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Pinecrest Nordic Ski Patrol is a training center for local and NSP educational
programs. We have a broad instructor base that is qualified to instruct in many
winter emergency care and safety programs. The following courses and programs
are offered by the patrol. The dates can be found on our events page.
- Winter Backcountry Awareness
The Winter Backcountry Awareness Seminar will provide you with some basic
information to travel in the winter backcountry. It will help prepare you with
some basic awareness and knowledge to enjoy travel in the ever changing harsh
winter mountain environment and backcountry areas.
- Mountain Travel and Rescue Fundmentals (MTR F)
This course provides students with basic knowledge and skills to travel and work
in reasonable comfort and safety in an outdoor environment. Field practice
includes basic navigation, travel, and survival, and an introduction to search
and rescue. This course does not include an overnight campout.
Prerequisite: None
Time commitment: Adequate classroom instruction to prepare students
for a field session. There is no overnight campout included in this course curriculum.
Fees: See course website.
Credential: NSP Certificate of Achievement
Continuing education recommendation: Attend local on-the-hill/trail
refresher, audit/retake course, or attend continuing education seminars offered
by MTR instructors.
Instructor of record: NSP Mountain Travel and Rescue instructor
Required text: Mountain Travel and Rescue (#509)
Note: Mountain Travel and Rescue Fundamentals and Mountain Travel and
Rescue 1 are parallel rather than sequential courses. Students may select one or
the other course, depending on area needs and requirements.
- Mountain Travel and Rescue 1 (MTR1)
This course provides students with the knowledge and skills to travel and work
in reasonable safety and comfort in the outdoor environment and to be an asset
to a search and/or rescue team, including possible overnight operations. Field
practice includes practice in navigation, travel, survival, basic search and/or
rescue exercises, and an overnight campout.
Prerequisite: None
Time commitment: Adequate classroom instruction to prepare students
for a field exercise that lasts through one night.
Fees: See course website.
Credential: NSP Certificate of Achievement
Continuing education recommendation: Attend local on-the-hill/trail
refresher, audit/retake course, or attend continuing education seminars offered
by MTR instructors.
Instructor of record: NSP Mountain Travel and Rescue instructor
Required text: Mountain Travel and Rescue (#509)
Note: Mountain Travel and Rescue Fundamentals and Mountain Travel and
Rescue 1 are parallel rather than sequential courses. Students may select one or
the other course, depending on area needs and requirements.
- Mountain Travel and Rescue 2 (MTR2)
Note: This course will not be offered this year.
This course provides students with the knowledge and skills to complete more
difficult field operations and to assist in the coordination of search and/or
rescue operations that may extend over several days. Field practice includes
advanced navigation skills, extended patient care, and advanced search and
rescue situations.
Prerequisites:
(Note: Mountain and Avalanche Awareness is not a recognized prerequisite.)
- Mountain Travel and Rescue Fundamentals, Mountain Travel and Rescue 1,
or a basic search and rescue course from an approved agency may substitute, as
determined by the division MTR supervisor.
- Level I Avalanche, Avalanche Fundamentals and Rescue courses, or any
equivalent avalanche course from an approved agency, as determined by the MTR
division supervisor.
Time commitment:
- Adequate preparation training prior to field session.
- Minimum two days and one overnight with adequate practice for field session.
- Up to two additional days and nights may be used, not necessarily
consecutively, to better prepare students for the final field exercise.
Fees: See course website.
Credential: NSP Certificate of Achievement
Continuing education recommendations: Attend local on-the-hill/trail
refresher; audit/retake course; or attend continuing education seminars offered
by MTR instructors.
Instructor of record: NSP Mountain Travel and Rescue instructor
Required text: Mountain Travel and Rescue (#509)
- Avalanche 1
This course teaches students how terrain, weather, and snowpack contribute to
avalanche hazards. This knowledge is used during decision-making exercises in
the classroom and in the field session. Students also become acquainted with
human factors, which skew effective decision making. The course covers movement
through avalanche terrain, route selection/hazard identification, and stability
assessments in the field environment. Also focuses heavily on the fundamentals
of self, group, and organized rescue. Students complete a written exam and
practical evaluation during field exercises. Upon course completion, students
are qualified to participate in organized rescue operations.
Prerequisites:
Excellent physical condition, since the course requires strenuous physical
exertion. Students are generally expected to perform in a variety of snow
conditions (including deep snow), hike moderate distances, climb moderate
to steep slopes, and traverse steep slopes.
Time commitment:
10-12 hours classroom and 16-18 hours of field work. Classroom time may vary
depending on the amount of preparatory work required.
Fees: See course website.
Credential: NSP Certificate of Achievement
Continuing education recommendations: None
Instructor of record: Keith Gale
Required texts:
- Staying alive in Avalanche Terrain. By Bruce Tremper (Students to purchase themselves [
Amazon]).
Optional texts:
- Avalanche Rescue Quick Guide (#511)
- Snow Sense (#513)
- Nordic Ski and Toboggan
The NSP Nordic Program is designed to help patrollers develop and refine the
skills and knowledge that ski area management or governing agencies require of
patrollers who carry out their patrol duty on nordic equipment. To help
instructors train nordic members, the national nordic committee has established
several areas of nordic training.
The Mother Lode Region Nordic Program has two main goals. The first goal is to
assist nordic patrols develop nordic toboggan instructors. The second goal is
to assist nordic patrollers become Nordic Senior patrollers by holding Nordic
Senior Ski and Toboggan clinics and evaluations.
The National Ski Patrol offers many other programs. Official course information
can be found at the NSP Education Programs website. For information
on courses offered by other patrols in the motherlode region, check out the
Mother Lode region programs website.
Problems? Contact webmaster@pinecrestnordic.org for technical issues with this website.
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Course Info