Bridget Morrison | Ski Patrol | 2nd season
How did you get into Ski Patrol?
I had lived in Jasper for a few summers and was very keen to spend a winter here. I had a few goals going into the winter; to be outside as much as possible, ski as much as possible and improve my avalanche and first aid knowledge, so Ski Patrol at Marmot was perfect!
What skills and attributes do you need to do your job well?
Two of the biggest attributes you need to be a good ski patroller are being a good problem solver and being able to remain calm in stressful situations.
What does a typical day look like?
- Arrive at work - “boot up” and take the chairlift up to the complex
- Morning meeting going over the weather, areas of concern, hazards on the hill, on-going work projects, any avalanche missions that are going to take place
- Morning session - first aid or avalanche related training/scenarios
- Run checks – We ski each run, checking, marking or mitigating hazards. We also check rope lines, open avalanche gates, and anything else assigned to us.
- Daily tasks: respond to accidents, mitigate hazards for the guests, and assist with avalanche bombing missions. We also set up and fix signs, fences, tower pads, and power pole pads.
- Hill sweep at the end of the day
What is the biggest misconception of your job?
Some people think all we do is ski around all day. Yes we ski a lot because it is a large part of the job. We are constantly checking runs and doing work projects and avalanche control around the hill in order to make sure everyone is safe and happy on the mountain!
“There is always something new and each day is different.”
What do you love about working in Ski Patrol at Marmot Basin?
There are so many things I love about working at Marmot Basin. Obviously skiing in the mountains every day and helping people is pretty awesome, but what I think I love most is that I'm always learning new things. Whether that's new first aid techniques, avalanche knowledge, or how to operate a snowmobile.
What’s the worst part?
I would say the worst part of my job is when there are serious accidents or injuries on the hill. Yes as a Patroller I am there to help but seeing people get seriously injured is never fun.
“No two accidents or injuries are the same and although we do a lot of training we are constantly having to think on our feet and problem solve in stressful situations.”
