I just sadly saw that one of the ski patrollers has passed away.
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Oh NO! that is awful! 
So sad for the resort. Noted that up in post # 11.
How many years ago was it that we met over ski tickets?? @sherpa
The Telluride patrolers only get paid $21/hr. Telluride is a very expensive place to live so I assume many live in Durango and commute.
I know the $21 is the base salary and they can make more with certifications (avalanche training, emt; my brother’s paycheck was a series of $.30/hr ‘enhanced pay’) but still. In Denver minimum wage is $20/hr and I think ski patrolers should get more than the guy pouring coffee at Starbucks (who probably makes $25/hr)
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Yep/ This is what led to the ski patrol strike at Park City last year. But they brought in Ski patrol folks from other areas to fill in , so at least for the days we were there they didn’t close the slopes. Its also a very competitive position to get.
I assumed they made more but on the news this morning they said $21/hr.
And Telluride needs specialty patrolers as they have a lot of very steep terrain. My brother started at Winter Park and he was young and strong so almost always was assigned to the double black runs at Mary Jane because someone had to get those 250 pounders down a mogul run on a toboggan when they picked a run they really couldn’t handle (or broke something, or passed out from altitude sickness) and a 130 pound female patroler really couldn’t do it.
Now he’s old and retired but gave up the double blacks a few years back.
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At the small NY ski centers of my youth, many of the ski patrol team were volunteers (who received free pass for self and family). I can see why the big places in the West require dedicated profressionals.
Most of the big mountains in Colorado have mostly Pro Patrols. Volunteers still have to be managed and may not show up when they are really needed, may not be the best for dealing with emergencies because they don’t know the procedures or where to take injuries. Some volunteers go to different mountains every week.
My college roommate organized the volunteer group at A-Basin for years, but they went to Pro Patrolers a few years ago. Pro Patrols can work at another hill for a day or weekend in an exchange. My brother did it all the time.
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Interesting info - thanks. We had a friend who used to drive up to Loveland ski center early. He’d avoid the I70 traffic and then direct cars in the parking lot for 2 hours in exchange for a free ski ticket.
@jym626 is referring to the time many years ago when she posted here about an upcoming trip to Park City and how she was hoping to find a way to get some discount lift tickets that were available at our local Costco.
I happily obliged. I don’t know how much she saved on the lift tickets but I suspect she lost money on the deal, given that she treated my wife and me to a nice sushi dinner.
We had a fun time, but the most memorable thing for me was her son ribbing her about spending time on much time on College Confidential.
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It was a wonderful time, and that is what this community is all about. The thread on networking should consider this wonderful community as part of its database as it were.
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Any feedback on Clipstic for bunding skis/poles? Other suggestions?
I get a lot of ads, but Clipstic seem to be mail order only. They could maybe help me with hassle walking back/forth to the car. One of the reviews I found mentioned a bad fit with their poles, so I am hesitant to gamble.
They are blasting ads. IMO no need. I have an old small velcro strap and I never use it. It’s just more stuff to carry when skiing.
I used to take my poles and put the hand straps on either end of the 2 skis and put the ski poles into the hand strap of the opposite pole and carry the skis by the poles.
it looked kinda like this (only no extra straps or clips or anything) https://share.google/images/2Y2O3pvw6WZV6KSFZ
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I haven’t skied for a number of years, but used to carry my skis with the pole straps on the skis for year, but then the pole grips changed to a solid plastic grip (no straps). The challenge became carrying my skis and poles,2 kids’ skis and poles, and two tired kids at the end of the day.
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@jym626 - Thanks for th tip. I tried that pole strap trick last time - didn’t seem to work, but maybe I can adjust to make strap hole bigger. Will play around with that.
@twoinanddone - Golly gee I have such memories of carrying stuff for tired little kiddos! One time after spring skiing it was soooo warm walking across the ski village…. there were hats and mittens accidentally getting dribbled behind us. (After that, I’d keep a grocery bag in my pocket). These days it is just me and hubby/no-skier/driver. He has a bad back, but I do ask him to carry the cloth grocery bag of extra gloves etc. It would make things easier if he carried my poles, but I don’t impose.
My second time walking back to the car at Eldora lot this year was easier. We were parked closer AND it was not too windy. Ha, the first time was so windy it was hard to even move in the gusts. I think the skis on my shoulder were aspiring to be mini airplanes.
I have a pair of poles with the hard plastic grips but don’t take them with me skiing as I don’t want to pack them. I did like them a lot though. I haven’t seen those in a long time. The so the straps again now.
LOL - I have my very old hard plastic grip poles. But I usually bring the lighter strapped poles, which work better with mittens.
I really like them because you can easily slip your hand right through the slit in the plastic and not have to wrap those straps around your wrists, but the wrist straps Keep the poles from flying down the mountain if you fall. That’s likely why they went back to those. At least that’s my guess.
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