Ski Patrol at Kelly Canyon on Alert amid High-Risk Season

RIRIE, Idaho (KIFI) – Kelly Canyon Ski Resort is facing nearly half the amount of snow than they usually see, and with the addition of the terrain park, skiers are more prone to accidents than ever. Thankfully, the ski patrol at Kelly Canyon is hard at work hours before the mountain opens to keep everyone safe.

Avid skiers and snowboarders recognize the red-coated, swift-skiing athletes on the mountain anywhere-the ski patrol. Before the mountain opens, the ski patrol rides the lifts and sweeps all the runs at the resort, ensuring no hazards are present. They fix the fencing and signs as well as open the top shack. Inside, ski patrol members check the trauma packs for all the essential emergency gear so they are ready to go to the rescue if an accident happens.

Throughout the day, patrollers on shift stay busy even when patients aren't inside the aid room. "We go on each run looking for, potential guests that are having problems either with their equipment or their injured," said Dana Miller, Director of the Kelly Canyon Ski Patrol. "If we see anyone injured, then we radio for a toboggan. We go assess that patient, make sure they're okay or not okay, and get whatever they may need."

Some of the ski patrol members are paid, others are volunteers. There are over 100 members of the patrol, ranging from 20 years of experience to first-year patrollers. Ski patroller Susan Scheer-Shanklin has been patrolling for almost 10 years, and said she "loves every second of it."

"I want people to know that we're not there to catch them doing things wrong," said Scheer-Shanklin. "We're there to hopefully keep them safe."

This season has been particularly strange because of the lack of snow. The opening of the terrain park has also led to almost 90 injuries reported by the ski patrol so far this season at Kelly Canyon.

"We also have a lot of beginning skiers, which leads to a lot of falls," said Miller. "With the terrain park, we see a lot of upper extremity injuries."

The patrol is ready to handle these kinds of emergencies because of their extensive training. Miller told me they all went through a four-month Outdoor Emergency Care course in addition to a training for outdoor rescues on the mountain.

Scheer-Shanklin said the comraderie amongst the entire ski patrol feels like family. The group of dedicated, well-trained professionals is always there to help on the mountain.

"They want to help people and they're not in it for their own personal gain, but just because they want to help," said Miller. "So when you get those kind of people, that attitude, it makes good patrollers."