El Dorado Nordic Ski Patrol

Membership Applications: New member applicants must have their application for membership reviewed and approved by the Board at a regularly scheduled Board meeting. This is particularly important prior to participating in any field activities. Contact Jennifer Ebert-Marsolais at 530-647-9024 or jebert@fs.fed.us to obtain or submit forms. You can also submit the form to any of the Board members to have presented at the meeting.

Pro Form: Professional discounts for Patrol-related equipment can only be sought by Patrol members, who have previously received Board approval to seek such discounts.

Returning Patroller: Mike Werst is back! After taking a few years off for mundane things like family, Mike has returned to the fold. Welcome Back.

Patrol –Related Gift Items: If you are stumped for those stocking stuffers talk to Daniel Hansler at 530-644-5956 for patrol patches ($5.00 once you have been in the patrol for a year), Write-in-the-Rain pocket notebooks ($1.00), and previous year Race t-shirts ($6 each).

Helicopter Training: Kudos to Jeff Marsolais for setting up this training for the Patrol. Jeff arranged for both the Reach helicopter out of Executive airport in Sacramento and CALSTAR 6 from Tahoe to fly into Pacific Ranger District for the training. This was a fun and informative hands-on training covering helicopter safety, choosing and preparing landing sites, loading of patients, and general helicopter familiarization. If you have not seen one up close and internal, you definitely want to catch this training next year. Note: you will most likely be working with CALSTAR 6 for high mountain rescue due to the altitude.

UPCOMING EVENTS AND TRAINING

On-The-Hill Refresher: Saturday, December 14, kicks off the first field training of the year. This is an entertaining and educational exercise highly encouraged for all members (read almost required). It will be at Loon Lake and will take place no matter what mood Mother Nature is in. Meet at the Pollock Pines Safeway parking lot by 7:30 a.m. Jeff Holm is the contact at 530-622-2396. The training will cover those topics near and dear to everyone's hearts (especially if you are stuck in the middle of a snow storm) radio usage, snow shelters, emergency fires, avalanche beacons, sled construction, and first aid. You will be working in small teams so this is an excellent chance to sharpen old skills or learn new ones (ask lots of questions, they like that). See the next page for pack tips.

Winter Safety Class: Saturday, January 4th, 2003 - Definitely keep this date clear on the calendar for this training. New members will find a wealth of information in this class. The class is also open to the public so bring along friends and family. Tell anyone you think would be interested. This is the one time talking to strangers is a good thing. The class will be held at County Building C, 2850 Fairlane Court in Placerville [map] from 9:00 a.m. to 4:00 p.m. Seating is limited so reserve your seat now by calling the Patrol phone at 530-647-1825. Julie Hendricks is the contact.

Loon Lake Chalet Open House: Saturday and Sunday January 18 – 19th, 2003 – Held at the beautiful Loon Lake Chalet off of Ice House road this is a 'Not to Miss' event. Whether you ski, snowshoe, or winter camp, there is always useful and interesting things happening at this event. Activities include backcountry ski technique classes/tours (depending on snow), avalanche beacons introduction, ski and snowshoe orientation to local trails, and snow activities for kids. Inside the Chalet are displays/demonstrations on winter safety, clothing, and ski repair. Your assistance is needed. It can be as easy as just greeting the public or as complex and difficult as baking tasty (preferably edible) items for the event (it is difficult for some of us). This event is open to the public so tell everybody. It is from 9:00 a.m. to 3:00 p.m. Julie Hendricks is the contact at 530-644-6891.

El Dorado County Sheriff's Search and Rescue SAR-X (Search and Rescue Exercise): Saturday and Sunday January 18 – 19th, 2003 – If you are interested in participating in this call Jeff Holm at 530-622-2396 for further contact information.

Race Meeting: Tuesday, January 14, at 7:00 p.m. – People are needed to help with the massive 'stuff and lick' mass mailing of applications and race information at the Search and Rescue lodge off of Mace Road in Cedar Grove. Actually, you no longer need to do the lick part. Walt has thought up a far more modern method, but you have to come to see it in action. Call Walt at 530-644-5373.

Next General Meeting: The next General Meeting will occur on Tuesday, January 7th at 7:00 pm in Building C [map].

PATROLLER PACKS AND GEAR

Based on the December activity, what are the Patrollers carrying?

Emergency Blanket (orange preferable for visibility)
GPS – range from $89 to $300, Garmin or Etrex.
Water Bottle – 1-2 bottles–wide mouth works best. Important to hydrate before the activity and stay hydrated during the exercise so keep bottle readily accessible. Insulated camelbacks are an option but be careful regarding the hose freezing.
Flashlight – Usually carry two one small mag light and a head lamp. Several people are trying the LED lamps this year.
Rope – 16 feet of 7 mm cord/rope and 50 feet of 5 mm cord/rope.
Repair Kit – pole splint, posi-drive screwdriver, extra basket, 3M strapping tape for hardware repairs, duct tape for repairs of soft items and first aid (blister prevention), hose clamps, cable ties, waxes, small channel lock, steel wool and binding screws, and bailing wire.
Fire Starter Kit – Multiple lighters, waterproof, windproof matches in a sealed container, fire starter stick pieces in a plastic container, shredded wood or dryer lint in a plastic bag for easy start material, and a candle.
Pack – Varies with personal preference. Important that it fits you well. Take all your stuff down to a store and fill the pack and try it that way. Side loading allows for access to items down deep, internal frame is a must, exterior pockets for additional organization is good, external shovel pocket, rain fly, etc. Generally, an outfitted pack will weigh between 25-30 lbs. Suggest about 3,000 cubic inches. Dana and Arcteryx seem to be good brands. The Arcteryx Borea (bora) was a favorite.
Compass – Suunto and Silva are good brands – Recommend it having a declination setting, cover with mirror for easier sighting, and a clinometer.
Shovels – Various brands with Lifelink being very common. Typically lexan. Metal is a little heavier but it handles ice better. The plastic ones just bounce off the icier snow. Extendable handle is a must. Some have snow saws or shorter avalanche probes in the handle.
Avalanche Beacons – Typically about $300 in the stores. Ortovox M1 and the Tracker are the most common. Tracker is very user friendly with its visual light display as you zero in on a subject. Audio-based beacons are hard to use in loud situations.
First Aid Kit – Sam splint, Neosporin, tape, pen, band aids, mole skin, scissors, eye drops, Advil, tweezers, alcohol wipes, safety pins, tampons, maxipads (makes excellent absorptive bandage), latex gloves in a film canister, vet wrap (Koban), 4x4 bandages, and 4 triangle bandages.
Pot – MSR 'Billy' pot is popular. Get the small size. A day's worth of hot chocolate, soup, etc. will fit in it.