Serving Devil's Thumb Ranch Resort and the Colorado Front Range Backcountry

Bryan Mountain Nordic Ski Patrol (BMNSP) was founded in 1974 with 12 members as the first registered Nordic component of the National Ski Patrol (NSP) in Colorado and the Western United States. BMNSP first patrolled In the Indians Peaks, Brainard Lake, and areas that eventually became part of the Eldora Nordic area. We patrolled at St. Mary’s Glacier Ski Area when it opened for 5 years. We then patrolled at Ski Idlewilde when the lifts were no longer running and it was a Nordic area. When Devil’s Thumb area opened we patrolled at both places, often skiing between the two taking a path that closely follows the recent Stagecoach Classic course. We have patrolled in Rocky Mountain National Park at Wild Basin, and had close associations with the Nordic Patrollers who serviced the Berthoud Pass Ski Area (now closed). Since 2004 the patrol has worked at Devil’s Thumb Ranch Resort in Tabernash covering the nearly 120 kilometers of trails. Additionally, since 2013 the patrol has also covered 10 trailheads and more than 40 trails along the Peak to Peak Highway in the Boulder Ranger District of the Roosevelt National Forest.

The patrol has grown to over 80 members that include patrollers from ages under 18 to over 70. In line with the NSP motto of Service and Safety, BMNSP patrollers work to prevent injury and accidents before they occur as well as to help people injured, lost, or having any troubles of any kind at Devil’s Thumb Ranch or in the Front Range backcountry. Members support outdoor events such as the Stagecoach Classic, Ranch 2 Ranch Trek and the Sourdough Snowshoe Race. Members are also available for search and rescue missions, as needed.

BMNSP patrollers collectively hold some of the highest levels of training in Nordic, Avalanche, Mountaineering and Outdoor Emergency Skills which make our educational staff some of the most sought after in all of the NSP. BMNSP was honored with receiving the National Nordic Ski Patrol of the year award a few times, most recently in 2018!

All patrollers are trained to become Outdoor Emergency Care Technicians (OEC) including CPR for Healthcare Professionals at a minimum. To earn a cross, patrollers must train for Nordic and/or backcountry patrolling and pass a skills test. Our training includes Nordic and backcountry ski skills, toboggan skills, avalanche safety, winter travel, survival, search and rescue.

BMNSP members spend a great deal of time annually training to maintain proficiency and teaching skills. Certified NSP instructors from BMNSP teach CPR and OEC courses. Training programs open to the public include first aid (Outdoor Emergency Care), Avalanche, and Mountain Travel and Rescue courses. Anyone interested in becoming a candidate should attend a meeting or check out the “Join” page and contact the BMNSP Candidate Advisor.