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 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.
by Grant Fullman, Division Director | Jun 27, 2024 | Division News, Spotlight Articles
Eastern Division Director Grant FullmanBugs and heat still dominate here in North Creek, New York, but winter is never far away, and we’ve been busy! On May 5, at the Division Spring Officers’ Meeting, Cal Goldsmith stepped down after four years of dedicated work and the Region Directors elected me as the next Division Director. The election was competitive; I appreciate the respect shown by the other candidates and repeat my pledge to equally serve all fifteen regions. The DD works for everyone in the division.
I feel honored to serve and very grateful that Cal’s tireless efforts left the division in good shape. My first act as DD was to appoint Carl Chaplin, the New Hampshire RD, as our Assistant DD, and obtain Division Board approval. I have known Carl for a long time; his resume far exceeds mine, and I trust his judgment and wise counsel.
Cal maintained very high standards while navigating multiple challenges – including the COVID pandemic and bringing a new treasurer on board. Cal worked closely with his peers and the National Board to support NSP while representing the Eastern Division’s interests. For me, multiple Zoom meetings with the other DDs and the National Board began the day after being elected to work on the National budget. Everyone is rightfully concerned about rising costs and I am grateful that the National Board listened to us and made adjustments before approving their budget.
Since then, the Division Finance Committee, led by John Tuttle and Doug Adams, worked diligently to finalize the Division budget, which was approved on June 27. This year we will meet our needs without raising our current $17 dues.
For those who don’t know me I have patrolling for 30 years, spending my first four at Scotch Valley, a humble and long-defunct ski area in the Catskills. I moved on to Gore Mountain, the largest ski area in New York. My first 20 years at Gore were as a volunteer, patrolling over 40 days a year. Since retiring in 2018, I’ve been a seasonal, full-time pro at Gore, typically patrolling over 100 days a year.
Money was always tight at Scotch Valley; we learned how to do a lot with very little, but the training was truly outstanding! Gore has more resources but is far larger and more complex. Along the way, I became an OEC instructor and IT, OET instructor and IT, OET Senior Trainer/Evaluator, Eastern NY Region OET Advisor for 11 years, Section Chief for two years, and Region Director for five years. Credit for any success as a Region Director belongs to the awesome ENY Region leadership team. My role was mostly to recruit, encourage, coach, and then get out of their way!
I am excited to begin work as Division Director with such an amazing team of Region Directors, Section Chiefs/ARDs, Program Supervisors and Staff, and Division Officers and Advisors. As I said before, the Division Director works for everyone – so please let me know when there’s a problem that I can help with. Good news is always welcome too!
by Trail Sweep Staff | Jun 27, 2024 | Division News, Program News, Spotlight Articles
CERTIFIED BOOT CAMP
HOLIDAY MOUNTAIN, NY – Friday, August 16 – Sunday, August 18
For full information: https://www.patrollerschool.org/events/events/certified-boot-camp-2023-mt-bethel-pa-2/
Join us at Holiday Mountain Ski & Fun Park in Monticello, NY, for a gathering of like-minded Ski Patrollers in a rustic camping environment, all looking to learn about the Certified program and enhance or broaden their patroller skill set. The goal this season is “deep dive into lift evac.” The certified program modules that will be covered at this event will be:
- Lift Evacuation
- Outdoor Risk Management
- Avalanche
- Low Angle Rescue
- OEC Assessment, Skill & MCI Scenarios
OVERALL AGENDA
Boot Camp provides:
- Friday — 4:00-6:00 pm – Arrival & Camp Set-up
- Friday — 7:00 pm Meeting
- Breakfast and Lunch on Saturday and Sunday
- Saturday is BOOT CAMP training Day
- Dinner Saturday Night
- Bonfire — FUN
ENHANCED PATROLLER SCHOOL
SWAIN MOUNTAIN, NY – Friday, September 13 – Sunday, September 15
For full information: https://www.patrollerschool.org/events/divi-home/certified-program/
This event is low pressure — you can learn, have fun, and network with other patrollers from all around the division. It is open to any currently registered member of NSP, candidate through Certified. It is a hands-on, get dirty, get bloody, play with different gear event. Typical included modules include:
- Lift evacuation
- Low angle rope rescue,
- OEC assessment and skill building,
- ORM discussions,
- An MCI drill with outside EMS agencies.
Patroller School provides:
- Great food all three days,
- An easy-going, no pressure learning environment,
- Looking at many different ways to meet an objective.
What you need to bring:
- An open mind,
- Gear that you would like to show off or work with,
- Your first aid pack with gloves and supplies.
Rough agenda:
- Friday — 1:00 pm – Arrival, registration, and camp set up
- Friday — 3:00-6:00 pm – Knot tying and open topics
- Friday evening — Fire pit discussion
- Saturday — Module station rotations
- Saturday evening — MCI discussions and planning and ifre pit discussions
- Sunday — MCI drill and feedbac from multiple points of view
by Bill Zink, Certified Supervisor | Jun 25, 2024 | Division News, National News, Program News, Spotlight Articles
Happy Summer fellow Ski Patrollers. As the new chair of the Eastern Division Certified Program, I am humbled by the outpouring of support our members offer the Eastern Division. I participated in my first ever Eastern Division Spring Officers Meeting. My job was to report to the ED leadership team our accomplishments.
As I prepped for the meeting, I started reviewing what our accomplishments were for the year. Then it struck me that maybe it was time to refresh our fellow patrollers on what the Certified Program is all about. Below is an excerpt from a letter from the National Director of the NSP in 1964 and the directive which created the Certified Program as we know it today.
In 1964, National Director Chuck Schobinger forwarded a committee report from the Southern Rocky Mountain Division to George Wesson, Jr. to work out the details for a ‘Certified’ program. The report read: “It is the desire of the paid patrolmen of the NSPS to continually strive for higher standards for all ski patrolmen. Hence, this Certified ski patrolmen program is instituted to give recognition to those who have devoted the extra time and effort to pursue a course of self-development beyond the minimum requirements of the senior ski patrolmen. This program is necessary for the NSPS to keep pace with the technological developments in the sport of skiing and to encourage ski patrolmen to better fulfill the ever-increasing demands and expectations of ski area management and the skiing public.”
The Eastern Division put together a committee of inspiring New England patrollers, which included George Wesson Jr., Rudy Carlson, Wayne Doss, Dexter Galusha, and Casey Rowley to work out the details and proficiency requirements for a pilot program. It would demand the highest level of proficiency from patrollers through training and testing and would promote a level of patrolling in which there would be no compromise with excellence in skiing, first aid, patrol management, administration, and leadership.
First Certified TestTwo years later, during the 1967-68 season, the pilot program was launched. Thirty-four candidate applications were received. Only eight were accepted. Seven candidates showed up at Wildcat Mountain in New Hampshire for the first ‘Certified’ Ski and Toboggan Exam. PSPA was asked for their help in administering the exam to help give credibility to the program for the professionals. The courses were long and challenging using the most difficult terrain Wildcat had to offer. All seven candidates participating were successful and were invited to the first ‘Certified’ First Aid Exam to be held at Killington in April 1968.
The first aid problems were challenging and realistic, many taken from actual accident reports of some of the most unusual or difficult accident scenarios New England Ski Areas had seen. In some scenarios the actual patients were asked to ‘relive’ their accidents by replaying the roles of patients during the exam. In addition to first aid skills, the candidates would be expected to demonstrate a thorough understanding of patrol/management relationship and ski area operation knowledge.
Interviews were conducted for each candidate as if they were applying for a position of patrol leader at their mountain. In the early years of the program, the interviews were conducted by the actual owners and managers of the ski area. Questions concerning snowmaking and lifts, trail markings and grooming, staffing requirements and payroll, equipment needs and costs, mass casualty plans and risk management, legal and liability concerns, federal, state, and local laws and protocol would all be fair game. All seven candidates again passed this portion of the exam becoming the first NSPS ‘Certified’ Patrollers.
Today’s exam now consists of 10 modules (some modules have multiple components). The modules include Outdoor Emergency Care; Outdoor Emergency Transportation; Avalanche; Outdoor Risk Management; Lift Evacuation; and Low Angle Rescue. The exam takes three days to administer and is in March of each year. A successful candidate has three years to successfully pass all 10 modules. If not successful, you must start again.
To learn more about our program, consider participating in one of our two summer/fall events, a “Summer Certified Boot Camp” scheduled for August 16-18 at Holiday Mountain Ski Area in Monticello, NY or an “Enhanced Patroller School” at Swain Resort the weekend of September 13-15th.
Go to www.patrollerschool.org for registration details and information about these summer programs. See www.Nspeast.org/certified for details on the Certified Program. A special thanks to Peter Neefus for the history!
by Leslie Megyeri, Liberty Mountain Alumna | Jun 25, 2024 | Spotlight Articles
Back when I started patrolling in 1982, I was living in Washington, DC while working on Capitol Hill and commuting to Ski Liberty outside Gettysburg, PA, about 65 miles away. I could leave the office about 4:00 and still make my Friday night shift captain’s duties at 6:00. Then traffic became unbearable and I had to leave work at 3:00. When traffic grew even worse, even returning home after my shift took two or more hours. Thus, I made the decision to buy an empty lot in walking distance to the slope. I arranged to erect a small pre-fab home and that decision changed my life and definitely my patrolling career.
While others often called me to cover for them while they were late because they were stuck in traffic, I joyfully walked a few steps, strapped on my Atomic skis, and was on the slope while they were still backing out of their parking garages. In inclement weather, I would get up, eat breakfast, and then put on my backpack while others were shoveling out their driveways to get to the patrol room.
My point is not to brag about how I made patrolling so pleasant for myself for the last 42 years but to encourage other patrollers to, if at all possible, invest in a little ski shack close to your slope, not only for investment purposes, but to enhance your patrol career’s joy.
It becomes a tangible gift to leave your heirs, lessens your commuting headaches, fosters a commitment to patrolling that you never dreamed possible, becomes a welcome vacation getaway, and when you end your patrolling career your little retirement haven allows you to free ski with your patrol buddies whom you’ve befriended over the years. What better investment could you ever make in skiing and in friendship and in one of life’s greatest joys.
