Santiam Pass Ski Patrol History

Hoodoo Ski Area was constructed in the 1940’s by Ed Thurston, a businessman from Bend, Oregon.  Its original layout included two A-frame warming huts and a small lodge about 30 feet wide and 150 feet long.  Additionally there was a ski patrol shack, rope tows and possibly the first double chairlift built in North America.

Ed Thurston was a member of National Ski Patrol. Prior to 1968 patrollers at Hoodoo were trained in Standard and Advanced Red Cross First Aid classes and on the hill training that usually took a full season to complete.

A complete article with Hoodoo and SPSP History is forthcoming. Please stay tuned!

The Organization of Ski Patrol -

What Is It and How Does It Work?

National Ski Patrol (NSP) is structured similar to our U.S. Government in that  NSP is the primary governing body with it's offices located in Lakewood, Colorado. It is divided into divisions, which could be compared to states; from there the divisions are divided into regions, like our counties; and within each region exist our individual patrols, which could be compared to cities. 

Ski patrollers pay annual dues which may vary slightly from season to season. The largest percentage of those dues go to National and a smaller percentage to our Division (Pacific Northwest Divison for SPSP) and to our Region (Oregon Region for SPSP).

National collects about $900,000 in dues, has paid staff, and they are primarily responsible for the educational programs and member services. The Pacific Northwest Division (PNWD), which includes Oregon, Washington, and Idaho, does not have paid staff, and most of the $30,000 or so they collect in dues each year goes to expenses for the advisors (mostly travel). PNWD puts on the annual convention and produces the Nor'wester newsletter. The Oregon Region includes all patrols in Oregon except for the Mt Hood patrols. Region collects about $5000 in dues and that primarily gets spent on travel for the advisors (S&T, OEC, MTR, etc). These people travel to the ski areas in Oregon and put on clinics for our patrollers.

As stated on the NSP Website -

"The National Ski Patrol is a member-driven professional organization of registered ski patrols striving to be recognized as the premier provider of training and education programs for emergency rescuers serving the outdoor recreation community. To meet that goal, and promote the safe enjoyment of snow sport enthusiasts, NSP supports its members through accredited education and training in leadership, outdoor emergency care, safety programs and transportation services."