Santiam Ski Patrol - Northwest's best

The Santiam Pass Ski Patrol (SPSP) headquartered at Hoodoo Mountain Resort has just been rated as the "Best Large Area Ski Patrol" in the Pacific Northwest Region by the National Ski Patrol (NSP).

The team is now in the running for the National Award of Best Large Area Ski Patrol in the country.

The 44-strong staff of dedicated volunteers puts the Hoodoo team of patrollers into the big leagues, and they have been ranked higher for quality than all of the patrols at the biggest areas in Washington, Oregon and Idaho, many of which host patrol rosters in the hundreds.

Senior patrollers Jane San Romani and Anne Greenwood feel that among the secrets of success have been a tremendous ability to change and a willingness to implement and adapt to rapidly evolving new technologies. Today Hoodoo is being patrolled by snowboard, sno scooter, air boards, telemark and cross country skis, with snowmobiles assisting. The SPSP has installed a state-of-the-art Internet-available weather system at the mountain top, and video cams provide a constant feed from locations on the mountain and a Webmaster is now part of the team.

Another major factor is intensive hours of training and dedication to learning and honing of skills. All certified patrollers have Outdoor Emergency Care certification, a course (similar to an EMT Level 1) of around 100 hours of intensive study, practical training and exams.

Twenty-five percent of Santiam patrollers are certified training instructors, and a third of those are qualified to train and certify instructors nationally. A full third of their staff has achieved senior patroller status, and most have additional certifications in specialties ranging from avalanches to advanced rope rescues.

They double the national average with 12 years average experience, many logging 20 to 40 years.

Even with modern technology much of the job is still done as it has been for years. Injured skiers usually need to come down the mountain the time tested way: on sleds controlled by people "skiing" on the snow and pulling by hand.

One of the operational arts is to always have patrollers and equipment in strategic places on the hill above any potential incident. There is a constant ballet of movement as the team, normally 15, responds to calls for assistance and others move to fill in the gaps left by the responders. The command dispatch center may rotate to any of four locations on the mountain as conditions change.

As well as covering the ski area proper, the patrol covers 16 kilometers of cross-country trails and responds to out-of-area backcountry emergencies whenever necessary. They train and work regularly with Air Life, local sheriff's Search & Rescue and the local paramedic ambulance teams.

Serious injuries are not as common in the sport today as in years past, but when they do occur skiers are thankful for an experienced and skilled team.

A recent incident involving a young girl with a serious head injury mobilized a team of six Santiam patrollers who sledded her down to begin an intensive emergency care process that involved two paramedic ambulance teams, a handoff to an Air Life helicopter ride to Bend, the activation of the St. Charles Trauma team and another flight to Doernbecher's Children's Hospital in Portland - all with a very happy outcome.

The girl's parents called the Santiam Patrol to thank them for their fine work and to report that their daughter was recovering and would be fine.

It all added up to another day at work for these professional volunteers, the best in the Pacific Northwest. Are they the best in the nation? We'll know in August.