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antennaguru

Booting Out
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Whenever I see a skier that looks like they might be hurt, on the ground, or seem to be scared, I always stop and ask if they are ok. 99% of the time they are actually OK but sometimes could just use a little helpful advice due to unfamiliarity with the ski area or their equipment. In the 1% of the time that they actually do need help I ski quickly to the bottom and ride the lift back up and stop in at the Patrol Shack to pass the word. Unless it's someone I know I don't want to get too involved, perform any first aid, or do much more than pass the word to Patrol when it's appropriate.

I don't bother stopping and asking snowboarders anymore, as they're constantly laying around on slopes when they're perfectly fine.
 

MissySki

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Whenever I see a skier that looks like they might be hurt, on the ground, or seem to be scared, I always stop and ask if they are ok. 99% of the time they are actually OK but sometimes could just use a little helpful advice due to unfamiliarity with the ski area or their equipment. In the 1% of the time that they actually do need help I ski quickly to the bottom and ride the lift back up and stop in at the Patrol Shack to pass the word. Unless it's someone I know I don't want to get too involved, perform any first aid, or do much more than pass the word to Patrol when it's appropriate.

I don't bother stopping and asking snowboarders anymore, as they're constantly laying around on slopes when they're perfectly fine.
Wouldn’t it be easier to call patrol versus riding the lift back up to them? Assuming there is service.
 

antennaguru

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Wouldn’t it be easier to call patrol versus riding the lift back up to them? Assuming there is service.
Cellular Coverage/Capacity isn't always reliable at the ski area I ski most. I can ski fast and ride a high speed lift that drops me in front of the Patrol Shack. Plus, no one in Patrol is tasked with manning any sort of "call for help line". Lately I even see patrollers performing what I believe is general maintenance rather than patrolling.
 
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TS
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Wouldn’t it be easier to call patrol versus riding the lift back up to them? Assuming there is service.
IME most lift shacks - especially the bottom - have landlines they can use to contact patrol, or at least the top shack. It’s worth checking.
 
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..no one in Patrol is tasked with manning any sort of "call for help line".
Not exactly true. Where I worked on patrol, and everywhere I’ve thought to look, had a person tasked with staffing the “call for help line.” SOP.
 

Posaune

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Even in the old days of no cell service (in the 70s) there was always someone on our patrol that monitored the radio so that if something was reported to the lifty they could call it in immediately. Don't ride to the top, it's a lot faster to tell the lifty at the bottom and they will tell the patrol by land line or radio.
 

antennaguru

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Not exactly true. Where I worked on patrol, and everywhere I’ve thought to look, had a person tasked with staffing the “call for help line.” SOP.
I stuck my head in the patrol shack last week before the latest rain to simply say hi, and there wasn't a soul in there. A few minutes later I saw 4 patrollers brush cutting/trimming under a chair lift that had not yet been opened?!? I personally think that brush cutting is a task for the mountain's staff and not patrol. To be sure, that sort of stuff should be resolved well in advance of opening day - but I keep my nose out of it and am simply a passholder.
 

Tricia

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I stuck my head in the patrol shack last week before the latest rain to simply say hi, and there wasn't a soul in there. A few minutes later I saw 4 patrollers brush cutting/trimming under a chair lift that had not yet been opened?!? I personally think that brush cutting is a task for the mountain's staff and not patrol. To be sure, that sort of stuff should be resolved well in advance of opening day - but I keep my nose out of it and am simply a passholder.
What mountain?
Most places I've experienced have someone in a lift office or dispatch. That person can radio patrollers out on the hill.
 

dbostedo

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I stuck my head in the patrol shack last week before the latest rain to simply say hi, and there wasn't a soul in there. A few minutes later I saw 4 patrollers brush cutting/trimming under a chair lift that had not yet been opened?!? I personally think that brush cutting is a task for the mountain's staff and not patrol. To be sure, that sort of stuff should be resolved well in advance of opening day - but I keep my nose out of it and am simply a passholder.
Hmm... I wouldn't have assumed that if I called patrol I actually called the patrol shack/cabin/building (I've always assumed those - especially up on the hill versus the base - were more storage and break rooms, than someplace you could call.) But I would assume when calling (which I've done a couple of times) I got a hold of someone who could immediately radio patrol.
 

MissySki

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IME most lift shacks - especially the bottom - have landlines they can use to contact patrol, or at least the top shack. It’s worth checking.
I have personally skied to the bottom and asked a liftie to call patrol for someone up on trail when I was in an area without cellphone reception. They should definitely be able to help that way. Otherwise I have patrol’s number saved under favorites in my phone for easy access, and have always heard to do that and call. I imagine it would come in handy if I injured myself and needed to call for help if I couldn’t ski down as well.. assuming reception is available.
 

skibob

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I have personally skied to the bottom and asked a liftie to call patrol for someone up on trail when I was in an area without cellphone reception. They should definitely be able to help that way. Otherwise I have patrol’s number saved under favorites in my phone for easy access, and have always heard to do that and call. I imagine it would come in handy if I injured myself and needed to call for help if I couldn’t ski down as well.. assuming reception is available.
I won't ski anywhere w/o programming patrol into my phone. I won't let my kids ski w/o doing it too. Of course there may be no service when you need it. But I have skied to a lift and reported patrol needed and they have always been able to contact patrol immediately by phone or radio (or reported at the top once when I saw a situation from the lift). If a mountain didn't have that capability at every lift station I would seriously question whether I would ski there again.
 

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IME most lift shacks - especially the bottom - have landlines they can use to contact patrol, or at least the top shack. It’s worth checking.

I have personally skied to the bottom and asked a liftie to call patrol for someone up on trail when I was in an area without cellphone reception. They should definitely be able to help that way. Otherwise I have patrol’s number saved under favorites in my phone for easy access, and have always heard to do that and call. I imagine it would come in handy if I injured myself and needed to call for help if I couldn’t ski down as well.. assuming reception is available.
When Andy was injured last month I was near the bottom lift shack of Wizard and yelled to the liftie to get attention so she could call patrol.
 

DesmoDog

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Put the patrol number in your phone.

My first time out a couple weeks ago, patrol got a phone call. A boarder had crashed and gotten hurt. For whatever reason he called his father, who then called the patrol. His son was hurt, needed help, couldn't find anyone. No location was given. The place was crowded, how could no one know where he was? Was he in a closed area?

Entire patrol is searching for this guy and since it was a training night, there were a LOT of patrolers there. No one could find him. I jokingly said he's probably at a different ski area.

Got to the top of the lift and was told that yep, turns out the guy wasn't even at our location. Not only did Dad not know the run he was on, he didn't even know the area he was at.

Just put the number in your phone. Spotty coverage? You're still no worse off with it in there.
 

skibob

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I should add that some people are foolish and don't know what's what. I stopped to check on a very immobile boarder who had a couple of friends standing around. I asked if he needed help and they all were staring at their navels and saying, uh, ah, I don't think so. Guy isn't moving. I ask the guy, no response. I said "f this" and skied down toward the lift to ask for patrol to check on him. Spotted a patroller on the trail instead and flagged him down and told him. He radioed it in. Later in the day I saw same patroller and asked him if the guy was alright. He said "he will be, but he has a concussion and a couple of broken ribs and maybe internal bleeding". Sheesh. I don't know if my friend needs help. It's what patrollers are there for so better safe than sorry. Glad I used my own judgment instead of depending on his "friends".
 

stan51

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When you use Google to find the phone number of patrol, and you are at one of the several ski areas that have Snowbowl in their name, make sure that you have the correct ski area! Sometimes it is fairly easy to tell that the caller has the wrong Snowbowl, but I have dispatched patrollers to search for an injured party when their description of location was similar to a zone we have, only to find out that they were 1500 miles away!
 

no edge

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Recently there have only been two situations that I was involved with. Me... I was injured at Stratton and a fellow I had been talking with came down behind me. I had smashed my head again. He didn't know what to do so I told him to call 911. Patrol was there in under two minutes. First guy was by himself. Second guy arrived with the sled in less than three minutes. Fortunately the fellow who stopped to help me knew what trail we were on.

The rest of the rescue was exceptional. I was sent to Southern Vermont Hospital. All three patrollers were involved with transporting me to the hospital in the ambulance.

Then another one for a kid at Jiminy. I called 911 and the ski patrol came right down quickly. But not as fast as Stratton.
 

luliski

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IMG_3441.jpeg

Last May at Mammoth, a skier came flying across a run completely out of control (almost hitting me). I watched her then ski at full speed right into these trees, which were up an embankment. She went down and I saw no movement. I couldn’t see exactly where she’d landed. I was so scared for her, and I could not get anyone’s attention for backup as I sidestepped up to her. People just kept skiing past while I yelled that we needed help. As I approached her, she started yelling “help,” and then I could not get her to hear me shouting that I was on my way. She had somehow survived by going into the narrower space between the two deciduous trees in the photo. Her skis were wedged behind the base of the trees and she needed help releasing her skis and getting herself out of the tree well. Luckily it was May and the snow was melting. She insisted she was fine once she was out, and she wouldn’t even let me help her get her skis back on (maybe a good thing). It was pretty concerning to me that I couldn’t get any of the other skiers‘ attention. Maybe I need to carry a megaphone? Or is there a universal signal?
 

Tricia

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Carry a (small) whistle In a pocket?
Oddly enough, I do attach a pealess whistle to my jacket on powder days in case I get trapped in the snow, but never think to carry it on a spring day.
This has me thinking.
 

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