By: Shea Toner
At Animas High School we are required as students to complete a three week long internship throughout the month of March. In which we as students can pursue our passions, interests, or career goals. This opportunity teaches us many things about ourselves, professional skills and life lessons.
Aspen Highlands Pro Patrol Team: I am very excited to have solidified my internship with the Aspen Mountain Ski Patrol for many reasons; as a native to Durango, I have been skiing since I could walk, and I have enjoyed the mountains of Colorado, both summer and winter my whole life. My desire to dive deeper into the ski industry, and the logistics of ski area management and mountain safety are very interesting. I look forward to learning the logistics of what it takes to prepare the slopes before opening to the public. This includes the potential for working with explosives for avalanche control as well as learning what portions of the mountain are closed to the public and what potential hazards exist. I will be assisting the pro patrol on accident calls on any and all parts of the mountain and I’m confident my expert skiing ability will allow me to do that. Learning where ski patrol toboggans are located and what equipment is necessary depending on the type of accident will be intriguing. Analyzing the accident situation, stabilizing the injured person and getting them off the mountain to safety will be a learning experience. The procedures that are in place to sweep the mountain and make sure everyone is down and safe at the end of the day is something few skiers take into consideration. The Aspen Ski Patrol are some of the best in the world. They are ultimately in charge when things go wrong, such as lift evacuations, missing skiers, avalanches and skier fatalities. I look forward to this internship which will produce life long memories and learning lessons that I will never forget.
Internship Location: Aspen Highlands Mountain Aspen, Co 81611
My mentor is Chris Halsey the head pro ski patrol at Aspen Highlands Ski area. I hope Chris will teach me the functions of which the ski patrollers deal with on a daily. My goal of this opportunity is too persevere in my skiing ability, gain knowledge on patrollers duties, and find different interests for my future. As I prepare myself for my internship, I am generating various project ideas that I can exhibit to others, but I have not decided on a final piece. I want to get a better feel for what Aspen Highlands will be like before I chose my project. My internship excites me more and more as I countdown the days, I am feeling extremely anxious to be living in Aspen, Colorado and pursuing my interest of skiing.
Aspen Highlands Pro Patrol Team: I am very excited to have solidified my internship with the Aspen Mountain Ski Patrol for many reasons; as a native to Durango, I have been skiing since I could walk, and I have enjoyed the mountains of Colorado, both summer and winter my whole life. My desire to dive deeper into the ski industry, and the logistics of ski area management and mountain safety are very interesting. I look forward to learning the logistics of what it takes to prepare the slopes before opening to the public. This includes the potential for working with explosives for avalanche control as well as learning what portions of the mountain are closed to the public and what potential hazards exist. I will be assisting the pro patrol on accident calls on any and all parts of the mountain and I’m confident my expert skiing ability will allow me to do that. Learning where ski patrol toboggans are located and what equipment is necessary depending on the type of accident will be intriguing. Analyzing the accident situation, stabilizing the injured person and getting them off the mountain to safety will be a learning experience. The procedures that are in place to sweep the mountain and make sure everyone is down and safe at the end of the day is something few skiers take into consideration. The Aspen Ski Patrol are some of the best in the world. They are ultimately in charge when things go wrong, such as lift evacuations, missing skiers, avalanches and skier fatalities. I look forward to this internship which will produce life long memories and learning lessons that I will never forget.
Internship Location: Aspen Highlands Mountain Aspen, Co 81611
My mentor is Chris Halsey the head pro ski patrol at Aspen Highlands Ski area. I hope Chris will teach me the functions of which the ski patrollers deal with on a daily. My goal of this opportunity is too persevere in my skiing ability, gain knowledge on patrollers duties, and find different interests for my future. As I prepare myself for my internship, I am generating various project ideas that I can exhibit to others, but I have not decided on a final piece. I want to get a better feel for what Aspen Highlands will be like before I chose my project. My internship excites me more and more as I countdown the days, I am feeling extremely anxious to be living in Aspen, Colorado and pursuing my interest of skiing.
First Day Selfie:
3/8/2016 : My morning sweep was on run “No Name Face”
Highlands Bowl run: the patrol office runs at least two people through the bowl every thirty minutes, just for overall safety and constant observation of the bowl just in case an accident occurs they will be on seen. As each patroller hikes and monitors the slopes, they check in on each tabogon on the way up and down, as well as check up on the patrol supply box which holds a backboard, sling, oxygen, and other first aid gear. After the bowl, I assisted patroller Craig and Jetter on a accident run. When you approach the seen you observe accident, surrounding and see if the injured person needs any extra medical gear. Then continue with asking the person for name, place, time/ date and event proceeding these questions are important due to figuring out their mental state. Then continue if they want an ambulance to the hospital or have own vehicle of transportation. If the patrollers offered any medical support they have to write and incident report, for legal reasons. Afternoon sweep, St. Moritz starts by initiating sweep over the radio. Drop into St. Moritz and come back out to Hayden. Sweep the Kal, Far out and further out, St. Moritz, Pork Chop hill and Last Call. Wait for Garmisch at the bottom middle of Pork Chop Hill. Visually clear Bariloche and Log Jam Gully. Wave off Boomerang sweep at North Castle. Sweep Lower Boomerang Woods. Continue down the grand reverse meeting all other sweepers (patrollers) along the way to bottom of DT. Radio patrol dispatch that Steeple sweep is clear. Throughout the whole sweep call out “Closing or Clearing” then listen for remaining people on the mountain if are any.
Highlands Bowl run: the patrol office runs at least two people through the bowl every thirty minutes, just for overall safety and constant observation of the bowl just in case an accident occurs they will be on seen. As each patroller hikes and monitors the slopes, they check in on each tabogon on the way up and down, as well as check up on the patrol supply box which holds a backboard, sling, oxygen, and other first aid gear. After the bowl, I assisted patroller Craig and Jetter on a accident run. When you approach the seen you observe accident, surrounding and see if the injured person needs any extra medical gear. Then continue with asking the person for name, place, time/ date and event proceeding these questions are important due to figuring out their mental state. Then continue if they want an ambulance to the hospital or have own vehicle of transportation. If the patrollers offered any medical support they have to write and incident report, for legal reasons. Afternoon sweep, St. Moritz starts by initiating sweep over the radio. Drop into St. Moritz and come back out to Hayden. Sweep the Kal, Far out and further out, St. Moritz, Pork Chop hill and Last Call. Wait for Garmisch at the bottom middle of Pork Chop Hill. Visually clear Bariloche and Log Jam Gully. Wave off Boomerang sweep at North Castle. Sweep Lower Boomerang Woods. Continue down the grand reverse meeting all other sweepers (patrollers) along the way to bottom of DT. Radio patrol dispatch that Steeple sweep is clear. Throughout the whole sweep call out “Closing or Clearing” then listen for remaining people on the mountain if are any.
3/9/2016 : Today I learned how to safely evacuate an injured person on a sled, work with the trained Avalanche dogs as I was buried and found within two minutes, and towards the end of the day we practiced lift evacuation. Which was interesting to watch and fun to be propelled from the 30 ft lift. Loving being outside with humored ski patrol.
3/13/2016 : Morning Highlands Bowl Sweep. Beacon and probe drills on run “Boomerang” after an avalanche occurs you investigate if anyone is missing, if so interrogate where last seen, clarify run, person if known and if anyone knows if the buried person has a beacon or recco on. If they have a beacon attached, proceed to turn yours on to search mode, when the beacons start to transmit waves from one to the other, line up the arrow on screen of beacon and travel making sure the numbers of distant drops as you move closer to the buried person. When the beacon hits the number two get lower to the ground and make boundary lines around the area of burial. Use probe to jab in a circular motion till you hit the body. Once you hit the person use shovel to dig until unburied. Afternoon sweep, run Lucky Find