About PNSP

ABOUT PNSP

ABOUT US
 
The Powderhorn National Ski Patrol is made up of a dedicated group that makes skiing and riding at Powderhorn Mountain a safe, fun and exciting experience for all our guests. Patrolling encompasses so much more than just rescuing or assisting the injured skier. It includes snow safety, lift evacuation, opening up new terrain, marking hazards, sharing your love of the outdoors and sharing the mountain with our guests.

PNSP was founded in 1979. Powderhorn sits on the side of the world's largest flattop mountain, the grand Mesa, allowing views extending across the desert below.  Powderhorn sits in a high desert location — east of Grand Junction and slightly north and east of Colorado National Monument. The climate produces dry, powdery snow. Powderhorn has a wide variety of terrain with a few long groomed runs as well as steeper tree runs and boulder fields full of jumps and cliffs. In the 1940s, skiing began on top of the mesa with a rope tow, and in the 1950s "Mesa Creek Ski Area" opened with 1 surface lift. Later, in 1966, "Powderhorn Ski Area" opened with a double-chair and a surface lift two miles (3 km) below Mesa Creek Ski Area. In the 1970s another double chair and more terrain were added to the west side of Powderhorn to form the West End. In 2015, construction began on a new high-speed quad chairlift system, later named the "Flat Top Flyer" and other improvements. 2015 also saw the addition of three lift access summer mountain biking trails.

The PNSP now works summer and winter at the Powderhorn Ski Area to provide terrain safety, emergency services and provide communication between visitors and local organizations. 
STATS 

Founded 1979

Average Operations per Season: 
198

Volunteers:
18

Youth Volunteers: 
6

MOUNTAIN STATS
Base Elevation: 8,200 ft (2,500 m)
Summit Elevation: 9,850 ft (3,000 m)
Vertical Drop: 1,650 ft (500 m)

Skiable area: 1,600 acres (6.5 km2)
63 Runs
20% Beginner
50% Intermediate
30% Advanced

Average snowfall: 250 inches
Snowmaking: 21 acres (85,000 m2) (when needed)

4 total Lifts: 
1 quad chair
2 double chairs
1 magic carpet

TYPICAL DAY


Every day, ski patrol begins with a morning meeting to review the mountain status: which runs are groomed, which runs are closed, special events planned for the day, and new issues that have come up. Next, the patrollers ski “awareness runs” on every run on the mountain. On these runs, patrol checks and rechecks everything. They look for known hazards and new hazards. They inspect signs and fencing, moving them if necessary, repositioning them and adding markers near any new hazards. While these runs are happening, other patrollers are digging avalanche pits and monitoring snowpack. They record each day’s information and transmit it to the Colorado Avalanche Information Center, a resource for backcountry skiers. Patrol also checks every toboggan, emergency and trauma response backpack, lift evacuation packs and backpacks with gear and instructions for rescuing chairlift “danglers.” While many of these incidents may never occur during a ski season, patrol checks and documents everything, every day, just in case.

Patrollers are trained in emergency and outdoor medicine and most of the calls they get are to help injured skiers and snowboarders. When patrol gets a call, they move quickly (hence the “grab and go” backpacks) to stabilize all injured parties, extricate them and to ski them down to the first aid room, from which they are transported to medical care if necessary.
SKI ALONGS
 
Powderhorn Mountain Resort offers a 2 and 4-hour Ski Patrol Ski Along program. Each session starts with a visit to the base area first aid room. Next stop is the on-mountain patrol office where guests learn about response equipment, detailed emergency response guidance and the importance of thorough daily documentation.

Back out on the snow, participants ski a patrol awareness run, visit an avalanche pit to learn about snowpack safety and danger, and ride down the mountain in a toboggan.
The idea for the Ski Patrol Ski Along came during a brainstorming session with Mistalynn Meyeraan, formerly with Visit Grand Junction. She believes the success of the program highlights the importance of local cooperation.

“The Ski Patrol Ski Along program at Powderhorn Mountain Resort is a prime example of how a ski resort can effectively collaborate with the local destination marketing organization,” explains Meyeraan.

If you'd like to participate in a Ski Along with the PNSP click below. 
CONTACT US
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