RED HOUSE — A band of hardy volunteers monitor the cross country ski trails at Allegany State Park’s Art Roscoe Ski Area, keeping skiers safe and rescuing them in times of need.

These dedicated people are members of the park’s Nordic Ski Patrol. Mary MacQueen, patrol director and instructor for the ski patrol, said she started the group in 2002 and recruited the original five patrol members; four are still volunteering.

The patrol currently has a roster of 18 people. They also have three candidates who joined this year and are going through the different certifications required to be a Nordic Patroller.

MacQueen said “nordic” includes all types of skiing except downhill. It’s telemark, cross country, skate skiing, and also backcountry. She said the other discipline is called “alpine,” which is the traditional ski area lift service skiing.

“A lot of our candidates come from Alpine patrols, so they already have the required first aid training,” she said. “All they have to do is the skiing part throughout the first season. At the end of the season, there are certain skills they have to be able to do.”

MacQueen said the candidates basically have to do the same skills taught by the Professional Ski Instructors of America (PSIA), in the Nordic aspect. They are tested for PSIA level skills and, although they don’t have to be at the instructor level, they have to be able to get around proficiently on their skis.

“In addition, they have to take a level one avalanche class to learn the basics of avalanche safety, as well as how to use an avalanche transceiver, shovels and probes to do a rescue,” she said.

To keep themselves sharp and ready for an emergency, the ski patrol trained all day Feb. 4 at the “On-the-Hill Refresher,” that was based at the Summit Warming Hut by the Art Roscoe Ski Area, and the surrounding wooded area.

Patrollers broke into groups and rotated through a variety of 70-minute task stations to practice skills. They did land navigation by using instructions and a compass with a map. Using the materials in their pack, two patrollers at a time practiced constructing an emergency sled. An outdoor cooking segment offered trail stove options and foods that can be kept in packs for emergency use. Part of the training also includes constructing a shelter to accommodate two people overnight, using only the materials in the patroller’s pack.

MacQueen said the packs they carry are different from what an alpine patroller carries, which is mostly first aid equipment. The Nordic patrols also carry survival equipment that includes something to make a shelter and a thermos of something warm, in case they come across somebody who might be injured and has hypothermia.

“We have to take into consideration the environment, so we keep enough supplies in our packs to keep the person comfortable until we can get them out,” she said. “We also carry enough equipment between two patrollers to construct an emergency toboggan to pull the injured person out of the woods.”

The patrollers also do snowmobile training every year that is required by the park. MacQueen said if somebody is lost far from the warming hut, it’s much more efficient to go out with a snowmobile to find them than it would be to ski 25 minutes to get them.

MacQueen said two refresher events are held each year. In the fall, the group does a whole day of training on their first aid skills. She said the “On the Hill Refresher” is for all ski patrol personnel and it’s done once the snow flies.

“Every weekend, December through February, the new candidates go out and practice their first aid skills on each other and on the instructors. It’s quite a commitment,” she said.

According to MacQueen, once the candidates finish practicing, they go for testing. She said it’s done as a region, so all the Nordic ski patrols in Western New York, as well as their candidates, train together and test in one location. Then they get evaluated and they pass or fail.

“When the candidates not training with the region’s first aid people, they’re training at our patrol practicing ski skills,” she said. “It involves coming out and learning the cross country skiing trails we have at the park. We don’t expect them to ski the steepest one because it’s their first year of patrolling, but we do test them on their skill-levels of skiing most of the trails.”

According to alleganynordic.org, the Art Roscoe Cross Country Ski Trails are one of the finest double-track trail systems in the Northeastern United States. Well-designed to offer skiers an exceptional skiing experience, the 20 miles of trails are groomed on an as-needed basis by park staff for classic-only skiing. No snowshoeing, hiking or dogs are are permitted on the trails during the winter.

To find out more about the Art Roscoe trails and the ASP Nordic Ski Patrol, call 354-9101. Additional information about trail conditions and volunteer opportunities may be found online at alleganynordic.org and Facebook.