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.
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!
Episodes
6 episodes
What Happens When Service Becomes A Way Of Life?
When Jim Trett first joined ski patrol in 1984, he could barely make it down the mountain. "I'm doing my make a pie and try not to fall down," he recalls with a laugh. That reluctant skier would go on to serve an incredible 40+ years as a patro...
•
Season 2
•
Episode 1
•
51:19
From Wilderness Emergency Care to Modern Aid Rooms: One Patroller's Evolution
Barbara Lierson shares her remarkable journey in the National Ski Patrol since 1988, from her early days at Marshall in Missoula to her current role at Summit Central at Snoqualmie Pass. Her unique perspective highlights the evolution of ski pa...
•
Season 1
•
Episode 4
•
40:37
From 1960 to Today: Six Decades on the Slopes
Frank Rossi's life story reads like a cultural history of American winter recreation. The 80-year-old ski patroller, who joined the National Ski Patrol in 1960 at just 17 years old, shares six decades of memories that span f...
•
Season 1
•
Episode 3
•
1:07:44
Nursing the Slopes: A Colonel's Journey Through Ski Patrol, an Amazing Ride!
Few people embody the spirit of "Service and Safety" like Mary Lou Robinson. After joining the National Ski Patrol in 1988 while serving as an Army nurse, Mary Lou's remarkable journey spans five divisions, multiple continents, and countles...
•
Season 1
•
Episode 2
•
50:27
Bonus: Volunteers Created America's First Adaptive Ski Program (S2-Skiers2) at Hyak. S1:Bonus...
Shirley Cummings explains how "S2 Skiers2" began at Hyak Ski Area in the PNWD and its amazing efforts between various ski resorts in helping those needing a bit more assistance in learning how to ski. Pioneering well before the ADA wa...
•
Season 1
•
Episode 1
•
8:06
The Cummings have served skiers at Hyak since 1965, witnessing decades of mountain evolution!
Step back in time with Shirley and Gary Cummings, with this extraordinary couple whose experiences bridge skiing's wooden ski era to today's modern mountain operations of ski patrol service at Hyak (now Summit East). They offer a fascinatin...
•
Season 1
•
Episode 1
•
43:04
