- Park City ski patrollers reached an agreement with Vail Resorts on Jan. 8 after a labor strike.
- Ski patrollers told BI that they have to work hard to survive in mountain resort towns.
- Seasoned patrolmen say they may change jobs because of unstable pay and high living costs.
Days after a historic workers’ strike ended in Park City, America’s ski patrollers are caught between their love of the slopes and the high price of the mountain resort living.
Kali Flaherty, for example, doubts she will ever have a home.
The 26-year-old works full-time on ski patrol in Colorado’s Arapahoe Basin. For the past three winters, she has kept trails clear, stabilized injured skiers and snowboarders, helped prevent avalanches and trained rookie patrollers.
Flaherty said this is her “dream job.” But her hourly pay of $23 isn’t enough to cover living expenses, and she works shifts at a nearby health care clinic to make ends meet. She rents an apartment with several roommates in Breckenridge, about 20 miles from Arapahoe Pond.
Like many ski patrollers, Flaherty is in a relationship. The cost of living in resort towns like Breckenridge, Vail, Aspen and Park City continues to skyrocket, pushing the workers who keep them afloat. Being close to these areas is also key for employees due to high travel costs and dangerous winter road conditions. Some patrollers told Business Insider they struggle to afford housing, groceries and gas, let alone build savings. Some expect they will have to change industries for higher paying jobs, and many current patrollers work a lot of work to stay afloat.
These financial challenges have culminated in labor disputes. On Jan. 8, Vail Resorts gave the Park City Professional Ski Patrollers Association a $2 raise for entry-level patrollers — from a pay level of $21 an hour to a rate of $23 an hour — and agreed to improve benefits. The deal followed a week-long strike by patrolmen during the busy holiday season.
Meanwhile, Ski patrollers at Arapahoe Basin, where Flaherty works, are voting to formalize their union this month. Several other mountain patrol groups Vail Resorts and Alterra Mountain Company have joined or taken collective action in recent years.
Flaherty wants to be a ski patroller for her entire career — but she said it comes with sacrifices. She hopes the Park City contract will help workers like her build financially stable lives near resort towns.
“I don’t see myself being able to buy property up here, which is always the dream,” she said. “I wish I didn’t have to live with roommates for the rest of my life, but the way I make money as a patrolman now, that’s my reality.”
Representatives for Vail and Alterra — the parent organizations of the ski resorts where the BI patrollers interviewed work — did not respond to requests for comment.
Mike Reilly, 33, is a ski patroller at Park City, where staff reached a settlement with Vail Resorts on Jan. 8. Photo courtesy of Mike Reilly
Ski patrollers are facing high costs and low wages
The average ski patroller earns $21.56 an hour, per actual job rig. Compensation varies based on years of experience, level of medical training and safety certifications, ski patrollers interviewed by Business Insider said. For example, an EMT or paramedic license can add a few dollars to a patroller’s salary. Patroller benefits vary by resort, though most receive free lift tickets — which can range from $120 to $300 a day — as part of their role.
For many patrolmen, finding affordable housing in the markets they work in is challenging. The five BI patrollers talked about renting with several roommates, or having to travel long distances to work. The average monthly rent in a town like Breckenridge is $5,000 per Zillow, a price that exceeds the total monthly income of some ski patrollers.
Food and gas are also expensive in many mountainous areas due to limited stores and high transportation costs for goods. A dozen eggs cost just over $4 in Denver, but nearly $7 in Breckenridge.
Kyle Eveland, 24, makes $23.28 an hour as a second-year ski patroller at Breckenridge Resort in Colorado. Before reporting to the mountain each morning to set up avalanche mitigation equipment, Eveland said he shovels snow for a nearby property. He works a full-time construction job during the summer, when the ski resort is closed, and recently started a part-time role pumping concrete between his patrol shifts.
“I would love to do what I love every day and make the sacrifice of not making a lot of money doing it,” he said, adding “I pretty much live paycheck to paycheck in the winter. That would be super, super closely if I just patrolled”.
Right now, Eveland lives in Breckenridge with seven other roommates. He said he took a pay cut when he decided to join the ski patrol, despite the job requiring significant training. He previously worked at Breckenridge as an elevator operator. Eveland said he may have to quit his patrol job if he wants to afford a down payment or support a family in the future.
“I got my EMT license and that gave me a single dollar raise,” he said.
Tate Finigan’s experience is similar. The 26-year-old recently began his third season as a Park City ski patroller. Finigan commutes from Salt Lake City, over 30 miles by car, every day because he can’t afford housing in Park City. When not on the mountain, Finigan babysits and walks dogs, and previously worked shifts as a bartender.
“It’s been really hard trying to live in this community that we all really want to be a part of,” he said.
Kyle Eveland, 24, is a second-year ski patroller at Breckenridge Resort in Colorado. Photo courtesy of Kyle Eveland
In a profession that relies on experience, experienced patrollers aren’t sure they can last
Ski patrolling requires specialized skills: keen skiing competence, outdoor survival and avalanche certifications, and medical expertise. The ski patrollers BI interviewed said this experience improves over time, meaning experienced patrollers are often the best at training beginners and dealing with crises on the mountain.
Mike Reilly, 33, has been a Park City ski patroller for six years. He cares about his job, but isn’t sure how long he’ll stay on staff. Every year, Reilly said it becomes more challenging to pay his bills — even with his second job as a bartender. Reilly said cost-of-living challenges mean many experienced ski patrollers like him are considering leaving for a second, more lucrative career. She recently graduated from nursing school.
“I went to nursing school, but it was really out of desperation,” he said. “I’d rather patrol and remain a career patrolman if it meant I could afford to pay rent and not work 20 days in a row.”
Max Magill is a 10-year Park City ski patroller and president of the United Mountain Workers, a union that represents ski patrollers, lift mechanics and other resort employees throughout the Western US. it told BI that efforts to raise patroller wages are happening across America’s ski industry because the job is not financially sustainable long-term. After a decade on the job, Magill said he’s still working side gigs and living paycheck to paycheck.
“The operation of the big western avalanche terrain ski resorts really depends on the work of these experienced ski patrollers,” he said. “The guest experience would be completely different if experienced ski patrollers were not kept at these resorts.”
After the Park City deal was reached, Magill said in a press release that “the win will help raise employment standards for all ski industry workers.”
Of course, the high cost of living affects other mountain employees besides ski patrollers. Reilly said the food service, lift operator, lift mechanic and ticket scanner are also essential to keeping the resorts open and safe. Many of these employees receive salaries similar to ski patrollers.
Flaherty isn’t sure she can stay on patrol forever, but she hopes to keep clicking her skis as long as she can. It helps to know that others in her profession are also working toward a better future.
“Our patrolmen are more united than ever before,” she added. “It’s created a positive environment to know that we all have each other’s backs.”
Kyle Eveland, 24, works avalanche mitigation with his fellow ski patrollers at Breckenridge Resort. Photo courtesy of Kyle Eveland
Do you live in or near a tourist town? Are you open to sharing how you manage expenses? If so, contact this reporter at allisonkelly@businessinsider.com.
