Hello Fellow Snow Pros!
March has come in like a lion with some of the deepest and best back-to-back days and weeks of skiing and riding I have seen at Meadows in all the years (24 so far) I have been here! Wow, it’s been good and I hope you’ll be up sometime soon for some “wellness runs” in the coming days.
Fast Facts
Did you know that Marmots and Pine Martens reside here on Mt. Hood? If you are here in the summer a great place to see a Marmot is on Marmot Ridge (duh!). Ever heard a Marmot? They whistle – another name for a Marmot is a whistle pig. See this: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Marmot . Also Pine Martens (not to be confused with Marmots) are common in the area. You know when you see those little foot prints in the snow from the lift in the morning (during the first chair clinic)? Those are not snow bunny tracks, but Pine Marten tracks. Interesting things to share with your kids! See this: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Marten
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Paid Training vs. Mandatory Trainings
The difference is mind set. The whole purpose of the paid training opportunities this season was not to “make you go” but to give you an opportunity to come to an evening clinic that looked interesting to you and we’d pay you to attend. This way you could pace your learning rather than being bombarded with the “rehire clinic” content for 6 hours all at once as we’ve done in the past. There was one clinic this season that was “mandatory” and I have added one to the event calendar in March.
With this change in “mindset” there have been a lot of questions – so let me help clear things up:
· We’ll pay for you to attend 6 hours of “Paid Trainings” – those clinics that are designated as (Paid) in the clinic title on the instructor portal
o You can view all upcoming Paid Trainings here: https://mhm.snowproportal.com/training/upcoming-paid-clinics
o You should sign up in advance for these clinics so they can be counted towards your clinic hours
· You are required to attend at least 6 hours of training hours during the season
o Those hours may include “voluntary” clinics you have attended this season
o If you have attended a voluntary clinic and wish to have those hours counted towards your required 6 hours, please complete a Clinic Evaluation Form for each of the voluntary clinics you attended here: mhm.snowproportal.com/training/clinic-evaluation-form
· PSIA-AASI Members who are attending a PSIA-NW Event, Exam or Accreditation this season may count this participation as 4 of the 6 required training hours and should complete a Clinic Evaluation Form for the PSIA-NW clinic you attended here: mhm.snowproportal.com/training/clinic-evaluation-form
Schedule Commitment vs. Days Worked
When you submit your schedule at the beginning of the season, these are the days you have committed to being here to teach. We schedule you for the season based on these days and this amounts to your commitment. Picking up additional shifts is great – we love it that you love to teach people to enjoy skiing and riding and we reward those who pick up additional shifts with not only paying your wages but also additional perks like “buddy passes” and rental vouchers or “Core Value” cards. Please keep in mind that the additional days you “pick up” are in addition to your schedule commitment.
This time of year we tend to see many people “dropping off” because they believe they have met their commitment because they have worked 18 or 24 shifts. If you are at all unsure if you have or have not met your commitment, please email Mark Fischer (mark.fischer@skihood.com) or Josey Rice (. He will review your schedule and work to help you meet your schedule commitment. We still have the rest of March and all of April to get through with plenty of great skiing and riding and teaching to be had!
PSIA-AASI Member School Clinic
Those of you who are PSIA-AASI members and are looking to acquire your education credits for the year we have a PSIA-AASI Member School Clinic scheduled for April 22 or April 23. You may attend one of these days to obtain your annual education credit. The cost is $40. You MUST sign up in advance to attend this clinic. You will be required to pay for the clinic with cash, check or credit card on the day of the clinic – please bring your preferred payment method with you on the day of the clinic.
Go here for details:
Alpine only: http://mhm.snowproportal.com/events/psia-aasi-member-school-clinic
Alpine or Snowboard: http://mhm.snowproportal.com/events/psia-aasi-member-school-clinic-2
Side note: there are about 120 instructors from across the NW attending a PSIA-NW event being held here at Meadows Friday – Sunday. Jeremy Riss, Kyle Skutch, Rick Lyons and I are working the event. Hope to see you on the hill this weekend.
Tyler
