Eastern Division NSP's News Magazine
Find all the latest Trail Sweep news displayed with excerpts on the home page. Search news by keyword or by category below.
What Every Patroller Needs To Know About Alumni
Occasionally, life and circumstances get in the way of the things we love to do. When this happens, you have those who can provide information to help you stay connected to patrolling and make decisions that leave you options for returning to patrolling when appropriate.
Every region in the division has an Alumni Advisor who can help you. Contact them to start a conversation, or contact
NSP History – Chapter 2 – A Fateful Day For Minnie Dole
Charles and Jane Dole
<<< In our last chapter, alpine skiing gains a toe-hold in North America and the Amateur ski club of New York is formed.
While sidelined from skiing due to an injury in 1931, Roland Palmedo, president of the Amateur Ski Club of New York, wrote a letter to the Postmaster in Stowe, Vermont. He had been to Stowe in the summer and knew that Mount Mansfield was a significant landmark, but was there life in Stowe in the winter? Did the town have the facilities to host the ASCNY if they arrived in the winter to ski? The reply came not from the Postmaster but from the Secretary of the Stowe Civic Club, and the response was very positive. Stowe and Mount Mansfield became regular destinations for the club. The response from the town would also eventually lead to the biplane flight in 1939. Our story, the story of the creation of the National Ski Patrol, falls in the intervening years between those two events.
In Memoriam – Morton M. Pear
Morton M. Pear
July 9, 1935–September 18, 2023
It is with great sadness that I inform you of the passing of a patroller who was a friend and supporter of most of us in the CT Region. Morton (Morty) Pear, NSP 134683 passed September 18, 2023. He was a longstanding member of the Powder Ridge Patrol
In Memoriam – Joseph A. Rao
Joseph A. Rao
August 19, 1929—April 18, 2023
Joseph A. Rao, 93, of Southington, formerly of Newington, passed away peacefully, surrounded by his family on Tuesday, April 18, joining his beloved wife, Santina (Sandy) Morelli. He was a longtime member of the Church of the Holy Spirit…
In Memoriam – James “Jim” Chagnon
James “Jim” Chagnon
November 8, 1950—August 21, 2023
It is with sadness that I inform you of the passing of one of our former patrollers James “Jim” Chagnon of Southington, CT, who passed away on August 21, 2023, at his home. He patrolled at Mt. Southington in CT between 1970-1986, became a Senior Alpine Patroller in 1972, and served as a hill captain for the patrol.
In Memoriam – Henry Brisman
Henry Brisman
March 18, 1928–January 29, 2023
Six patrollers wearing their red patrol parkas, serving as pallbearers, escorted Henry Brisman to his final duty station on a damp, cloudy April day. They quietly joked that the gravesite at the top of a hill in the cemetery would make a great spot to ski when snow returns next season; an ideal location from which a skier could survey the countryside below.
In Memoriam – Kenneth Post Jr.
Kenneth Post Jr.
October 18, 1933—May 14, 2023
Kenneth Edwin Post Jr, 89, of Danbury, husband of Eileen (Galligan) Post, died on Sunday, May 14, 2023, at his residence. Born on October 18, 1933, the son of the late Kenneth Edwin Post Sr and Ethel Post, he was a lifelong resident of Danbury.
In Memoriam – Thomas H. Gillespie, Jr.
Thomas H Gillespie, Jr.
August 21, 1933-April 25, 2023
Thomas Howard Gillespie, Jr., a 55-year resident of New Canaan, CT, died on April 25, 2023. He was born in Chicago, IL on August 21, 1933, a son of Thomas Howard and Florence Stoker Gillespie, and raised in Kenilworth, IL. As a youth attending Joseph Sears School and New Trier Township High School, Tom was active in sports and achieved his Eagle Scout rank in Boy Scouts at the early age of 13.
In Memoriam – James J. McKay
James J. McKay
December 14, 1940—May 5, 2023
Jim McKay was a caring and attentive husband, a supportive and proud father, and a loyal friend to many. He was hard-working, generous, quick with a joke, and always ready with a story. Jim was a great man who will be sorely missed…
In Memoriam – Robert Carhart
In Loving Memory of a Dedicated Ski Patroller
Robert Carhart
April 12, 1953-May 15, 2023
It is with heavy hearts and profound sadness that we announce the passing of our beloved and esteemed ski patroller, Robert (Pappy) Carhart. He departed from this world on Monday, May 15, leaving behind a legacy of courage, compassion, and unwavering dedication to the safety and well-being of others. Born on April 12, 1953, Pappy discovered a passion for skiing at an early age…
You Asked…We Listened! We’re Revamping Trail Sweep
The history of the Eastern Division newsletter, Trail Sweep, stretches back a long time. I have copies going back to Volume 29, No. 4, Spring/Summer of 1986. Looking through the issues, I am amazed at how far we’ve come and all the changes that have been made. We used to publish four issues a year, then three, and finally, we were down to two, although as we reduced the number of issues, they gained in size. We removed some information, like the division and region rosters and event calendar, and the list of awards and obituaries increased. We are an aging organization.
But even though we’re aging, our members are savvy and connected. An electronic survey sent to Eastern Division patrollers in late February asked their opinions about Trail Sweep and how information is…
Interview with NSP Executive Director Stephanie Cox
Stephanie Cox was hired as the Executive Director of the NSP just over a year ago, in October 2022. She is the third Executive Director of the NSP in the last few years. Trail Sweep asked Stephanie if she would agree to be interviewed to discuss the challenges of the job and her plans for the future. We asked her about what skills she brought to the job, how she felt about the turnover of her predecessors, her plans for the growth of sponsorships and fundraising, and her plans to help resolve issues with the NSP website.
What experiences and skills do you bring to the NSP as Executive Director?
My prior leadership roles, where I had to manage large, diverse teams, make critical decisions, and motivate others – especially in difficult, changing, and complex environments…
OET Patroller School Schedule Announced
The 2024 Patroller School schedule has been posted on the Eastern Division’s EVENT website, along with many other training events. Please use it to find division-based educational events. The four programs that actively utilize Patroller School are:
Outdoor Emergency Transportation offers training weekend events
Avalanche Program offers online and weekend courses
Mountain Travel & Rescue offers a variety of online and weekend courses
Patroller Stress Preparedness offers a self-paced online course for individuals
The concept of offering high-level training opportunities taught by Division staff Instructors originated with Outdoor Emergency Transportation (OET) twenty years ago
Two New Certified Members and the First One-Year Candidacy in 27 Years
The first article of the season for the Certified team is an opportunity for the newest members to thank all who have helped, influenced, and driven their hard work and determination. Certified has a three-year completion window, so hard work is mandatory, travel is necessary, and help is always appreciated.
Each year, I have the pleasure of presenting newly minted Certified members their pins and numbers. This takes place at the end of the annual exam at our banquet. This past season, the Certified team added two new members to our ranks: Kevin Hartka, #859, and Jessie Miller, #860.
Of note – Jessie Miller #860 is a legacy Certified member; her father is Dave Ronald #171. Unfortunately, Dave is no longer with us, but the Elk Mountain Certified team members presented Jessie with her father’s pin. In addition, Jessie Miller completed her Certified candidacy in one year. It has been 27 years since the team has had a member complete all components in one season.
Congratulations to both, and please go to the Program News section and take some time to read about their Certified Journey found at Kevin and Jessie.
A Certified Journey – A Personal History
It had been five years since I first sat at a seat at the certified annual banquet dinner. Five years since I entered into the certified program, drawn to the group of passionate patrollers and their camaraderie, and this was my third and last test year.
It was a long road of hard studying, training, and stressful, sleepless nights, broken by two years of COVID cancelations that stole my wind and faded my memories of my first year such that my second felt much like my first. But this was it; it all came down to this last year. I had to make it happen.
Though I felt well prepared and anxious to complete the three modules I had left, the thought of going down that road again began to feel awfully daunting.
A Certified Journey – Following In My Father’s Footsteps
Growing up in a patrol family, first on, last off is what we did. I first heard the phrase “train to be above the bar” as a child, listening to my dad’s conversations about Ski and Toboggan training. Later I heard it as a patroller preparing for my own Senior and Trainer Evaluator exams. As I considered the goal of Certified, I knew the bar would be higher; I would need to train harder than ever to be above it. I also knew this would also be an emotional journey for me. Although my dad, Dave Ronald Certified #171, has been gone for more than 20 years, his coaching and mentorship left a lasting impact on many patrollers; quite the legacy to follow.
I set out on a mission…
Introducing the NSP Eastern Division Patroller Stress Awareness (PSA) Program
The Patroller Stress Awareness Team (PSAT), led by Melinda Mingus, MD, is a team of highly dedicated and experienced professionals, including those in healthcare and mental health. Working together with the Safety and Medical programs, PSAT also collaborates with the NSP Wellness Task Force to help develop a national initiative on patroller well-being.
Our mission is to provide and promote continuous physical, mental and emotional well-being for our patrollers, candidates and staff, and to support the NSP Statement of Intent on Well-Being: “National Ski Patrol is committed to creating and supporting a culture of wellness, safety and resilience for all our members and those whom we serve. Honoring NSP core values, we will provide our community with the awareness, leadership, guidance, education and…
Stress Awareness. Don’t Be Blindsided, Be Ready!
I still wake up from time to time wondering what’s happened to John. He probably doesn’t remember me, but I’ll never forget him and that night while sweeping the mountain 17 years ago when I found him in the trees off the side of the trail.
He was wedged like a folded multi-tool between two trees, unresponsive, with very shallow breathing and a barely detectable pulse. I called in to send everything to my location and to put the helicopter on standby.
It still replays in my mind . . .
