What experience do you have in regards to mountain snow safety?
I have worked as a professional ski patroller in Montana for 7 years, and during that time I was working in and around avalanche terrain. I have completed courses in winter weather forecasting, level 3 avalanche operations, and avalanche education. In addition I’ve been to the National Avalanche School in Utah, I’ve attended international snow science workshops, and I’m a professional member of the American Avalanche Association.
As I found myself getting deeper into the esoteric world of snow science I began collaborating field research projects with Montana State University’s snow science department, and have since made some small advances in avalanche forecasting. Over the past two winters at Broken River I’ve assisted Hailey Green with our snow safety program.
What does the role of a snow safety patroller entail? Can you describe a typical day in this role?
As a Snow Safety Officer I am responsible for the safety of our skiers and riders who choose to venture into our “in area boundary” avalanche terrain. We are required to pay close attention to the weather, current snow stability, and forecasted snow stability and then determine what steps need to take to ensure the safety of our guests. For example, if we have received new snow overnight we may need to be up on the mountain at 5:30am to do avalanche control work with explosives in order to get Broken River open by 9:00am.
In short, we are using explosives and techniques such as “ski cutting” to intentionally trigger avalanches, thereby reducing the hazard so our guests don’t trigger and get caught in an avalanche while skiing, riding, or hiking. There are rules of travel in avalanche terrain, safety equipment that we use, and advanced rescue techniques that we practice in order to minimize our risk in avalanche terrain. During our open hours at the ski area we do ongoing snow stability assessments at test plots, looking for weaknesses and changes in stability at a particular point to help paint a picture of the overall structure of the snowpack. We keep a close eye on snow conditions and will open or close terrain based on our hazard assessment. It’s an exciting job that requires strong discipline, advanced training, and experience in different snow regimes in order to keep ourselves out of harm’s way.
You were bound to have encountered a number of dangerous situations, are there any that stand out?
Indeed I’ve been exposed to a fair share of potentially dangerous situations while in the mountains. The worst situations that I’ve been in are when I’ve miscalculated the risks at hand and put myself in dangerous avalanche terrain, only realizing that I’ve made a mistake when it’s too late. A few of the times when this has happened I’ve been caught in avalanches and have been fortunate enough to have escaped or only be partially buried in snow. The sensation of being caught in an avalanche is truly awful. There seems to be the notion that if someone is a good skier or rider, once caught in an avalanche they’ll be able to “ride it out” or if buried they’ll be able to dig themselves out. The truth of the matter is that once caught in an avalanche you are, for all practical purposes, helpless and at the will of an extremely violent situation.
Do you have any qualifications or formal training that you feel has assisted in your progression through the industry?
Certainly my training and qualifications mentioned above in snow safety have helped as have my training in wilderness medicine and emergency outdoor care. Ski patrolling has given me an eye for safety and hazard assessment pertaining to ski area operations and I’ve been trained and exposed to search and rescue. I’ve worked as a ski area dispatcher, snow maker, chair lift operator, and have done summer ski area operations work. I reached a point in the progression of my ski area career two years ago where I decided it would be beneficial to experience winter year round by working in New Zealand for a winter. It probably doesn’t hurt either that I’ve been skiing and exposed to the ski culture for my whole life. I would have to say what has helped most has been the diversity of my experience with ski area operations and my desire to learn more about mountain operations.
Your role this season is Mountain Manager at Broken River, how did you make the transition to a managerial role?
Good question! If you told me a year ago that I’d be managing a ski area I probably wouldn’t have believed it, but it made sense to apply as events unfolded over the past year. Broken River’s previous Mountain Manager had made her intentions clear that she was moving on after last season. My mountain operations experience and field experience specific to Broken River gave me the knowledge and confidence to manage the ski field and over the course of the season at Broken River last year I worked with the previous mountain manager to get up to speed on administrative aspects of the job I was unfamiliar with. Also over the off season while I was applying for the position I spent time working closely with my Mountain Manager in Montana when I wasn’t ski patrolling or doing snow safety work.
What is it that you like about working in the mountains?
I love working outside in a place where people come for enjoyment, excitement, and relaxation. It’s a lifestyle choice that has its ups and downs but never any dull moments. The folk that you work with and guests that visit the mountains bring with them a similar enthusiasm for the mountains that is contagious. I suppose for some the weather can be too harsh or the challenge to overwhelming, but for those with a bit of grit and a passion for adventure it’s one of the most beautiful places in the world.
You’re originally from America which we all know has a massive snow sports industry and I’m guessing you have visited a number of other countries, what made you choose New Zealand as your current place of residence?
I need to begin by saying besides the States and New Zealand; the only other country I’ve worked in was Tanzania which had absolutely nothing to do with snow sports! For quite some time New Zealand has had a special appeal to me. Before coming here I have to admit that I knew little about the country except stories of breathtaking landscapes and wonderful people. As I progressed through the ski industry I began looking at options for working in the southern hemisphere. My partner, also a mountain professional, has family in the Christchurch area which gave us another good reason to visit New Zealand. When my experience and qualifications were solid enough to apply for work overseas I chose New Zealand because of its unique club ski fields. In my search for work overseas I met other ski patrollers in the States that had worked the club fields of New Zealand. They all had vivid stories of these hidden gems that represented the “soul of skiing” and of these clubs that still held onto community values that most other larger ski areas have forgotten about as they focus on development and expansion, driving up the cost of skiing. In particular, the club fields of the Craigieburn Range stood out as the crown jewels of kiwi skiing. I’m extremely fortunate and grateful to have ended up at Broken River and be part of their amazing ski community.
