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The Spokesman-Review Newspaper
Spokane, Washington  Est. May 19, 1883

Ski patrol enjoys community feeling

Bill Jennings The Spokesman-Review

Training for the Mt. Spokane Ski Patrol takes serious commitment. I haven’t mustered the fortitude, but MSSP let me hang out with them for a day.

I was there to learn about MSSP’s candidate orientation at 8 a.m. Sunday. Skiers and riders interested in what it takes should plan on showing up at the ski patrol chalet bright and early.

After Sunday’s event on snow, candidates enroll in an Outdoor Emergency Care course starting April 7. The course parallels Emergency Medical Technician certification. They regroup in the fall for four weeks of practice and another test. Training then shifts to the mountain every weekend through December.

I lugged my gear into the locker room as MSSP’s morning meeting was in progress. Territories were assigned, radio protocols were reviewed and issues of the day were discussed.

Before customers catch the first chair, patrol rides up to open the mountain. I tagged along with Jill Hoff and MSSP Director Dan Edwards as they double-checked placement of emergency equipment.

We ripped freshly tilled corduroy in the morning sunshine. Nearby peaks were islands in a sea of fog. I asked Hoff about Sunday’s orientation.

“We look for people with the skills necessary to pull a toboggan,” she said. “But not being able to pull a toboggan doesn’t mean you can’t be on the patrol.”

Hoff said candidates who aren’t ready for the toboggan serve in an auxiliary status while they improve on the snow.

“Everybody works as a team here,” she said. “When we bring injured guests in from the hill, auxiliary people take over. We couldn’t do our job without them.”

Hoff and Edwards had to get busy. I talked patroller Bill Hofer into a few runs. Hofer is MSSP’s resident technical expert and speed demon. Chasing him, I felt like a pilot trying to line up a shot in a dogfight.

Hofer conducts the on-snow orientation. He said it’s more a clinic than an exam.

“We’re looking for people who can ski the whole mountain in control at a constant speed,” he said. “They go through different turn shapes, groomers, crud and a fall line bump run. We also have a little fun.”

The mountain was quiet and the weather was perfect. By midafternoon there were no incidents, or “codes” in patrol jargon. My next escort was Jim Zacher, in his 28th season patrolling Mt. Spokane. I asked him to show me the choicest lines in the proposed expansion on north side of the mountain.

Zacher agreed, but said I would have to be killed afterward unless I promised not to tell. He was kidding, of course. All I will say is I experienced some of the best tree skiing of my season.

Zacher has seen a lot of action in 28 seasons.

“A month ago we had nine codes in one hour,” he said. “I’ve been on the patrol forever and I don’t remember that many codes in that short of time. We had toboggans flying all over the place. But the rest of the day was uneventful.”

Action is an attraction. But every patroller I talked with emphasized volunteerism and camaraderie.

“It’s more about being part of the ski community,” Edwards said. “You don’t have to be an expert skier. It’s about being a part of something that’s bigger than yourself.”

My day ended with an idyllic sunset sweep of chairs one and two. The crew gathered at the bottom of Two Face to confirm the mountain was clear. Then I was swept up in a current of red jackets downhill to the chalet.