This year will mark Lynne’s 30th year working for the resort. She has held several leadership positions in various departments, but now, she’s back to her roots — her happy place — as ski patrol director, a job that has her overseeing hundreds of patrollers and dozens of safety staff.
“We are a group of very dedicated professionals that really care about safety and service for our guests,” explains Lynne. “The job is fun and people can see that. But it’s also super challenging. Mastering all of the components, from safety to hospitality, takes a lot of skill and years to master.”
No two days on the mountain are ever alike, which is part of the job’s appeal, but Lynne agreed to share a ski patroller’s typical day.
6 a.m. On an avalanche patrol morning, it’s time to get rolling. “It’s all about the coffee, or Red Bull, depending on who you ask,” Lynne laughs. This is when patrollers are getting geared up in the locker room: putting on boots, avalanche beacons, and gathering everything they will need for the day. Every snowpack is different, and there is tension in the air.
6:15 a.m. Park City Mountain Resort has two base villages, with patrol teams working out of each. Groups gather for a snow safety morning briefing.
The weather is described, along with the snowpack in order to formulate a plan for the day. Patrollers are sent to specific areas of the mountain in teams of two or three.