49 Degrees North Staff, Patrol Honored For Work

Jodi Fair’s eyes sparkled in the Boise ballroom as she held her plaque for the National Ski Patrol photographer; she had just been announced as the Pacific Northwest Division’s 2026 Outstanding Mountain Host. Fair has been a fair host for 4 years and has become increasingly involved on the mountain and the Host team.

Host duties include many things, including greeting customers in the morning and helping them carry equipment to the lodge, answering general questions and physically guiding guests to specific runs based on their abilities, and assisting patrol with first aid and staff with crowd management. She volunteered for 17 days last year and 33 the year Fair was nominated by the other hosts because of her work ethic and outstanding communication and leadership skills.

Fair started the now very popular scavenger hunt held during the patrol’s Hawaiian Daze fundraiser; this year she chaired the event, and it proved among the most successful ever. Fair volunteers alongside 34 other Hosts at 49 Degrees North. First receiving 49’s Outstanding Host, she then earned Inland Empire (IE) Region Outstanding Host (there are 10 patrols including Mt. Spokane, Silver Mountain, and Lookout in IE), and finally, August 8, PNW Division Outstanding Mountain Host. There are 45 patrols from Washington, Idaho, and Oregon in the Pacific Northwest Division.

49’s Walt Seidel receives 2026 Pacific Northwest Division Director’s Distinguished Service Award

In a ceremony August 8, 49 Degrees North Volunteer Patrol Director Walt Seidel was honored with the Pacific North- west Division of the National Ski Patrol’s Division Director’s Distinguished Service Award. Seidel had just completed 5 years as the Division’s Comptroller. As Comptroller, Seidel was responsible for tracking and reporting all Division finances for 45 patrols with approximately 2280 total members.

Seidel has patrolled at 49 for 19 years and is also a Certified Instructor of AHA CPR and the National Ski Patrol’s Outdoor Emergency Care (OEC). He continues to work as needed for the local fire department and as an Incident Management Team member for wildland fire- fighting. Seidel lives in the Deer Park area

49 Ski Patrol earns 2026 Pacific Northwest Division Outstanding Large Ski Patrol Award

Out of about 35 other large ski patrols in the Pacific Northwest Division, 49 Degrees North was awarded 2026 Large (over 40 members) Outstanding Ski Patrol. 49 boasts 96 volunteer and paid patrollers, staffing the 2,300 acre ski resort 7 days a week during the height of the season.

49 patrollers distinguish themselves in many ways: they are constantly teach- ing themselves and helping teach cours- es for other patrols; there are 29 Outdoor Emergency Care Instructors, 7 Instruc- tor Development Instructors and 12 Toboggan Instructors. Following the instal- lation of Northern Spirit high-speed quad lift, the 49 patrol worked hard and quickly to add 20 new volunteer patrollers to meet needs of increasing visitors.