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 [...]
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 [...]
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, [...]
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 [...]
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 [...]
