“The program was established in 1968,” Jessie said, “and I’m Certified Member #860. It’s a national program, and only 26 women have completed it. The test is offered once a year. You are allowed three years to complete all the modules, and it’s designed to test you and strip you down to your core. The examiners want to see how you can handle yourself when you’re tired. Emergencies happen at the least convenient times, not when we are fresh.”

Jessie said she was very committed to training. “It really demands a lot of time, and that you ask for help. You can’t do this alone; it takes a community. Many certified members spent time training with me this season, I’m grateful for their support and for sharing their knowledge.”

Her dad suffered from ALS and passed away when she was 18 years old. “My dad loved patrolling. I was fortunate to become a ski patroller at Elk Mountain where he had trained so many of the ski patrollers who would eventually become my friends. They took me under their wing. Ski patrolling has been a way for me to get to know my dad as an adult. We are both cut from the same cloth. He loved mentoring patrollers, and I also love to do that.”

She has always loved the tremendous community in the world of patrolling. “Many of my strongest friendships and connections have been built through the shared passions of patrolling, helping people in need on the mountain, and teaching the skills of good patrolling. Patrollers are kind souls who want to help people. When someone is hurt, it’s a patroller that will get you down. We need to have enough medical knowledge to deal with a serious injury on the hill, with limited medical resources. We also need to know how to extricate an injured skier and safely bring them down in a toboggan.”

Patrolling can be very challenging. “The days can be long. Helping people who were seriously injured can challenge you both mentally and physically in trying to figure out how to get them down the mountain safely.”

Some of her favorite days as a patroller are when she’s used her knowledge to teach others. For the past four years, Jessie has served as the Regional Advisor for the National Ski Patrol Outdoor Emergency Transportation Program, where she has taught numerous clinics and worked as a trainer evaluator. “I especially love teaching our women’s programs. It inspires me to see the energy and excitement when women embrace their potential, that they can do extraordinary things. We had a two-day women’s program this winter at Gore, and it was wonderful to see these patrollers run toboggans and grow.”

She has two young daughters, aged eight and ten, who love to ski as much as she does. “They are good little ski buddies. They enjoy being out on the mountain. My husband and I invested a lot of time when they were little, bringing them on long trips to the mountain sometimes only for a couple of runs. They’re old enough now where they can sweep the mountain with me after their race program ends. My oldest thinks that’s the coolest thing in the world.”

What Jessie loves about skiing is that it’s one of those sports that is a never-ending pursuit in trying to become better. “When you’ve mastered one level you can always take your skill to another level of terrain. You can also always work on trying to smooth out your skiing. It’s a sport that allows you to keep learning.”

Jessie is also a mentor with Saratoga Shredders, a youth mountain bike program with a mission to get more kids on bikes. “In the summer and fall, we love to mountain bike as a family. We also hike and go camping. I do the occasional sprint distance triathlon. We are a family that loves to move and be outdoors.”

Like many of us, she has often heard people complain about the long cold winters we have in upstate New York. “Until you actually get outside, you never really know what the day is like. Many times, we’ve driven to Gore thinking the conditions would be too cold or the snow would be atrocious, only to get on the mountain and find out what a great day it is to ski. There is so much beauty around us especially in the winter. I don’t understand hibernating when it gets cold out. I’m so happy that my kids love winter as much as I do.”

Jack Rightmyer (jackxc@nycap.rr.com) of Burnt Hills was a longtime cross-country coach at Bethlehem High School and today is an adjunct English professor at Siena College. He has written two books “A Funny Thing About Teaching” and “It’s Not About Winning.”