About Pinecrest Nordic Ski Patrol

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The Pinecrest Nordic Ski Patrol is a registered member of the National Ski Patrol, and patrols under a volunteer agreement for the U.S. Forest Service.

We patrol approximately 60 km of non-groomed backcountry ski trails in the Stanislaus National Forest. Our trails surround the Dodge Ridge Ski Resort, and are accessible via the Crabtree and Gooseberry trailheads. Depending on snow conditions, we patrol every weekend during the winter season and some days mid-week during school vacations.

Our mission is to serve the winter recreation user by providing:

Emergency First Aid
Winter Safety and Educational Information.
Trail Maps and Directions.
Marked and Maintained Ski Trails
Assistance to SAR and EMS Primary Responders.
Emergency Ski Repairs.

Directions

For maps and directions to Pinecrest go to our directions page.

Trail Reports

We post our trail reports and current conditions on our Public News page.

Press releases

Pinecrest Nordic wins NSP Nordic Patrol of the Year! Press release.
Pinecrest Nordic and Stanislaus National Forest Ski With a Ranger Program. Press release.

History of the Pinecrest Nordic Ski Patrol

First Date of Formalization	April 30, 1982
First patrol Director	August Scornaienchi
First U.S. Forest Representative	Hal Beeler, Wilderness/Trail Technician-Summit District, Stanislaus National Forest
Charter Member Patrollers	Gary Bard (79), Ted Robertson (82), Hal Beeler (83), Bob Charpentier (83), Jan Gullickson (83), Mary Alice Murphy (83), August Scornaienchi (83)
West Div. Director (1982)	Sam Housten
Mother Lode Region Director (1982)	Don Carlson
West Div. Nordic Advisor (1982)	John Glueck
Mother-Lode Region Nordic Advisor (1982)	Rudy Stauffer

The history of the National Ski Patrol dates back to the late 30's, when Charles 'Minnie' Dole, an insurance broker, who himself suffered a serious skiing injury. Frustrated by the lack of skilled assistance for skiers, he took it upon himself to father one of the most professional volunteer rescue organizations in the world today.

The serious nature of accidents and deaths (in out of resort ski areas) gave cause to many that there was an urgent need to provide trained emergency and rescue resources to cross-country/ backcountry skiers. In recognition of meeting this need a National Ski Patrol pilot program was formed in 1968, organizing it's first NSP Nordic patrollers. The following year, 1969, saw the first registration of an NSP Nordic Ski Patrol. One of the principle motivators of our first Nordic Patrols was David Hodgdon, who, in 1973 was appointed by the National Chairman as it's first National Nordic Program Director.

The groundwork for initial registration of the Pinecrest Nordic Ski Patrol was set in the early 80's when a few local area cross-country skiers, out to enjoy a day in the new fallen snow, would be challenged with a traumatic life and death situation that would later be the inspiration towards expanding those initial efforts of David Hodgdon in the formation of a Nordic backcountry ski patrol in the Central Sierras of California. Click to read their story.