Those darling chairlift-riding dogs are hard-working members of a ski resort’s patrol—and in a rescue, they can play a vital role.
Riding the chairlift at Telluride takes some composure. PHOTO COURTESY OF TELLURIDE SKI RESORT
Avalanche dogs undergo rigorous training to prepare them to deploy alongside ski patrollers in a rescue mission. They need to be able to travel in mountain terrain, ride chairlifts and snowmobiles, keep their cool around helicopters—and find skiers or riders buried under feet of snow. Avalanche dogs can be more nimble traversing a slide than two-footed rescuers using beacons, and they’re trained to sniff out people buried in snow. A dog’s ability to smell is reportedly 10,000 to 100,000 times that of a human. They can detect substances at concentrations of one part per trillion—that’s a single drop of liquid in 20 Olympic-size swimming pools. Chances of survival in an avalanche burial drop after 15 minutes, so a trained dog team can make the difference between life and death.
Telluride’s avalanche dogs are trained to stay calm in the swirling snowstorm that’s kicked up by a helicopter’s rotors. PHOTO COURTESY OF TELLURIDE
While their day job is serious business, these pups are also ski-resort celebrities. At Aspen Snowmass, avy dogs are celebrated with collectible trading cards. And at Arapahoe Basin, Dog Woods is a gladed section in The Beavers where trails are named for avy dogs who’ve passed on. “It’s a testament to the impact the dogs have on our ski area,” says Shayna Silverman, A-Basin’s marketing communications manager. “We have a very robust avy dog program, and these dogs play a huge role in our culture.”
At Aspen Highlands, the patrol dogs are ready for their closeup. Sawyer (center) is a Coltriever who loves kids but hates trash trucks. She’s flanked by black Labrador retrievers Meka (left) and Moxie (right). PHOTO BY JEREMY SWANSON
Hatchet, a patrol dog at Snowmass, is a Nova Scotia duck-tolling retriever. His trading card includes this fun fact: “Has dual citizenship because he is originally from Nova Scotia.” PHOTO BY JEREMY SWANSON
Tincup Whiskey shot this photo for its avalanche rescue dog calendar in partnership with Colorado Rapid Avalanche Deployment (C-RAD) to support emergency workers. Dogs like Bianca (shown here at A-Basin) typically take 2 to 3 years from puppyhood to earn full avalanche rescue certification. PHOTO COURTESY OF TINCUP WHISKEY
Ember is a 2-year-old black Labrador retriever and a member of Purgatory Resort’s avalanche search-and-rescue team. PHOTO BY CHRISTIAN RIDINGS
Four-year-old golden retriever Neve is a C-RAD-validated avy dog who joined Copper’s ski patrol at just 10 weeks old. PHOTO COURTESY OF COPPER MOUNTAIN
Avy dogs like Maia, a golden retriever who partners with patroller Zak Bloom at Keystone, often wear dog goggles called (wait for it) doggles. PHOTO BY ZAK BLOOM
A golden retriever, Echo has been on Arapahoe Basin’s patrol since she was a pup. Her handler, A-Basin patroller and medical coordinator Emily Marotta (in the background), describes Echo as “sassy and curious.” PHOTO BY LUCAS HERBERT
Photography by:
