GREAT DIVIDE — The Great Divide Ski Area has been busy with new additions to the mountain over the last couple of years.
They've improved some of the chairlifts, and said goodbye to the previous ski patrol building while adding a new home for their clinic, to improve safety for skiers and snowboarders on the mountain.
"Ski patrollers can more effectively do their job," said Great Divide operations manager Micah Vitoff.
Great Divide says over the past five years, they've seen an increase in visitors to the mountain. The growing number of skiers and snowboarders also means more people for ski patrol to protect.
"A lot of people have been very happy with what we built here and how we're operating," said Vitoff.
Their previous ski patrol facility was built back in the 1960s, and the mountain was actively looking for a complete makeover.
Great Divide went to work in the summer of 2023 putting together their new clinic with the help of the community to better serve the mountain for the seasons ahead.
Vitoff says the new building and location have been able to transform their response to accidents and help get the injured off the mountain more quickly.
"The new building here, has increased our ability to transport injured, skiers down to the ambulance and to their cars without having us, needing to carry them down or, transport them via snowmobile or, emergency toboggan to the parking area," said Vitoff.
It also improves the experience for people who have been in an accident.
"So people have been saying, especially some of our return regulars that the new clinic, gives us a lot more space," said Vitoff. "They feel much more comfortable and, much more open air in the clinic here, being separated with the better lighting... A lot of people have been very happy with what we built here and how we're operating."
It offers more space and can fit up to four injured people, twice as many people as the previous building. It also provides more space to train and house equipment.
"Ski patrollers can more effectively do their job. They've really enjoyed their time, with the new clinic and being able to, organize, have room to have multiple patients without us being crowded on top of each other, and, have plenty of privacy, for certain, injured peoples," said Vitoff.
While also adding more comfort for the volunteers working the mountain.
"We have a ski locker for all of our patrollers. Like I said, the upstairs training and locker room area. But our main area down here has been nice," said Vitoff, "With the bathrooms, and running water. We're able to dry towels dry our sleeping blankets that we use to keep our, injured people's warm."
This is the second winter season the clinic has been in operation for Great Divide.
