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and quickly recovers the quarry—another patroller that we "buried" in
the snow cave. We reward the dogs with high-pitched squeals and tug-
of-war with their favorite toys. e dogs are so enraptured by the play
that they are oblivious to the small crowd that has gathered to watch
them work.
1330: I take Juniper back to her kennel and leave her there to rest
until the end of the day. I head back to the summit to eat my lunch and
take a turn sitting in the shack while other patrollers leave to work on
projects and patrol the terrain.
1440: e day is already starting to wind down; upper mountain trail
closures will start in 30 minutes. I take a final patrol lap, making mental
notes about the snow conditions as I ski. With more snow in the fore-
cast, it's likely that we'll be back for avalanche mitigation routes again
tomorrow morning.
1515: e last guests left the summit ten minutes ago. It's just us
patrollers up here now. All of the excitement of the day starts to melt
away in the stillness of the alpine. I take in the moment of solitude from
the top of my assigned trail closure. e trail is clear below me, and for
a moment, I forget that I am at work and enjoy the simplicity of just
skiing.
1600: I catch last chair on Powder Seeker and I'm greeted by Juniper
at the top. Juniper runs next to me as I ski, looking up from time to time
with an unmistakable smile. She loves this job too.
1700: Amidst sighs of relief as boots come off in the locker room,
conversations pick up—inquiries about each other's days, friendly teas-
ing, and professional exchange. All of the great moments of the day are
amplified by the camaraderie of the patrol team.
1730: Time for me to head home to my real job: Mom.
2100: I'm tired. Time to go to bed and get ready to do all over again
tomorrow.
In this job, WE GET LOTS OF EXPERIENCE WITH THE NUANCES OF
"COLD," "SNOW," AND "WIND." TODAY'S COMBINATION IS PRIME FOR
MITIGATION AND FOR GREAT SKIING.
Inside Whitefish
Mountain ski patrol
www.distinctlymontana.com/skipatrol201
DISTINCTLY MONTANA | DIGITAL
Alto Ridge at sunrise
