ON PATROL
[img_assist|nid=639|title=|desc=|link=none|align=left|width=250|height=167]By Will Riseley
Photography by Hubert Schriebl
You can’t really beat the view from the office.” The words couldn’t have rung more true as Stratton’s Assistant Ski Patrol Director Chris “Squirrel” Schilling and I stood on Frank’s Fall Line looking northeast at the Green Mountains and the distant beginnings of the Whites. The day was mild, the sun shining; a couple of aesthetically pleasing clouds sat above the horizon while the first skiers and riders waited to board the lifts. It was a perfect early March day that would make the casual observer think that the Ski Patrol had the easiest job in the world.
But for all of the first tracks, unmatched vistas and line cutting, there is a much more difficult side to skiing patrol. Skiing remains an inherently dangerous sport claiming the lives of an average of thirty-seven skiers and snowboarders per year nationally over the past ten years. The job of a Stratton patroller is to keep visiting skiers and riders safe, preventing injuries from happening in the first place and treating them in the event that an accident happens. While I only spent a morning with them, it became quickly apparent that Stratton has a very capable staff equipped with the best training and technology in case the unexpected happens.
Chris is 31 years old, with long hair and mountain man’s beard to match. Growing up on Cape Cod, he would come to Vermont often to ski and upon graduating from the University of Massachusetts, moved to Stratton to become a lift operator. Being an accomplished skier, Chris was encouraged to go out for patrol and eight years later he hasn’t looked back. Chris is second in the Stratton Patrol chain of command behind Director Denny Davison and has an easygoing way and demeanor that is common amongst adventure guides, park rangers, and other outdoor professionals whom I have interacted with over the years. It is difficult to pinpoint exactly the common characteristics but perhaps it is a wry sense of humor, a humble yet quietly capable attitude, and a transparency that reveal a dedication to the job that goes beyond “just earning a living.” It’s no secret that for all of the training and time required of the position, the seasonal nature of the job, and the monetary compensation can often deter individuals from making a lifelong commitment. For those that do, it is difficult to doubt that a true love of the lifestyle and purpose of the position are what drive them.
The morning that I went out on patrol was admittedly uneventful. There were no broken bones to attend to, no reckless skiers needing their tickets clipped, no cases of cardiac arrest in the lodge, nor any particularly unforeseen hazards that needed fixing. And while I won’t lie and tell you I wasn’t a little disappointed that there was no drama to deal with, the easy morning was a testament to the quality job that the Stratton Patrol is doing. When it comes to emergency care and safety, prevention is most important. ….
