"I was skiing with a couple of locals who knew the patrol really well, and we were hanging out in the patrol shack killing time before a late-afternoon photo session out of bounds. Patrollers sometimes get a bad rap for closing runs too often or being a little militaristic (both of which can be true), but for the most part they just love to ski and they work their butts off for almost no money. These patrollers were no exception—mellow, friendly, good skiers.

"I was impressed with the uniformity and sheer number of avalanche signs outside the shack. Patrollers constantly deal with snow safety and avalanche science. This area doesn't have a lot of in-bounds avalanche-prone terrain, but it does have a ton of out-of-bounds avalanche-prone terrain right above the lifts. The ski hill is built in this big cirque at the base of a long ridge. The lifts go halfway up and the steep slopes continue, getting progressively steeper and ending in really steep peaks. When lots of snow is deposited on the upper slopes by wind or storms, the weight can be too much for the snow to cohere, and it can slide down the hill, threatening lifts and runs. When it dumps, these guys have a big job. They don't have to worry so much about people getting caught in slides that originate within the area—but they definitely have to worry about what's above."

—Photographer Steve Casimiro

Photography Notes

• Camera: Mamiya 645 AFD
• Film: Kodak E100 SW
• Lens: 45mm
• Shutter: 1/125th
• Aperture: f/4
• Time of day: 2:30 p.m.

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