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Opening Assignments

.​​The Patrol Manager assigns patrollers to various routes on the mountain, called Opening Assignments. The purpose is to ensure the runs are safe for guests by posting signs, arranging chicane and rope wings, measuring snow stakes, and ensuring hazards are properly marked. Rocks and stumps are prominent during early season and spring and require markings and mitigation work. All man-made objects on or off-piste must be marked and may be padded (e.g., towers, water stands, snow cannons, electrical equipment).

 

While there are two main drainages, Willow Creek and Cole Creek, there are at least five distinct ski areas of Red Lodge Mountain: a) Lower Mountain, b) Grizzly Peak, c) Miami Beach, d) Cole Creek, and e) Palisades. In order to ski and assess these areas, routes have been designed to enable patrollers to cover the most ground with a nominal number of patrollers before the mountain opens to guests at 09:00.

 

Review the map before skiing your opener, highlighting known hazards, identify snow stakes location, and review rope wing, chicane, and sign placement. Lower Mountain openers may require a drill for bamboo and sign placement.

Introduction

Snowmobile

While volunteer patrollers won’t be tasked with doing the morning snowmobile opener, it is good to understand this duty and where signs should be posted. In the event the snowmobile is unable to make it up to dispatch, patrollers will ski down from dispatch to place the signs.

  1. Grab a drill from the locker room

  2. The key is hanging in base patrol on the key rack by the double doors and the snowmobile is parked next to Triple Chair

  3. Drive skier’s right beyond the Willow Creek chair and set the SLOW sign between the second and third towers of Willow Creek lift

  4. Drive skier’s left up Otto-Bahn and place the LOOK sign and rope wing off Ladies’ Aid. 

  5. Place the SLOW sign at the bottom of Silver

  6. Driver skier’s left up Turnpike and set the SLOW sign

  7. Drive to Tipi Trail and set the EASIEST WAY and TRAILS MERGE signs

  8. Drive skier’s right up South 40 around Triple Chair and park at Dispatch

  9. Open Dispatch hut

  10. Drill the SLOW sign facing Sidesaddle

  11. Place the Shirts and Hats display in front of Dispatch

  12. When Cole Creek is closed, make sure the rope line blocking off North 40 is still up

  13. Perform Dispatch duties as outlined in the Communication and Documentation sections

Snowmobile

Tipi Trail-Miami

  1. Grab a drill from the Locker Room

  2. Ski Tipi Trail 

  3. Set up the corral and signs at top of Stache Express

  4. Inspect the Miami toboggan

  5. Check the Miami snow stake and radio Dispatch, “XX settled, YY new”

  6. Check the Campbell snow unit, ensuring the platform is level with the snow and not buried. Clear off any snow and ice buildup. 

  7. Open the yurt using the key in the white box to the right of the door (key is in the cubby hole on the left side attached to a biner with high vis tape)

  8. Turn on lights in the yurt and ensure both doors are unlocked

  9. If Columbine-Paradise are open, ensure ropes are pulled open

  10. Ski Miami and drill SLOW sign at the top of Ladies Aid

  11. Traverse to Lower Miami and set up the two SLOW signs near the tree and at the bottom

  12. Check to ensure netting is clear and standing at the bottom

  13. Ride Stache Express and ski traverse between Paradise and Columbine

  14. Drill SLOW sign at the bottom of Paradise

  15. Ride Palisades

  16. Ski Misfit Toys and cycle up Triple to Dispatch

Tipi Trail

High Road-Lower Limited

  1. Ski High Road across to the top of Lower Limited. 

  2. Check Willow toboggan and inspect. 

  3. Ski Lower Limited-Moose Flats checking Willow Creek lift tower pads are covering the towers and secured. 

  4. Fix fences covering skiers left of Moose Flats around the pond and snowmaking pumphouse. 

  5. Ride Triple Chair lift to Dispatch

High Road

Hancock-Meeteetse

  1. Ski to top of Hancock

  2. Traverse Hancock-Lower Continental-Caribou

  3. Ride Triple Chair and grab Drill from dispatch

  4. Open North 40 rope and ski North 40

  5. Place SLOW sign at the entrance to Meeteetse

  6. Ski Meeteetse

  7. Drill SLOW sign above S curve

  8. Ride Palisades and Triple Chair lifts to Dispatch

Hancock

Royal's-Lower Royal's

  1. Ski Royals Road and place EASIER WAY DOWN at the top

  2. Check Lobo gate

  3. Ski Royal’s

  4. Set the rope wing at Tipi-Royal’s junction at skier's right

  5. Ski Lower Royals

  6. Ride Triple Chair lift to Dispatch

Royal's

Lobo-Winchester

  1. Ski Royal’s Road to top of Royal’s Run

  2. Set up and open the gate

  3. Ski Lobo

  4. Ride Palisades

  5. Open Winchester rope

  6. Ski Winchester-Paradise

  7. Ride Palisades

  8. Ski to Triple Chair and cycle to Dispatch

Lobo

Pine Ridge-Bigfoot-Bearpaw

  1. Grab a drill from Dispatch

  2. Open the Midway lodge by walking through the double doors on the lower level to the lift maintenance shop

  3. Go through the wooden door on your left and enter into the lower foyer, open the men’s and women’s bathrooms, and turn on the lights. 

  4. Walk up the stairs and open the doors by placing the pins that are sitting on the window ledge into the open holes on the door handles so the handles can’t retract. 

  5. Walk out on the Midway deck and drag all snow racks onto the snow. 

  6. Drill the TRAILS MERGE on skiers left just below Midway

  7. Ski to the top of Bobcat and drill the TRAILS MERGE

  8. Set chicane on Silver-Pine Ridge junction

  9. Ski Pine Ridge

  10. Ensure the anchor cable at skier’s right above Easy Way Down is marked with boo

  11. Check Bigfoot

  12. Ski Bear Paw. Check tower and water pipe pads

  13. Drill SLOW sign at the bottom of Face of Pine, skier’s left

  14. Drill SLOW sign at Tower 5 of Triple Chair

  15. Conduct base patrol checks and cleaning

  16. Ride Triple Chair lift to Dispatch

Pine Ridge

Barriers-Lodge Trail

  1. Ski high cut towards the Avenues on Barriers. 

  2. Check the snow stake off 3rd Avenue. 

  3. Due to the radio dead spot, ski Barriers to Lynn's and radio Dispatch with “Barriers snow stake XX new, YY settled”. 

  4. Assess the boundary rope

  5. Assess rope wing and CLOSED disc at Lower Barriers

  6. Ski #4 Road

  7. Set rope wing at #4 Road exit onto Lazy M

  8. Ski Lazy M

  9. Ski Lodge Trail

  10. Ride Triple and Grizzly Peak lifts to Summit

Barriers

Lynn's-Little Forest

  1. Ski Barriers

  2. Ski Lynn’s

  3. Ski #4 Road and set rope wing at #4 Road exit onto Lazy M, if not set

  4. Ski Lazy M

  5. Ski Lodge Trail

  6. Check Little Tree from above and ensure the anchor cable is marked with bamboo

  7. Ski Little Forest

  8. Ride Triple and Grizzly Peak lifts to Summit

Lynn's

Lazy M-Chicken Trail

  1. Ski Lazy M

  2. Check gate at Widowmaker and Midway Express-Jones Park

  3. Check anchor cable at top of Face of M is marked with bamboo

  4. Ski Chicken Trail

  5. Ride Triple and Grizzly Peak lifts to Summit

Lazy M

Drainage-Widowmaker

  1. Check gate at entry of Main Drainage

  2. Ski Drainage

  3. Check gate at Intimidation

  4. Visually check Widowmaker and #4 Road

  5. Ride Triple and Grizzly Peak lifts to Summit

Drainage

Upper Limited-Thompson's

  1. Ski Upper Limited traversing 1st, 2nd, and 3rd Street

  2. Ski Thompson’s checking tower pads are covering the towers and secured

  3. Check chicane at bottom of Thompson’s

  4. Ride Grizzly Peak lift to Summit

Upper Limited

Upper Continental-Berry's-Boomerang

  1. Ski Racer’s Cut to Upper Continental

  2. Check fences around the power box near the snowmaking pump house

  3. Ski Berry’s-Upper Continental traverse

  4. Ski Boomerang to Patroller’s Cut to Dispatch

  5. Ride Grizzly Peak lift to Summit

Upper Continental

Latigo

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Latigo

Hellroaring

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Hellroaring

Cole Chute

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Cole Chute

Sluice Box-Black Powder-True Grit

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Sluice Box

Headwaters

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Headwaters
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