Volunteer ski patrols have assisted Alaska’s ski areas since the 1950’s. The Alyeska Ski patrol was founded in 1953 working at Alyeska and Arctic Valley. Through various iterations, the latest being the Alyeska Volunteer Ski Patrol, volunteers have provided aid and assistance to skiers while supporting the professional Alyeska patrol. From the mundane like helping set boundary lines to dramatic like assisting with tram evacuations volunteers have a long history of stories and experience to share. This past fall the resort decided to not use volunteers, thus ending, at least for now, the tradition of the volunteer ski patrol at Alyeska. To commemorate the patrol’s history they gathered in December of 2023 to tell stories and reminisce. With the assistance of William Melton Media Outdoor Explorer was able to record some of the stories and present them to you on this episode. Matt Martyn, Patrol Director, MC’ed the event.
HOST: Paul Twardock
LINKS:
National Ski Patrol
Arctic Valley Ski Patrol
Anchorage Nordic Ski Patrol
Skeetawk Ski Patrol
Pioneer Ski Patrol
Alyeska Ski Patrol
“Women Ski Patroller of Alyeska” (Outdoor Explorer 3/13/2020 show)
BROADCAST: Thursday, February 22nd, 2024. 10:00 am – 11:00 a.m. AKT
REPEAT BROADCAST: Thursday, February 22nd, 2024. 8:00 – 9:00 p.m. AKT
Paul Twardock is a Professor of Outdoor Studies at Alaska Pacific University, where he has worked since 1988. He is the author of Kayaking and Camping in Prince William Sound and help found the Alaska Sea Kayaking Symposium/Paddle Sport Fun Day. At APU he teaches a variety of undergraduate classes included Sea Kayaking, Recreation Program Design, Nordic Skiing, The Business of Recreation, and Wildland Ecosystems and Human Impacts. Paul received his BS in Outdoor Recreation from Western Illinois University, went to work instructing for NOLS in Alaska, then received his MBA from APU. Paul’s research includes monitoring of campsites in Prince William Sound and Chugach State Park for human impact, trail use in Chugach State Park, and the Alaska Recreational Boating Safety Incident Database. His passions include sea kayaking, river boating of all sorts, hiking, mountain running, climbing, skiing of any kind, and birding. One of his last adventures involved a mule ride.
Paul is one of several hosts for Outdoor Explorer
