Ski Patrol

EMT11KDL

EMT11KDL

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Who is all working ski patrol this season? Are you paid or volunteer where you working?

I just got hired on paid in idaho
 
Feel free to PM me if you want some insider info about patrolling.

Worked pro last year, vollied the year prior. Tried to talk my director into a PT gig this winter but he wasn't stoked on it :( Still trying to make it happen though at my old resort along with a couple new ones but it's not looking good, plus I think I'd be overloaded with PT Intermediate, Medic school and PT Ski Patrol. Lots of gas money and wear and tear on the car and my body.
 
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I'd love to land a job doing ski patrol!
 
dad did patrol volunteer for 35 years. i did for 3. i am going to get back into it as soon as i have some free money. its a fun job to get into though.
 
Ideally when I graduate somehow I'll have figured how to get a job being a pro patroller and seasonal wildland guy for the summer.

Is getting a gig as a pro patroller even possible without putting any time as a volly first? Does having time on ambulance count for much? Sports medicine experience? Avy Level 1 and backcountry experience?

i need to buttonhole a patroller on a lift ride or something, I can't imagine a better job during the winter. I write this while constantly peeking at my skis leaning on the wall.

Winter storm warning in effect for southern Colorado! Hopefully Saturday will be my opener.
 
Just be aware that patrollers have bad days too and don't always want to be :censored::censored::censored::censored::censored:ed and prodded at. Also don't get offended if they tell you to shut up when the radio starts talking, they need to hear the traffic. No offense to vollies there are great ones out there but your better off talking to a pro patroller about it.

We hired people without experience as vollies. Ambulance experience can help but you have to remember patrollers work in austere environments so the style is a little different than working in an ambulance. More emphasis on packaging and transporting then gettin down and dirty once your in the patrol room. Of course your still doing an assessment but you need to get them down off the mountain too.

Avy, backcountry and SAR experience definitely help.
 
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I was pro patrol for a few years, mainly in BC. I was hired on the back of being a ski instructor who was simply very keen to be a patroller. My first season I was a 'caddy', where I was basically pro patrol's :censored::censored::censored::censored::censored:, I did everything they did except treatment. After that I did my first aid course and got a paid spot.

Great job compared to all the others on the hill, I got sick of it though in the end. After seven winters in five years I couldn't be bothered skiing anymore, and only left the but to respond to medical calls. Good thing I got Ito paramedic school!
 
McGoo said:
I couldn't be bothered skiing anymore
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Have you seen a shrink about that? :P

7 winters in 5 years is a lot of skiing though, I'll give you that.
 
NVRob said:
Have you seen a shrink about that? :P

7 winters in 5 years is a lot of skiing though, I'll give you that.
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Hah, yeah I did think it was a bit odd. I was sitting top top of 3000 acres of world class terrain, and unless it was a powder day or summin, I really didnt care. My gear was run down, I had lost motivation, and I didnt care one bit. I havent skied since 2007, and I dont really miss it. I went back to the snow this year a few days after the season finished, and all I could think of was being cold and wet, and having to fix fences in crap snow.

Im sure I'll go back one day, but Im in no rush. Especially as my new hobby is murdercycling!
 
McGoo said:
Hah, yeah I did think it was a bit odd. I was sitting top top of 3000 acres of world class terrain, and unless it was a powder day or summin, I really didnt care. My gear was run down, I had lost motivation, and I didnt care one bit. I havent skied since 2007, and I dont really miss it. I went back to the snow this year a few days after the season finished, and all I could think of was being cold and wet, and having to fix fences in crap snow.

Im sure I'll go back one day, but Im in no rush. Especially as my new hobby is murdercycling!
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God I hope that never happens to me. Had my first day yesterday, skiing untracked pow all day long. Winter's here, and I can't think of anything else:censored:except skiing.
 
You got hired on "paid" patrol? I'm unfamiliar with that position, in anything other than a derogatory reference... ;) But in all seriousness, congrats, welcome to the dark side. BTW, aren't you a 68W? There are two whiskeys on our patrol. Where are you at?

Rob, seriously? You're not patrolling this year? It's supposed to be epic!!!

McGoo, I totally feel ya. It sometimes just gets to the point where you don't even want to respond to anything except life shattering trauma, or a code. Part of it is the association of skiing with work, and part of it is the job for me just beat my body into the ground. Some seasons one knee would be almost twice the size of the other, back is messed up, shoulders are terrible, etc, etc... The best thing for me to get my joy back is I went out and bought all new gear, just for freeskiing, even new socks, and never wear them for work. Then take a ski vacation somewhere that you haven't been before. Enjoy the experience and some of the reason that you got into the job in the first place might come back... ;)
 
Luno said:
Rob, seriously? You're not patrolling this year? It's supposed to be epic!!!
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You have no idea how frustrated I am. They weren't keen on giving me a PT spot :( So then I started talking about volunteering for a year which means I need OEC and my old place is running the OEC class but wanted me to pay to challenge it + the NSP dues, which is fair but I don't have a ton of money right now only working per diem so I'm stuck <_<

On the bright side, my mom just told me she was buying me a pair of boots for a late bday present :cool:
 
Luno said:
You got hired on "paid" patrol? I'm unfamiliar with that position, in anything other than a derogatory reference... ;) But in all seriousness, congrats, welcome to the dark side. BTW, aren't you a 68W? There are two whiskeys on our patrol. Where are you at?

)
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yeah paid, means MONEY :) lol, yes i am a whiskey, in idaho with the guard. Rumor has it, we have one other whiskey worker on the mountain i got hired on with. So that should be and interesting at the same time.

Thanks, glad to be on the dark side, i am also on the dark side with EMS, I volley/part time paid for fire dept also :)
 
Actually, based on the NSP by laws, "professional" means money... ;) Paid is a derogatory slur used by people who disagree with their organization. So, hit me up on PM, I'm probably going to be doing quite a bit of traveling this winter to different areas in the PNW, using the hell out of that Ski Exchange program. Being AGR now, I've actual vacation time to use, so I'll probably be at your area too...
 
and my view on that is, so are we not all professionals in our job? just because your a volly does that mean you are less qualified???

I would love to get an AGR slot, i have been trying to either get one or deploy.. which neither are happening right now
 
Ugh... Seriously?

EMT11KDL said:
and my view on that is, so are we not all professionals in our job? just because your a volly does that mean you are less qualified???

I would love to get an AGR slot, i have been trying to either get one or deploy.. which neither are happening right now
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No, it doesn't mean that you're less qualified, and it doesn't necessarily mean that you're less professional, but the by laws of the National Ski Patrol state plainly that volunteers are not granted the title of "professional ski patroller." Have fun with the politics of the patrol... ;) Some volunteers tend to get their noses tweaked that "their" organization calls us that, and use the term "paid" as a passive-aggressive snub at people who do it for a living. We just had a former AGR from Idaho who is out here SUTA with us, aren't there very many tech/ADOS/AGR jobs out there, that aren't recruiting?
 
Luno said:
No, it doesn't mean that you're less qualified, and it doesn't necessarily mean that you're less professional, but the by laws of the National Ski Patrol state plainly that volunteers are not granted the title of "professional ski patroller." Have fun with the politics of the patrol... ;) Some volunteers tend to get their noses tweaked that "their" organization calls us that, and use the term "paid" as a passive-aggressive snub at people who do it for a living. We just had a former AGR from Idaho who is out here SUTA with us, aren't there very many tech/ADOS/AGR jobs out there, that aren't recruiting?
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not right now, we have zero agr and 3 tech positions. 4 ados for military funeral
 
So not directly related to this thread but close enough. 10 inches of snow yesterday! I'm hoping to make a ski trip over winter break from medic school. I'm taking bids for housing, offers for beers and the best explanation of why I should come visit your resort into consideration. Plus you get to hang and ride with me! :ph34r: ;) Pretty set on Boulder and Summit County since I have friends there but like I said I'm open to suggestions. Thinking 4 days of riding, willing to travel home after a good day of shredding on the 4th day if I can justify the flights or drive.

My sticks are begging me to be ridden hard.
 
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NVRob said:
So not directly related to this thread but close enough. 10 inches of snow yesterday! I'm hoping to make a ski trip over winter break from medic school. I'm taking bids for housing, offers for beers and the best explanation of why I should come visit your resort into consideration. Plus you get to hang and ride with me! :ph34r: ;) Pretty set on Boulder and Summit County since I have friends there but like I said I'm open to suggestions. Thinking 4 days of riding, willing to travel home after a good day of shredding on the 4th day if I can justify the flights or drive.

My sticks are begging me to be ridden hard.
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That would be sucky drive from Reno if you're going alone that's for sure. You could swing through southern CO though and hit the places that are getting hammered this year, which does not include Summit County. If you haven't been to Silverton, I would highly consider going, this year is going to be epic.
 
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