Region News

ID Course for those interested in teaching OEC

by 0rest 0har | May 20, 2019 | 0 Comments

OEC Course season officially begins every year in New Hampshire at the end of August. To prepare future OEC Instructors, the Region ID Staff offers a traditional classroom-based course. Check your calendar and visit the Region's Calendar to set aside Saturday,...

The weather is getting warmer !!!

by Carl Chaplin | Apr 21, 2019 | 0 Comments

The 2018 – 2019 ski season is winding down but there are still a few more events to look forward to. Annual Patrol end of season parties, the Region Awards luncheon in May, the big end of season Memorial Day weekend at Tuckerman Ravine to name a few. As we look back on what was for some an outstanding snow year, and for others a combination of snow and “not quite” snow we have an opportunity to review what worked, what didn’t, and what we would like to, let’s say, “review” a little for next season. As some of you know, the planning goes on all summer.

With that said I’m looking for feedback on what you like and what you would like to see improved or added. It’s difficult to improve without feedback. Were there programs you would have liked to see offered that weren’t? Were there programs you would like to see changed? Take this opportunity to email me and let me know.

Additionally, I’m looking to expand participation in the programs we have in the Region. While its true in some programs we have widespread support and participation, in others we have a bare minimum of support. We have approximately 425 members registered in the Region. We have only 5 ID Instructors and almost all of them pull double or triple duty with other responsibilities. We have only 6 MTR Instructors. On the other hand, we have 37 OET and 111 OEC Instructors. Again, email me or the Program Advisor if you are interested in becoming an Instructor.

I’m looking forward to working with you all, and remember. It’s time to get involved…

Nominations for 2019 Election – Central and Southern Section Chiefs

by Ray Whitley | Mar 28, 2019 | 0 Comments

NH REGION ELECTION NOTIFICATION Announcing open nominations for Southern and Central Section Chief. Qualification requirements and job descriptions are included below, along with excerpts of applicable New Hampshire and Eastern Division Bylaws. Job Requirements of the...

Another Successful Year for Senior OEC Program

by Ed Sargent | Feb 16, 2019 | 0 Comments

This year’s events were held at McIntyre, Ragged, Pats Peak, Crotched, St Francis School and Sunapee. Thank you to all patrol directors and staff who made this possible.

It takes a lot of volunteers to run this program, advisors, trainers, evaluators, station managers, patients, helpers, and moulage artists. Thank you all for your support of our program.

Being involved in this program is a learning opportunity for all of us. We learn from each other and grow as a team. For most of us, this isn’t a one and done, learning experience. It’s a process which

Senior OET Clinic at Ragged Mountain, NH

by Lisa Kling | Feb 8, 2019 | 0 Comments

What a great day all had at the Ragged Mountain Senior OET Clinic on Feb 03, 2019! Conditions were primo, students were enthusiastic, and instructors were keen to work with individuals with such positive attitudes. Our day started with Instructor of Record Deb Brown with an informative introduction on objectives for the day and specific highlights of interest in skills where extra practice would be productive and improved upon with guided skill drills and developed muscle memory input.

Starting with ski demonstrations and feedback on participants’ performance and improvement with each segment was rewarding to observe by all three instructors. Sincere feelings of accomplishment from each student stepping it up a notch and challenging themselves was evident throughout the skiing segment of the morning. We worked on groomed steeps, gentle bumps and tight short radius turns by placing ourselves as slalom markers. This drill was fun and forced us to initiate and finish turns appropriately. The candidates were awakened to see and feel improvements in their own performance.

Skills came next with snowplow, sideslip, transition and pivot slips. All did quite well and concentrated on upper/lower body separation and shoulders and head facing down the fall line. Some commented on how much more efficient the task was when these positioning tips were followed.

Getting into the handles of the toboggan in the next segment of the program was fun, fast-moving and enlightening for the three instructors when we observed the receptive and adaptive thinking and resulting performance of our four students. Empty sleds in the gentle bumps and encouragement from instructors enabled the students to let the sled follow with a light grip of handles; appropriate short . . .

Region Director Election Update

by Paul Kelly | Nov 19, 2018 | 0 Comments

With the end of refresher-season comes the end of the New Hampshire Region Director and Northern Section Chief Elections. Before I announce the next Region Director, I want to congratulate both candidates, Carl Chaplin (Mount Sunapee) and Chris Rousseau (Pat’s Peak) for their dedication to the Region and their willingness to step forward and run for this important position. Additionally, I would like to thank the 65 percent of you that made the effort to cast your vote, including both Alumni and active patrollers. Lastly, I want to thank the Region Staff members that attended refreshers all over New Hampshire this fall to facilitate an orderly voting process.

In a very tightly contested election, I would like to announce that Carl Chaplin prevailed and will be your Region Director beginning in April 2019. Carl, an NSP/PSPA Certified Patroller, currently patrolling at Mount Sunapee, has served the Region as Assistant Region Director and Regional OEC Advisor for the last five seasons. He is an OEC, OET and Instructor Development Instructor, and has intimate knowledge of Region, Division and NSP operations. Please join me in congratulating and supporting Carl on this accomplishment.

Additionally, I would like to congratulate Orest Ohar (Ragged Mountain Resort) on his re-election to a second term as the Northern Section Chief.

Lastly, if you have not yet cast your vote in the National Board of Director election, I would ask you to please take the one minute necessary to cast your vote. Please see the election links on the NHNSP.org homepage.

A Good National Board Ensures Our Ski Patrolling Profession

by Paul Kelly | Oct 27, 2018 | 0 Comments

Watch the videos below to familiarize yourself with the candidates that Eastern Division has decided to promote. All four individuals have proven themselves as hardworking Ski Patrollers dedicated to our chosen profession.

Waterville Valley “Patroller School”

by Jeff Hayes | Oct 15, 2018 | 0 Comments

Summer is a great time to kick back with friends & family and reflect on our past season as we give our feet a nice break from our ski boots. It is also a time when many of us look ahead to the upcoming season and more immediate, the upcoming refresher season. During that process, the idea of offering an expanded training session surfaced. This article details how this process unfolded, our agenda for the weekend and some takeaways for those considering a similar offering to their patrols.

The idea for this type of event came from the Certified Boot Camp that Eastern Division Director John Kane holds each summer in Maine. It is an amazing camp that the division certified group holds. The weekend consists of many of the modules of the certified program, some high-level training, creative scenarios and great food & camaraderie with some amazing instructors.

The thought of taking the idea of this event and tailoring it to our entire patrol was born, now to plan it. The first consideration was whether our patrollers would be willing to give up an additional weekend in the fall to training. We still had our OEC refresher, CPR re-cert, and our lift evacuation training ahead. We are sensitive to the fact that we may be asking a lot of our patrollers as most of them are volunteers. The decision was that we would work up a syllabus for our weekend, present it to the patrol as an “optional” training and gauge their interest. Turns out our patrol was quite excited to have this opportunity and nearly all were . . .

The Eastern Division Slate is Ready to Work for You!

by 0rest 0har | Oct 15, 2018 | 0 Comments

Eastern Division has done their usual research to help find the Ski Patrollers dedicated to our profession and to the needs of our volunteers. This season’s elections, four National Board seats are up for election. One incumbent, Brian Rull, a volunteer Patroller from Missouri (in Central Division) has been an effective National Bard Member and needs your vote to return for another term. Brian is completing his first term on the National Board where he chairs the National Audit and Fundraising Committee and serves on the National Governance Committee. His fellow board members appointed him as the Assistant National Chair.

In Eastern Division, our own Bob Scarlett is running for his first term. He has been a long-time Eastern Division leader who dedicated ten years to the National Board of Directors as the National Legal Advisor. As the legal advisor, Bob has helped the National board navigate many organizational situations, now he is ready to take his experience and expertise to the board. He is running for a board seat and needs your vote.

Julie Stone is also a Missouri based volunteer Ski Patroller (from Central Division), asking for your vote, says “As a woman, an experienced Senior Alpine Patroller, an Instructor in 4 disciplines (OEC, OET, MTR, and PSIA1), I am a creative-strategic thinker and a doer! I would like your vote.”

Richard Yercheck is from Southern Division. He has dedicated 28 years to Ski Patrolling and the volunteering for leadership positions in the Southern Division. He is running with the same dedication to improve OEC and to bolster the National Ski Patrol brand. He asks for your vote, “Vote for me and I will make sure the board is doing good for our members, our industry partners, the general public and the future of the National Ski Patrol.”

National Ski Patrol will email all NSP members an invitation to vote. Voting occurs between . . .

Avalanche Professionals Workshop

by 0rest 0har | Oct 5, 2018 | 0 Comments

The annual Eastern Snow and Avalanche Workshop in Fryeburg Maine, has been scheduled and posted. Follow the link to ESAW.ORG, buy your tickets and join New Hampshire’s avalanche professionals for a one-day snow sciences seminar.

The “White Mountain Avalanche Education Foundation” organizes the event every year. A portion of ESAW ticket sales goes to bringing snow science into to local middle school classrooms as well as supporting awareness classes designed to give middle school and high school teens time in the field and a foundation to start their avalanche education.

This season’s line-up of seminar speakers has been set. Ragged Mountain’s own Ski Patroller Sam Colbeck starts the seminar early in the morning. Mr. Colbeck is an Emeritus Researcher at the US Army’s Cold Regions Research and Engineering Laboratory (CRREL). He will present a session on “Snow Metamorphism and Structure.”

Frank Carus, Avalanche Specialist and Director of the Mount Washington Avalanche Center will present a session on “The evolution of avalanche forecasting on Mount Washington.” Flying in from Colorado is Brian Lazar, the Deputy Director of the Colorado Avalanche Information Center. He will present two sessions