About Us
Our Patrol
The Giants Ridge Mountain Patrol is an all-mountain, all-season organization that focuses on service and safety, and we are always looking for new members to join our team!
We promote safety and provide emergency rescue and medical services to skiers, snowboarders, mountain bikers, and others enjoying all that Giants Ridge has to offer.
Our patrol is made up of volunteers and paid personnel, trained in outdoor emergency care, CPR, on-hill emergency transportation, and chairlift evacuation.
Patrollers in action
Some of our facilities and training
Our Facilities
Giants Ridge hosts modern facilities and updated medical and transportation equipment for real-world and training purposes.
Our patrol maintains training and fully-stocked rescue toboggans. We also have trauma bags, chairlift evacuation equipment, and other emergency medical supplies at the ready.
The current patrol room is located in the South Chalet at the base of the hill and was remodeled in 2015. A secondary response/storage shelter was built at the top of the hill in 2022.
Our History
Giants Ridge recreation officially began in the 1960s. Since then, the area is almost unrecognizable with its modern chalet, high-speed chairlift, world-class gravity mountain bike trail system, and countless other improvements and projects over the decades. What hasn't changed is the patrol's dedication to promoting safety and service to the area's guests.
The Giants Ridge Mountain Patrol has been recognized as Outstanding Alpine Patrol (1989, 2013, 2018), Outstanding Nordic Patrol (1988), and has had several Outstanding Patrol Directors (Dave Furin 1992, ReNae Magajna 2013, and Dave Markwardt 2018).
Poma Lift 1970s (now Grenoble)
Top of T-bar lift 1970s
T-bar lift left side 1970s
T-bar lift line right side 1970s
So, what's it really like being a patroller at Giants Ridge?
Well, first of all, you can be whichever kind of patroller that suits your interests: bike, Nordic, alpine (ski or board), or a combination! Our volunteer patrollers dedicate anywhere from 60 to 100+ hours per season and enjoy free season passes, additional complimentary passes, Giants Ridge discounts, NSP pro-deal gear discounts, and other great benefits. Patrollers attend annual refreshers to maintain and improve their on-hill transportation and medical skills.
A typical day begins by opening each run to look for fallen trees and other unwanted obstacles. Throughout the day, we respond to medical emergencies, monitor competitive races or other special events, repair fencing and signage, and have fun skiing or biking with friends and family. The day ends by sweeping each run to ensure that people get off the hill safely.
By the way:
EMTs and paramedics are given the opportunity to test out of the written exam portion of the Outdoor Emergency Care course. A skills exam and emergency transportation skill training are required.
If you are a primary patroller at another hill, you can be a secondary patroller at Giants Ridge!
We also have paid patrollers on staff. Reach to our Patrol Manager for more information.