Santiam Ski Patrol prepares for season

Snow is finally accumulating in the mountains, but local ski patrol preparations for the season began months ago. Sisters-area resident Tom Egan is the professional ski patrol director at Hoodoo Ski Area and says that "training is ongoing, systematic, and documented." Last week, more than 30 ski patrollers hit the snow-dusted slopes at Hoodoo to conduct their annual emergency chair lift evacuation drill.

While area residents were still enjoying summer sports and activities, the local ski patrol was already making preparations for winter, conducting its first activity of the season with a project in early August. A few weeks later, patrol members attended first aid certification courses. According to Egan, patrollers must be certified as an EMT, or in Outdoor Emergency Care (OEC) or Wilderness First Responder, and CPR. Certifications must be renewed annually.

In October, ski patrollers sponsored ski swaps in Corvallis and Eugene as part of an annual project to raise funds for ski patrol operations and emergency equipment.

Egan is one of five professional ski patrollers employed at Hoodoo, but the area is also served by a much larger contingent of volunteers, who are members of the Santiam Division of the National Ski Patrol. Egan and the other professionals are on duty during the week, and the volunteers staff the slopes on weekends. "They work weekends only," said Egan, "because most of them have other jobs." Egan said the volunteers come from all walks of life.

Egan helps coordinate with the volunteers and is the interface with resort management, but he says they do such a good job themselves that they make his role easy. On any given weekend, at least eight ski patrollers are working Hoodoo, with six on the downhill runs and two on the Nordic trails.

The National Ski Patrol was founded in 1938 at Stowe, Vermont, when the need for such an organization became apparent to the president of the National Ski Association.

Now, 73 years later, the nonprofit National Ski Patrol (NSP) still operates under its creed of "Service and Safety." As winter sports have evolved, with the emergence of new snow sports such as snowboarding, tubing, snow-skating, and other activities, the NSP has introduced new equipment, new safety and rescue techniques, and new emergency procedures that require innovative and advanced training. Greater access to, and use of, the backcountry has also necessitated new training regimens for NSP members.

The NSP boasts of more than 26,000 members who serve over 600 patrols in both alpine and Nordic ski areas. NSP members strive to enhance safety and improve the overall experience for winter sports enthusiasts. The organization even has a program that includes young adult members. Young skiers and snowboarders at least 15 years of age are eligible to participate and undergo all the same training as older patrol members.

At last week's emergency lift evacuation drill, enthusiasm was running high among veteran patrollers, who have completed the exercise many times, and a handful of newcomers who were experiencing it for the first time. Although a real emergency evacuation was conducted just last year, Egan said that such evacuations are extremely rare and have occurred only a couple of times in the 20 years he has worked at Hoodoo.

"The Hoodoo lift maintenance crew, headed by Jim Follis, the mountain manager, has chairlifts running very smoothly," said Egan. "Lift inspectors from outside agencies have commented on Hoodoo's excellent upkeep. Still, lift evacuation training is ongoing, and we practice it every year."

Last year's evacuation was necessitated when a scheduled power company outage went much longer than expected and a backup power failure occurred simultaneously. The evacuation was conducted without incident, exactly as practiced; and some of those affected commented that they actually enjoyed the unexpected adventure.

Officials at Hoodoo are looking forward to starting the ski season soon. At this point, they hope to open on the day after Thanksgiving, Friday, November 25. According to Brynne Beverly, Office Manager for Hoodoo Ski Area, "We need three feet of snow before the Snow Cats can get on the hill to start grooming." She also said that ticket rates will be the same as last year.

If Hoodoo opens on the Friday after Thanksgiving, they will be closed Mondays through Wednesdays until December 15, when they plan to be open every day through the end of the year. Night skiing on Fridays and Saturdays starts December 16, but the slopes will be lit every night December 26-31. New Year's Eve skiing will be highlighted by fireworks at 9 p.m.

Up-to-the-minute ski resort information can be obtained at http://www.hoodoo.com or by calling the snow phone at 541-822-3337. Those interested in learning more about ski patrol are invited to contact Tom Egan by phone at 541-822-3799, extension 6115, or by email at [email protected]