The Heart of the Job
For Ski Patrol Training Supervisor Bill McGrath, now in his 17th winter at CBMR, patrolling is both a passion and a privilege.
“I absolutely love being a member of the patrol team,” he said. “Getting to be out there every day to ski and getting to help people is incredible. I love the avalanche work, working with my dog, and the rest of the patrol team.”
CBMR’s patrol team ranges from new hires to 30-year veterans proving that for some, being a patroller isn’t just a job, it’s a purpose.
Before the Snow Falls
As soon as CBMR’s bike park ends daily operations in early September, Bill shared that the patrol team begins preparing for winter operations by completing tasks like:
- Updating and maintaining trail signs
- Installing new trail posts and signage
- Fixing boundary lines
- Conducting trail-improvement work using chainsaws and hand tools
Many patrollers also spend their off-season deepening their technical knowledge with courses in avalanche science, emergency medical care, and rope rescue.
“We work as hard as we can to help our team gain the knowledge they need and remain as highly trained as possible,” says Bill.
Given the specialized skills required for the job, ongoing education remains a top priority.
In addition, CBMR’s four avalanche dogs, Zetta, Scotty, Striker, and Charlie, take their off-season training just as seriously as their human counterparts. Handlers work with their dogs year-round, practicing obedience, running search drills, and attending Colorado Rapid Avalanche Deployment training so the pups are mission-ready once snow returns.
Lift Evacuation and Pre-Season Week
As fall transitions into winter, patrol shifts from theoretical study to hands-on practice. The team conducts two weeks of lift evacuation training to refresh their skills so that all members of the aerial evacuation team are prepared for the winter ahead.
A few weeks later, just before Opening Day, the entire patrol staff meets for an intensive pre-season training week. Topics include:
- CBMR-specific policies and procedures
- On-mountain medical care refreshers
- Avalanche rescue skills
- Explosives training
- Snowmobile operations
- Scenario practice and incident-response drills
It’s demanding work that requires a high-degree of industry-specific expertise, but with CBMR’s complex terrain and challenging skiing, it’s a necessity to ensure the team has the skills needed to do their jobs well as soon as the lifts start spinning.
Opening Day and Early-Season Terrain Checks
Getting the resort ready for Opening Day and the following early season weeks is a massive team effort that Bill emphasized wouldn’t be possible without the snowmaking and snowcat crews. Their work getting the snow surface in shape is what lets patrol do the fun part: opening terrain for skiers and riders.
Patrollers continuously assess new terrain before it opens to the public, evaluating hazards, checking coverage, and setting or removing ropes and signs. While it can be tempting in the early season with limited terrain to duck a rope and ski into a fresh powder field, Bill explained that if a trail is closed, it likely will offer neither an enjoyable, nor safe experience:
“We love skiing as much as the public,” he said. “We’re never holding back terrain just for fun; we want to open it as soon as we can offer a good and safe product.”
This sentiment persists throughout the season and becomes even more important as ropes guarding CBMR’s iconic extremes begin to drop.
Managing Avalanche Terrain at CBMR
Like many other ski resorts, managing avalanche hazards, in the extremes and beyond, is a critical part of the CBMR patrol team’s responsibilities:
“We have more than 180 designated slide paths on the mountain, so avalanche mitigation is a major part of our workload,” Bill shared. "All patrollers hold at least an Avalanche Rec 1 certification, with many progressing to Pro 1 and 2 certifications. We also have some patrollers attend winter forecasting courses and conferences like the Colorado Snow & Avalanche Workshop, and on some years, the International Snow Science Workshop.”
Managing avalanche terrain starts early to ensure avalanche-prone slopes remain safe throughout the season. Patrol’s early season mitigation work begins when the snowpack is still relatively shallow and involves hiking access roads to deploy explosives and keep these areas safe for cat operators and snowmakers.
Once snow conditions are deeper, patrol works under the guidance of the Snow Safety Department to keep the snowpack safe. Techniques they use include:
- Ski cuts to test slope stability
- Deploying hand charges and other explosives
- Working with bootpackers to homogenize the snowpack by breaking up weak, faceted layers on steep slopes
- Recording daily weather and snow observations
Avalanche mitigation doesn’t end once the early-season layers are addressed; it continues nearly every day throughout the winter. As storms roll through and conditions evolve, patrollers revisit zones around the mountain to keep them stable and safe for the duration of ski season.
A Season Built on Preparation
In Bill’s words, being on patrol is gratifying, challenging, and ever-changing. Their success relies on communication, teamwork, and a deep dedication to CBMR and its guests.
When you see patrollers loading lifts with their pups, skiing down with a toboggan in tow, or dropping the rope on your favorite run, you’re seeing a team that has already invested months, if not years, into becoming some of the most skilled mountain pros in the industry. Their steady, skilled, and essential work is the cornerstone of what keeps the mountain and its guests safe all season long.