COVID-19 Updates
COVID-19 Updates We will be posting updates from NSP offices about changes and adjustments that our staff and programs are making in response to the shifting situation around COVID-19. How you can help. Check this page for information about how NSP members can help in their communities or in national efforts. NSP's Lakewood, Colo. office and warehouse closed through April [...]
Silver Lining
By Yarrow Farnsworth Had you asked me years ago when I moved from Texas if I would ever ski (on snow) much less patrol, I probably would have laughed. I moved to New Hampshire as a teenager when my father was relocated in 1989 from Dallas, TX. Naturally I was a child raised on the lakes, better suited to [...]
COVID-19 National Office Update: How You Can Help
Dear NSP Community, Here in the national office -- which is now our virtual office (more on that below) -- we know many of you would like to know what we are doing to help in the effort to contain and combat the Coronavirus. We are collecting opportunities for trained first responders and posting them on the How You Can [...]
Letter from Executive Director Meegan Moszynski
Dear NSP Community, I am sure you are all aware how COVID-19 is impacting nearly every aspect of private and public life now. Many ski areas and resorts have closed in line with requests and recommendations to eliminate opportunities for large crowds to assemble. We know these closures have very real ramifications for everyone in our industry, including our members. [...]
First Aid Tips from National Ski Patrol
Skiing and snowboarding are wonderful activities that provide memorable experiences for winter enthusiasts all over the world. Like many outdoor sports, there are inherent risks that come with playing in the mountains. The best way to ensure you have an amazing experience is doing your homework before you leave for the mountains. Things to Consider: • Physical Conditioning: Understand the [...]
The Seasonal Life
By Andrew Hennigh, @desolationphoto BLM Ranger Boat The seasonal life. It's been 13 years for me of bouncing between desert rivers and snowy mountain towns. The seasonal life is not good for quelling financial woes. The seasonal life does not necessarily facilitate healthy relationships. The seasonal life isn't easy, it breeds anxiety. With a little luck the [...]
Bergen & Zaugg: An Interview with NSP/C-RAD Scholarship Recipients
Every year, Subaru hosts WinterFest at resorts around the country. During these events, Subaru generously donates $1 to NSP for every email opt-in they gather throughout the tour. These funds are used to benefit avalanche dog programs and scholarships all over, including Wasatch Backcountry Rescue (WBR) and Colorado Rapid Avalanche Deployment (C-RAD). In October, two dogs and their handlers [...]
Drop Knees Not Bombs
By Alex Limkin, NSP-Subaru Ambassador On a day off, I stoke a fire, brew coffee, and sit down on a chair fashioned from split kindling. Ranger, a shaggy-haired buddy who lives down the road, comes by for a scratch and to piss on my snow tires. I gave him a ham bone on Christmas Day, which he has been [...]
Subaru WinterFest
Every winter, Subaru of America celebrates the ski community by hosting an on-hill party called WinterFest. WinterFest is a one-of-a-kind concert and mountain lifestyle tour that stops at select resorts. WinterFest events feature live music, Subaru swag, free snacks and beverages, daily giveaways, gear demos, and sometimes even avalanche dog activities. Thanks to Subaru’s 25-year partnership with NSP, Subaru [...]
Happy New Year!
2019 was a tremendous year for National Ski Patrol. Not only did we serve 31,000 members in 17 countries on 4 continents, we continued to uphold the gold-standard of mountain safety and training in outdoor first responder and emergency training. Highlights include: Fundraising over $3,000 on #GivingTuesday to be passed to 16 local patrols across the U.S. NSP avalanche [...]
Avalanche Beacon Precautions
Avalanche beacons are specialized radio transceivers operating on the frequency 457 kHz. Because they use radio frequencies, they are subject to problems caused by interference. Interference can be caused by many factors, some of which are under your control, others are not. Your radio, cell phone, GPS device, smartwatch, and even the foil-lined energy bar wrapper in the buried party's [...]
The Perfect Race
By Christine Wodke, NSP-Subaru Ambassador, @run4cmt As physically challenged athlete I know what it’s like to run a perfect race. They don’t happen often, but I had one at the Age Group National Sprint Triathlon in Milwaukee on a warm August day in 2012. It wasn’t because I was fast --because I’m not -- or that I won any [...]
Are you grateful for your patrol? For ski patrolling? Remember NSP on #GivingTuesday!
Remember NSP and local ski patrols with a Facebook Fundraiser for #GivingTuesday!
Patrolling – It’s all in the family
By Jay Galeota, Mountian Creek Patrol, New Jersey When I started patrolling 30 years ago this season I remember thinking that someday I would be older and a dad and maybe, just maybe, my kids would want to be patrollers too. Well the years pass faster than any of us know when we are young and those thoughts from [...]
NSP & Subaru; 25 Years of Partnership
This upcoming year marks 25 years of partnership for Subaru of America and the National Ski Patrol. Together we share the core values of safety, service, and embracing being outside. Through this partnership, Subaru has generously provided NSP with several branded cars for NSP patrollers and leaders around the country. Today’s NSP Subaru Ambassadors are patrollers with interesting and [...]