by Les Blomberg, Mt. Washington Ski Patrol | Dec 22, 2025 | Division News, Program News, Spotlight Articles
Monty AtwaterThe Eastern Division Roger H. Damon Jr. Avalanche Award was developed and first presented in 2013 in accordance with criteria from NSP’s Montgomery Atwater National Avalanche Award, to recognize Eastern Division’s NSP members, or non-members, who have made outstanding and continuing contributions to the Avalanche Program with significant division impact. Examples of such contributions might fall under management, curriculum development, publication, scientific discovery, instruction, or any combination thereof.
Roger Damon
Roger was the first recipient of this award in 2013 when he then had 67 years of service, including time served at Norwich University, Burke Mountain, and the Mount Washington Ski Patrols. Also, during his time in the military, Roger patrolled at a mountain in Austria where his interest in avalanche safety began. He retired from the Mount Washington Ski Patrol in 2018 at the age of 89, after one last season of hiking up to Tuckerman Ravine, assisting in rescues, and then skiing out the Sherburne Ski Trail at the end of the day.
Other recipients of this prestigious award include:
Brad Ray—2015, for his work as a National Forest Service (NFS) Snow Ranger from 1958 to 2001, writing avalanche advisories, educating the public about avalanche hazards, and conducting countless rescues in Tuckerman Ravine. Brad joined the Mount Washington Ski Patrol when he retired from the NFS in 2021.
Brooke Taber and Conor Lahiff—2016, Burlington, VT-based weather forecasters for the National Weather Service for their contribution to NSP Eastern Division avalanche courses by teaching the weather portion of the Avalanche Triangle.
Chuck Boyd—2024, for his leadership and support of the Eastern Division Avalanche Program over the last 25 years, including serving as the Eastern Division Avalanche Supervisor.
Les Blomberg—2025, for his leadership, mentorship, and dedication to the Eastern Division Avalanche Program over the last 35 years. Les is the go-to member of the Team for Companion and Group Rescue as well as mentoring new instructors. He has produced and copyrighted pocket guides on Companion Rescue for students.
Les and Chuck were recruited by Roger and working side by side with him teaching outdoor education and avalanche fundamentals to both NSP and non-NSP educational venues in the White, Green, and Adirondack Mountains.
Chuck Boyd Roger Damon Les Blomberg
Chuck and Les were able to visit Roger on December 5 to share memories and thank him for all his contributions and for mentoring them as they grew into the avalanche education and division avalanche program leadership. Without Roger we would not have the avalanche program we have today. Wishing Roger all the best!
2013 Trail Sweep article about the Roger Damon Avalanche Award
by John Wolf, Liberty Mountain Ski Patrol PD | Dec 22, 2025 | Division News, Spotlight Articles
As the 2025-2026 ski season gets underway, the Liberty Mountain Ski Patrol (LMSP) marks a significant milestone: sixty years of dedicated service to the skiing community and the National Ski Patrol system.
From Oregon Ridge to Liberty Mountain
Their story begins around 1965 when patrollers from the then recently-closed Oregon Ridge Ski Area in Hunt Valley, Maryland, brought their expertise to a newly developed resort in the rolling hills of south-central Pennsylvania. Originally known as Charnita—named for developers Charles and Anita Rist—the ski area faced early financial challenges. When the resort went bankrupt in the early 1970s, those committed patrollers persevered.
In 1974, when Irv Naylor acquired the property and renamed it Ski Liberty, the patrol members took a defining step: they ratified bylaws to provide lasting structure and guidance, a measure that was truly ahead of its time. That formalization, now over fifty years old, created the foundation for an organization that would become a stalwart within the Eastern Division.
Leadership Within the NSP System
LMSP’s impact extends far beyond the 600 vertical feet of their home mountain. The patrol was named the 1995 and 2025 Eastern Division Large Alpine Patrol of the Year, a testament to their commitment to excellence. Members have served at the highest levels of the NSP, including as National Chair and as legal counsel, Divisional and National, for the organization for decades and have ended up in the most prestigious halls of fame and honor that the NSPS has to offer. Not to mention the countless number of instructors that the patrol has produced over the last 60 years as well as countless other leadership positions its members have held at all levels (sectional, regional, and divisional). Their innovative practices, safety protocols, and accident documentation have been adopted by patrols and ski industry organizations across the country.
A Family Tradition
What truly distinguishes LMSP is the deep sense of family that permeates the organization. Multiple generations have served together; spouses, parents and children, even grandparents and grandchildren have shared patrol duties. In the early 1980s, patrol members and their families literally built their community together, constructing a family room annex to the first aid facility. When the patrol outgrew that space in the mid-1990s, families again came together to create new facilities.
Pioneers and Mentors
The patrol’s success rests on the shoulders of pioneers who set the standard for generations to follow. Legends like Wally Shank, Bill Sachs, Bob Scarlett, and countless others who established a culture of excellence and mentorship that continues today.
Bob Starr, who joined as a teenager in the early 1970s and who continues to actively patrol in the present day, summed up the patrol’s enduring appeal: “The people bring us back. We are all friends who support each other.”
Beyond the Slopes
LMSP’s commitment to service extends well beyond Liberty Mountain. Patrol members regularly provide support for community events including the JFK 50-miler ultramarathon, the Annapolis Running Festival, the Baltimore 10-Miler, and the Maryland Interscholastic Cycling League races, among many others. This community involvement reflects the patrol’s broader mission of service and safety.
Looking Ahead
Today, LMSP comprises approximately 120 members, over half of whom are volunteers. They represent diverse professional backgrounds from across the mid-Atlantic region united by a passion for skiing/riding and helping others.
Entering its seventh decade the patrol faces ever evolving challenges, yet the foundation laid by those Oregon Ridge patrollers sixty years ago remains strong. A legacy of service, excellence, and family that continues to define LMSP.
As the 2025-2026 season progresses and LMSP celebrates this diamond anniversary, the patrol stands as a reminder of what makes the National Ski Patrol special: dedicated patrollers who brave harsh weather, provide exceptional care, and create lasting bonds of friendship through service and passion. Here’s to sixty years of keeping the slopes safe at Liberty Mountain and to many more seasons ahead.
by John Beach, Historian | Sep 13, 2025 | Division News, Spotlight Articles
MOUNTAINFEST
On June 26, 2025, the Eastern Division participated for the fifth consecutive year in Mountainfest at Fort Drum. Each year, the 10th Mountain Division opens to the public for an all-day open house on Division Hill and, on average, 10,000 people attend.
Highlights of the day included live demonstrations by the soldiers firing 155mm Howitzers, deploying the cannons by Blackhawk helicopters, mock firefights in both cold and warm weather gear, a live rock band, many vendors, and a multitude of food trucks.
Every year, the Eastern Division has staffed a booth with leaders from different programs to help explain the shared history of the 10th and NSP – and how this relationship continues to grow. We provided abbreviated CPR demos, knot tying demos, and handed out NSP promotional items.
This year, the booth crew included Kathy Fitzpatrick, Division Safety Advisor; Frey Aarnio, former SVT Region Director; Sue-Ellen Helmacy, Division Awards Advisor; and Scott Launt, CNY Region Alumni Advisor.
10th MOUNTAIN ALPINE CLUB
On June 25th, the evening before Mountainfest, the Eastern Division was honored to be invited to the 2nd annual 10th Mountain Alpine Club reunion. The 10th Mountain Alpine Club promotes a broad mix of alpine activities for its members – both soldiers and civilians. The Alpine Club was created by 1st Sergeant Dan Fields, Watertown Ski Patrol at Dry Hill, and LtCol (Ret) Marc Cleveland, president and vice president respectively.
The reunion was held at the Cleveland’s beautiful century-old farm in LaFargeville, NY. The Eastern Division was well represented by Rick Hamlin (National Historian), Kathy Fitzpatrick, Frey Aarnio, Scott Launt, Sue-Ellen Helmacy, and me, all current members of
the 10th Mountain Alpine Club.
Along with us were members of the 10th Mountain Association, a long-established veterans’ organization, as well as current soldiers from the 10th including Dan Fields. There was plenty of food and drink, but best of all great conversation.
I would strongly recommend that Eastern Division members do a search for the 10th Mountain Alpine Club. You should find their website and explanation of the two levels of membership and how to join. I would be glad to answer any questions.
by Don Emerson, Maine Region Alumni Advisor | Apr 15, 2025 | Spotlight Articles
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!
In the mid ’60s, however, things were different. A 4,600′ Mueller double chair and two T-Bars serviced 10 trails, and when standing in the lift line, you learned to look uphill for runaway skis because not everyone owned safety straps! A full-day adult lift ticket was $7.00, and you could have a private ski lesson for $10.00. But what drew us in then, and continues to draw us in today, are the people, the family-friendly atmosphere, the laid-back attitude of some very serious skiers, the amazing vistas, and the opportunity to make memories with our family and friends every day that we are on the mountain.
Paul recently turned 98. He is a retired Navy Senior Chief who was deployed overseas during WWII and the Korean War, lives alone in the home he built, plows the driveway, and runs the snowblower so the oil man can get to the fill pipe. He does his shopping and hits the local diner a few days each week. He patrolled for 35 years and hung up his skis at age 84. Don, your author of this story, is 69, began patrolling at age 16, patrolled 43 years, and has been an Alumni member for the last four seasons. Jared, my son, also began patrolling at age 16 and has 25 years of service. He dropped the chain on hauling tobos a few years back when he was promoted to Director of Mountain Operations, but keeps his certifications current and can often be found in the FAR. Wesley, at age 15, is one of a large group of YAPs this year completing all of their OEC and OET training. He is smart, calm, and likable, and he can ski circles around all of us!
This brief tribute to my family’s four generations of patrollers has some unique elements that I hope will leave you thinking “Wow, that’s so cool!” But beneath it all are some common elements that you and my family undoubtedly share: a love of skiing, a desire and a willingness to help those in need, and above all, a love for your family and a grateful heart for all that you have been blessed with.
About the author: Don Emerson is a second-generation patroller at Saddleback Mountain in Maine and serves as the Maine Region NSP Alumni Advisor.
by Rick Hamlin, NSP Historian | Feb 18, 2025 | National News, Spotlight Articles
At 0400 on February 18, 2025, soldiers from the 173rd Airborne Brigade will begin their ascent of Riva Ridge in Italy, retracing the exact footsteps of the 10th Mountain Division’s legendary 1945 assault—on the same date, at the same location, 80 years later. In the dead of night on February 18, 1945, five columns of highly trained mountain troops climbed what had been reported as the “unclimbable” face of Riva Ridge. Surprising the German troops that held the summit, the US mountain troops captured the summit.
This action allowed the next attack by the 10th Mountain Division of the adjacent Mount Belvedere 24 hours later to also succeed in driving the long-held positions of the Germans off these key summit defensive positions. Moving faster than the Army logistic experts had predicted possible, the 10th Mountain Division not only pushed the Germans off the important defensive positions on Riva Ridge and Mount Belvedere but kept the German forces moving north, through the Po Valley.
Moving swiftly in front of thirty other allied divisions, the 10th drove the Germans north and ultimately across the Po River, ending the German control of Italy’s agricultural region and signaling the beginning of the end of German military dominance in World War II.
Why does the National Ski Patrol commemorate this act of extreme heroism by the 10th Mountain Division eighty years ago? The NSP founder, Charles Minot “Minnie” Dole recognized in the early 1940s that the US had no military troops trained in mountain warfare. His persistence finally convinced the War Department that soldiers trained to fight in cold and mountainous terrain were needed.
The result of his persistence was the creation of the 10th Mountain Division. Made up of world-class skiers, alpinists, and outdoorsmen. The 10th Mountain Division was very selective when it came to accepting recruits. The National Ski Patrol became the filter for this process and was and is the only civilian organization to ever recruit for the US military. Every applicant to the 10th required an approval letter from the National Ski Patrol.
The story of the 10th Mountain Division does not end with success in Europe and the end of World War II. Upon their return to the US, members of the mountain troops were responsible for, or key participants in, the creation of over 60 ski resorts in the United States. Along with the growth of ski resorts, the number of skiers also grew rapidly after the war.
Founded in 1938, the National Ski Patrol also grew to meet the needs of growing ranks of recreational skiers. Re-activated, the 10th Mountain Division calls Fort Drum, New York home, and continues to deploy throughout the world, proudly flying their “Climb to Glory” guidon. The National Ski Patrol has grown to approximately 30,000 members and remains committed to providing “Service and Safety” for the skiing public. The modern link between our two organizations grows stronger every year.
by Allan Miller, Alumni Supervisor | Feb 18, 2025 | Division News, Program News
2025 Annual Alumni & Patroller Celebration – March 16-20
• Celebrate, ski, and reconnect at the 2nd Annual Eastern Division NSP Alumni & Patroller Celebration!
• Join us at Stratton Mountain for an unforgettable gathering of NSP alumni and patrollers as we celebrate our shared passion for skiing and patrolling!
• Come for as long as you’d like—whether it’s a day or the whole event, the choice is yours!
Go to PatrollerSchool.org for information and a registration form. Use this link 2025 Flyer for the flyer with the details.
Genesee Valley Region Annual Alumni Day Invitation – February 28
• Friday, February 28, 2025, from 9:30 am to 2:00 pm at Hunt Hollow.
• The last day to register and order lunch is February 21!
• To register and get all the event information please click this link 2023 Genesee Valley Region Alumni Day
• Be sure to click the SUBMIT button at the end of the form.
Western Mass Region Annual Alumni Day – March 5
Calling all WMR Ski Patrol Alumni and Guests
Wednesday, March 5, 2025, at Ski Butternut, Great Barrington, MA
• Join us for a day of skiing or just come for lunch and camaraderie!
• Check in at the Upper Lodge and enjoy coffee and doughnuts at 9:00 AM.
• Lift tickets courtesy of Butternut Ski Patrol – hit the trails or hang out.
• Noon Buffet Lunch.
• Free for currently registered WMR Alumni.
• $10 cash payable at the door for all other family and guests.
RSVP for lift tickets and/or lunch to Ann Migliaccio.
Eastern New York Region 3rd Annual Alumni Day – March 9
• The Royal Mountain Ski Patrol will host the 3rd Annual ENY Alumni Day on March 9.
• Mountain management will provide a free day pass to currently registered alumni and patrollers.
• Those interested can assist the patrol with opening, mid-day, and closing trail checks.
• The day will begin when we gather at 8:30 to 9:00 AM at the Patrol Building at the top of the parking lot.
• Mid-morning breakfast and mid-afternoon lunch will be provided at the patrol top shack.
• You can attend for the full day or any part of the day
• We will meet in the Velcro Lounge at closing for a beer.
If you plan to attend, please respond to Dan Crandall or 518.365.6277.
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 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 Trail Sweep Staff | Jun 24, 2024 | Division News, In Memoriam, Spotlight Articles
Florence ‘Floss’ KirknerFlorence A. Kirkner of Orchard Park, NY, passed away on May 1, 2024, at the age of 99. We all knew her as an inveterate volunteer, not just for NSP but on multiple levels as is shown by the awards she received from numerous organizations.
Floss joined the ski patrol in 1949 in the Far West Division where she served for 10 years. She was the co-patrol leader at Donner Ski Ranch, Soda Springs, CA from 1956-1960 and served as the first aid chair in the North Bay Region from 1950-1960. She was one of the first women in the NSP to take Monty Atwater’s Avalanche Patch course earning Patch #82. She felt the information contained in the Atwater Avalanche Patch course was so important that she began to teach other patrollers the basics of avalanche rescue at fall freshers.
She was a schoolteacher with curriculum development skills and along with other Atwater trained patrollers, began the development of a basic avalanche course to extend to all NSP patrollers. The basic course would become the NSP Circle A course and would be a steppingstone to the Atwater Avalanche Patch course which was more advanced and dangerous.
In around 1964 Floss took the Avalanche Instructor Course becoming National Avalanche Instructor #224. Having moved east she immediately became the Western New York Avalanche Advisor. For the next 36 years she maintained her certification teaching Circle A, Basic Avalanche, and Level 1 Avalanche. From 1999 through 2005 she was an Avalanche Instructor Trainer.
Floss tirelessly planned and conducted courses on ski slopes in New York State and on the Lake Erie sand dunes in Canada. Her innovation in using the dunes allowed courses to be taught at all times of year. The dunes proved remarkably well suited for probe lines and burial of simulated victims. She incorporated into her courses, dramatic films of various avalanche types, pre-course assignments, written training materials, and homework assignments. Probe lines were an integral part of her courses. In later years, she added transceiver work. Floss always included an optional overnight camping component for added learning and camaraderie among the patrollers taking the course who came from various patrols. Not only did this create a unity among the patrollers from the various ski areas but also a standardization of skills, such that these avalanche-trained patrollers could be called on to help if needed anywhere in a region or a division.
From 1976 through 1987, Florence Kirkner became involved with at the time a program called “Junior Patroller,” the program, now known as the “Young Alpine Patroller.” She understood that the future of the NSP was in recruitment of new members. A great source of new members could be found in the children of current members. The children would have most likely been at the ski area when their parent or parents were on duty, so why not create a program for these young people. As a schoolteacher it was only natural for her to get involved. She taught and helped develop 11 Division “Junior Seminars” and five National “Junior Seminars’ during her 11 years involved with the program.
Floss was very involved with her Town of Orchard Park, its YMCA, Girl Scouts of America, and the American Red Cross. She received a special award from the Canadian Ski Patrol, a Girl Scout Green Angel Award, a Volunteer of the Year from the YMCA, and a Chamber of Commerce Citizen of the Year from Orchard Park, NY.
Floss was the recipient of numerous awards from NSP including National Appointment #84, Distinguished Service and Meritorious Service Awards, three Yellow Merit Stars, a Purple Merit Star, and an Orange Merit Star for training military personnel. She was inducted into the NSP Hall of Fame and received proclamations from President Joe Biden and Dr. Jill Biden, United States Senators Schumer and Gillibrand, Congressman Langworth, and NYS Governor Kathy Hochul.
Floss was the beloved wife of the late Bruce F. Kirkner; dearest mother of Nancy L. Kirkner and the late Robin D. Kirkner; grandmother of Jessica (Jeff) Meadors, Jacob (Jamie) Hill, Sara (James) McCarty, and Traci (Ty) Douthirt; great-grandmother of 16 great-grandchildren and two great-great-grandchildren. A Memorial Service was held Saturday, May 11 at St. Mark’s Episcopal Church, Orchard Park, NY. Memorials may be made to St. Mark’s Episcopal Church Memorial Fund, 6595 East Quaker St., Orchard Park, NY 14127 or to Kissing Bridge Ski Patrol, Rte. 240, Glenwood, NY 14069.
