RED HOUSE — Cross-country skiers on Allegany State Park’s Art Roscoe trails can feel safe knowing they are in the hands of the second-highest ranked ski patrol team in the country.
The Allegany State Park Nordic Ski Patrol was recently named second in the nation for Outstanding Nordic Patrol by the National Ski Patrol. This is the highest accolade received by the group since its inception in 2002.
John Fitzpatrick, patrol representative, has been a member of the Nordic Ski Patrol since 2004 and has been involved in ski patrol for 37 years. He said he was surprised at first when he got the call saying they had won the award, but added he thought it was fitting for his accomplished team.
“It’s really just the quality of the members — you have a lot of years here,” said Fitzpatrick.
Many of the patrol’s members have spent years in not only nordic patrol, but alpine as well, he said. Fitzpatrick himself is a part-time patroller for Holiday Valley and transitioned from state park’s alpine team to nordic shortly after its creation.
Mary MacQueen originally founded the group along with her husband, according to Fitzpatrick, because they saw a need for it in the park beyond the existing alpine ski patrol.
As ski patrol, the members act as first responders to ensure the safety of all visitors to the vast network of Art Roscoe trails, which extends across 25 miles of terrain.
“We typically have at least two patrollers, sometimes more depending on the day,” said Fitzpatrick.
While the park hasn’t had any major instances of note lately, Fitzpatrick said the patrollers undergo “an awful lot of training,” in order to be prepared for anything.
Trainees learn essential first aid, but with an outdoor twist, he said, in which a practical examination is set up in a deep wooded area and have to manage the situation. Patrollers also undergo mountain travel and rescue training (MTR).
“For MTR you learn about compass work, building shelters and how to build a sled out of your pack,” which can be used to haul a person out of the woods, said Fitzpatrick.
In the MTR level two courses, trainees go on an overnight outing, during which they build an igloo to use as their shelter.
By this point, many of the Allegany State Park Nordic Ski Patrol have already undergone this training and have moved on to teaching the courses and training future patrollers, said Fitzpatrick, although they get recertified every year.
He added that the friendships among the group, along with the patrons of the park, is a reason for many to stick around so long — not to mention the great trails.
“The (Art Roscoe) nordic trails, I think, are really the best in the area, The patrol has a bunch of people with a wealth of experience that work really well together and there’s a great camaraderie,” said Fitzpatrick. “You get to interact with the public and you feel like you’re helping them enjoy the sport.”
The experience of cross country skiing is very different from that of alpine, he said, and encouraged newcomers to try it out.
“It is challenging and great exercise,” said Fitzpatrick. “But with alpine skiing you’re constantly fighting gravity. Cross country skiing is a different feeling. There’s no crowds, you’re just out in the trees and the sunshine in the woods taking it all in.”
