Usually the perpetrators are required to watch the “Ski Sense and Safety” film of NSAA and then may return to skiing. They have missed from a half-hour to one hour of skiing for their offense.
Last season the Rangers voided from 40 to 80 lift tickets on weekend days that extended into night skiing periods. The accident rate dropped by about 20 percent during the season. Most culprits, the bulk of whom are in the 14 to 26-year-old range, accept the punishments with only a few becoming obstreperous enough to call in the area security force to handle the situation.
“The Rangers came into being because we realized that we had to stop the accidents and endangerment somewhere,” said Kathy Moore, who heads the Rangers and is daughter of Jim Moore, co-founder of the area. “It’s an expensive program, but down the line we expect it will pay for itself.”
Rangers are paid $7 an hour and the area keeps from six to eight working on weekends and four or five on weekdays. In selecting Rangers, Moore said she looks for skill in handling people, mature judgement and the ability to work in stressful situations. About half the Rangers are state troopers who relate the job to dealing with drunk drivers, while another large portion are teachers who see it as a training situation for young people.
A secondary job of the Rangers is to assist the Ski Patrol with daily chores such as sweeps, trail fencing and accident crowd control. The Rangers wear yellow jackets to indicate they are part of a team with some authority.
This year Camelback will start a parallel program for youngsters 15 to 18 years old. They will attend a two-day clinic and will work with adult Rangers as well as assist with safety talks to bus groups and other safety situations.
