Backcountry Rescue In Vermont

According to SnowSports Industries America, human-powered snowsports, which includes backcountry skiing, snowboarding and touring, is becoming one of the fastest growing sectors of the winter sports industry making it no surprise that Vermont’s highly specialized rescue teams have responded to their fair share of calls this winter. Teams have mobilized to search for dozens of lost parties including incidents in Killington, Middlebury Gap and Bolton Valley. Six soldiers were caught and rescued after being caught in an avalanche in Smuggler’s Notch in March. A tragic fall through the ice at Bingham Falls in Stowe required a difficult water rescue.

“Backcountry Rescue in Vermont” is the topic of Vermont Ski and Snowboard Museum’s monthly Thirsty Thursday speaker’s event on April 12 at 6:30. Members of mountain search and rescue team members from around the state will raise awareness of the potential dangers of backcountry travel in the mountains in cold weather. They will speak about the skills and training necessary to become a rescue team member and the inherent dangers involved with rescues, and how ski patrols, State Police, local rescue teams all work together to help save lives.

Panelists Neil Van Dyke, the Search and Rescue Coordinator for the VT Department of Public Safety, Doug Veliko of Stowe Mountain Rescue, Joel Blumenthal from Killington Search and Rescue and Peg Doheny, Director of the Jay Peak Ski Patrol, will provoke a lively conversation about backcountry safety and rescue and answer questions from the audience. The discussion will be moderated by Lisa Lynn, Editor of VT SKI + RIDE and Vermont Sports magazines.

Doors to the museum will open at 6:00 and guests are invited to enjoy the exhibits and socialize.

The discussion begins at 6:30.The event is the fifth of the season in a series of monthly “Thirsty Thursday” talks hosted at the Vermont Ski and Snowboard Museum that focus on topics currently relevant to skiing and snowboarding.

Craft beer provided by Collective Arts Brewing, wine and cider will be served at a cash bar. A $10 entry donation helps support the museum’s mission to “Collect, Preserve and Celebrate Vermont’s Skiing and Snowboarding Heritage.”