ELDORADO BACKCOUNTRY SKI PATROL

from February 19 to March 3, 2020

The view south along the Pacifi c Crest from Andesite Peak. ANSWERING THE CALL

STORY BY LISA MICHELLE PHOTOS COURTESY ELDORADO BACKCOUNTRY SKI PATROL

when heading into the back country and to my surprise that’s exactly what the Eldorado Backcountry Ski Patrol o ers. ey assist the U.S. Forest Service in Eldorado National Forest when called on for search and rescue e orts, but their main focus is to prevent the public from becoming a statistic in the rst place. Preparation is essential

CLOCKWISE FROM TOP: Patrollers and CHP meet with the public during Winterfest; A patroller digs an access point to Robbs Hut to help trapped skiers; Patrollers during a rescue at Robbs Hut; Ski patrol members practice helicopter evacuation.

Every level of outdoor enthusiast is welcome. Even if you have no experience skiing, snowshoeing or splitboarding, Eldorado Backcountry Ski Patrol o ers the perfect opportunity to gain the skills necessary to enjoy miles of winter wilderness with con dence. e group patrols the Crystal Basin, and the Highway 50 and Highway 88 corridors.

“It’s amazing how many people we run into who are unprepared,” says Ray Peart, current Patrol president. ree years ago, skiers ignored extreme storm warnings and traveled through the Crystal Basin to Robbs Peak. After spending a few days huddled in Robbs Hut, the group was running low on supplies and contacted Eldorado Forest Service for help. e storm was relentless and massive amounts of snow had accumulated. e deep, dry snow caused the Forest Service snowcats to sink into tree wells, making it impossible to reach Robbs Peak or rescue the trapped skiers. e Forest Service contacted Eldorado Backcountry Ski Patrollers, who happened to be in the area.

Patrollers skied in and on arrival found the entire hut buried under several feet of snow. After digging a tunnel down to the door, they rescued the group and guided them back to the trailhead. eir story had a happy ending. While successful back-country rescues o er a great sense of accomplishment, Peart says he’d much rather give people the tools to prevent the need for search and rescue in the rst place. e organization, formerly known as Eldorado Nordic Ski Patrol, has been in existence since 1982 when Rudy Stau er, a native of Switzerland, was working in the California ski industry and operating ski tours in Yosemite. Stau er, who grew up skiing, saw a real need for search and rescue and realized the importance of organization. Stau er along with Mike Peart, Peart’s uncle, and a dozen others founded the original organization; some are still involved. In 2016, Peart found his way back to the Ski Patrol and in becoming president, he pushed to rebrand the organization in an attempt to reach a younger generation.

“Our focus is always education,” he says.

VOLUNTEER FOR PATROL, EDUCATION

e push to reach a wider membership seems to be working. Membership includes a variety of people with varying backgrounds who come from as far away as Monterey.

Volunteer members have the option of becoming a patroller after two years of training with a mentor. Patrol prospects must obtain the required avalanche certi cation, pass wilderness medical training and prove to their mentor that they have the stamina to e ciently lead a strenuous patrol, typically over eight hours, through a variety of conditions and terrain. Currently, there are 13 active patrollers, ve senior patrollers and four honored patrollers. Recently, the Ski Patrol opened patrol positions to snowshoers after meeting the necessary requirements.

e Ski Patrol does not require members to participate in search and rescue e orts. Much of the volunteer work EBSP does pertains to maintaining winter huts in Eldorado National Forest and marking trails with signage to prevent skiers or snowshoers from getting lost.

“Most of our members want to be more e cient in the back country,” says Peart. “But, what I love most about the patrol is that we have members from all di erent backgrounds and abilities, but because we share a passion for the winter back country and a desire to serve, it has created many unlikely friendships that extend far beyond the patrol.”

Attending a general meeting is the recommended rst step to becoming a member. Held the rst Tuesday of every month at the Forest Service o ce in Placerville, meetings are open to the public. | ebsp.org 

“What I love most about the patrol is that we have members from all different backgrounds and abilities, but because we share a passion for the winter back country and a desire to serve, it has created many unlikely friendships that extend far beyond the patrol.” –Ray Peart

Read about the Tahoe Nordic Search & Rescue at TheTahoeWeekly.com

UPCOMING EVENTS

This article is from:

February 19 to March 3, 2020