Training started in September and October with the Outdoor Emergency Care (OEC) course.
Each week (2 times a week) different instructors taught the OEC chapters. The course was
directed by Dr. Bill Walthhour. A test was given at the end of the course with all candidates
passing.  In October there was an exercise class that exposed the new candidates to hands-on
packaging of an injured person. Also, there was a refresher course for existing patrollers that
reviewed 1/3 of the OEC manual and included an emergency chair lift evacuation practice.
     The mountain opened the first weekend of December this year. That same weekend, the
First Aid and the Skiing and Toboggan classes began. This years class was so large that the
training was given by breaking the class into 2 groups. That meant 2 training sessions for all
of the instructors on both Saturday and Sunday. A lot of work for the patrollers that volunteered
to train us all.  On Sunday February 17th I successfully completed the Skiing and Toboggan
training.  In particular, I wish to thank Tom Kneiss for his time, patience and dedication to
training me (and others) on Sunday nights. I was not able to make every Saturday class due to
owning my own business. His help allowed me to keep up with the required number of trainings,
to understand how to work the handles yet let the toboggan do the work, to keep the control
and the pace through the moguls and also how to keep the toboggan from pitching.
     The next person I wish to thank is Dr. Rick Ruby for arranging and continuing to teach myself
and Denise so that we could do the First Aid test this year.  Our test was February 23rd. We both
worked very well together and the test went smooth. We both passed and are now patrollers! :>)