Three nonprofits dedicated to keeping Grand County recreationists safe have received proceeds from Winter Park Resort’s uphilling program. Grand County Search and Rescue, Colorado Rapid Avalanche Deployment and Friends of Berthoud Pass each benefitted from proceeds from the sales of the resort’s uphill armbands.

Winter Park Resort’s uphilling guests do their part to help local organizations that save lives and provide winter mountain education. The resort allows guests to hike up on many of their open trails during the winter — each guest purchases a $25 armband, which goes to a good cause.

Thanks to over 3,000 skiers, snowboarders and snowshoers who hiked up the resort’s trails this season, the resort was able to donate more than $80,000. This is nearly $10,000 more than the resort donated in the 2022-23 season through the program.

“All of the proceeds from each uphill armband purchased during the season go to helping these incredible outdoor organizations maintain equipment and conduct trainings and rescue operations to help serve the thousands of people who adventure in our backyard every year,” Winter Park Resort stated. “These organizations largely rely on volunteer work and community donations, which means that these contributions go a long way in supporting this important work.”

Grand County Search and Rescue

The all-volunteer organization provides emergency backcountry service 24 hours a day, seven days a week, 365 days a year. It has limited funding channels and relies mostly on community donations to carry out search and rescue operations. The organization has benefitted from the resort’s uphill skiing program for the last four years.

In 2023, search and rescue volunteers completed more than 11,000 hours and saved seven lives. The team has grown to include 50 operational members — its longest-tenured member has served for 40 years. Each member has a unique role in the organization, from those who enter the field to save lives to grant writers who facilitate funding. Many operational members have medical certifications.

The organization has been the sheriff’s primary search and rescue asset since 1985. They have operated under the sheriff’s office as a Mountain Rescue Association-certified team since 1995. The association is a national organization of about 90 teams that improves the quality, availability and safety of mountain search and rescue.

Colorado Rapid Avalanche Deployment

The organization’s mission is to cultivate, inspire and produce dog teams for successful avalanche search and rescue in the mountains of Colorado. These volunteer teams combine traditional search and rescue methods with specialized avalanche deployment teams to expedite rescue of avalanche victims. It is made up of trained volunteers and relies solely on individual and community donations for funding.

The organization trains dog teams across Colorado, Wyoming and Idaho. The organization was formed out of tragedy — the 1987 Peak 7 avalanche in Breckenridge that killed four people. After the deadly avalanche, Summit County first responders created Colorado Rapid Avalanche Deployment, which is a coordinated response to avalanche rescue with dog teams at the helm.

The Winter Park Ski Patrol Dog Team has several canine rescuers that have received validation through Colorado Rapid Avalanche Deployment. Once the dogs are validated, they can assist the sheriff’s office outside of Winter Park Resort.

The team currently has three validated dogs that climb into the helicopter when the sheriff requests rescue dogs to the backcountry. Emma, owned by Brian Roman, Biskit owned by Rico LaRocca, and Gravy, owned by Colin Karge. Charlie, owned by Erica Gilbertson, is next in line to receive her validation after getting her inbounds certification in 2024.

Friends of Berthoud Pass

This grassroots organization of backcountry enthusiasts is committed to preserving the legacy of public recreation at Berthoud Pass, in collaboration with the U.S. Forest Service. Volunteer staff promotes safety education, backcountry access and environmental stewardship through avalanche awareness and safety training. The all-volunteer organization relies solely on donations.

Each year, Friends offers a variety of avalanche awareness classes, followed in mid-winter by a full day on snow session. The hands-on session takes place at Berthoud Pass, where participants head out with field instructors to learn to use beacons, probes and shovels. All courses are free and open to recreators of all abilities.

Their classes follow American Avalanche Association and American Institute for Avalanche Research and Education guidelines. They also provide a number of educational resources and trail guides on its website.