The National Ski Patrol at Mt Bachelor: Who We Are
The Mt. Bachelor Ski Patrol is an organization that provides first aid and rescue services to skiers and participants of other snow sports, at the ski area and in the immediate back country area surrounding Mt. Bachelor.
Contrary to the name's implications, ski patrollers can be snowboarders in addition to alpine, telemark, or nordic skiers. The Mt. Bachelor Ski Patrol also has a non-skiing position, called auxiliary, that provide emergency care in a first aid room.
On The Mountain
Alpine The primary goal of the Alpine segment of the Mt Bachelor National Ski Patrol is to make the mountain as safe as possible for all skiers and snowboarders. Each morning before the mountain opens, patrollers thoroughly check each run for hazards exposed by the previous night's grooming activity. Terrain parks are roped off, family skiing areas are marked, and all signs are cleared of rime and snow. The full-time proffessional staff assesses and mitigates any avalanche hazards, and all medical supplies are inspected and inventoried. Once the mountain opens to the public we're there to help any way we can. Patrollers give directions, help find lost skiers, treat injured skiers and assist them off the mountain. Once the lifts close for the day patrollers sweep each run to ensure all guest have made it safely to the parking lot before turning the mountain back over to the groomers for the night. Nordic The Nordic Patrol is responsible for providing services on our 56 kilometers of groomed trails. Our base of operations is at the Nordic Lodge where all of our first aid supplies and sleds are maintained. The day begins with making sure the area around the lodge is cleared of snow and safe for our guests. We then get our equipment ready so we will be prepared to respond to injured skiers. After that we're off to ski the trails, checking for hazards, clearing signs and answering guests questions. We use a snowmobile to respond to accidents, and to transport the patient back to our lodge or to the Mountain Medical Clinic for further care. During the day we alternate duty shifts at the lodge while others are out skiing the trails. At the end of the day we check for injured guests on the trails and make sure people are on their way back to the lodge, before we head home. Our goal is to keep things fun, while providing a safe and enjoyable experience for the skiing public. AuxilliaryIf you visit the ski-patrol aid-room at either West Village or Sunrise Lodge, you'll likely meet one of our auxilliary patrollers. The auxilliary staff is there to treat injured skiers and snowboarders who were able to come down off the mountain without patrol assistance. They also help treat injuries brought into the patrol aid-room by alpine and nordic patrollers. For injuries that require the attention of a physician, the auxilliary staff can help you check in with the Mountain Medical Urgent Care Center located at West Village. Patroller Candidate
Our Inverted Training Program is designed to help the Patroller Candidate keep the mountain safe, and provide non-medical assistance to guests. Patroller Candidates provide guests with directions, advice, or help whenever it is needed. They can also notify members of the Alpine Patrol when they encounter a guest that is in need of medical assistance. The Patroller Candidate is part of the Mountain Safety Team, made up of skiers and snowboarders undergoing the medical, toboggan handling, and avalanche safety training required to become an Alpine Patroller. Patroller Candidates spend one or more seasons as part of the Mountain Safety Team and take on-the-hill instruction towards gaining the skills necessary for patrolling. If you are interested in becoming part of the team, see our This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it page. |
