Sierra Samaritans - National Ski Patrol

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speak on a regular basis and, according to Francisco, both
the patrol and area management share NSP’s vision of safety
and service.
June Mountain is no behemoth like the aptly named
Mammoth Mountain just down the road, but patrollers still have
plenty of gnarly terrain to master and lots of patients to transport
down the mountain. With a vertical drop of 2,590 feet and
a terrain distribution of 20 percent advanced, 45 percent intermediate,
and 35 percent beginner, June Mountain is no
pushover. Neither are its patrollers.
When asked to name patrollers who were particularly noteworthy
at June Mountain, Francisco hems and haws. It’s not
because he has a hard time finding extraordinary patrollers, it’s
because everyone puts extraordinary effort into making this
patrol what it is, says Francisco. “It’s very difficult to choose,
because everyone on this patrol contributes so much,” he
explains. Obviously, Francisco, as a good leader, places importance
on every member of his patrol, not just the best skier or the
most experienced OEC provider. He’s a leader who treats patrol
members with fairness and shows his appreciation for the duties
they perform.
A Senior patroller and winner of the NSP’s National
Outstanding Administrator Award in 2003, Francisco has
upwards of 30 years of patrol experience, having spent time at
eight different areas on both the East and the West Coasts—and
he says he feels that the June Mountain patrol is one of the
strongest groups with which he’s worked. He is quick to bestow
credit upon Patrol Director Diem, who has accumulated 22 years
of experience, 17 of which have been as June Mountain’s patrol
director. “Eric is the spark that lights the fire and gets everyone
pumped up,” Francisco says. “He is the inspiration of the patrol.
He leads by example and expects excellence.”
Diem takes ski runs with everyone, and, according to
Francisco, “watching him just inspires you to work hard and
improve. He makes you want to be the best patroller you can be.”
Fellow patroller Acord clearly agrees. “Eric’s number one mission
is to get the patrol fired up,” he says. “You can’t wait to go
out there and work hard for the guy. The best analogy I can think
of is ‘Top Gun School.’”
Diem—an NSP Certified patroller—concedes that he’s a
“high energy person by nature” and that he consciously “sends a
positive message to the other patrollers.” He feels that this gives
them the confidence necessary to perform in critical situations.
(In addition to being a driving force behind the patrol’s success
and subsequent national award, Diem picked up a little hardware
of his own in 2004 when he was named National
Outstanding Paid Patroller.)
Together, Francisco and Diem make an excellent team, which
is probably why patrol members sometimes refer to the representative
and director collaboratively as “The Steve and Eric
Show.” In addition to their administrative duties, they spend a
fair amount of time leading classes and clinics. Francisco is an
instructor and instructor trainer in the OEC, Alpine Toboggan,
and Instructor Development disciplines, and Diem teaches OEC,
Avalanche, and Alpine Toboggan classes. The men are in good
company as June Mountain’s patrol also boasts nine Senior evaluators,
five Certified evaluators, three OEC instructor trainers,
thirteen OEC instructors, and four Ski and Toboggan instructors
(one of whom is a Ski and Toboggan instructor trainer).
Approximately 20 percent of the patrol has attained NSP’s
Certified classification with another 20 percent registered as
Seniors. Oh, and seven of the 34 patrol members (more than
20 percent) have National Appointments.
When it comes to training, Diem pursues a creative and
active curriculum from which June Mountain patrollers greatly
benefit. Every Saturday and Sunday morning he conducts training
sessions to enhance the skills of the patrollers. These hourlong
sessions cover everything from OEC proficiency to
avalanche awareness, lift evacuation, and toboggan handling. He
also holds regular enhancement clinics in the evenings to help
the crew brush up on their overall patrolling knowledge. Diem
frequently brings in guest lecturers too. For instance, local EMS
doctors have led training clinics about head injuries and bone
fractures, hydrologists have taught snow science, and meteorologists
have lectured on the various nuances of weather in the
mountain environment.
With this attention to training, June Mountain patrollers are
clearly mindful of the need to be skillful, prepared, and versatile.
And they seem to thrive on their roles as caregivers, from the
longest-tenured veteran to the new recruits.
Among those with considerable time invested in patrolling are
Steve Reneker, a volunteer, and Chris Lizza, a paid patroller. Having
patrolled at four different areas over the past 27 years, Reneker says
he feels a certain obligation to share knowledge he’s gained from
others. He serves as an inspiration for fellow patrollers—and with
good reason, for he tends to be successful at whatever he sets his
mind to. There was, for example, that climb up Mount Everest in
1995. After spending two years in strict training for the endeavor,
Reneker then bid his family a bittersweet adieu and spent three
months in the Himalayas, hauling some six tons of gear up and
down between six camps on the north side of Everest.
Reneker compares mountain climbing to patrolling and
emphasizes the importance of having a strong team in either
endeavor. “You are only as good as those who surround you,” he
says, noting that in the case of Mount Everest, he was successful
only because of his fellow team members, good health, and
agreeable weather.“Although I’ve been patrolling for a long time,
I still get an adrenaline rush from helping skiers and ’boarders
and learning new techniques to better myself and others around
me,” he adds.
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10 Ski Patrol Magazine | Winter 2005