RED HOUSE — Members of the Allegany State Park Nordic Ski Patrol were recognized for receiving the national Outstanding Nordic Patrol of the Year award at a Sunday dinner hosted at Steelbound Brewery & Distillery in Springville.

Butch MacQueen, the patrol’s training officer, said each patrol member received a Gold Merit Star pin, which is the highest merit star given for the national level award. He said the group was also awarded a plaque that will be on permanent display in the Summit Warming Hut at the trailhead of the Art Roscoe Cross-Country Ski Trails for the public to see in the future.

Mary MacQueen, who serves as patrol director and instructor, said the patrol’s dedication and skills were also recognized by the National Ski Patrol in 2020 when they received their first award. She said it’s a highly coveted goal for ski patrols nationwide, and most never achieve the level.

“Our patrol’s favorite motto is, ‘Small, but mighty,’ and it’s certainly befitting of this highly-skilled, hard-working and close-knit group,” she said. “It’s quite an unanticipated reward for doing what we love.”

The Allegany State Park (ASP) Nordic Ski Patrol’s commitment to excellence can be seen in the fact that out of 22 Nordic Masters in the country, two of them reside within their doors, as well as a Minot Dole Award recipient and many Nordic and Outdoor Emergency Care (OEC) seniors.

The patrollers are led by Butch and Mary, who are ASP’s two certified National Nordic Masters, which is the highest Nordic level achievable in the National Ski Patrol.

December will mark the group’s 23rd anniversary. Both MacQueens became active in the National Ski Patrol’s Eastern Division Nordic, Mountain Travel and Rescue and Avalanche Awareness programs as instructors back in the late 1990s.

After seeing a need for readily accessible emergency response resources on the park’s remote cross country trail system, they co-founded the ASP Nordic Ski Patrol through the National Ski Patrol in December 2002.

ASP’s Nordic Ski Patrol is a band of hardy volunteers that monitor the cross country ski and mountain biking trails of Allegany State Park’s Art Roscoe Cross Country Ski Area, keeping people safe and rescuing them in times of need.

OVER THE YEARS, the ski patrol has provided many services for the park and its visitors, including helping develop and maintain local cross-country trails and assisting with area-sponsored snowshoe hikes and moonlight ski events, as well as providing first-aid support for local running and biking races.

The patrollers have also provided wilderness training for a women’s winter training program, map and compass training for ski area/maintenance staff and public relations and ski skill development to the skiing public. They have also given a number of presentations to local Scout troops on wilderness survival and search and rescue (SAR) skills, a Women’s Winter Activities Club and Nordic ski skills to the skiing public.

Their highly-trained patrollers are one factor that puts the park’s ski patrol at the top of the rankings. According to Butch MacQueen, there are only 18 patrollers, but out of those 18, approximately 15 are instructors in various disciplines, including Outdoor Emergency Care, Mountain Travel and Rescue, Avalanche and Instructor Development.

“While many patrols are packing up their skis and equipment after a season of patrolling, our patrol’s equipment includes not only cross country skis but also snowshoes, micro-spikes, bicycles and well-worn hiking boots,” said Robin Clark, patrol treasurer and former awards advisor.

MacQueen said the ASP Nordic Ski Patrol is a four-season patrol — the epitome of what a modern National Ski Patrol strives to be. He said they are a tight-knit group of dedicated and highly motivated individuals who are well-known in the Region and National arenas, with a large percentage holding regional and national positions.

“As evidence of our patrol’s dedication to the national ski patrol, our patrollers spend countless hours in these positions, and our work does not stop at the end of our duty day,” he said. “Although our ski patrol is small, we are extremely active in the community and help whenever and wherever our local area needs us.”

Butch said the ski patrol is 100% self-funded through donations from the patrollers and local groups. He said their equipment is well cared for and up-to-date.

“We are constantly researching and evaluating new equipment to make our first aid skills more efficient and effective,” he said. “A couple of years ago, we introduced the Slishman tractions splint, which was purchased as a donation from one of our patrollers. Through demonstration at our local OEC clinics, this device —designed to immobilize and stabilize fractured femurs — has called the attention of local neighboring ski patrols.”

For more details about the ASP Nordic Ski Patrol, visit online at alleganynordic.org and the ASP Nordic Ski Patrol Facebook page.