Like any theme park, Jackson Ski Touring depends on a staff that often works largely unnoticed by the visitor.
The patrol captain, at least through the end of the 2008-'09 season, was one such unsung hero. Any group of employees anywhere has its bickering and gossip, but in the final analysis I doubt if too many on the payroll at JSTF would like to trade workloads with this woman. Who else might have to give CPR on the far reaches of a trail and then high-tail it back to the lodge to clean kid puke off the carpet?
JSTF gets real value for the dollar from their multi-purpose employee. She gets all manner of work dumped in front of her: trail crew, errands, shoveling snow onto areas of trail with thin cover, shoveling and snowblowing snow off the walkways, garbage detail, cleaning in the lodge and, oh yeah, patrolling the trails and providing first aid services. And I bet I left something out. She can drive a groomer in a pinch, and has done so.
She achieves all this without a shred of perkiness. That's yet another plus in my book. She's as burnt as any of us who have been in the tourist industry longer than any psychiatrist would recommend, but she still cranks out the work. If JSTF has let her slip away, they are the greater fools. If they haven't, she still has my admiration and just a bit of condolence. But hey: we all gotta work. And if she's still on the job, I urgently recommend that you get your trail pass before skiing and make sure it is visible.
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