Ski Patrol
Last Friday, we had Bernard, the ski photographer, taking pictures of us. That was one item I won in the charity auction at work. The other was a day on the slopes with ski patrol at Summit Central at Snoqualmie. Today I met up with Steve to learn what ski patrol is all about (and skip lift lines!)
Our day was spent skiing normally with one ear tuned to the radio. Whenever a skier needs help, a call goes out and the closest team will respond. (Un)luckily, we never responded to anything major. The worst we saw was a broken elbow.
It was pretty cool skiing before the resort really opened to the public. We got three runs in before we saw any other skiers. On a powder day that would be completely worth the job right there. Steve and I had great chats on the lift and he showed me some fun stuff that I hadn't skied before at Central.
Now the big question is whether or not I'll join them. While the auction wasn't meant to be a recruiting tool, that was one of the main reasons I wanted to win. I've always thought about doing ski patrol and today I got a lot of questions answered. People do ski patrol for a lot of reasons, but one of the biggest that stuck out for me was getting great medical training. You basically go through the full EMT training minus cutting into people and administering drugs. Those could be incredibly valuable skills.
Summit Ski Patrol is a volunteer effort. You're expected to be up there at least twenty days, some of which are scheduled. The Summit Central crew has a nice lodge with a place to eat, bunks to sleep over night, and a place to hang out. This decision is going to be on my mind a lot as we go through the summer.
Vertical feet: 22,200
Season Vertical: 278,560
Ski Days: 18
This beats my personal record for vertical feet in a single season and it's only the middle of February!