A great leap forward often requires first taking two steps back.
-Obi-Wan Kenobi

Caroline Walczak

BECOMING A PATROLLER

I’m incredibly passionate about skiing. I’ve skied since I was around 5 and have slowly improved my abilities over the years. At 14 I decided to become a ski instructor at Nashoba Valley Ski Area, but after 2 seasons I decided to join their Ski Patrol as a volunteer. This began by taking a 3 month long first aid course in the spring taught by my now coworkers. After passing the final exam at the beginning of summer I worked my first season as a patroller from December 2023 to March 2024. Now, the patrolling itself involves keeping the mountain safe (like managing crowds and closing trails during trail grooming) and providing first aid care to anyone injured. During the winter season I was also trained on Tuesday evenings in Toboggan skills so I can bring injured people down the mountain. While I am a YAP (young adult patroller) I get the same jacket and am treated the same by the skiers/snowboarders on the mountain as well as my coworkers. This was an incredible opportunity and was a proper, hands-on introduction to the field of medicine, which I plan on pursuing further.

A picture of me as a patroller in 2024
A picture of me as a patroller in 2024.

YAP SEMINAR

One of my fellow YAPs leading an empty Toboggan down the Waterville slopes
One of my fellow YAPs leading an empty Toboggan down the Waterville slopes

Last March I participated in the Eastern Division's YAP Seminar. The five Nashoba YAPs and I traveled to Smugglers' Notch Ski Resort in Vermont for this opportunity, along with around seventy-five other YAPS from the United States' Eastern ski resorts. Since it was only my first year, I went with the educational track and learned some more skills in skiing, toboggans, working with avalanche beacons, pulley systems, and outdoor emergency care. For next year’s seminar I plan on competing.

A view of Stowe from Smuggs I saw while hiking off the ski slope in my ski boots
A view of Stowe from Smuggs I saw while hiking off the ski slope in my ski boots