Cascade Backcountry Ski Patrol

Hi Tayers

After discovering your web site and reading many of your trip reports, it seems you folks have what it takes to become Cascade Back Country Ski Patrollers. We are not affiliated with any ski area; however we are a member of the National Ski Patrol and we do charter with the National Forest Service. As patrollers we provide emergency first aid, avalanche analysis / recovery and search and rescue.

We ARE NOT a policing entity. We ski the backcountry, have fun and help those in need. Unlike inbound patrollers, we take friends and family out skiing with us.

Our area of operations include the Highway corridors of Hwy 20, Hwy 2, and I-90. We are looking for more patrollers so that we can expand our area of operations.

There are many percs to becoming a Cascade Backcountry Ski Patroller, as a Candidate you would receive outstanding training in:
- Outdoor Emergency Care Technician- (an EMT level of First Aid training)
- Avalanche School - Level I (mandatory) with continuing education (if desired) up to and include the National Avalanche School
- Mountain Travel and Rescue
We also
- Have the use of National Forest Service Bunkhouse
- Receive great professional discounts on gear.
- Have ABS Avalanche Airbag backpacks, radios, beacons, probes, rescue gear owned by the patrol for patroller use.
- Hang with a bunch of great likeminded backcountry skiing enthusiast.


As a candidate you need to be proficient in One of the following:
- At / Randonee skiing
- Snowboarding ( you will need a split board or snow shoes )
- Classical X/C skiing
- Skate Skiing
If you would like to learn more than one type of skiing discipline, classes and training have been offered to CBSP by outside entities.

To learn more about us please visit our website at Cascade Backcountry Ski Patrol

Or contact our Candidate Advisor, Scott Ferris @ This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.

I would also like to thank the Staff at TAY for prior approval and allowing us to post on your website.

As a candidate you need to be proficient in One of the following:
- At / Randonee skiing
- Snowboarding ( you will need a split board or snow shoes )
- Classical X/C skiing
- Skate Skiing

Not telemark skiing

How could I have left that one out. ??? That is my discipline, That should have been at the top of the list.

We also
- Have the use of National Forest Service Bunkhouse

What/where is this bunkhouse?

friends of mine have volunteered for the ski patrol in years past...when they helped out they had access to a house in Skykomish near the ranger station and another house on the east side of the N.Cascades Hwy at a NFS campground..can't remember which one exactly, but it was between the pass and Mazama. It was pretty nice to have a cushy place to crash for the weekend.

Pete, you are pretty well tied in. CBSP has a bunk house at the USFS compound at Skykomish and at the USFS compound at Early Winters. The Forest Service informed us this year that our bunkhouse at EW suffered fire damage. Until this is repaired, we are working on new lodging at Early Winters.

We also have a cache at Snoqualmie. The Summit at Snoqualmie Ski Patrol has graciously let us store a cache and use their facilities for the I-90 corridor.

Good stuff.

When you are ready for 542, we are ready for you. Pretty well what we do every weekend anyways -- minus the patches and meetings.

This looks like fun but the schedule on your web page only lists OEC stuff...

1. When do you start the mountain rescue and survival classes and the avi classes (do you do train own - and if you dont - where do you get this training)?
2. Do you do most of training out of the Snowqualamie Pass or where?
3. How often do you meet for training (monthly on Saturdays)?
4. OEC takes a fee but what about the rescue training?
5. What is the age cut off (I got a teenager to drag along)?

Like tim_place said for 542...when you are ready for 410 and Paradise, we are ready for you.

Couple other questions...
1. Do we get to pull people's passes for ducking ropes?
2. Are we guaranteed first tracks before public?
3. Do we have to wear those awful red coats with the targets on the back?
4. And most exciting, do we get to throw bombs?

;D ;D ;D

C'mon, Eric.  This is backcountry stuff.  No ropes, no passes, no tracks, no uniforms. :

But a few hand charges sure would be handy for AVI control!!  ;D ;D ;D

Yeah Tim I know. Bad me. I just needed a good laugh this morning.

I'm in too if we get to carry dynamite.
Cornice dropping is a lot of work

Like tim_place said for 542...when you are ready for 410 and Paradise, we are ready for you.

Couple other questions...
1. Do we get to pull people's passes for ducking ropes?
2. Are we guaranteed first tracks before public?
3. Do we have to wear those awful red coats with the targets on the back?
4. And most exciting, do we get to throw bombs?

;D ;D ;D

Hmm, that sounds like someone I know.

Thanks for the interest,


Tim_place –
- Good news, you don’t have to wear the patches and we only meet twice a year. Most all patrol functions are dealt with on the member’s page of our website and by emails. Probably much the same way you folks set up a tour. It would be great to have a presence at 542, but we don’t have the human resources yet ( hence this posting)


Snoslut –
1. Nope
2. See answer to number 4.
3. Only if you are in front of me and going to cut first tracks – see answer number 4.
4. I have been lobbying hard for a Grenade Launcher as standard issue dual purpose device. Unfortunately the powers to be have yet to see the beauty in my logic. ;D


Blitz,

1. The MTR, AVI classes offered by CBSP have not been scheduled yet. . Last year the MTR 1 and Avy 1 class consisted of 3 weeks of classroom (Tuesday and Thursday evenings) in February and a weekend overnight practical in March.
The AVI / MTR instructor for our patrol was awarded Outstanding Instructor for the Region by the NSP. He worked at NOLS and also attended the National Avalanche School. But I digress, As an NSP member you can attended any course in the country put on by the NSP. So if you miss our AVI class ( or any other course) you can take one from any of the other NSP class locations.

2. Some training is done at Snoqualmie, The MTR and AVI field work is typically taught in the back country north east of Stevens Pass. Some training is done in town.
3. Training is up to you and can be taken at your own pace. Most candidates can finish their entire candidate training in a year. Some of us took a couple of years. To graduate from candidate to full patroller you need to complete the following: OEC, MTR I and AVY I, CPR/ AED (automatic external defibrillation) for the Profession Rescuer, and 10 duty days (ski days) with a CBSP patroller. When you do your duty days is up to you so long as you have a patroller with you.
4. All NSP course fees for members are minimal. It kind of gratifying to take a $400. AVY course for the price of the books. OEC is the most expensive course I have taken to date and its cost was a fraction the general public pays.
5. I just looked through our bylaws and it says that membership is open to 15 year olds and older. I am assuming this is a junior program, thus a parent must be a patroller/ candidate too. But that would be a good question for Scott. Regardless family is always welcome.

Ron, cutting those cornices is good for you.

Rusty, what about 410 and Paradise contingent???

Rusty,

Establishing bunkhouse access at Mt Rainier National Park similar to the National Forest Service perk would certainly trigger some interest among many people here.   

Blitz & Marco Angel,

I would very much like to see our patrol operations expand to 410. I tend to ski a lot in this area anyway, although it is not considered a duty day.


Since management at Crystal has decided to down size their Volunteer Ski Patrol in favor of a paid patrol staff (a knuckle head move in my humble opinion) we have sent a recruiting invitation to their Volunteer Patrol Director. He as offered to pass this invitation along to patrollers who need a new home. When we have sufficient personal to make a viable presence, TAYers included, it would then be possible for the patrol to decide to expand into this area.


Mt Rainer probably won’t happen; the Park Rangers have Rainer pretty much handled.


A general thought to all TAY folks. The real advantage of joining our patrol is the first aid skill sets, rescue, and avy techniques you will learn. Think of it this way, if your buddy busts a femur, dislocates a shoulder, or any other injury, you can get him splinted / immobilized and transported with less chance of him/ her bleeding out or suffering more damage. It’s definitely a plus if they can do the same for you. It beats the heck out of calling for help and just waiting…

Hi Rusty,

This group covers the Narada Falls to Paradise area with some nice support from the park:

www.wstc.org/patrol/patrol_info.htm

However, they're not a part of NSP so don't benefit from the training programs (OEC, MTR, AVI, etc.) nor do they venture as much into more adventurous areas as the greater TAY community does. Not to make enemies, but it'd be nice to have a real NSP group in the area...

I am a NSP member, Cascade Backcountry Patrol, and used to patrol at Paradise on the Nordic Patrol- so can help clarify things.  Oh yeah a TAY'er too- next month completes 5 years.

The Paradise Patrol has some skiers, mostly cross country with steel edges and snow shoers- mostly on snow shoe routes.  From time to time I see them out around Paradise; but seldom in the areas that the TAY skiers are.  I stopped Patroling their because of their leadership.  I then went though the NSP training- it is first rate- especially the Cascade Backcountry classes: Avi and Mountain Travel and Rescue- I help with the classes.  The OEC (first aid) is a commitment- 130 hours(?); but well worth it.  The OEC is a regular NSP course and we need to take certification exams every fall- a one day, hands on, procedure.

The OEC class is for NSP members, of which Cascade is affialiated, the Avi and MTR are open to most any one- my wife has been through the Cascade classes- great for newer skiers.  All the classes are minimal cost: books (NSP) and paperwork- all volunter instructors.  They sponsored Marco and myself to attend the National Av School and some day the International Snow Science(?).

The Cascade guys are often around Hyak- so a laid back atmosphere and great training: the First Aid is first rate, the Av and MTR are great too- real backcountry terain- not ski area training.  They typically patrol around the passes; but not at the areas.  Hope this helps- oh yeah I do have a book that has instruction on snow bombs; but don't have access to the explosives.

The Ski Patrol Rescue Team (SPART) is an organization that requires NSP membership to join and provides additional training opportunities as well.  As a member of the King County Search and Rescue Association (KCSARA), they are able to offer some benefits that ski area or backcountry patrols can't like insurance "on-mission" and sponsorship to the National Avalanche School:

www.spart820.org/
www.avalancheschool.org/

Cascade Nordic and SPART membership compliment each other very well for those that can make the time commitment.

Rusty - Sorry for the thread drift

Just want to clarify...
- are these on a volunteer basis?
- do you need to commit to a certain number of rescue missions per season?