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

Mt. Spokane Ski Patrol banks on Ski Swap

Randy Foiles, Mt. Spokane Ski Patrol director (courtesy / Courtesy)

The promise of new downhill skiing terrain at Mount Spokane means more area to patrol, which means more patrollers will be needed, which means more money must be raised.

“We’re hoping to have another great Ski Swap,” said Randy Foiles, the new director of the Mount Spokane Ski Patrol. “We’ll have even more to do next season.”

The patrol’s 52nd annual Mt. Spokane winter gear swap is the granddaddy of what has become a tradition at all of the region’s resorts. It’s scheduled for Oct. 28-29 at Spokane County Fair and Expo Center in Spokane Valley.

This season, Mt. Spokane Ski and Snowboard Park will be cutting trees to create seven new runs. The skiable acreage of 1,425 acres will be expanded by 79 acres of new trails, said Brad McQuarrie, ski area manager.

“In the spring, they’ll be installing a new chairlift to service those runs,” Foiles said. “We’re a little short on patrollers now, and we’ll need even more to cover the additional terrain.

“We’re telling people if they ever thought about joining the ski patrol, now is a good time to start getting qualified for the 2018-2019 season.”

Joining the patrol is fulfilling by way of a serious commitment, he said. Candidates can expect to devote about two nights a week for 11 weeks for on-snow training, skill development and a first-aid course.

The Ski Swap funds the entire operation, including the patrol facility at the base of the mountain.

“We’re the only patrol I know of in the Northwest that pays for everything,” Foiles said. “We buy our own equipment, radios, toboggans, first-aid supplies – everything.

“Most other patrols do fundraising because they want extras and more equipment that their resort may be capable of funding, but we pay our way totally.”

The new ski patrollers will get to enjoy some of the same new runs Mt. Spokane ski area customer will be exploring.

“It’s going to be terrific terrain,” Foiles said. “They’re truly in the fall line, intermediate and fun. Just one more year.”