How does a neuroscientist from Louisiana end up a ski patroller in rural Virginia? My love affair with skiing began in parallel with another, even stronger, love affair, the one I share with my husband and partner, Nick. As a child, I never owned a winter coat warmer than a fleece, let alone went on a [...]
Why it is Critical to Chronicle our Chronicles By Andrew Hennigh Fabricating epics around the fire The plan was in place for the next morning; the avalanche control teams were notified, shot counts were given to the shot makers, and the forecast had been adequately analyzed and over analyzed. It was mid-March and this [...]
Spilled Moonshine In the month of May we ski the debris: dust, twigs, broken branches clumps of mistletoe, pines cones and pine needles, sun cups and sap, everything but snow it would seem in the month of May. But climb high enough, doggedly enough, and a sip of winter yet awaits pooled among the [...]
By Dave Watson Wading through the deep waters of life, surrounded by love and beauty that is balanced by willful ignorance and fear, I am learning the lessons of moments long past. Toxic behavior, violence and injustice have been normalized and it is a reminder that we all must do better. We must do a better [...]
By Tarah O'Connor Uncertainty, transition, a sense of loss, a sense of adventure. These are the normal feelings each spring for the seasonal flock of professional ski patrollers. We move into smaller pods of raft guides, wildland firefighters, mountain guides, gardeners, ER techs, bartenders and carpenters. This is the “normal” flow of an already difficult [...]
By Christine Wodke, NSP Subaru Ambassador In Scott Welle’s book Wellness he says “When you are challenged you are forced to grow or you can’t meet the challenge.” That quote perfectly describes not only my race at the Winter Triathlon National Championship, but our present COVID-19 situation. The March 1 race at Theodore Wirth Park [...]
By Alex Limkin Walking the 22-mile Skywalk across the Sandias with Chuck Hosking is a bit like showering with a loofah, or eating a dandelion salad: a bit raw, a bit rough, but seriously good for you. On the verge of turning 72, Chuck Hosking's body and mind retain the virile appearance and functioning of [...]
By Tarah O'Connor I sat in a therapist’s office angry and sick to my stomach. He told me I was going to watch a strange device and tap my forehead while I relived The Incident. I thought, “This is bullshit.” I am an EMT and a ski patroller. I thrived running multiple wrecks [...]
Drew is a full time Vail Mountain ski patroller and NSP Subaru Ambassador. Drew lives in Edwards, Colorado (near Vail) with his wife Lauren and pup Tulo. When he’s not ski patrolling in the winter and bike patrolling in the summer you can find him working a film project with his company Big Mountain [...]
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 [...]
