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Robert Walters of Medford, left, and fellow members of the Crater Lake Ski Patrol stay abreast of trail conditions with a spirited day of skiing last winter at Crater Lake National Park.MT file photo

November 26, 2009

By Sarah Lemon

Mail Tribune
776-4487
slemon@mailtribune.com

It's winter recreation that no amount of money can buy.

Staying overnight at one of the most snow-shrouded destinations in the country, winter volunteers at Crater Lake can cross-country ski and snowshoe over trails that betray more animal tracks than human. They also see the park's true colors, free of summer crowds.

"You really have the park to yourself," says Jeff Allen, executive director of Crater Lake National Park Trust. "It's very quiet and peaceful.

"So few people get up there in the winter."

Drawing the vast majority of its visitors in summer, Crater Lake did see an increase in wintertime visits last year, says park ranger Eric Andersen. To boost everyone's enjoyment of the 107-year-old park, the Trust, in cooperation with Friends of Crater Lake, wants more volunteers to provide information, resources and even safety this winter.

"Crater Lake is one of the great jewels of the national parks," says Marilee Grimm, 58, of Eagle Point, who volunteered with her 67-year-old husband, Bill, over the previous two winters.

"Going in winter is a totally different experience than the rest of the year," says Grimm. "You have to really be willing to experience winter on its terms."

While paid park staff man the Steel Visitor Center nearest the south entrance, the second floor of Rim Village Cafe and Gifts has some of the best lake views during wintertime. So volunteers like the Grimms are posted there 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. to relate the park's natural and cultural history and answer common visitor questions. A free training Dec. 12 will familiarize volunteers with these aspects of the park.

Occasionally, volunteers accompany rangers on the park's popular free, guided snowshoe hikes. Park staff led 1,747 people on the interpretive excursions last winter, a 32-percent increase in program participation over the previous year, Andersen says. The program begins on the same date set for training volunteers.

"There is great cross-country skiing, snowshoeing, snowball-fighting," Allen says. "You get some amazing sunrises and sunsets up there, too, in the winter."

Volunteers can experience these spectacles while staying in free accommodations provided for seasonal park staff. The Trust would like volunteers to commit to an entire weekend, provided they can bring their own food. Kitchens are provided. Otherwise, there is no public lodging available at the park in winter.

"That's what the advantage of volunteering is," says Maria Clementi, the Trust's volunteer and outreach coordinator. "You get to experience so many things you wouldn't otherwise."

Friends of Crater Lake National Park, founded in 1993, has long recruited park volunteers. The Trust, formed as an independent nonprofit in 2007, is collaborating with the Friends to mobilize more program participants and has even extended its umbrella to the park's 26-year-old volunteer ski patrol.

"The ski patrol is our eyes and ears out there," Andersen says. "They provide an incredible number of hours and service.

"They're the ones who pave the trail, too," he says, adding that the park doesn't groom any ski trails despite its annual average snowfall of 533 inches.

No particular proficiency in cross-country skiing is required to join the ski patrol, says Clementi, adding that she volunteered last year after only a few childhood ski trips. Ski patrollers are required to work three weekends in a season and attend mandatory training in wilderness first aid and survival.

"It's kind of like the Boy Scouts or the Cub Scouts," says John Salinas, former patrol director. "Within two years of being on the ski patrol, you know how to tie all your knots," he says, adding that patrollers can become certified after two years of service.

With about 50 members, the ski patrol has enough volunteers to provide up to a dozen patrollers on some weekends, Allen says, adding the ski patrol is eligible for free accommodations at the park, which also furnishes skis. The Trust plans to help the ski patrol, which does not have its own nonprofit status, to raise funds for uniforms and specialized avalanche training, Clementi says.

Opportunities to join the auxiliary ski patrol remain this year for volunteers who haven't completed all the required training, Clementi says. The auxiliary is a good option for skiers who can't commit to all the required weekends or a consistent volunteering schedule, she adds.

"Even a beginner has all these advantages."

The Trust and Friends are hoping to double the number of volunteers to man the winter rim desk. Last year, about 40 people answered the call, providing a park connection for as many as 300 visitors on busy winter weekends. Park officials anticipate even higher attendance rates this year, Andersen says, noting that park visitors numbered 526,569 from October 2008 through September this year, a 20-percent jump over the previous year.

"The interest I think around the country is increasing," Andersen says.

For more information about Crater Lake National Park and volunteering there, visit the Web sites, www.nps.gov/crla, www.craterlaketrust.org, www.friendsofcraterlake.org and www.craterlakeskipatrol.org

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