First, offering a Women’s MTR clinic, especially with the word Women’s in the title, encouraged me to sign up. I know nothing about mountain travel and rescue. I like the idea of being outdoors and camping. But I am by no means one of those people constantly somewhere in the woods with a tent and a compass. I never held a compass until now. The fact the clinic was offered for women specifically and contained a topic I knew nothing about, really made me sign up.
I would probably not have signed up for a general MTR clinic, assuming I knew too little about the subject and would be too embarrassed, or too lost, or too frustrated, or frankly feeling too stupid to understand. The fact it was offered as a Women’s clinic empowered me to say, I would really like to know more about MTR, and I think maybe I can learn and understand. Now don’t get me wrong, there were a lot of subjects in the online portion of the course that made me slightly question my decision. The prospect of navigation was especially scary.
But the fact that our instructors assumed we could totally master the simple concepts of navigation was also empowering. Deb was wonderful and supportive, offering open communication about concepts we found challenging. She made it enjoyable to learn but, at the same time, we knew that if we got stuck in any way, we could call, and she would find a way to explain.
The second part that really stood out to me was the fact that being an “all-girls crew” gave the course a different feeling while attending the in-person portion. It was really refreshing to see that our instructors went the extra mile to teach the concept while fostering and encouraging creativity and individualism.
Some instructors I had in the past made it very clear, that while there are a lot of ways to meet the objective, there is honestly only ONE good way, this being their way. In the program we were asked to make a fire and build a shelter. There were no long monologues about how to best approach this request. The objectives were clearly stated in both cases (fire must burn for more than two minutes; shelter must keep you dry and allow you to survive a night in the wilderness in cold, rainy, and windy conditions).
I saw many fires, and I saw as many shelters as there were teams (seven I believe) and none of them were equal. It was refreshing and empowering to see that shelters can come in different forms, and what you have on hand and your imagination may, in fact, suffice to successfully spend a night in the woods with a fire and shelter. What really stood out is that our instructors and mentors attending fostered creativity and spirit. They helped each individual work to their best ability while not injecting their ego, but meeting or surpassing (you should have seen some of the amazing shelters) the objectives.
I absolutely loved the program, and strongly recommend finding and attending one if you can. I met some wonderful women and left in high spirits feeling empowered and a little in awe of all the great work I saw! And honestly, should we not all know how to use a compass and a map to get us out of the woods?
by Mike Taylor | Sep 14, 2024 | Division News, Region News, Spotlight Articles
Long time ski patroller, Mike Taylor, bought Holiday Mountain in Monticello, NY breathing new life into a ski area that was about to be added to the list of “lost ski areas.” He feels that it is important to keep smaller ‘feeder mountains’ open. At Holiday we breed skiers and cater to families which is important to our local community.
Holiday opened in 1957, owned by the Township of Thompson, which ran it until it was sold to a private owner in 2000. Lack of cold weather and the inability to make needed upgrades, caused Holiday to slowly fall into disrepair eliminating four lifts, closing nine of their original 12 trails, and leaving one triple Poma chairlift operating and one conveyor.
Holiday Mountain was purchased last May after the former owner told Taylor that he was done, losing money, and was going to close and that the only buyers were housing developers. No one wanted to buy it for use as a ski area. There was no choice since Holiday is just too important for the community and the area’s kids; the Taylors jumped in.
Mike Taylor originally joined NSP at McIntyre Mountain in Manchester, NH while he was in college. He returned home after college and joined the Holiday Mountain Ski Patrol, the area where he grew up. He became a paramedic, which he did nights and weekends for the next 25 years. After a five year break to have kids, he rejoined Holiday’s patrol to get his kids on skis. The family gravitated to Plattekill Mountain, where he still patrols today, but came back to Holiday to keep it from closing and give it a second chance.
Last season Holiday saw a total revamp of their snowmaking system including new water pumps, an air compressor, miles of pipe, 45 stick guns, and 16 fan guns in addition to adding a conveyor for a new snow-tubing park and redirected “learning center.” Their 20+ year old rental equipment was all replaced, over 100 trail lights replaced, lodges renovated, and a new website and ticketing software were put in place. A used (but newer to them) PistenBully groomer was purchased. Erosion was repaired with lots of drainage piping. Over 30 dumpsters of debris were removed from the property as buildings were torn down or revamped. Racing came back with the addition of a new timing building and fiber optic cabling top to bottom.
A 1968 Poma double chairlift serving three closed trails that was out of service for six years was put back into service. Many skiers were thrilled that terrain they never dreamed of skiing again was open, including kids who had never skied there. In addition, lots of work was done at the summer “fun park” with upgrades to the Go-Karts, bumper boats, batting cages, arcade, and mini-golf as a start.
This year the work hasn’t slowed. Two lanes of “synthetic” summer tubing was put down in the tubing park serviced by a 250-foot conveyor lift. A 4th new 450 HP snowmaking water pump is on order in addition to 23 tower fan guns, 100 air/water stick guns, and over six miles of snowmaking piping. In addition, the mountain is currently replacing that 2800-foot double chair with a completely reconditioned quad lift that will service four trails that will have 100% new snowmaking installed this fall. A new double black diamond trail dubbed “Hackledam” (named after a long-abandoned logging town down river from Holiday) has been cut. Work this summer included blasting some of the rock off the top ledges, removing stumps, and adding snowmaking. This new trail will rank with some of the steepest in the Catskills with great northern exposure which will help keep the snow.
Phase 3 of reconstruction will add a third chairlift and snowmaking over time, reopening the closed trails in their “north” area, replacing the iconic long-dormant chairlift that’s adjacent to NYS Route 17 with its “floating bullwheel” that motorists have seen for over five decades. Phase 3 should add another seven to eight trails to Holiday in the end. Plans are also in the works to possibly add Nordic trails with snowmaking on the top of the mountain with extra snowmaking water pumping capacity going in this year for future expansion.
Holiday’s ski patrol is gaining in numbers. The mountain is coming back with 13 students recently completing the OEC program taught
by ski patrol director Bob Scarabino. Holiday is always looking for patrollers whether it’s your home mountain, a ‘secondary’ where you can get on the schedule, and we also welcome visiting patrollers. Bring your coat and pack, we never turn down help!
The community support for Holiday Mountain has been amazing. After-school ski programs are coming back, and high school race teams will sprout again. This summer Holiday was proud to host the NSP “Certified Boot Camp” in August as well as other community events including an Oktoberfest on October 26!
This is what happens when a passionate ski patroller with a strong vision and abilities buys a small community ski area that was about to close. While Holiday will never be a “big mountain,” we’ll be one that’s less than two hours from NYC, has some great terrain, and a warm, local, hometown feeling that’s been lost at many of the mega-mountains over time.
We look forward to you visiting us soon. Follow Holiday Mountain’s progress on Facebook® & Instagram®
by Denice Kaus, OET Steering Committee | Sep 14, 2024 | Division News, Program News, Spotlight Articles
It’s that time of year when the temperatures start to cool, leaves start to change, and there’s pumpkin spice everything. That means it’s time to start thinking about Ski Patrol training. Have you started to think about your OET training opportunities? There are training events everywhere – at your home area, in your region, and at the division level.
Where do you find these fun events? Patrollerschool.org has links to events in each region and in the division. As a local patroller, look for Ski Enhancement and Toboggan Enhancement Seminars. These are training events where you can refresh your skills, learn new techniques, and challenge yourself.
The next step is the Senior Program. This training fine tunes your skiing and toboggan handling skills in the “more” or “most” difficult terrain. This allows you to train with patrollers from other ski areas in your region. Challenge yourself to ski on new terrain, meet new people, and better your skills.
Following are the goals of the Senior Patroller Outdoor Emergency Transportation program:
- To provide a training and evaluation environment which encourages all Patrollers to participate.
- To expand and improve the NSP member’s patrolling knowledge and skills through a national program of training and evaluation.
- To provide NSP members with the opportunity to obtain quality upper-level training.
- To improve the image of Patrollers and the National Ski Patrol.
- To provide a method for members to obtain personal improvement and achievement through definable goals.
- To prepare patrollers for leadership positions in the National Ski Patrol.
In order to apply, you must get the recommendation of your patrol director and contact your region OET administrator. Encourage a friend to apply with you!
Young adult patrollers have the same training opportunities as adult patrollers and have additional YAP specific training events available. There is an annual YAP summit in the spring for patrollers throughout the division. Are you a YAP or do you have YAPs at your area or region? Talk to your region’s YAP advisor about events scheduled in the region. YAPs are encouraged to participate in the division OET events at patroller schools. This is an opportunity to ski at new areas, meet new patrollers, learn something new, and HAVE FUN!
Check patrollerschool.org for locations and registration information. Also check out the YAP link on the division website for all information regarding the Eastern Division YAP program.
by Eric Krawczyk, LMHC | Sep 14, 2024 | Division News, Spotlight Articles
Eric KrawczykI read the Power of Connection article in the March issue of Trail Sweep and appreciated the perspective about the resilience of social connections. I’m a volunteer patroller at Bousquet Mountain as well as an Ecotherapist in private practice.
I’d like to share my perspective and experience working with clients, of which some are first responders, in my practice and the other “forms” and “conditions” of connection that supports “getting back to normal”.
Our nervous system naturally wants to heal and release the stress and burdens from stressful or traumatic incidents, but all too often our culture fails to offer very favorable conditions for this process to occur naturally or even prescriptively.
Connecting to nature is an integral way our nervous system regulates and is likely one of the big reasons why we ski. Nature provides a safe container and even the witness for us to safely access and release the physical and mental stress memories. Similarly to the way we clean and dress physical wounds in order to promote biological healing, creating a safe space for someone to psychologically heal is essential.
Another powerful element of nature that I’ve seen support stressed groups and individuals are animals. Animals naturally know how to down regulate stress through physical releases: shake, stretch, groom, move and play after stressful events in order to return to “reset” their nervous systems. I work with a therapy dog named Shadow in my practice and he also joins me when I patrol. Even though his primary role isn’t search and rescue, I’ve seen how well Shadow calms both patrollers and patients in the patrol room, in the top shack and on the slopes helping everyone remain calmer thus improving the delivery and reception of emergency care.
Similar to the camaraderie that’s shared through skiing and the mountains, a four-legged friend can become another hub for a diverse group of patrollers to bond around. A service animal’s presence, whose openness and affinity rarely discriminates, can reduce isolation and model how to accept the good with the bad. Patrol dogs are also an effective ambassador between the patrol, resort staff and the public. They help us connect with the skiers and riders who tend to challenge our safety mindedness.
So consider integrating the power of connection with nature and animals in your patrol settings. Work with your local humane societies, professional animal trainers or Ecotherapists to discover how some of these alternative approaches could reduce your workplace stress.
Editor’s Note: Eric is a MA & NY Licensed Mental Health Counselor and Nationally Certified Forest Therapy Guide specializing in individual, couples and family therapy, and maintains a private practice in Berkshire and Columbia Counties. Eric is also the owner and president of Wild Wellness Inc. who’s mission is to explore natural alternatives to medicine by reconnecting play, people and places. If you would like to find out more about Eric Krawczyk and his program click here: Berkshire Health Ranger.
