Eastern Division NSP's News Magazine
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New Avalanche Supervisor
Hello everyone, 
I’m Rob West, your new Division Avalanche Supervisor. I’ve been involved with the program for the past 10 years and currently patrol in Tuckerman Ravine on Mt. Washington. Though the ski season is over, our amazing team of instructors is already planning for next season!
We have six events coming up, starting in September. The AMN Refresher will be held in New Hampshire this year from September 26-28. This is a great event to refresh some of your skills and learn new ones. The Eastern Snow and Avalanche Workshop will be held in late fall in Fryeburg, Maine. Next winter, we will be running three Level 1 Avalanche courses at the usual venues…
OET Events Galore!
Yes, it’s very steep!
The OET Steering Committee will meet during the 1st weekend in August to plan for the upcoming season. We expect another busy year with a continued focus on “Building Great Instructors,” ensuring an excellent Senior OET program, movement analysis training, and a video course related to our OET skills and toboggan work.
We anticipate patroller schools at the following locations: Timberline/Canaan Valley (a three-division school in collaboration with Southern and Central), Elk Mountain, Killington, Gore, Plattekill, and a northern location TBD.
We’re working on some new options, such as skiing the steeps, trees, and bumps for those looking to enhance their personal skiing.
In Memoriam – Fredric Leukroth
Fred joined the National Ski Patrol in 1984. From that date forward, he actively participated on all levels to better his patrol, his region, and his division. He acquired his Senior Patroller status in 1989 and immediately became a Senior OEC Trainer/Evaluator. He continued to maintain this status until he retired from patrolling, though his responsibilities grew over the years. He was the editor of Toboggan Run the Western Mass Region newsletter (1990-94), OEC Coordinator (1992-2000), 990 IRS 990 Return Coordinator (1997-99), Region Coordinator for Senior OEC Trainer/Evaluator Recertification (1998), and Assistant Region Director (1993-2000). Fred held numerous positions of leadership and responsibility. He was the “go-to” guy who could always be depended upon for positive results…
Division Director’s Report – June 2025
May came to the Adirondacks, and we all know what that means: bug season! June arrived, and spring skiing is done, but there’s biking, rafting, hiking, and yard work a-plenty! Unfortunately for me, none of those are on my list of possibilities as I continue to recover from a late March on-duty injury – still confined to our basement in North Creek, with no weight bearing and no driving!
Our leadership team showcased their accomplishments, challenges, and opportunities at the annual Spring Officers’ Meeting in Albany, the first weekend in May. We reconnected with old friends and made some new ones, had lively discussions about important issues, and had some fun, including a reunion of the previous four Eastern Division Directors (John Kane, Cal Goldsmith, John Shipman, Rick Hamlin). I only wish I could have been in the group photo with them!
Certified Boot Camp Coming Soon
It’s that time of year again to plan your summer/fall patrol activities. Two of our favorites are back this year: Certified Boot Camp and Enhanced Patroller School. Both promise new adventures, team-building opportunities, and activities that will definitely stretch your skills and thought processes.
Last year’s events included fundamental first aid, mass casualty and triage skill development, new and creative approaches to lift evacuation skills, mountain operations, lift evacuation, tower climbing dos and don’ts, outdoor risk management, avalanche fundamentals, and low-angle rescue. Our event was hosted at Holiday Mountain Ski Area in the Southern New York Region. It provided unique insights into what it takes to “open” an abandoned ski resort.
Enhanced Patroller School
The Genesee Valley Region has set the date and location for its popular Enhanced Patroller School. It will be held September 12-14, 2025, at Swain Resort. This great summer training event allows patrollers to work on various patroller skills, including many aspects of the OEC program, chairlift evacuation techniques, low-angle rescue methods, and rescue knot tying. The weekend culminates with a simulated mass casualty incident on Sunday morning, bringing together all the skills reviewed during the previous two days. Many of the skills covered are part of the NSP Certified Patroller Program.
AMN – Save the Date!
The Avalanche (AVY), Mountain Travel & Rescue (MTR), and Nordic/Backcountry (N/BC) programs have scheduled the Instructor Refresher AMN 2025 for September 27-28, 2025, at The Pike Glades in the White Mountains of New Hampshire.
AMN 2025 is open to instructors and instructor-candidates from all three programs. A gentle reminder that Avvy, MTR, and N/BC instructors need to recert once every three years. If you haven’t been able to do this, please contact your Region Advisor and/or your program’s Eastern Division Supervisor.
There will be pre-attendance refreshing to be completed online at Eastern Division’s Patroller School in addition to the in-person Global Continuing Education and program-run skill stations at The Pike Glades. You will be able to register for AMN 2025 at PatrollerSchool.org. Keep checking, AMN 2025 isn’t there yet!
Laurel Summit Nordic Celebrates 50th
Laurel Summit Nordic Ski Patrol celebrated its 50th Anniversary on Saturday, April 26, with a gathering at its warming hut at Laurel Mountain in Western Pennsylvania. As the first Nordic ski patrol in the Western Appalachian Region, it had a lot to celebrate. A nice crowd of current and former patrollers, mountain hosts, and winter volunteers swapped stories and shared memories.
Ann Rahn was one of the patrol’s early members and key in keeping it going. Now retired from patrolling, Ann tells this story of the patrol’s history. Ann started, “The two patrollers who started our patrol were Laurel Mountain alpine patrollers – David Schaeffer and Bob Murray. David and I were Nordic patrollers at the 1980 Winter Olympics in Lake Placid, NY. We brought back the first rescue sled designed for tracked trails.
Nordic Evaluations – Senior & Master
We wrapped up another ski season with our Nordic Senior and Nordic Master (NM) training clinic at Bolton Valley, VT. The patrol and management were gracious hosts and worked with us to help make this event such a success. Bolton Valley provides traditional Nordic track and skate skiing and backcountry skiing for all skier levels and is an excellent choice for advanced-level evaluations.
For the Nordic Senior clinic, four patrollers expanded their knowledge and tested their skills. Saturday started with a ski tour in spring conditions, working on several uphill techniques, especially at a few challenging water bars. At the cabin, we opened the patrol’s rescue cache, and the Bolton patrollers demonstrated how they use their backcountry litter. Some new ideas were adapted as we practiced loading a patient.
Got ICS Certs?
Every patroller has taken the FEMA course Incident Command System 100 (ICS-100) as part of OEC, so, of course, we’ve all got that certification. 
If you’ve taken Mountain Travel & Rescue Fundamentals (MTR F) or Mountain Travel & Rescue Level 1 (MTR 1), you’ve taken the FEMA course Incident Command System 700 (ICS-700). Those lucky enough to have taken Mountain Travel & Rescue Level 2 (MTR 2) have taken the FEMA course Incident Command System 200 (ICS-200). Some of you may have gotten these certifications as part of a Search and Rescue team, or just for fun.
New Elective – Aid Room Module
The Eastern Division of the National Ski Patrol is proud to announce the rollout of the Aid Room Module of the Senior Program (AR-MSP), a dynamic and critical component designed to elevate further the operational knowledge and leadership abilities of Senior Patroller candidates. As we launch this initiative, our first step is to identify passionate and qualified ski patrol members across the division who are ready to lead the charge within their respective regions.
The AR-MSP is not a repetition of the Outdoor Emergency Care (OEC) module—it is a stand-alone educational and evaluative experience focusing specifically on the unique environment and challenges found within ski area aid rooms. This initiative aims to strengthen patroller capabilities in triage, medical intervention, communication, resource management, and leadership skills crucial to providing excellent care in high-pressure scenarios.
In Memoriam – Donald G. Hicks, Jr.
Donald Gardner Hicks Jr., 84, of Leominster, passed away on Tuesday, April 15th, 2025, after a brief illness with his family by his side. He was born in Lowell, MA on December 12, 1940, to Donald G. Hicks and Mary S. (Gillespie) Hicks. He received his education at Lowell High School, Lowell State College, Lowell Commercial College, and the University of Massachusetts. In 1959, he began his banking career at The First Federal Savings and Loan Association of Lowell. He held several positions over the years at various community banks, including Worcester North Savings Bank in Fitchburg, before retiring as President & CEO of Reading Cooperative Bank in 2002. Active in professional organizations during his career and leadership positions of multiple community organizations, he was a longtime member of Pilgrim Congregational Church of Leominster, serving over the years as Deacon, Trustee, and Treasurer.
In Memoriam – John E. Brower
John E. Brower, a lifelong resident of the Mid-Hudson Valley, peacefully passed away in the early hours of May 10, 2025, at Ferncliff Nursing Home. Born on May 3, 1951, at Lackland Air Force Base in San Antonio, Texas, he was the son of the late Frank and Margaret (Shaw) Brower. He was 74.
John’s formative years were spent at Pine Plains Central School, where his athletic prowess shone in football, earning him many accolades, as well as in other sports, including baseball and basketball. After graduating in 1969, he continued his education at Dutchess Community College before earning a bachelor’s degree in Recreational Therapy from SUNY Brockport. John embodied the phrase “team player.” He was the first to offer help with anything and always brought ten times more than he committed to—plus extra chairs, extra red cups, and extra _____ (fill in the blank!).
Division Director’s Report – April 2025
“It was the best of times; it was the worst of times…” I didn’t want to start my report with a quote from Charles Dickens, but there’s much truth there.
I believe the ski season, now winding down, embodied “the best of times” in many ways. Good snow and snowmaking weather in many regions, and abundant natural snow in a few, including to the south. Our outstanding Eastern Division teams delivered programs as planned. These included six Patroller Schools with 335 participants and 77 instructors, 14 Women’s Clinics, over 75 Safety events, the Young Adult Patroller Summit at Smugglers’ Notch with 83 YAPs and 78 adult chaperones, and the annual Certified Weekend at Jay Peak. Hearty congrats to our four new Certified members. In addition, our Safety team and Historian coordinated many special events to commemorate the 80th anniversary of the 10th Mountain Division’s assault on Riva Ridge…
Letter to the Editor
The Berkshire Edge is a locally owned, regional publication in Western Massachusetts. On April 5, they published the following Letter to the Editor they had received, along with their commentary: “Thank you to our ski patrollers for keeping us safe on the mountain. While many of us enjoyed a run down the hill, it is important not to forget the many people behind the scenes who are committed to keeping these areas safe.” Thank you, Dr. Alec Belman, and The Berkshire Edge!
As the 2024-25 ski season has come to a close, I wanted to take a moment to celebrate another year of skiing across the Berkshires and recognize the ski patrol teams, many of whom are volunteers, dedicated to safety across the region’s slopes. This season, visitors and residents alike were outside getting fresh air and exercise with family and friends. That said, while many of us enjoyed a run down the hill, it is important not to forget the many people behind the scenes who are committed to keeping these areas safe.
Four Generations of Ski Patrollers
It all began in 1968 when my dad, Paul Emerson, was approached by a ski patroller who said, “You look like you can ski. What do you think about joining the ski patrol?” That moment has led to a most wonderful, memory-making experience for our family that has spanned 57 years.
On February 1 of this year, Paul had the unique privilege of presenting a brand new patrol vest to his great-grandson, Wesley, who had just completed his OEC and OET training. That event marked four generations of ski patrollers in the Emerson family!
Saddleback Mountain in Rangeley, Maine, has almost everything a skier can wish for. The resort boasts 4,120′ peak elevation, a 2,000′ vertical drop, four quad chairlifts, one T-Bar, 68 trails, state-of-the-art snowmaking, grooming to die for, and a truly notable reputation. For three years running, Down East magazine has rated Saddleback, “Maine’s Favorite Mountain,” and in SKI Magazine’s “2025 Resort Guide,” Saddleback made a big splash this year by ranking #2 in the east and #4 in the nation!
Kudos to the YAPs!
Every March, without fail, I look forward to the Eastern Division YAP Summit. It’s a significant event for many young adults, but I’m just like them—eager to hit the slopes, ski the trees and bumps, and find the good trouble we can get into. I’m always excited to learn something new (you’re never too old to learn something new), to watch the YAPs in the enhancement track gain confidence and knowledge in just three short days, and to see the competition groups cheer each other on.
Of course, the awards banquet is always bittersweet. I’m never quite ready for the weekend to end, but I’m thrilled to see where the YAPs place and what cool swag they win. It’s truly an honor to return each year as a shepherd—arguably the best role anyone can have over the weekend, aside from being a YAP. At the 2025 Summit, the staff decided to try something completely different—something far from the usual outdoor evening activity. The groups had the unique opportunity to create their senior-level scenarios and run them as instructors…
Camaraderie & Encouragement at Women’s Programs
Our student took a deep breath, then grasped the toboggan handles.
“OK,” she said. “I’m going to send it.”
This retired Air Force veteran and new ski patroller had come to the Eastern New York Women’s Clinic at Gore Mountain on March 22 to gain confidence pulling sleds. A chorus of encouragement rang out from other participants.
Yes, it’s very steep!
“That’s it!”
“You’re doing it!”
A couple of hours later, I heard the same chorus as two other participants guided a toboggan over the headwall of Lies, one of Gore’s steepest runs. As they approached the bottom, the chorus morphed into shouts of celebration.
