Patroller Chats
Join us as we sit down with past and present patrollers, hosts, and friends of the Pacific Northwest Division of the National Ski Patrol to preserve their stories and grow our History Project together. Patroller Chats was started in 2023 for the History Project by Shirley Cummings.
Tune in for fun, informative, inspirational, and occasionally spirited conversations, where we explore traditions deeply rooted in history and full of heart.
Honoring the NSP Creed: Service and Safety since 1938, we’re preserving our legacy and building lasting connections for the future. Join us on Patroller Chats!
Patroller Chats
From Bottle Caps to Rescues: The Evolution of Mount Hood Ski Patrol (Part 1 of 2) (Click link in description for pictures)
Imagine watching ski patrollers descend a darkened trail with injured skiers on sleds, sometimes hearing their cries of pain. For 9-year-old Gordy Winterrowd, these powerful moments sparked a calling that would lead to 57 years of service with the Mount Hood Ski Patrol. Listen in to learn more about his own and Mt Hood Ski Patrol's History! Click here to see the pictures he is describing while chatting with us! (Part 1:2)
Welcome to Patroller Chats. What began as a way to support the history project, led by our own historian- Shirley Cummings has grown into a fun, informative, and definitely inspiring podcast. We're connecting with patroller's, hosts and more from across the Pacific Northwest. Diving into the stories, traditions, and unique histories of our amazing volunteers, all while having a great time, sharing some laughs, and getting into some spirited, heartfelt conversations. This is Patroller Chats.
Click to share what you thought about this episode & who or what you might like next.
If you enjoyed this episode of Patroller Chats, please follow and subscribe. We would love to hear your thoughts on this episode and if you know a long-time patroller that we should chat with, send us a message. Please share this podcast with those who love the outdoors while learning some insight and history. Consider becoming a supporter and keeping our history alive.
Until our next Patroller Chat: Be Safe, Be Seen, Be Aware, and as always - Know Before You Go!….this has been Patroller Chats.
- Learn more about the Pacific Northwest Ski Patrol and how to join at:
- Find more about Patroller Chats:
- The History Project can be found at:
- Safety4All is learning about being safe while enjoying the great outdoors:
- Consider following our Social media links too!
Okay, so welcome everybody. We have got a special guest today. Why don't you introduce yourself, so that we know who we're talking to?
Gordy Winterrowd:Hi, good afternoon. This is Gordy Winterrowd, Mounted Ski Patrol, 57 years 57 years.
Murphy:Okay, Gordy, what's your NSP number?
Gordy Winterrowd:It is 147647. Do you your NSP number? It is 147-647. Do you have a national number? Yes, that's 10048.
Jodie:Darn.
Murphy:Darn. You know we ask everybody. We've only gotten one drink out of this whole thing, but you know it's worth an effort every time, every time. So what year did you join the Ski Patrol? Let's see what did you join the Ski Patrol? Let's see what did you say 54?.
Gordy Winterrowd:My apprentice year was 1968. 1968.
Jodie:1968. How long was your apprentice year? A year and a half. Wow, that's awesome yeah.
Murphy:So when you say apprentice year, I have never heard in all of our chats anybody use apprentice year when describing their first year of the ski patrol. So is there something that Hood did? Oh, by the way, tell me what area you patrolled at. If you patrolled at more than one, what areas were they?
Gordy Winterrowd:Yeah, the Mount Hood Ski Patrol has covered a total of five areas. A couple of those areas have now merged, but Mount Hood, meadows, mount Hood Ski Bowl and Timberline.
Murphy:And that's where you patrolled at those three.
Gordy Winterrowd:Still do, oh, still do you start when you were 10 well, we, we, uh, the mounted ski patrol covers those, all three of those areas, right? So, um, although we have teams, we in instructors move around and work from area to area. So previously there was five areas, which was a summit ski area that was acquired several years ago by Timberline Ski Area. It's now merged so you can ski in an area from Timberline down to Gepard Camp and then Cooper Spurs on the east side, over by Hood River and that has been acquired by Mount Hood Meadows.
Murphy:Oh, interesting. So there's now three official ski areas at Hood Correct?
Gordy Winterrowd:yeah, all right, and in addition to that we have a Nordic program as well, and of course, the host program has been merged into the Mt Hood Ski Patrol as well.
Murphy:Yeah, our brothers on the Nordic side. Yeah, that's far too much cardio for me, but we do recognize them, embrace them, bring them into our fold. Yep ski, keep going. It's like too much running, okay. So what areas were you at? Did you patrol at all five areas originally and then you now patrol at three, or are you just staying at those?
Gordy Winterrowd:So when I joined Mount Hood Meadows wasn't in complete operation yet, and so I didn't start patrolling there until probably 1969. Timberline Ski Area was, you know, started in the late 30s and so I was there and then mounted Ski Bowl and then Summit Ski Area, which is a small beginner area in government camp. So primarily those four Meadows, Timberline, Ski Bowl and Summit.
Murphy:So is it true that you can actually ski from Timberline all the way down to that beginner area to get to government camp? I have been with my brother and we've skied there, because that's his ski area, and I've skied down, but I have never found that way. I've found the back way where you can get a bunch of cabins and whatnot that are, you know, right behind that little village at government camp. How do you get over to the little ski area?
Gordy Winterrowd:Oh, okay, so what you skied down was the Glade Trail. Oh, okay, the Glade Trail has a lot of history to that. We, when I started, we patrolled that every Saturday and Sunday night, and I'll read you a little statement about why I joined the patrol. And the Glade Trail was a key component and the reason I joined. But we would patrol that every Saturday and Sunday because in the old days it was very popular for families or individuals to drive to Timberline after the road began to be plowed and you'd rotate drivers and ski the trail rather than buy a ticket. And in the late 30s, 40s and 50s that was in some cases more popular than skiing at Timberline. So you came down the Glade Trail that puts you into the cabins above Government Camp. There's a different trail, which is an eighth of a mile further east from where you left Timberline Ski Area and got on the Glade. That takes you down right to the Summit Ski Area.
Murphy:Oh, okay, is it marked or is it like some secret school passage?
Gordy Winterrowd:Yeah, previously it was, I would say, marked, but today it's actually groomed, because that is now part of the Timberline Ski Area. Oh, okay, and they've widened the trail, and my grandson, um, prefers to to do that type of thing rather than ride chairlifts. He, he likes long runs and and, uh, a three mile run is uh, right, right up his alley.
Murphy:So is that three miles, starting at the top of Palmer, skiing all the way down, and then no, no, three Palmer skiing all the way down and then no, no, three miles from the bottom of Timberline.
Gordy Winterrowd:Oh really, yeah.
Jodie:Oh my goodness, so from Magic Mile, or, I guess. Actually, if you went from Palmer all the way down, how long is that?
Gordy Winterrowd:That would be five miles. That's a decent run yeah.
Murphy:I'd have to stop once or twice. Okay, so you started patrolling in 1968. So why did you join the ski patrol? What happened? Or why did you just decide to go start patrolling?
Gordy Winterrowd:Well, when I was nine years old I would sit in the cabin in government camp and through the window watch skiers passing by on the glade trail. The last ones to pass each day, many times in the dark, were members of the Mounted Ski Patrol, and sometimes their sleds were empty and sometimes they were full, and it was the latter that meant that there was an injured skier getting a ride back to civilization and proper medical care. I always wondered what the injury was and what the patient's outcome would be. Sometimes I could hear the patient screaming or moaning. Watching that every Saturday and Sunday left memories I can't forget and with a Boy Scout background, I knew I wanted to get involved, help and make the most of my interest in skiing. So in high school a group of 14 of us decided we wanted to join the ski patrol. When I started as an apprentice I had no thought that I would be part of the organization 55, 57 years later.
Jodie:Oh, my goodness, Wow. When you said in high school how old were you 16.
Murphy:So you joined at 16.
Gordy Winterrowd:Well, that was the apprentice year. You had to be 18 to be a member, right?
Murphy:So that was like the. What do they call them now? The? We call them the spy program, but the youth ski patrol. Yeah, oh, okay, and so you got your first aid out of the way. What was first aid called back in 1968?
Gordy Winterrowd:It was part of the American Red Cross, so it was advanced first aid.
Murphy:Okay, and then you I don't want to say get promoted, but your designation changed two years later, 1970. You became a full-fledged patroller, correct.
Gordy Winterrowd:Okay.
Murphy:So then you wound up being an Alpine patroller I'm assuming, correct. Okay, so tell me a little bit about your first year as a full patroller. You're now 18 years old. You've got all this responsibility. What's it like? You're now 18 years old. You've got all this responsibility.
Gordy Winterrowd:What's it? Like you know, one word would probably sum it up.
Murphy:Girls oh fun.
Gordy Winterrowd:Okay, you know what has kept me, you know what made it great was the people that were involved with the patrol back then and then the service to. You know, of course, the injured as well, but the people we had, many of which were climbers the patrol had, you know, a large, large percentage of the patrol was climbers and we had members of the 10th Mountain Division also. So we, in addition to skiing, we would also climb Mount Hood, Wow, Different locations and stuff. And so, spending that much time with people, you really get to know them and learn a lot. That much time with people, you really get to know them and learn a lot.
Murphy:And as a you know 18, 16, 18, you know young adult, it had a major impact. So any like rescues you remember from back in 1970?
Gordy Winterrowd:Anything that sticks out as, like your first response Specific years probably not, but I remember one we would patrol at night at a couple of the areas, including, well, at Moldepeur and Skibull used to be two different areas, so if you separate those, actually the total number of areas was six, but both areas had night skiing. And one time at Skeeble I remember patrolling there at night and a young lady was injured about well, maybe a mile up the hill and her mother that was waiting at the base could hear her.
Gordy Winterrowd:Oh you know, it was and it wasn't anything major, but uh, she was, uh in pain.
Jodie:Just a tad bit. And you rescued her and brought her to mom down the uh, down the bottom of the hill, yeah, yeah, no, I mean yeah it was mainly because of yes, yes, yes so some of the names that you were talking about back then that were doing the climbing was that, like the Petrie brothers and Dave Nelson and some of those guys Well, not the Petrie's, but, Dave, certainly I can.
Gordy Winterrowd:If, if you can, I'll put up some of them, if that would be helpful.
Jodie:Do you want to do that now, murph, or?
Gordy Winterrowd:what's that?
Jodie:you want to do. He was going to show some of the pictures and stuff of the climbers. Oh yeah, sure, okay, let me make this shareable for you, should be, you should be all set there, gordy.
Gordy Winterrowd:Okay.
Jodie:Let me know if not.
Gordy Winterrowd:Okay.
Jodie:Well, I remember, I mean I've met. I was able to have the honor of meeting the Petrie brothers and I did work with Dave Nelson, amazing guy. Honor of meeting the Petrie brothers and I did work with Dave Nelson, amazing guy, and Dave was one of the when I was a candidate apprentice, cause that's, that's a Mount Hood ski patrol term is apprentice, that's what they were called, and um, but it was, uh, mount Nelson where we were learned the chair of act, cause he had a chair in his backyard amongst all these trees and everything, and uh, that's where we practiced, versus before we were allowed to go to the chairlift and and figure that out.
Gordy Winterrowd:but now, uh, when dave moved from, uh, when dave moved from his, uh, his home, um, he gave that chair to Bob Smith, dr Smith. And Bob was going to turn it into a swing. And then he didn't. And then this summer he sold his home and asked me if I'd like the chair. So the chair that we practiced with in what do you think that would have been Jody in the 80s and 90s?
Jodie:Well, I joined in 2002, so it was a full swing then. So definitely before I mean, that's the impression I got.
Gordy Winterrowd:Probably 90s and 2000s. That swing is now mounted behind the cabin in Government Camp.
Jodie:Oh, it is. Oh, that's awesome. I didn't realize that If you're ever up there?
Gordy Winterrowd:Yeah, sure, so can you see this light here?
Jodie:Nope.
Gordy Winterrowd:Okay.
Jodie:And the other thing if you can't get it up, it's fine, we can always add it in later and we can talk to you. I mean, you can explain it while you're going through it too.
Gordy Winterrowd:Yeah, I've got it here now. There we go.
Jodie:So it just takes a second.
Gordy Winterrowd:There we go. Yeah, so the first 50 members of the Mounted Ski Patrol were drawn from bottle caps.
Murphy:Wait a minute you got to explain that.
Gordy Winterrowd:So when the patrol was formed, it was actually the climbers that came up with the idea, because they were helping injured skiers and they convinced the Forest Service to hire. To hire, a person in the Forest Service selected Hank Lewis, and Hank was the first paid patroller. He was paid a very small amount for working Saturdays and Sundays and then he recruited close to 50 people to help him on weekends, and those 50 people they really didn't know if Ralph came before Joe, became before Russ or whatever. So they took bottle caps, put numbers on them and then each picked a bottle cap number. And that's the first people were picked, just randomly like that. After that it was based on date of entry date of entry. But, um, so here's some of the early people Ralph, joe and and, uh and and Russ that you see in the center picture there, and then, um, the I have yet another one here. So this is Hank.
Jodie:Oh my goodness, he started the Mountain.
Gordy Winterrowd:Ski Patrol in the center picture there, and then, of course, at age eight. And then the bottle caps that I was talking about are in the right slide there, you guys still have the bottle caps. Yes.
Jodie:They're in the.
Gordy Winterrowd:Mount Hood Museum and Government Camp, thanks to Dave Winterling, who's now the executive director there and president of the Mount Hood Ski Patrol. The United States Forest Service logo. The Mount Hood Ski Patrol is the only organization in the United States that is allowed to use that, and that's the later on of. Hank. We skied with Hank. The last time he skied was on a Ski, the Glade Day about I'll give you the exact date and he passed away about two years after that.
Jodie:I remember that, and so the Ski the Glade Day is an event that is held every March by the government museum and government camp, and that's to raise funds for the museum. Is that correct?
Gordy Winterrowd:Correct, yeah, and because it uses the Glade Trail, the Forest Service requires that the museum involve the Mounted Ski Patrol.
Jodie:That is cool.
Gordy Winterrowd:That is cool, yeah, so I was going to go back a little further, so here's oh, we did that one already. You can see, back in a long time ago there was Amas 1890s.
Jodie:Yeah.
Gordy Winterrowd:So, okay, next question.
Murphy:I still have a question about the bottle caps. So what were the bottle caps for? Again, you were saying that there were 50 people that could be patrollers on a weekend and they would go and pick bottle caps to see who got to be patrollers.
Gordy Winterrowd:No, no, no, no Hank. After Hank was hired by the forest service, he started recruiting other climbers right to to be involved with the ski patrol and they decided they should have. They should have numbers. So they came up with the idea of just a random drawing to determine their number, and those are the bottle caps that were used to determine. In fact, on that picture I showed you, one of those bottle caps was Hank Lewis's number and the other one I think was Joe Leuthold's number.
Murphy:Okay, so they wrote their name and number of their name.
Jodie:They pulled it out and you were number 10.
Murphy:Right, right Okay name.
Gordy Winterrowd:They pulled it out and you were number 10, right, right.
Jodie:Okay, they may have been actually, you know the second person, but yeah, they ended up being number 10 or number four technically, hank was the first person and then he gathered up, but no one could remember when, their exact start dates or whatever, so just a luck of the draw correct.
Murphy:So that was the Hood Patrol from 1937, 38, up until you joined in 1969., tell me a little bit about how do I phrase this. So when Mount Hood left the Ski Patrol and wound up going alone, let's just say you know they were ski patrol, but not ski patrol. What happened? What precipitated that change? Why did they do that? And then why did they come back?
Gordy Winterrowd:Okay, okay, the Mounted Ski Patrol was part of the National Ski. Patrol and in 1961, the Mounted Ski Patrol won National Patrol of the Year, the Large Alpine award, yep, and then the, the national ski patrol imposed a mandatory insurance premium on every patroller nationally, and members of the, the mounted ski patrol, didn't want to participate in that and, um, that wasn't an option.
Gordy Winterrowd:So, um, the mounted ski patrol and I think the, the, it was like a dollar a year or something for the insurance policy, a dollar per patroller, or a dollar yeah, per patroller and uh, so the the um national or the Mounted Ski Patrol left the National Patrol in 1962, the year after winning the Outstanding Alpine Ski Patrol, it was $2 per person.
Jodie:And, if I recall correctly, mount Hood had an insurance program already established is the way that I heard through the grapevine. I don't know if it's true, but had something already. And then it wasn't accepted by National and they didn't want to lose what they had already established. And then it was sort of like, ok, it wasn't really the best because it was a really good deal, and then they already had it, but it wasn't accepted.
Gordy Winterrowd:And so then yeah, I know I'm not sure about the insurance on our part at that time, but in Oregon with the good Samaritan laws, I think most of the people weren't concerned laws.
Murphy:I think most of the people weren't concerned, so insurance was the sole reason. I mean, was there anything else or it was just insurance? We don't want to pay and we're leaving Taxation without representation.
Gordy Winterrowd:We're leaving. That's part of it too.
Murphy:Yeah, the group was a pretty independent group having you and distaste for authority.
Jodie:Isn't that like a psychological thing? Okay, I'm just checking, just checking.
Murphy:Okay, so what brought them back into the patrol?
Gordy Winterrowd:I mean, first of all, how many years were they gone? We rejoined in 1988, roughly 87, 88, and uh, the we had gone, uh had started using the uh oec manual and um, so the the feeling was that just for standardization and quality of the medical training it would be better to rejoin.
Murphy:Okay, so was that like a group decision? Was that a patrol director decision? Do you guys have a board of governors that run the mountain?
Gordy Winterrowd:Yeah, we do. We have president, vice president, a patrol chief, treasurer, secretary. We have three trustees and it was a vote of the entire patrol.
Murphy:Oh, so the board of directors kicked it down for a vote to the patrol and patrol said yes, we want to go back.
Gordy Winterrowd:Yeah, the council agreed to it and then put it up to a vote. Oh, OK.
Murphy:Yeah, so what was that first? And you were obviously deep into patrol You're about 36 years old in 1988. And you were OK, so we're going back into the ski patrol. What was like? What was that for you?
Gordy Winterrowd:we, I would say we weren't going back to the ski patrol, we were just joining national ski patrol. We were, we, the amount of ski patrol, um had kind of led the nation in a number of areas. We had a I'll call it a mini hospital back years ago in government camp and the physician there had trained a number of the patrollers. We on the ski patrol. Of course it's as all patrols are. It's made up of a lot of different occupations and we had a number of people that had served in, certainly in World War II and then in the Vietnam War, that were medics, and one of the things that came out of Dr Johnson, who was on the ski patrol, was the Johnson splint which is now used by every ski patrol in the nation.
Murphy:Okay, hold on a second Back up.
Gordy Winterrowd:What was that? Again? The Johnson splint was one of the I can put a picture of um that's harold johnson right correct right, okay you've heard it as the quick splint and a lot of different places have modified it, etc.
Murphy:But yeah, so there's uh, I just want to butt in here, so I keep hearing it called a DJ, right, and nobody can. Well, I've heard various reasons why it's called a DJ and Johnson the last name constantly gets brought up, but his first name wasn't D, unless it's Dr Johnson.
Jodie:I think, also Gordian, correct me if I'm wrong a lot of places took a modification of it and then termed it whatever different names I mean. I've heard it many different names. Quick Splint was one, I mean, but the DJ and different things that but based on sort of what Dr Johnson was doing.
Gordy Winterrowd:Yeah, there are a number of um different, um different versions of it. Um, I have a, a picture here of I don't know if that's necessary, if you want to go ahead?
Jodie:no, ahead, pull it up and we'll describe.
Murphy:Let's see how much it's uh changed or got back. Is this the pre-Velcro days?
Gordy Winterrowd:This particular picture is with straps, but I apologize. I'm looking for the share button here.
Jodie:It's okay. Well, they're doing that. Part of that was we have it from 1949, dr Johnson Harold Johnson, who joined the patrol before World War II and he's the one that had the idea for the splint would be easily applied do a better job than the old board and blanket splints and he had developed it part of that from the World War II, put some of his own improvements and then it really expanded from there on the west side of the US with the ski patrols. But just the two pieces of plywood and then the holes. What am I missing here?
Gordy Winterrowd:So no, jody, I think you did an excellent job of describing it.
Gordy Winterrowd:There it is in the lower left-hand corner and then the other thing that the Mounted Ski Patrol introduced to the United States was the Accia. The Accia, as you may know, is made in Austria and still made there. A number of the Austrian ski patrols still use the Accia and this is the first one that was delivered to the United States in 1958. Jody, earlier you'd mentioned Petrie. This is Craig Petrie's uncle, keith Petrie. He's mounted ski Patrol number 109. And then Al Monner, wow Climber, and he was the patrol chief number 30, greeted the ship and that's one of the ship's captains or employees in the sled itself. But that first one became very popular versus the dog sled splint this particular Bakia is now in Eastern Oregon and Anthony Lakes, keith Petrie, after he managed the opening to Mount Hood Meadows to anthony lakes and he bought that from the mounted ski patrol I didn't realize keith went over to anthony lakes.
Gordy Winterrowd:Yeah, yeah, he was over there for a number of years and it that that particular um sled was a significant improvement over the dog sled which you see here, the. It was basically a sled modified for use to carry people, and and so the, the Accia was a vast improvement because you could actually pick up the patient on flat areas and very maneuverable.
Jodie:So, Gordy, did you ever operate the dog sled?
Gordy Winterrowd:No, I did not. I was in the Acquia era.
Jodie:Well now, if I remember, right on the 75th anniversary, someone pulled the dog sled out, if I'm correct, and when it went down the glade trail. But if, if I'm correct on that, but it's at sort of, uh, yeah, we'll have to show pictures. It's hard to describe on the radio right, right.
Gordy Winterrowd:Um, yeah, I know that. Um, I've got a video of Buzz Bowman and Murph. Buzz Bowman is the was the long he's still living, but he was the longest serving patroller in the nation. He was part of the Mounted Ski Patrol oh really, how long was that? On his 75th anniversary on the patrol, we renamed our building and government camp the Buzz Bowman Rescue Center.
Jodie:Oh, yep. And he has a name up on Timberline a run. The Buzz Cut was named after him.
Murphy:Oh, well, okay, so he was patrolling for 75 years.
Gordy Winterrowd:73 or 73 years, but on the but it remained a member. And on his 75th yeah, wow, that's amazing.
Murphy:How old was he when he was? Well, he was 20. He must have been in his 90s.
Gordy Winterrowd:Well, he stopped when he was 89. He's 95 now.
Murphy:Oh, he's still around.
Gordy Winterrowd:Yes, yes yeah, oh, we got to Jody, we got to call him.
Jodie:And Gordy, if you can help work with me. I talked to Buzz once about doing this, but we really would like to do a chat with him. But I have a feeling if we can get your help and assistance in getting that set up and have you join in with us while we talk to him, I think it would be awesome.
Gordy Winterrowd:Yeah, yeah, I can show you some pictures of him here, murph, if you want to. Yeah, okay, you want to yeah, okay.
Jodie:So fuzz bowman, if, if I remember him telling me this correctly when I because, uh, starting off is he joined when he was 16 or 17, I believe yeah, he, um, I'll uh look up the exact uh year it was 1940.
Gordy Winterrowd:Year it was 1940.
Jodie:He's an amazing guy and there is this one picture, that and his statement, and it was with Brian Barker. They were going up the chairlift and it was at Timberline. We made sure we had that, I think on his 70th or something that we made sure we had that. I think on his 70th or something that we made sure we displayed because he he was, he was talking to Brian Barker as they were going up and I think it was the Magic Mile, because I remember the picture. But and he just happened to say, you know, he just sort of they were quiet and he sort of was saying that you know that she just keeps looking prettier and prettier or something to that extent. And I just can't get over how it makes me feel after all these years, you know. And Brian was saying he says gosh, you almost got emotional at it. He says here's this guy, that's this amazing long timer then and everything.
Gordy Winterrowd:But yeah, yeah, that was a video from one of the tv station interviews of him and uh that, that is, you can still access that. There's been three or four of those. Oh yeah, um, here I've got another slide here. Um, that shows sorry for the delay here.
Jodie:Oh, you're fine. You're fine. He was a hill captain. I mean, he was an alpine patroller and he pulled sleds until he was. I can't even think of how, yeah.
Gordy Winterrowd:So there he is in 1948 on the left.
Murphy:And he started.
Gordy Winterrowd:His patrol number is 134, and he started in 1946. So that was two years after he joined the patrol. If you look at his left arm the upper left arm he has an armband on and that armband was the uniform of the Mount Hood Ski Patrol back in the 30s and 40s.
Murphy:Interesting.
Gordy Winterrowd:Then you can see him at the center picture is at the Portland Marathon. I think the ski patrol has supported that over the years. And then the lower picture on the left there is Buzz and his wife, dolores Dolores. Thank you, yeah, early on. And then that picture lower center of Buzz pulling an Accia. That's from the 75th anniversary of the Mounted Ski Patrol and that's Buzz pulling it. And then Jody had mentioned. Buzz cut a run at Timberline when the Jeff Flood chairlift was opened. That's a picture of Buzz standing in front of the sign and another longtime patroller that died three months ago, four months ago, john Wilberding is left of him, jody.
Jodie:Yes, and John Wilberding was known as the Rev, but that's a whole other conversation. The Rev, the Rev.
Gordy Winterrowd:Okay, okay.
Murphy:Back to the questions. Back to questions. All right, so what jobs have you had with the Ski Patrol? So since 1968, you started out as the rookie and as apprentice. Where'd you go from there? 1968, you started out as the rookie and as apprentice.
Gordy Winterrowd:Where'd you go from there. I'm past president of the Mounted Ski Patrol, a past trustee of the National Ski Patrol. I'm an OET instructor and OET IT. We have hill captains on the patrol that are responsible for the area on a particular day. I'm a senior hill captain Mentioned the national appointment and then a senior NSP senior patroller as well. Good for you. When were you president? 1970, 19. Let me get you the exact dates 1990.
Jodie:In the 90s there.
Gordy Winterrowd:I think it was 76 and, I'm sorry, 96 and 97. Wow.
Jodie:That's awesome. And then you had a couple of awards in the 90s from Mount Hood Ski Patrol.
Gordy Winterrowd:Yeah, A little prior to that we received one from President Reagan for saving a life. That's probably the one I remember.
Jodie:Tell us about that.
Gordy Winterrowd:It was just a certificate of merit for saving life that I received from President Reagan Back then. That was part of the American Red Cross system.
Murphy:So you received it or the patrol received it.
Gordy Winterrowd:I received it along with one other patrol, or two of us were on the case. Oh, wow, yeah. And then Jerry Edgar Award, which is Hill Captain of the Year, Outstanding Alpine Coach of the Year and Emmis Mounted Ski Patrol Recognition for years, of course years of service. Prior to that, the Rod Morrison Apprentice of the Year Award.
Murphy:All right. So you got to tell us who is Rod Morrison. Why was an award named after him?
Gordy Winterrowd:in a patroller, in terms of judgment, in terms of attitude, in terms of willingness to help, and he was a great example. So he was killed and so the award was named after him.
Murphy:He was killed or he died.
Gordy Winterrowd:Well, he died in an accident. Oh, okay, I'd have to look up the exact details.
Murphy:So was it on the mountain.
Gordy Winterrowd:He died versus killed.
Jodie:I can look up the details, but he wasn't patrolling at the time. If I remember right, it was a car accident, but I could be wrong.
Gordy Winterrowd:Yeah, I don't think I have it handy, but I think it may have been a car accident on the way to the mountain. Jody, yeah, oh that's too bad.
Jodie:And then tell us about Jerry Edgar, because he's the one that's named after the hill captain.
Gordy Winterrowd:Yeah, jerry Edward also was an outstanding individual and very, very active on the patrol. He started in the early 60s and he was, you know, the type of person that would be up every weekend and very, very engaged and did a lot of great things for the patrol. So the Hill Captain Award was named after him. I can follow up, Murph, and get you more details on both of those individuals. Follow up, murph, and get you more details on both of those individuals. But the one thing I remember about Jerry was one time we used to after hours go up and ski from Timberline to government camp in the dark and I remember riding up with Jerry up the Timberline Road, going about 80 miles an hour. He was a race car driver also and 80 miles an hour, okay, is on a straightaway but he would slow down for the curves, but it was also on snow.
Murphy:That's crazy. I bet on that road. I don't know if I'd drive that road at 80 miles an hour. Yeah, oh, my goodness.
