May 26, 2025 • 50 mins
Few people embody the spirit of "Service and Safety" like Mary Lou Robinson. After joining the National Ski Patrol in 1988 while serving as an Army nurse, Mary Lou's remarkable journey spans five divisions, multiple continents, and countless lives touched along the way. Join us as we Chat with Marylou! Note: Recorded at a previous convention, please disregard background noises. (2023)
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Transcript
Episode Transcript
Available transcripts are automatically generated. Complete accuracy is not guaranteed.
Murphy (00:01):
today he was saying yeah , make sure you get Mary Lou, we
want to know, Okay, so we'regoing to start off with you're
going to have to introduceyourself.
Marylou (00:11):
Hi, I'm Mary Lou, hi, mary Lou.
So, mary Lou, what's your NSPnumber?
Murphy (00:18):
Five, one, five, three, zero, zero, zero.
Marylou (00:23):
Wow, that's easy, that's yeah.
Murphy (00:24):
It was given to me as an award from National.
Marylou (00:28):
Really?
Oh, we're going to get to thatlater.
Yes, so do you have a nationalnumber?
Yes, I do.
Oh, what's?
Your national number 8167.
Oh man, I get no beers out ofthis thing, none, okay, so we're
going to start out.
What year did you join the SkiPatrol?
Murphy (00:47):
1988.
Marylou (00:53):
1988.
I have to do some math withthat.
That's like 40.
Jodie (00:57):
He's been having problems with math today.
Murphy (01:00):
No, not really 40, yet what is it?
Marylou (01:03):
19?
Oh no, you can do this 23 plus12.
Oh, not really 40 yet.
Jodie (01:06):
What is it?
19?
Oh no, you can do this.
23 plus 12.
Oh, 35.
There you go.
Yeah, you go.
Marylou (01:11):
See, I can get it.
When it's broken down like that, those big numbers scare me,
okay, wow.
So I'm going to skip the howold were you when you joined,
because that's just.
I realize the ladies don't likeasking or answering that
question.
Murphy (01:26):
Well, I didn't learn how to ski until I was in my
mid-30s.
Marylou (01:31):
Oh wow, we share something pretty much in common.
I was a late bloomer as well.
Murphy (01:39):
Skiing was cold, and why would I ever go out and be cold
?
Yeah?
Marylou (01:44):
Yeah, I have learned to be warm when I ski.
I layer.
Yeah, people like my daughters.
They hate to be cold and I'mnot cold when I ski because I
have learned layering and I havelearned high-tech fabric.
Yes, Ah so here we go, the bigquestion.
In fact, why don't you ask thisone?
(02:05):
Because that's one of yourfavorites.
Jodie (02:08):
Oh, why did you want to become a patroller?
Murphy (02:12):
I was sort of drafted into it Drafted.
I was an EMT instructor and Igot this phone call when I
arrived in Leavenworth, Kansas,and I thought it was a joke
because someone said, hey, we'rewith the ski patrol and I'm
like Kansas.
And they said, well, they'removing from the advanced Red
(02:39):
Cross to a new thing calledwinter emergency care.
Jodie (02:47):
We had it wrong.
I think we put wilderness.
It's winter emergency, it'swinter emergency care.
It wasn't wilderness.
Murphy (02:56):
No, that was woofer and that came much later.
Marylou (02:58):
Oh, okay.
Murphy (03:00):
Okay, so I was drafted into being a candidate and I
taught my candidate class, so Iwould get-.
Marylou (03:08):
Wait a minute.
As a candidate, you taught yourcandidate class.
Yes.
I think, that's a first.
Murphy (03:15):
And I would um uh, lecture and sit down and take
the quiz, and then the seniorpatrollers, who were all at
advanced first aid, who werealso taking the course with the
other candidates would thencheck me off on my skills.
So when?
Jodie (03:32):
I Wait, wait, wait, wait.
You taught it, you gave thetest, you took the test and then
you had other candidates checkyou off.
No, the other senior patrollers, oh, the senior patrollers, the
senior patrollers who wereAmerican Red Cross Advanced
First Aid.
Murphy (03:48):
Okay, they checked me off on the skills because the
skills were not thatsignificantly different when we
first went over.
It was a step up to an EMTlevel, and so when I won my
cross, I got my instructor pin.
Marylou (04:05):
At the same time.
That has got to be a first.
Jodie (04:07):
I don't think anybody else has done that, so you get
done with your first year youget your cross for being in the
National Ski Patrol and you gotyour instructor pin.
I love it.
Murphy (04:15):
From there I went to Europe where I was part of the
very first six-pack instructorgroup, became an instructor in
development because it was firstintroduced in European division
.
Jodie (04:30):
Really, what year was this?
Murphy (04:32):
That would have been 89.
Marylou (04:34):
So you said six-pack.
What is six-pack?
That's how we teach courses.
Murphy (04:40):
In terms of setting up a class, no matter what your
discipline?
Marylou (04:44):
And so they had not done that in Europe before.
Murphy (04:46):
They had not done that in the United States before.
Marylou (04:48):
Oh really.
Murphy (04:48):
The European division was the one who beta tested it.
Oh, really, and so then Ibecame an instructor development
person and an ONC instructorand, in a way, a division
auxiliary advisor, because I wasthe only one who had ever
(05:09):
worked with auxiliaries and so,yeah, it's very small patrol,
it's Stuttgart, germany, and soyou were on the German ski
patrol.
No, I was on the American skipatrol American ski patrol in
Germany.
In Germany, because I wasstationed in Germany with the
United States Army.
Oh my goodness.
Okay, so hold on a second.
What was your MOS Nurse?
Marylou (05:32):
Yes.
Murphy (05:33):
However, the Army had gotten this bug up their tail.
You know how Marines areMarines first.
Marylou (05:40):
Right.
Murphy (05:41):
And then they have a specialty.
The Army said, well, we'regoing to do the same thing.
Marylou (05:45):
Oh, thank God.
Murphy (05:45):
So they selected me to go to Command and General Staff
College and that's why I was inKansas.
They elected me to go tocommand and general staff
college and that's why I was inKansas and I went then to Europe
to help command a, you know.
Marylou (05:58):
Like a nursing brigade or something.
Murphy (06:00):
Well, it was sort of a mixed brigade.
Marylou (06:04):
Medical brigade.
Murphy (06:07):
No, it wasn't the brigade level, it was combat
support hospital level Wow.
Jodie (06:11):
And this is in the 80s.
Yes, ma'am, so where did you gofor your emt?
Murphy (06:17):
I had picked it up along the way.
Um well, I was at differentposts because you know the, the
medics, right?
Oh, we're always trying to getemt, as they wanted emt
instructors.
And they said well, you're anRN who's a critical care ER
trauma and so why don't you beone of our instructors?
Jodie (06:34):
and I picked it up interesting because I started
off as an EMT, then became aparamedic, then became the nurse
in critical care and trauma inER interesting.
Murphy (06:43):
No, but I was an RN and that's how I got into it, huh
wow, I learned a whole lot aboutyou that I didn't know before.
So I know you currently patrolat Crystal.
Marylou (06:55):
I'm going to say that.
So I patrol with you at CrystalMountain.
I'm very happy that you'rethere in the aid room.
So you work in the aid room.
Do you ever get up on themountain?
Do you ski anymore?
Murphy (07:07):
because of medical issues.
I'm not allowed to ski.
Marylou (07:11):
Okay, so I know you spend a lot of time in that aid
room and you run that thingincredibly well.
What is the biggest challengethat you've seen working in
Crystal Mountain?
Because they are a long wayaway from you know the next
level of care.
Murphy (07:32):
We at Crystal are unique .
This is my fifth division, andso I have seen a lot of Fifth
division.
Oh yeah, I can't give a job.
You made me laugh.
Well, I started in the high upin the regions of Kansas, then
went to Europe and then toMassanutten in the Shenandoah
(07:54):
Valley, then to here and then toRocky.
Mountain Division, and then nowback Holy cow.
So you know it helps if you'rein the Army, True, true.
So the hardest thing aboutCrystal is that it's a unique
experience because we are so faraway from definitive care, Like
(08:20):
, even on a good day, an hourand a half to a level four
hospital which is okay, andabout an hour by air if you can
get in by helicopter.
So the people at Crystal have tohave a higher level of
(08:41):
confidence in being able tostabilize the most seriously
injured or ill patients.
So we are blessed to have aphysician patrol and that's only
on the weekends.
And then we have paramedics onthe paid staff who work during
the week, but we also have someon the weekend.
Jodie (09:00):
And then they have a protocol through the doctors to
be able to do their level oftraining Right.
Murphy (09:06):
And so then I came on the scene IVs meds.
So I came in on the scene andof course rocked the boat
because I started all the IVsand pushed all the narcs and
stuff, so the you know, and thenwhen they would get there.
But I didn't do it as a OEC,Right, I did it as a doctorally
(09:27):
prepared nurse.
Marylou (09:28):
Right, and we have to make that point.
Yes, that's how the ski patroldoes it.
Okay, a doctorally preparednurse and we have to make that
point.
Murphy (09:34):
Yes, okay, so now that I've retired my license, I am
just an OEC tech, but you can'ttake the knowledge out of your
head, so we have to have theability to pull things out of
literally bags and sacks.
We are not a clinic, we are notan emergency room.
(09:54):
We cannot and will not everadvertise as that because
there's some legal liabilitieshere.
But man can crystal mountain,stabilize patients.
We have had some gnarlypatients that lived because of
the quality of stabilization andcare that we can render at
(10:16):
Crystal Mountain.
And that's a volley plus a paidstaff mix.
Marylou (10:23):
Well, I know I've seen more helicopters come into
Crystal Mountain than I've seenanywhere else.
Murphy (10:28):
Well, we are blessed in having, you know, world-class
terrain, and so we have a lot ofexpert skiers.
They don't usually get hurt.
Jodie (10:40):
When they get hurt.
Murphy (10:42):
They are really hurt.
And of course then we havebeginners who think you know,
I've skied for two days now.
I'm an intermediate.
Well, you're sort of forcedinto that At Crystal because we
have like one green run.
Oh, and then so you, really youcan.
(11:02):
It's a wonderful learn how toski place.
It's real flat, but then whenyou go up.
Jodie (11:07):
Right.
Murphy (11:07):
Even our easiest run has a piece of navy blue in it.
Jodie (11:13):
Navy blue.
I have not heard that before.
Murphy (11:14):
Navy blue, navy, blue.
Okay, so we get a lot ofinjuries from people who are
learning how to ski, so we canrun 20 to 30 patients a day
through our aid room and so wehave to take care of them.
It's unlike other hills wherethey just put them in the car
(11:38):
and say go 30 minutes to thehospital because we have to get
down this horrible road and thehospital they're coming to is a
level four, so we have to decidewhether or not to send them out
(11:59):
by ambulance or can we liveflight.
Sometimes we can't because ofthe icing conditions Correct.
So I personally have been inthe back of an ambulance bagging
a patient until we could getlower down to Greenwater and
then turn them over to thehelicopter staff there to
Greenwater and then turn themover to the helicopter staff
there.
So it takes how long to drivefrom Crystal to the Level 4
(12:23):
hospital.
Well, without elk on the roadyou might be able to get there
in about an hour.
Jodie (12:28):
In about an hour If there's like no stops and things
like that.
But it could take you an hourand a half or so just to get
there.
So to go to a level two or alevel one, we have to use an ALS
ambulance or a helicopter.
And that's about how fardistance if you were to go by
ambulance.
Well, about an hour toHarborview in Seattle.
It is far Okay.
Murphy (12:49):
And less than that if we're going to Tacoma.
Jodie (12:52):
Okay, wow.
So in Tacoma, we Sorry we'redoing this medical geeky over
here.
Oh yeah, Nerd.
Yes, I know.
Murphy (13:03):
So I am the only RN left in the aid room.
Marylou (13:06):
Right.
Murphy (13:07):
But the folks who are interested in being aid room
patrollers step up and learn howto do some things outside the
scope of OEC.
But they have been checked offand are supervised by paramedics
and or physicians.
When we do it, but like we'llput on leads for 12 lead EKGs,
(13:32):
they don't push meds becausethey're not allowed to do that
they don't start IVs, but theycan spike the bag and have it
there for the paramedic andthings like that.
We are blessed at Crystal inthat we had some money, and so
Crystal Mountain has purchasedone of these SimMans mannequins,
you know, the ones that breatheand bleed.
Jodie (13:53):
Just learned about that and all that kind of good stuff,
that is my terror.
Murphy (13:59):
So we go out and throw them underneath the tree
somewhere and call over theradio hey, there's somebody
reported down, you know.
And then the guys come in notknowing it's the mannequin, but
there is the senior paramedic orDr Feeney, and they put them
through their paces for reallyseriously injured patients.
And we can do it because thepatient can talk and breathe and
(14:23):
have EKGs.
Jodie (14:24):
I've worked with simulations, mannequins, but
I've never Not outside.
I've never done one outside.
I never knew they could, withall the.
Marylou (14:32):
Oh no.
And Mary Lou has the iPad,which controls what all the
vital signs are, and so she'llsit there and turn something off
, turn something way down.
Oh my God, I can't feel this.
You should be able to Go aheadand try and guess what the pulse
rate is when you can actuallytell on the iPad, and so you'll
take a stab in the dark and thenshe'll just hold the iPad like
(14:56):
you're not even close.
Jodie (14:59):
See what happens when you guess you can't lie.
Murphy (15:01):
It's real and we do this a couple of weekends a month
and we do the pro-paid staff aswell as the volunteer staff
together.
Excellent, because, unlike somepatrols that I have been on, we
have a pure integration.
Jodie (15:20):
That's excellent.
It is a unique, as it should be.
Murphy (15:24):
It should be, but it's like some of us professional
patrollers are paid and some arenot.
Marylou (15:31):
Yeah, but the only thing that we don't do, that
they do is throw bombs foravalanche mitigation, that's it.
Murphy (15:37):
We can't climb, and we can't climb towers, but remember
when we could.
Okay, so yes.
Marylou (15:43):
Yeah, a little liability.
Jodie (15:43):
You have to sign off a liability type of thing Right
right, Right.
Murphy (15:47):
So no, Crystal Mountain has won the number one ski
patrol several times, maybe morethan any other patrol in the
United States.
Marylou (16:00):
We should.
Speaking of awards, what awardshave you won?
Murphy (16:05):
A couple.
Marylou (16:05):
Yeah, go ahead, give us a little summary of some of the
awards you've pulled down overthe years.
Murphy (16:10):
Well, I do have a national number.
Marylou (16:12):
Yes, oh, I forgot to ask you that.
No, you did.
No, you did, you didn't getyour beer All right.
Jodie (16:16):
No beer for you.
Murphy (16:17):
In Crystal Mountain we have our own unique award called
the Crystal MountainHardworking Son of a Bitch oh.
A gold a silver award and agold award, and I've won both of
those.
Jodie (16:30):
Oh good, okay, the gold twice.
Murphy (16:32):
But I've been, you know, the region patroller and the
division patroller.
Marylou (16:43):
Right and a Miller Award.
No, I do not have a MillerAward.
What I thought Barb said you.
Murphy (16:48):
However, I am, from last year, the National Patroller of
the Year.
Marylou (16:53):
Oh, that's right.
Yeah, that's right.
I remember that.
Jodie (16:57):
National Outstanding Patroller of the Year, that's
awesome that is awesome.
Marylou (17:02):
How did you feel when you?
Murphy (17:03):
won that, like Peter was pulling my leg.
Marylou (17:07):
Why you didn't think you deserved that.
Murphy (17:12):
Well, Mary Lou, are you kidding Really All the?
Marylou (17:14):
stuff that you do and you didn't think that that was
like in the cards.
Ever, ever, really.
Murphy (17:19):
No, there's so many worthwhile people in Ski Patrol
that it's a true honor, but I amone of many who deserve this.
That's awesome.
Jodie (17:34):
I mean, it's like of course.
Murphy (17:37):
Then my sister says oh great, what do we get?
Marylou (17:41):
You get a pay raise.
Jodie (17:43):
And I went.
A plaque Sounds like it's anamazing honor.
It is.
Murphy (17:54):
I was absolutely stunned um, as I said in the ski patrol
magazine, gobsmacked.
It's the true word.
Jodie (17:58):
Yeah, so I didn't realize that was you.
I remember reading that andgoing finally, I have, there is
someone else that says thatphrase.
I've been gobsmacked.
I'm like I gotta find her Willy.
Murphy (18:10):
Wonka.
Marylou (18:13):
That's it, okay.
So I'm going to ask you how doyou feel about this phrase?
Right, what does the phrase?
Murphy (18:26):
service and safety since 1938 mean to you, it's not a
quiz.
It's um an honor and aresponsibility to the skiing
public that we are out there andwhat is so important is that
(18:47):
we're doing it without pay isthe most expensive volunteer
work you can do.
It is, and it's almost acalling, and I think Minnie Dole
would be super proud to see thecaliber of patroller that he
(19:09):
started.
I had the honor of meeting MintDoll, his son at the 75th
anniversary.
Awesome.
And then skied down, oh wow.
Jodie (19:21):
Ski.
Murphy (19:21):
Cooper with a flag with him on National Day.
Wow, and just to see all theseguys, and just to see all these
guys, it's just like you justare amazed.
And so, knowing all of that andall of that history and
(19:44):
everything that everybody hasdone, you know it puts you in
your place like really MeInteresting Wow.
Jodie (19:54):
I like it.
I like it.
Yeah, we're getting it.
It's been a.
I really like the question.
Marylou (20:00):
It is.
We've had some good answers tothat.
I like that Inspirational.
Jodie (20:05):
Inspirational.
There you go, okay, so yeah.
Murphy (20:08):
I have won the most inspirational patroller award.
Marylou (20:11):
So now they're going to come out.
What else?
Murphy (20:14):
I won a blue star.
What?
Marylou (20:15):
did you get the blue star for?
Murphy (20:19):
I saved a kid from a snow immersion death.
But I got him out, got the maskoff of his face and he's alive.
Marylou (20:32):
That's awesome, and that was in Chamonix.
Oh, in Chamonix, and you wereby yourself.
Murphy (20:38):
I was skiing along with a friend and I heard someone
scream mon dieu.
Okay, I don't speak French, Idon't either, but I recognize my
God, okay, so I looked over theedge and there were two legs
sticking out of the snow, likethis Okay, and I'm like there's
two legs sticking out of thesnow.
Jodie (20:58):
There are two legs sticking out of the snow.
Murphy (21:01):
So we had had four feet of snow the night before.
So, I got, I unsnapped and thenrolled down to where he was.
By the time I got there hewasn't moving anymore and one of
his family members got there atthe same time and we started
digging and digging and digging.
Wow, and he was in like upsidedown.
(21:21):
But we got to go in and get tohim and he was great.
Jodie (21:27):
Oh my goodness Okay.
Murphy (21:28):
So I crawled in and sort of got the mask out and and
right did a like a high mush onhim and um he started kicking
and it's like, oh my god, you'regonna kill us both.
But so um got out and it wasgreat.
His parents didn't speak englishand I didn't speak french, but
oh but did they say merci, yes,the very next day we were skiing
(21:52):
in a different resort and Iheard ami ami, which is what
they would call in American inFrance, and I turned around and
there was the father and brother, oh wonderful.
And they let me know, jen, okay.
Jodie (22:09):
Jen okay.
Oh, that is awesome.
Murphy (22:11):
So we tried to write it up, but there was no French
patroller who would sign thatthis had happened, so I wasn't
eligible for the purple star.
So they gave me a blue star andthat's how I got the 15300.
Oh, because they couldn't giveme the purple stars.
Marylou (22:34):
Well, I think that was worth it, and I think the person
that you rescued probably saidthat was worth it.
Jodie (22:39):
Oh my goodness, how old was this little tyke?
Murphy (22:41):
Well, he wasn't little, he was a teenager.
Jodie (22:44):
Oh my goodness.
Or maybe a young man, oh wow.
Murphy (22:47):
Yeah.
Jodie (22:47):
That Whoa.
Murphy (22:50):
Yeah.
Marylou (22:51):
Man, that's nice, See.
I learned even something moreabout you.
Any other stars that you got?
Murphy (22:56):
No more stars.
Marylou (22:59):
Nothing.
Oh, come on, you've got to havesome more awards.
You've been around for quite awhile, really.
No, no.
Murphy (23:05):
Well, I know that you, I'm just a first aid room
patroller yeah.
Marylou (23:08):
No, I'm just a first aid room patroller.
Jodie (23:10):
Yeah, it is not.
No, it is not Correction.
Correction, how would youphrase that differently?
Murphy (23:16):
Well, and I keep telling them that I was originally, you
know, pulling sleds, butbecause of some injuries during
the war I wasn't able to pullsleds anymore because it
wouldn't be safe, because Icould lose control of my leg.
Marylou (23:30):
Wait a minute.
Hold on Injuries during the war.
Murphy (23:34):
Which war Desert Storm, oh Desert Storm, persian Gulf
War.
Jodie (23:42):
But it's not just a.
Murphy (23:44):
No, and it's not just a.
But, at Crystal.
Just a first-year-old person.
But, when I left and went tothe University of Colorado to
teach, I joined the patrol inthe Rocky.
Mountain Division.
They don't have first aid rooms.
Jodie (24:00):
There are several places that don't you just?
Murphy (24:02):
roll right into the clinic and you say you know,
master of Visa, master of Visa,you know Right.
So I was stunned by that.
I was like what, okay, butanyway.
So I was on the Hill for those13 years and I told them I can't
pull sleds.
Jodie (24:18):
Right.
Murphy (24:19):
And they let me know which I had been saying forever
that thing on your back of thejacket is not a T for toboggan,
it's a first aid.
Jodie (24:30):
So when I left, Sorry, you're getting the applause in
the background, please, andthank you, thank you.
There you go.
Extra applause Absolutely, weare all part of one great big,
happy family, happy familypatrollers, it's just been the
bane of my life.
Marylou (24:49):
The bane of your life, Well, you know.
Well you know what been thebane of my life.
The bane of your life Well, youknow what's the bane of my life
Is when you make those phonecalls or those calls on the
radio saying, hey, we're goingto have a little practice out in
the middle of nowhere and it'ssnowing and you're cold.
And then you learn why youdon't take your gloves off to do
CPR.
Murphy (25:05):
Right.
Marylou (25:06):
Compressions no, I'd do those with gloves on.
Jodie (25:09):
Yes, so yes, sure, but Wait a minute, what is she doing
?
Murphy (25:16):
She's leaving?
I think she's leaving.
Marylou (25:18):
Is that it?
Didn't you say Well, that wasalmost it, so I was just going
to wrap it up by saying is thereanything else you want to add?
Anything you want to add.
Jodie (25:28):
I still want to go back to the whole thing about the
patroller, but I'm right withMary Lou on this.
So what rank?
Marylou (25:34):
were you when you got out of the military.
Jodie (25:36):
Colonel, colonel Whoa.
Marylou (25:40):
Yeah, okay.
Murphy (25:46):
I was a spec four, so I'm going to have a lot more
respect when I yell.
I started as PFC.
Did you really?
I did four years enlisted.
Jodie (25:52):
See, everyone starts at a basic, the best officer right
here, the best officers wereenlisted.
Marylou (25:58):
I will always say that.
Murphy (25:59):
I really wasn't.
They gave us a rank.
I was on active duty.
They gave us a rank and I wentto the Walter Reed.
Jodie (26:07):
Army.
Murphy (26:07):
Institute of Nursing to get my BSN.
Jodie (26:11):
Okay, now let's be fair here.
We're not talking about just auniversity down the way.
This is the Walter Reed.
Murphy (26:21):
That's right.
Marylou (26:22):
Where they treat presidents.
Murphy (26:24):
Yes.
Marylou (26:25):
And I have.
Murphy (26:26):
What.
Marylou (26:26):
Oh no, we've got to have that story.
Jodie (26:28):
You can't end and walk away and not give that one to us
, okay, so.
Murphy (26:32):
Not when I was a patroller.
Jodie (26:34):
Well, no, but you were a nurse.
Murphy (26:36):
Oh, but I was a patroller when I did take care
of the president of Fiji.
Jodie (26:40):
Of.
Murphy (26:40):
Fiji, yes, he was a resident in my ICU or I was the
head nurse of the ICU at WalterAid and he was very seriously
ill and the first lady was anurse and he must have spent at
least two months with us on myward.
He was too sick to go upstairsto the.
There's a special ward atWalter Reed for where all the
(27:04):
VIPs go, like when thepresident's sick and things like
that.
Jodie (27:07):
Now have you done a USA president care of no.
That's pretty impressive, king.
Marylou (27:14):
Hussein of Jordan, king Hussein, well, you could have
saved us a lot of money if youdidn't trade him.
No no no, no, no, let's keepthis.
Murphy (27:24):
No, the King Hussein, not the current King Hussein.
Oh, his dad, His father, whowas just in.
He was married to Queen Noor.
Marylou (27:31):
Yeah.
Murphy (27:31):
Yeah, just a really nice guy.
You know, there you go.
Yes, I was temporarily involvedwith the Reagan assassination
resuscitation.
Marylou (27:45):
Oh my goodness, Like Jim Brady and the whole thing.
Murphy (27:48):
My students and I took care of Mr Brady and You're
kidding, yeah, officer DellaHusse went to Washington
Hospital Center, but thepresident and Mr Brady stayed at
George Washington Hospital.
Jodie (28:07):
And you had the harder patient.
Murphy (28:10):
I was doing student teaching, getting my master's,
and I just happened to bebringing my students to George
Washington Hospital when he cameand it was really funny because
these guys came upstairs withtrench coats and everybody's
deaf.
Jodie (28:30):
Yeah, secret service okay , and it's like are you, captain
robinson?
Murphy (28:35):
yeah, they know where I am.
I'm supposed to be going toschool, follow us.
And I'm like I did nothingwrong.
I was trying to get a parkingsticker at the faculty parking
and the guy and what else areyou, I'm on active duty and he
goes, get out of here.
And he gave me a parkingsticker, so they're up there.
(28:55):
So we went down to the ER.
Okay, and they're going.
Do you know how to put up afloor bag?
So I'm setting up all the stuff, the chest tubes, you know for
bleeding, oh my goodness, and soyou know the guy looks a little
familiar.
Oh, oh, oh oh.
And then, finally, the WhiteHouse nurse got there and I walk
out and there's Nancy oh mygoodness Sitting on this little
(29:19):
couch and I went oh, this islegitimately high upper echelon
administration here, wow.
Wow, I've done a lot of work.
Jodie (29:36):
I mean, I've worked at places where we were told okay,
you know, you are now going tobe in the designated hospital.
Murphy (29:43):
Oh yes, oh yes, wow.
Every time the president wouldcome into Denver, when I was
head nurse of the emergency roomat Fitzsimmons, we would have
to set up the presidential bed.
Marylou (29:54):
The presidential bed?
Yes, at the hospital In the.
Murphy (29:57):
ER bed at the hospital in the er you said.
Anytime the president's in town, you set up a bed and in a
designated corner of youremergency room so in case the
president is sick and or injuredwhile in your city, um, that's
where he's going to go I did.
Marylou (30:13):
Is that yes?
Jodie (30:14):
I've been at a couple of ers, so he comes to visit, or
she comes to visit.
Marylou (30:19):
In this case, maybe in the future they set aside at any
like would it be Harborview inSeattle where that would happen
Probably?
Murphy (30:29):
But it depends on where they're going.
It could be Swedish orsomething.
It's going to be one of thehuge ICUs.
Oh, really Okay, You've got toaccommodate everybody, so you
have every single type ofmedical physician's specialty
available.
Jodie (30:42):
A level one trauma center .
I wouldn't be surprised if itwould be Harborview and then in
Oregon when they come toPortland, you have both OHSU and
Emanuel for the level one.
Marylou (30:52):
Oh wow, why do they always say that Harborview is
like the only level one that'sin the Northwest?
They are not.
They are the premier.
Murphy (31:02):
They always say that Harborview is like the only
level one that's in theNorthwest.
They are not.
They are not.
They are the premier in themodel that has been around for a
while.
However, there is traumastabilization in Tacoma, and
Mary Bridge Children's Hospitalis the designated trauma
hospital for that side of themountains.
(31:23):
You have to come here toSpokane for children's trauma
stabilization here.
What is it, sacred Heart?
Jodie (31:28):
Yes, Sacred Heart.
Murphy (31:29):
Okay, so no, but it's you know, and you have a level,
one level, two level three levelfour, depending on how many
physician specialties you haveand if you're level one they are
in the house all the time andin level two you have to have so
(31:50):
many minutes for them to get in.
Marylou (31:51):
Okay, that answers that question.
I mean, I knew it was somethinglike that, but yeah, that was
explained very thoroughly.
Murphy (31:58):
Well, I'm sorry.
Marylou (31:59):
No, I talked to him.
No, no, no.
Jodie (32:02):
So now Oregon has Portland, which is two in the
city of Portland have a levelone, yes, and then you go to
level twos, et cetera.
But yeah, right, and likeMontana does not have a level
one.
Murphy (32:13):
No.
Jodie (32:14):
When I worked in Montana, we would fly our patients to
Harborview or into Idaho, etcetera.
Murphy (32:19):
We would fly our patients to Harborview or into
Idaho, et cetera, or to the BirdCenter To us in Denver.
Yes, when the Army Hospital wasstill open, fitzsimmons, they
would come to Fitzsimmons.
And when Fitzsimmons closed andthe University of Colorado
bought it for a dollar, so thenthe University of Colorado
(32:41):
Hospital is like the premierhospital.
Marylou (32:44):
There's nothing in Alaska is there.
Not a level one no, no, you'vegot to fly down.
Jodie (32:48):
And that's a long flight, it's a long flight.
Yeah, I would not want to behurt in Alaska.
Yeah, so, but Anchorage, I meanthey have level twos, but
they're not a level one up inthere.
Murphy (32:58):
They probably have a two in Fairbanks.
Jodie (33:02):
Not to my understanding, well, no.
Murphy (33:04):
Maybe at Fort Rainwright .
Jodie (33:05):
Because Salem in Oregon Salem is a level two.
Murphy (33:09):
And then they have to have something in Juneau.
Something I mean the governor'sthere I'm sure they have to
have somebody.
Jodie (33:18):
This is amazing.
Murphy (33:21):
So no, I mean, mean I can go on and on, because I've
had experiences that nobody elsein the world has had, and you
know Well that's good.
Marylou (33:26):
I like to see we are learning all kinds of different
things today.
That's why I love this deal.
Jodie (33:30):
What would you like to recommend If you had a new
patroller?
Murphy (33:35):
in front of you.
Jodie (33:36):
And any words of wisdom or things to avoid.
Marylou (33:40):
Or.
Jodie (33:42):
Not, that's a good one.
What would you like to pass onto them?
Murphy (33:51):
you are never going to work harder at any other job in
your life than you are here, butyou will probably not get as
much enjoyment and satisfactioneither.
Stand by for a roller coaster.
Jodie (34:12):
Very true.
Murphy (34:13):
You will work your butt off, true, and you are working
with the finest group of peoplethat you could probably meet.
I like that one.
Jodie (34:27):
I like that.
That's a good one.
Marylou (34:29):
Wow, that's going to be a tough act to follow, I know.
Murphy (34:33):
But it's sort of like you know somebody's a beer
salesman.
Marylou (34:36):
Yeah.
Murphy (34:37):
Somebody's a Boeing executive.
Marylou (34:38):
Right.
Murphy (34:39):
Somebody's an elementary school teacher.
Somebody is unemployed anddesperately looking for
something.
Jodie (34:45):
Yes.
Murphy (34:46):
Lots of people are retired, but college kids,
everybody.
Microsoft people, but we're allBill, bob, jill and Joe.
We are not Mr, but there's norank.
Marylou (35:02):
That is very true.
I have learned that at the skipatrol.
Once you put that red jacket on, you are just a patroller.
Murphy (35:08):
Well, they do come in and say, colonel Robinson, it's
not.
Jodie (35:12):
We're going to fix this.
It's not just a patroller, weare patrollers.
Marylou (35:15):
We are a patroller.
Okay, we are patrollers.
Murphy (35:18):
We are patrollers and.
Marylou (35:19):
I have been a patroller now for 35 years.
Jodie (35:21):
Okay so we're all patrollers.
Murphy (35:25):
But how long have you been a patroller?
Jodie (35:29):
I am going on 21 years.
Murphy (35:33):
So even into the 1990s, when I retired from the and I
was looking for a place topatrol, went to a patrol and
coming out of Europe and theOlympics and I was not allowed
(35:54):
to apply because I wasn't a guy.
Marylou (35:58):
You were not a guy, okay.
Jodie (36:01):
That's unfortunate.
Murphy (36:03):
I came to Washington State.
I had no idea.
You know the pass the CrystalMountain.
Jodie (36:09):
Right.
Murphy (36:12):
So they said come on up.
I walked into the patrol roomand there were girls In Europe.
There were three women in theentire division, oh my goodness.
And there were no Europeanpatrollers that were women,
because at that time you had tobe a guy to be in the Burgwacht
(36:32):
or things like that.
So women didn't patrol inEurope until this century.
And we have come a long way.
But I could not believe my eyeswhen I walked into crystal
mountains patrol room and therewere women in there who had
patrolled for years whatpercentage of that patrol is
(36:52):
women now?
maybe a third to more than thatwhen you walk in it's not a half
, you know, but it's and thenumber of women paid patrollers
that we are getting issignificantly larger.
Marylou (37:07):
I think that's got to be pretty close to half on the
paid side.
Murphy (37:09):
Yes, and there's been a, and I will tell you.
We have women who are like fivefoot tall and weigh like 80
pounds.
I will tell you, we have womenwho are like five foot tall and
weigh like 80 pounds and theycan do anything that the big
200-pound patroller can do.
This on the pro side, it's likeincredible.
Marylou (37:30):
Oh, yeah, incredible.
Jodie (37:32):
Yeah.
Murphy (37:35):
It's always embarrassed getting out-skied by those women
too.
Marylou (37:45):
When you're learning tobogganing.
Murphy (37:45):
It's not strength.
No, that's all edge control.
And you, it's like, don't dothis.
Okay, they girlish dance, I go.
Edge control, ladies, edgecontrol yeah, yeah.
Marylou (37:57):
I learned that from a woman that I was doing my senior
test with, who was probablyfive, two, five, three, maybe
100 pounds soaking wet christy,real shit.
I learned more from her on howto handle a sled with you know
big guys that were in therebecause she couldn't muscle it
(38:17):
and I was like like oh okay,maybe if I just do what Christy
does.
Oh wow, this is a lot easier,right, because I didn't have to
like brute strength trying tohold something back.
Murphy (38:27):
Right, you know, and then you know high alpine
regions of Kansas too 300 feetof the best snow you can make.
Marylou (38:36):
Well, you know, 500 feet of the best snow you can
make.
Murphy (38:42):
Well, you know, but it's a very unique NSP patrol
because they produce patrollersfor the world.
Marylou (38:48):
Do they really?
Murphy (38:49):
They do.
The guys come over from theCommand and General Staff
College.
We become NSP patrollers therebecause we have sort of an
easier schedule that one year ofour entire career and um so
like when I graduated, um, twoof us went to europe, one went
to korea, the other guys came,went all over the united states
(39:11):
and it's this tiny little molehill on the missouri river bluff
.
It's technically not kansas,it's actually technically
missouri.
It's on the Missouri RiverBluffs.
It's technically not Kansas,it's actually technically
Missouri, it's on the Missouriside of the river oh my goodness
.
And they produce patrollers forthe world, wow.
Jodie (39:29):
That is true.
There is the assumption that ifyou're not skiing at a huge
mountain or very long, or allblack diamonds et cetera, that
you can't handle things.
Murphy (39:43):
And.
Jodie (39:44):
I grew up in southwest Michigan and little teeny
mountain when I say mountain,okay the hill was created.
And the snow was made.
The snow was made, but LittleSwiss Valley has had quite a few
and people that have gone on totry for the Olympics and
(40:04):
different things with thejumping and different things.
That way it's technique, it'sbeing exposed, and you don't
have to be at a giant or eventhe littlest it's.
Every place is unique, wow,okay, so on that.
Marylou (40:27):
Marilyn, thanks very much for coming.
Definitely, it was a veryenjoyable chat.
Murphy (40:32):
There's another little thing maybe.
Marylou (40:34):
Oh, okay, yes, yeah, go ahead.
Murphy (40:36):
You know when Saddam Hussein crossed the line and we
all had to go to the war, about95% of the entire European
division deployed to Saudi,kuwait, which left the wives
behind to help do the servicestuff that we did.
(40:58):
But so everybody at Nationalwent oh it's too bad, the whole
European division was like wipedout, except for a couple of IBM
guys and UPS guys.
I mean so civilians, you know.
So everybody else military.
And so they said show us apicture of you skiing the dunes
(41:22):
and it's a good year.
So we broke up wooden crates.
They were all jagged on the edge.
We duct taped them to ourcombat boots, climbed up a hill,
skied down.
We got a year credit.
Marylou (41:36):
Oh, you're kidding.
No, I think we may edit thatout, just to keep your ear.
Murphy (41:44):
They may want that back.
Those of us from Europe gotback in late April so we were
able to go up to theHennertuxins and ski a couple of
days.
Marylou (41:53):
Oh ski a couple of days .
Murphy (41:54):
Yes but yeah, for fun.
Marylou (41:57):
So you had crates duct taped onto your boots?
Yes, wow.
Murphy (42:02):
We did have skis.
Marylou (42:04):
Yeah, wow, no metal edges there.
Jodie (42:07):
No, can't even say that there was actually even a tip up
.
Murphy (42:12):
No, no, there was like the jacket thing, you know.
Jodie (42:16):
Got to ride back on the heels.
Marylou (42:18):
You had the back seat the entire time.
Murphy (42:21):
But yeah, I never skated dude again, but that was a cool
NSP history tidbit that somepeople probably don't know.
They were very supportive.
Jodie (42:36):
They were very supportive of the military.
I know a couple other peoplethat were that over at the same
time I think it was andreceiving credit.
Murphy (42:46):
And then, when I was in Rocket Mountain Division, they
gave us what's called a PatriotStar and you wear it on the cuff
if you're a combat veteran.
Jodie (42:57):
Of a ski jacket.
Murphy (42:58):
Of your NSP jacket and if you're a combat veteran, you
wear a Patriot Star.
Jodie (43:02):
Oh, interesting, yes, I have.
Do you have one on your?
Marylou (43:05):
jacket, because I'm going to ask people when I see,
hey, marilee, you know what?
That is right there, and justto see if they know if you have
it on your jacket.
Murphy (43:13):
You know I'm not supposed to have a jacket
because I'm not a first aid room.
No, but you're still a patrol.
I have a jacket only because Igo out and I'm ITing and when I
go to other mountains I have tohave a red jacket with a cross,
but I am not allowed to wear it.
Jodie (43:27):
Unfortunately, there are many patrols that if, even
though, when do you get yourcross?
You get your cross when you'redone with OEC and you have
completed your training.
And there are many patrols that, unfortunately, if you are not
an alpine skier, that when I saypatrols it's more sometimes the
(43:48):
ski area that says nope, youcannot have a white cross on
your back if you're out there.
Murphy (43:54):
That's what he said, only the alpine.
That's not a T for toboggan.
Marylou (43:59):
No.
Murphy (43:59):
That's a red cross for safety.
Jodie (44:01):
I mean that's a red cross for safety.
I mean it's a white cross forsafety on the first day.
But there's things that overtime that it's interesting.
I know several patrols thathave gone through quite an
interesting transition.
Interesting transition and,like at one area it's been a
(44:24):
debate of maybe you were analpine before, but now, because
of maybe injuries or differentthings, but you're not to wear
the white cross, and it's likewait a minute, but what do we do
?
Murphy (44:35):
All white cross stuff yeah.
Marylou (44:38):
Like everything.
Like I drop off a patient atthe first aid room and what and?
Murphy (44:42):
he runs as fast as he can.
Marylou (44:45):
Okay, let's be honest, I have to do the paperwork.
Murphy (44:47):
Yes, no not the computer stuff.
Uh, no, because because theyfirst said you drop them off in
the aid room, we'll do the.
I'm like I wasn't there.
I don't know what theconditions are exactly I don't
know if the skis are on or offand with right.
Okay, so you it.
And then I do the first aidcare, yeah, and then yeah.
Marylou (45:05):
Oh, it's wonderful cooperation.
Murphy (45:06):
I will say 50% of the major patients walk in the knees
, get a ride.
Marylou (45:14):
Right.
Murphy (45:14):
But the dislocated shoulders, the fractures, the
head injuries and the heartattacks walk in.
And there's nobody to do thepaperwork and nobody to help me,
because I'm in there by myself.
Yeah.
Marylou (45:27):
So we've had what four, five cardiac incidents in the
last year At least.
Murphy (45:34):
One day this year, in the span of 20 minutes, I had a
man walk in with a fracturedsternum that had paradoxical
movement, a fractured jaw thatwas out to here, but his airway
was okay Right.
A dislocated shoulder that hadbeen surgically repaired not too
(45:58):
long before that and had allthe little nuts and bolts
sticking out Okay, and a fatherhad scooped up the kid and
brought him in.
Marylou (46:10):
I've got to hang out with you in the first aid room.
I'll tell you, I've seennothing of this on top of the
mountain.
Jodie (46:14):
Exactly.
Murphy (46:15):
And I'm like could someone come down and help me?
Yep.
Marylou (46:21):
Hey, mary Lou, from now on I'm going to put this on
record.
You need to call and say Murph,can you come down and help me
at the mountain?
I would happily come down andget some of that experience.
We all know about Jack Ramseyno.
Murphy (46:32):
Jack has, when his heart was acting up.
Jodie (46:37):
See, Jack had to race down.
He's racing to be jack.
Murphy (46:41):
Jack will come on down he's.
He spent several days this yearwith me.
Jodie (46:45):
You're wonderful, jack.
Marylou (46:46):
We love you, yeah I don't love you because you beat
me to all the incidents oh, thishas been so informative.
Murphy (46:59):
So yeah, been around, been there, done that.
So in five divisions I've seena lot.
Marylou (47:07):
There's many ways to skin a cat.
Well, thanks for coming andtalking to us.
That was super nice.
I appreciate it, Mary Lou.
Jodie (47:13):
That was awesome.
Murphy (47:14):
So now just please destroy this tape, oh no
Self-destructing, we're going todestroy it.
Marylou (47:19):
In what five seconds?
Jodie (47:20):
Five, four, three, two.
Destroy this tape because, ohno, self-destructing, that's
right.
In what five?
Marylou (47:23):
seconds.
Isn't that five, four, three?
Murphy (47:24):
two, thirty years?
Jodie (47:24):
I don't know what it is.
Murphy (47:25):
Thank you.
today he was saying yeah , make sure you get Mary Lou, we
want to know, Okay, so we'regoing to start off with you're
going to have to introduceyourself.
Marylou (00:11):
Hi, I'm Mary Lou, hi, mary Lou.
So, mary Lou, what's your NSPnumber?
Murphy (00:18):
Five, one, five, three, zero, zero, zero.
Marylou (00:23):
Wow, that's easy, that's yeah.
Murphy (00:24):
It was given to me as an award from National.
Marylou (00:28):
Really?
Oh, we're going to get to thatlater.
Yes, so do you have a nationalnumber?
Yes, I do.
Oh, what's?
Your national number 8167.
Oh man, I get no beers out ofthis thing, none, okay, so we're
going to start out.
What year did you join the SkiPatrol?
Murphy (00:47):
1988.
Marylou (00:53):
1988.
I have to do some math withthat.
That's like 40.
Jodie (00:57):
He's been having problems with math today.
Murphy (01:00):
No, not really 40, yet what is it?
Marylou (01:03):
19?
Oh no, you can do this 23 plus12.
Oh, not really 40 yet.
Jodie (01:06):
What is it?
19?
Oh no, you can do this.
23 plus 12.
Oh, 35.
There you go.
Yeah, you go.
Marylou (01:11):
See, I can get it.
When it's broken down like that, those big numbers scare me,
okay, wow.
So I'm going to skip the howold were you when you joined,
because that's just.
I realize the ladies don't likeasking or answering that
question.
Murphy (01:26):
Well, I didn't learn how to ski until I was in my
mid-30s.
Marylou (01:31):
Oh wow, we share something pretty much in common.
I was a late bloomer as well.
Murphy (01:39):
Skiing was cold, and why would I ever go out and be cold
?
Yeah?
Marylou (01:44):
Yeah, I have learned to be warm when I ski.
I layer.
Yeah, people like my daughters.
They hate to be cold and I'mnot cold when I ski because I
have learned layering and I havelearned high-tech fabric.
Yes, Ah so here we go, the bigquestion.
In fact, why don't you ask thisone?
(02:05):
Because that's one of yourfavorites.
Jodie (02:08):
Oh, why did you want to become a patroller?
Murphy (02:12):
I was sort of drafted into it Drafted.
I was an EMT instructor and Igot this phone call when I
arrived in Leavenworth, Kansas,and I thought it was a joke
because someone said, hey, we'rewith the ski patrol and I'm
like Kansas.
And they said, well, they'removing from the advanced Red
(02:39):
Cross to a new thing calledwinter emergency care.
Jodie (02:47):
We had it wrong.
I think we put wilderness.
It's winter emergency, it'swinter emergency care.
It wasn't wilderness.
Murphy (02:56):
No, that was woofer and that came much later.
Marylou (02:58):
Oh, okay.
Murphy (03:00):
Okay, so I was drafted into being a candidate and I
taught my candidate class, so Iwould get-.
Marylou (03:08):
Wait a minute.
As a candidate, you taught yourcandidate class.
Yes.
I think, that's a first.
Murphy (03:15):
And I would um uh, lecture and sit down and take
the quiz, and then the seniorpatrollers, who were all at
advanced first aid, who werealso taking the course with the
other candidates would thencheck me off on my skills.
So when?
Jodie (03:32):
I Wait, wait, wait, wait.
You taught it, you gave thetest, you took the test and then
you had other candidates checkyou off.
No, the other senior patrollers, oh, the senior patrollers, the
senior patrollers who wereAmerican Red Cross Advanced
First Aid.
Murphy (03:48):
Okay, they checked me off on the skills because the
skills were not thatsignificantly different when we
first went over.
It was a step up to an EMTlevel, and so when I won my
cross, I got my instructor pin.
Marylou (04:05):
At the same time.
That has got to be a first.
Jodie (04:07):
I don't think anybody else has done that, so you get
done with your first year youget your cross for being in the
National Ski Patrol and you gotyour instructor pin.
I love it.
Murphy (04:15):
From there I went to Europe where I was part of the
very first six-pack instructorgroup, became an instructor in
development because it was firstintroduced in European division
.
Jodie (04:30):
Really, what year was this?
Murphy (04:32):
That would have been 89.
Marylou (04:34):
So you said six-pack.
What is six-pack?
That's how we teach courses.
Murphy (04:40):
In terms of setting up a class, no matter what your
discipline?
Marylou (04:44):
And so they had not done that in Europe before.
Murphy (04:46):
They had not done that in the United States before.
Marylou (04:48):
Oh really.
Murphy (04:48):
The European division was the one who beta tested it.
Oh, really, and so then Ibecame an instructor development
person and an ONC instructorand, in a way, a division
auxiliary advisor, because I wasthe only one who had ever
(05:09):
worked with auxiliaries and so,yeah, it's very small patrol,
it's Stuttgart, germany, and soyou were on the German ski
patrol.
No, I was on the American skipatrol American ski patrol in
Germany.
In Germany, because I wasstationed in Germany with the
United States Army.
Oh my goodness.
Okay, so hold on a second.
What was your MOS Nurse?
Marylou (05:32):
Yes.
Murphy (05:33):
However, the Army had gotten this bug up their tail.
You know how Marines areMarines first.
Marylou (05:40):
Right.
Murphy (05:41):
And then they have a specialty.
The Army said, well, we'regoing to do the same thing.
Marylou (05:45):
Oh, thank God.
Murphy (05:45):
So they selected me to go to Command and General Staff
College and that's why I was inKansas.
They elected me to go tocommand and general staff
college and that's why I was inKansas and I went then to Europe
to help command a, you know.
Marylou (05:58):
Like a nursing brigade or something.
Murphy (06:00):
Well, it was sort of a mixed brigade.
Marylou (06:04):
Medical brigade.
Murphy (06:07):
No, it wasn't the brigade level, it was combat
support hospital level Wow.
Jodie (06:11):
And this is in the 80s.
Yes, ma'am, so where did you gofor your emt?
Murphy (06:17):
I had picked it up along the way.
Um well, I was at differentposts because you know the, the
medics, right?
Oh, we're always trying to getemt, as they wanted emt
instructors.
And they said well, you're anRN who's a critical care ER
trauma and so why don't you beone of our instructors?
Jodie (06:34):
and I picked it up interesting because I started
off as an EMT, then became aparamedic, then became the nurse
in critical care and trauma inER interesting.
Murphy (06:43):
No, but I was an RN and that's how I got into it, huh
wow, I learned a whole lot aboutyou that I didn't know before.
So I know you currently patrolat Crystal.
Marylou (06:55):
I'm going to say that.
So I patrol with you at CrystalMountain.
I'm very happy that you'rethere in the aid room.
So you work in the aid room.
Do you ever get up on themountain?
Do you ski anymore?
Murphy (07:07):
because of medical issues.
I'm not allowed to ski.
Marylou (07:11):
Okay, so I know you spend a lot of time in that aid
room and you run that thingincredibly well.
What is the biggest challengethat you've seen working in
Crystal Mountain?
Because they are a long wayaway from you know the next
level of care.
Murphy (07:32):
We at Crystal are unique .
This is my fifth division, andso I have seen a lot of Fifth
division.
Oh yeah, I can't give a job.
You made me laugh.
Well, I started in the high upin the regions of Kansas, then
went to Europe and then toMassanutten in the Shenandoah
(07:54):
Valley, then to here and then toRocky.
Mountain Division, and then nowback Holy cow.
So you know it helps if you'rein the Army, True, true.
So the hardest thing aboutCrystal is that it's a unique
experience because we are so faraway from definitive care, Like
(08:20):
, even on a good day, an hourand a half to a level four
hospital which is okay, andabout an hour by air if you can
get in by helicopter.
So the people at Crystal have tohave a higher level of
(08:41):
confidence in being able tostabilize the most seriously
injured or ill patients.
So we are blessed to have aphysician patrol and that's only
on the weekends.
And then we have paramedics onthe paid staff who work during
the week, but we also have someon the weekend.
Jodie (09:00):
And then they have a protocol through the doctors to
be able to do their level oftraining Right.
Murphy (09:06):
And so then I came on the scene IVs meds.
So I came in on the scene andof course rocked the boat
because I started all the IVsand pushed all the narcs and
stuff, so the you know, and thenwhen they would get there.
But I didn't do it as a OEC,Right, I did it as a doctorally
(09:27):
prepared nurse.
Marylou (09:28):
Right, and we have to make that point.
Yes, that's how the ski patroldoes it.
Okay, a doctorally preparednurse and we have to make that
point.
Murphy (09:34):
Yes, okay, so now that I've retired my license, I am
just an OEC tech, but you can'ttake the knowledge out of your
head, so we have to have theability to pull things out of
literally bags and sacks.
We are not a clinic, we are notan emergency room.
(09:54):
We cannot and will not everadvertise as that because
there's some legal liabilitieshere.
But man can crystal mountain,stabilize patients.
We have had some gnarlypatients that lived because of
the quality of stabilization andcare that we can render at
(10:16):
Crystal Mountain.
And that's a volley plus a paidstaff mix.
Marylou (10:23):
Well, I know I've seen more helicopters come into
Crystal Mountain than I've seenanywhere else.
Murphy (10:28):
Well, we are blessed in having, you know, world-class
terrain, and so we have a lot ofexpert skiers.
They don't usually get hurt.
Jodie (10:40):
When they get hurt.
Murphy (10:42):
They are really hurt.
And of course then we havebeginners who think you know,
I've skied for two days now.
I'm an intermediate.
Well, you're sort of forcedinto that At Crystal because we
have like one green run.
Oh, and then so you, really youcan.
(11:02):
It's a wonderful learn how toski place.
It's real flat, but then whenyou go up.
Jodie (11:07):
Right.
Murphy (11:07):
Even our easiest run has a piece of navy blue in it.
Jodie (11:13):
Navy blue.
I have not heard that before.
Murphy (11:14):
Navy blue, navy, blue.
Okay, so we get a lot ofinjuries from people who are
learning how to ski, so we canrun 20 to 30 patients a day
through our aid room and so wehave to take care of them.
It's unlike other hills wherethey just put them in the car
(11:38):
and say go 30 minutes to thehospital because we have to get
down this horrible road and thehospital they're coming to is a
level four, so we have to decidewhether or not to send them out
(11:59):
by ambulance or can we liveflight.
Sometimes we can't because ofthe icing conditions Correct.
So I personally have been inthe back of an ambulance bagging
a patient until we could getlower down to Greenwater and
then turn them over to thehelicopter staff there to
Greenwater and then turn themover to the helicopter staff
there.
So it takes how long to drivefrom Crystal to the Level 4
(12:23):
hospital.
Well, without elk on the roadyou might be able to get there
in about an hour.
Jodie (12:28):
In about an hour If there's like no stops and things
like that.
But it could take you an hourand a half or so just to get
there.
So to go to a level two or alevel one, we have to use an ALS
ambulance or a helicopter.
And that's about how fardistance if you were to go by
ambulance.
Well, about an hour toHarborview in Seattle.
It is far Okay.
Murphy (12:49):
And less than that if we're going to Tacoma.
Jodie (12:52):
Okay, wow.
So in Tacoma, we Sorry we'redoing this medical geeky over
here.
Oh yeah, Nerd.
Yes, I know.
Murphy (13:03):
So I am the only RN left in the aid room.
Marylou (13:06):
Right.
Murphy (13:07):
But the folks who are interested in being aid room
patrollers step up and learn howto do some things outside the
scope of OEC.
But they have been checked offand are supervised by paramedics
and or physicians.
When we do it, but like we'llput on leads for 12 lead EKGs,
(13:32):
they don't push meds becausethey're not allowed to do that
they don't start IVs, but theycan spike the bag and have it
there for the paramedic andthings like that.
We are blessed at Crystal inthat we had some money, and so
Crystal Mountain has purchasedone of these SimMans mannequins,
you know, the ones that breatheand bleed.
Jodie (13:53):
Just learned about that and all that kind of good stuff,
that is my terror.
Murphy (13:59):
So we go out and throw them underneath the tree
somewhere and call over theradio hey, there's somebody
reported down, you know.
And then the guys come in notknowing it's the mannequin, but
there is the senior paramedic orDr Feeney, and they put them
through their paces for reallyseriously injured patients.
And we can do it because thepatient can talk and breathe and
(14:23):
have EKGs.
Jodie (14:24):
I've worked with simulations, mannequins, but
I've never Not outside.
I've never done one outside.
I never knew they could, withall the.
Marylou (14:32):
Oh no.
And Mary Lou has the iPad,which controls what all the
vital signs are, and so she'llsit there and turn something off
, turn something way down.
Oh my God, I can't feel this.
You should be able to Go aheadand try and guess what the pulse
rate is when you can actuallytell on the iPad, and so you'll
take a stab in the dark and thenshe'll just hold the iPad like
(14:56):
you're not even close.
Jodie (14:59):
See what happens when you guess you can't lie.
Murphy (15:01):
It's real and we do this a couple of weekends a month
and we do the pro-paid staff aswell as the volunteer staff
together.
Excellent, because, unlike somepatrols that I have been on, we
have a pure integration.
Jodie (15:20):
That's excellent.
It is a unique, as it should be.
Murphy (15:24):
It should be, but it's like some of us professional
patrollers are paid and some arenot.
Marylou (15:31):
Yeah, but the only thing that we don't do, that
they do is throw bombs foravalanche mitigation, that's it.
Murphy (15:37):
We can't climb, and we can't climb towers, but remember
when we could.
Okay, so yes.
Marylou (15:43):
Yeah, a little liability.
Jodie (15:43):
You have to sign off a liability type of thing Right
right, Right.
Murphy (15:47):
So no, Crystal Mountain has won the number one ski
patrol several times, maybe morethan any other patrol in the
United States.
Marylou (16:00):
We should.
Speaking of awards, what awardshave you won?
Murphy (16:05):
A couple.
Marylou (16:05):
Yeah, go ahead, give us a little summary of some of the
awards you've pulled down overthe years.
Murphy (16:10):
Well, I do have a national number.
Marylou (16:12):
Yes, oh, I forgot to ask you that.
No, you did.
No, you did, you didn't getyour beer All right.
Jodie (16:16):
No beer for you.
Murphy (16:17):
In Crystal Mountain we have our own unique award called
the Crystal MountainHardworking Son of a Bitch oh.
A gold a silver award and agold award, and I've won both of
those.
Jodie (16:30):
Oh good, okay, the gold twice.
Murphy (16:32):
But I've been, you know, the region patroller and the
division patroller.
Marylou (16:43):
Right and a Miller Award.
No, I do not have a MillerAward.
What I thought Barb said you.
Murphy (16:48):
However, I am, from last year, the National Patroller of
the Year.
Marylou (16:53):
Oh, that's right.
Yeah, that's right.
I remember that.
Jodie (16:57):
National Outstanding Patroller of the Year, that's
awesome that is awesome.
Marylou (17:02):
How did you feel when you?
Murphy (17:03):
won that, like Peter was pulling my leg.
Marylou (17:07):
Why you didn't think you deserved that.
Murphy (17:12):
Well, Mary Lou, are you kidding Really All the?
Marylou (17:14):
stuff that you do and you didn't think that that was
like in the cards.
Ever, ever, really.
Murphy (17:19):
No, there's so many worthwhile people in Ski Patrol
that it's a true honor, but I amone of many who deserve this.
That's awesome.
Jodie (17:34):
I mean, it's like of course.
Murphy (17:37):
Then my sister says oh great, what do we get?
Marylou (17:41):
You get a pay raise.
Jodie (17:43):
And I went.
A plaque Sounds like it's anamazing honor.
It is.
Murphy (17:54):
I was absolutely stunned um, as I said in the ski patrol
magazine, gobsmacked.
It's the true word.
Jodie (17:58):
Yeah, so I didn't realize that was you.
I remember reading that andgoing finally, I have, there is
someone else that says thatphrase.
I've been gobsmacked.
I'm like I gotta find her Willy.
Murphy (18:10):
Wonka.
Marylou (18:13):
That's it, okay.
So I'm going to ask you how doyou feel about this phrase?
Right, what does the phrase?
Murphy (18:26):
service and safety since 1938 mean to you, it's not a
quiz.
It's um an honor and aresponsibility to the skiing
public that we are out there andwhat is so important is that
(18:47):
we're doing it without pay isthe most expensive volunteer
work you can do.
It is, and it's almost acalling, and I think Minnie Dole
would be super proud to see thecaliber of patroller that he
(19:09):
started.
I had the honor of meeting MintDoll, his son at the 75th
anniversary.
Awesome.
And then skied down, oh wow.
Jodie (19:21):
Ski.
Murphy (19:21):
Cooper with a flag with him on National Day.
Wow, and just to see all theseguys, and just to see all these
guys, it's just like you justare amazed.
And so, knowing all of that andall of that history and
(19:44):
everything that everybody hasdone, you know it puts you in
your place like really MeInteresting Wow.
Jodie (19:54):
I like it.
I like it.
Yeah, we're getting it.
It's been a.
I really like the question.
Marylou (20:00):
It is.
We've had some good answers tothat.
I like that Inspirational.
Jodie (20:05):
Inspirational.
There you go, okay, so yeah.
Murphy (20:08):
I have won the most inspirational patroller award.
Marylou (20:11):
So now they're going to come out.
What else?
Murphy (20:14):
I won a blue star.
What?
Marylou (20:15):
did you get the blue star for?
Murphy (20:19):
I saved a kid from a snow immersion death.
But I got him out, got the maskoff of his face and he's alive.
Marylou (20:32):
That's awesome, and that was in Chamonix.
Oh, in Chamonix, and you wereby yourself.
Murphy (20:38):
I was skiing along with a friend and I heard someone
scream mon dieu.
Okay, I don't speak French, Idon't either, but I recognize my
God, okay, so I looked over theedge and there were two legs
sticking out of the snow, likethis Okay, and I'm like there's
two legs sticking out of thesnow.
Jodie (20:58):
There are two legs sticking out of the snow.
Murphy (21:01):
So we had had four feet of snow the night before.
So, I got, I unsnapped and thenrolled down to where he was.
By the time I got there hewasn't moving anymore and one of
his family members got there atthe same time and we started
digging and digging and digging.
Wow, and he was in like upsidedown.
(21:21):
But we got to go in and get tohim and he was great.
Jodie (21:27):
Oh my goodness Okay.
Murphy (21:28):
So I crawled in and sort of got the mask out and and
right did a like a high mush onhim and um he started kicking
and it's like, oh my god, you'regonna kill us both.
But so um got out and it wasgreat.
His parents didn't speak englishand I didn't speak french, but
oh but did they say merci, yes,the very next day we were skiing
(21:52):
in a different resort and Iheard ami ami, which is what
they would call in American inFrance, and I turned around and
there was the father and brother, oh wonderful.
And they let me know, jen, okay.
Jodie (22:09):
Jen okay.
Oh, that is awesome.
Murphy (22:11):
So we tried to write it up, but there was no French
patroller who would sign thatthis had happened, so I wasn't
eligible for the purple star.
So they gave me a blue star andthat's how I got the 15300.
Oh, because they couldn't giveme the purple stars.
Marylou (22:34):
Well, I think that was worth it, and I think the person
that you rescued probably saidthat was worth it.
Jodie (22:39):
Oh my goodness, how old was this little tyke?
Murphy (22:41):
Well, he wasn't little, he was a teenager.
Jodie (22:44):
Oh my goodness.
Or maybe a young man, oh wow.
Murphy (22:47):
Yeah.
Jodie (22:47):
That Whoa.
Murphy (22:50):
Yeah.
Marylou (22:51):
Man, that's nice, See.
I learned even something moreabout you.
Any other stars that you got?
Murphy (22:56):
No more stars.
Marylou (22:59):
Nothing.
Oh, come on, you've got to havesome more awards.
You've been around for quite awhile, really.
No, no.
Murphy (23:05):
Well, I know that you, I'm just a first aid room
patroller yeah.
Marylou (23:08):
No, I'm just a first aid room patroller.
Jodie (23:10):
Yeah, it is not.
No, it is not Correction.
Correction, how would youphrase that differently?
Murphy (23:16):
Well, and I keep telling them that I was originally, you
know, pulling sleds, butbecause of some injuries during
the war I wasn't able to pullsleds anymore because it
wouldn't be safe, because Icould lose control of my leg.
Marylou (23:30):
Wait a minute.
Hold on Injuries during the war.
Murphy (23:34):
Which war Desert Storm, oh Desert Storm, persian Gulf
War.
Jodie (23:42):
But it's not just a.
Murphy (23:44):
No, and it's not just a.
But, at Crystal.
Just a first-year-old person.
But, when I left and went tothe University of Colorado to
teach, I joined the patrol inthe Rocky.
Mountain Division.
They don't have first aid rooms.
Jodie (24:00):
There are several places that don't you just?
Murphy (24:02):
roll right into the clinic and you say you know,
master of Visa, master of Visa,you know Right.
So I was stunned by that.
I was like what, okay, butanyway.
So I was on the Hill for those13 years and I told them I can't
pull sleds.
Jodie (24:18):
Right.
Murphy (24:19):
And they let me know which I had been saying forever
that thing on your back of thejacket is not a T for toboggan,
it's a first aid.
Jodie (24:30):
So when I left, Sorry, you're getting the applause in
the background, please, andthank you, thank you.
There you go.
Extra applause Absolutely, weare all part of one great big,
happy family, happy familypatrollers, it's just been the
bane of my life.
Marylou (24:49):
The bane of your life, Well, you know.
Well you know what been thebane of my life.
The bane of your life Well, youknow what's the bane of my life
Is when you make those phonecalls or those calls on the
radio saying, hey, we're goingto have a little practice out in
the middle of nowhere and it'ssnowing and you're cold.
And then you learn why youdon't take your gloves off to do
CPR.
Murphy (25:05):
Right.
Marylou (25:06):
Compressions no, I'd do those with gloves on.
Jodie (25:09):
Yes, so yes, sure, but Wait a minute, what is she doing
?
Murphy (25:16):
She's leaving?
I think she's leaving.
Marylou (25:18):
Is that it?
Didn't you say Well, that wasalmost it, so I was just going
to wrap it up by saying is thereanything else you want to add?
Anything you want to add.
Jodie (25:28):
I still want to go back to the whole thing about the
patroller, but I'm right withMary Lou on this.
So what rank?
Marylou (25:34):
were you when you got out of the military.
Jodie (25:36):
Colonel, colonel Whoa.
Marylou (25:40):
Yeah, okay.
Murphy (25:46):
I was a spec four, so I'm going to have a lot more
respect when I yell.
I started as PFC.
Did you really?
I did four years enlisted.
Jodie (25:52):
See, everyone starts at a basic, the best officer right
here, the best officers wereenlisted.
Marylou (25:58):
I will always say that.
Murphy (25:59):
I really wasn't.
They gave us a rank.
I was on active duty.
They gave us a rank and I wentto the Walter Reed.
Jodie (26:07):
Army.
Murphy (26:07):
Institute of Nursing to get my BSN.
Jodie (26:11):
Okay, now let's be fair here.
We're not talking about just auniversity down the way.
This is the Walter Reed.
Murphy (26:21):
That's right.
Marylou (26:22):
Where they treat presidents.
Murphy (26:24):
Yes.
Marylou (26:25):
And I have.
Murphy (26:26):
What.
Marylou (26:26):
Oh no, we've got to have that story.
Jodie (26:28):
You can't end and walk away and not give that one to us
, okay, so.
Murphy (26:32):
Not when I was a patroller.
Jodie (26:34):
Well, no, but you were a nurse.
Murphy (26:36):
Oh, but I was a patroller when I did take care
of the president of Fiji.
Jodie (26:40):
Of.
Murphy (26:40):
Fiji, yes, he was a resident in my ICU or I was the
head nurse of the ICU at WalterAid and he was very seriously
ill and the first lady was anurse and he must have spent at
least two months with us on myward.
He was too sick to go upstairsto the.
There's a special ward atWalter Reed for where all the
(27:04):
VIPs go, like when thepresident's sick and things like
that.
Jodie (27:07):
Now have you done a USA president care of no.
That's pretty impressive, king.
Marylou (27:14):
Hussein of Jordan, king Hussein, well, you could have
saved us a lot of money if youdidn't trade him.
No no no, no, no, let's keepthis.
Murphy (27:24):
No, the King Hussein, not the current King Hussein.
Oh, his dad, His father, whowas just in.
He was married to Queen Noor.
Marylou (27:31):
Yeah.
Murphy (27:31):
Yeah, just a really nice guy.
You know, there you go.
Yes, I was temporarily involvedwith the Reagan assassination
resuscitation.
Marylou (27:45):
Oh my goodness, Like Jim Brady and the whole thing.
Murphy (27:48):
My students and I took care of Mr Brady and You're
kidding, yeah, officer DellaHusse went to Washington
Hospital Center, but thepresident and Mr Brady stayed at
George Washington Hospital.
Jodie (28:07):
And you had the harder patient.
Murphy (28:10):
I was doing student teaching, getting my master's,
and I just happened to bebringing my students to George
Washington Hospital when he cameand it was really funny because
these guys came upstairs withtrench coats and everybody's
deaf.
Jodie (28:30):
Yeah, secret service okay , and it's like are you, captain
robinson?
Murphy (28:35):
yeah, they know where I am.
I'm supposed to be going toschool, follow us.
And I'm like I did nothingwrong.
I was trying to get a parkingsticker at the faculty parking
and the guy and what else areyou, I'm on active duty and he
goes, get out of here.
And he gave me a parkingsticker, so they're up there.
(28:55):
So we went down to the ER.
Okay, and they're going.
Do you know how to put up afloor bag?
So I'm setting up all the stuff, the chest tubes, you know for
bleeding, oh my goodness, and soyou know the guy looks a little
familiar.
Oh, oh, oh oh.
And then, finally, the WhiteHouse nurse got there and I walk
out and there's Nancy oh mygoodness Sitting on this little
(29:19):
couch and I went oh, this islegitimately high upper echelon
administration here, wow.
Wow, I've done a lot of work.
Jodie (29:36):
I mean, I've worked at places where we were told okay,
you know, you are now going tobe in the designated hospital.
Murphy (29:43):
Oh yes, oh yes, wow.
Every time the president wouldcome into Denver, when I was
head nurse of the emergency roomat Fitzsimmons, we would have
to set up the presidential bed.
Marylou (29:54):
The presidential bed?
Yes, at the hospital In the.
Murphy (29:57):
ER bed at the hospital in the er you said.
Anytime the president's in town, you set up a bed and in a
designated corner of youremergency room so in case the
president is sick and or injuredwhile in your city, um, that's
where he's going to go I did.
Marylou (30:13):
Is that yes?
Jodie (30:14):
I've been at a couple of ers, so he comes to visit, or
she comes to visit.
Marylou (30:19):
In this case, maybe in the future they set aside at any
like would it be Harborview inSeattle where that would happen
Probably?
Murphy (30:29):
But it depends on where they're going.
It could be Swedish orsomething.
It's going to be one of thehuge ICUs.
Oh, really Okay, You've got toaccommodate everybody, so you
have every single type ofmedical physician's specialty
available.
Jodie (30:42):
A level one trauma center .
I wouldn't be surprised if itwould be Harborview and then in
Oregon when they come toPortland, you have both OHSU and
Emanuel for the level one.
Marylou (30:52):
Oh wow, why do they always say that Harborview is
like the only level one that'sin the Northwest?
They are not.
They are the premier.
Murphy (31:02):
They always say that Harborview is like the only
level one that's in theNorthwest.
They are not.
They are not.
They are the premier in themodel that has been around for a
while.
However, there is traumastabilization in Tacoma, and
Mary Bridge Children's Hospitalis the designated trauma
hospital for that side of themountains.
(31:23):
You have to come here toSpokane for children's trauma
stabilization here.
What is it, sacred Heart?
Jodie (31:28):
Yes, Sacred Heart.
Murphy (31:29):
Okay, so no, but it's you know, and you have a level,
one level, two level three levelfour, depending on how many
physician specialties you haveand if you're level one they are
in the house all the time andin level two you have to have so
(31:50):
many minutes for them to get in.
Marylou (31:51):
Okay, that answers that question.
I mean, I knew it was somethinglike that, but yeah, that was
explained very thoroughly.
Murphy (31:58):
Well, I'm sorry.
Marylou (31:59):
No, I talked to him.
No, no, no.
Jodie (32:02):
So now Oregon has Portland, which is two in the
city of Portland have a levelone, yes, and then you go to
level twos, et cetera.
But yeah, right, and likeMontana does not have a level
one.
Murphy (32:13):
No.
Jodie (32:14):
When I worked in Montana, we would fly our patients to
Harborview or into Idaho, etcetera.
Murphy (32:19):
We would fly our patients to Harborview or into
Idaho, et cetera, or to the BirdCenter To us in Denver.
Yes, when the Army Hospital wasstill open, fitzsimmons, they
would come to Fitzsimmons.
And when Fitzsimmons closed andthe University of Colorado
bought it for a dollar, so thenthe University of Colorado
(32:41):
Hospital is like the premierhospital.
Marylou (32:44):
There's nothing in Alaska is there.
Not a level one no, no, you'vegot to fly down.
Jodie (32:48):
And that's a long flight, it's a long flight.
Yeah, I would not want to behurt in Alaska.
Yeah, so, but Anchorage, I meanthey have level twos, but
they're not a level one up inthere.
Murphy (32:58):
They probably have a two in Fairbanks.
Jodie (33:02):
Not to my understanding, well, no.
Murphy (33:04):
Maybe at Fort Rainwright .
Jodie (33:05):
Because Salem in Oregon Salem is a level two.
Murphy (33:09):
And then they have to have something in Juneau.
Something I mean the governor'sthere I'm sure they have to
have somebody.
Jodie (33:18):
This is amazing.
Murphy (33:21):
So no, I mean, mean I can go on and on, because I've
had experiences that nobody elsein the world has had, and you
know Well that's good.
Marylou (33:26):
I like to see we are learning all kinds of different
things today.
That's why I love this deal.
Jodie (33:30):
What would you like to recommend If you had a new
patroller?
Murphy (33:35):
in front of you.
Jodie (33:36):
And any words of wisdom or things to avoid.
Marylou (33:40):
Or.
Jodie (33:42):
Not, that's a good one.
What would you like to pass onto them?
Murphy (33:51):
you are never going to work harder at any other job in
your life than you are here, butyou will probably not get as
much enjoyment and satisfactioneither.
Stand by for a roller coaster.
Jodie (34:12):
Very true.
Murphy (34:13):
You will work your butt off, true, and you are working
with the finest group of peoplethat you could probably meet.
I like that one.
Jodie (34:27):
I like that.
That's a good one.
Marylou (34:29):
Wow, that's going to be a tough act to follow, I know.
Murphy (34:33):
But it's sort of like you know somebody's a beer
salesman.
Marylou (34:36):
Yeah.
Murphy (34:37):
Somebody's a Boeing executive.
Marylou (34:38):
Right.
Murphy (34:39):
Somebody's an elementary school teacher.
Somebody is unemployed anddesperately looking for
something.
Jodie (34:45):
Yes.
Murphy (34:46):
Lots of people are retired, but college kids,
everybody.
Microsoft people, but we're allBill, bob, jill and Joe.
We are not Mr, but there's norank.
Marylou (35:02):
That is very true.
I have learned that at the skipatrol.
Once you put that red jacket on, you are just a patroller.
Murphy (35:08):
Well, they do come in and say, colonel Robinson, it's
not.
Jodie (35:12):
We're going to fix this.
It's not just a patroller, weare patrollers.
Marylou (35:15):
We are a patroller.
Okay, we are patrollers.
Murphy (35:18):
We are patrollers and.
Marylou (35:19):
I have been a patroller now for 35 years.
Jodie (35:21):
Okay so we're all patrollers.
Murphy (35:25):
But how long have you been a patroller?
Jodie (35:29):
I am going on 21 years.
Murphy (35:33):
So even into the 1990s, when I retired from the and I
was looking for a place topatrol, went to a patrol and
coming out of Europe and theOlympics and I was not allowed
(35:54):
to apply because I wasn't a guy.
Marylou (35:58):
You were not a guy, okay.
Jodie (36:01):
That's unfortunate.
Murphy (36:03):
I came to Washington State.
I had no idea.
You know the pass the CrystalMountain.
Jodie (36:09):
Right.
Murphy (36:12):
So they said come on up.
I walked into the patrol roomand there were girls In Europe.
There were three women in theentire division, oh my goodness.
And there were no Europeanpatrollers that were women,
because at that time you had tobe a guy to be in the Burgwacht
(36:32):
or things like that.
So women didn't patrol inEurope until this century.
And we have come a long way.
But I could not believe my eyeswhen I walked into crystal
mountains patrol room and therewere women in there who had
patrolled for years whatpercentage of that patrol is
(36:52):
women now?
maybe a third to more than thatwhen you walk in it's not a half
, you know, but it's and thenumber of women paid patrollers
that we are getting issignificantly larger.
Marylou (37:07):
I think that's got to be pretty close to half on the
paid side.
Murphy (37:09):
Yes, and there's been a, and I will tell you.
We have women who are like fivefoot tall and weigh like 80
pounds.
I will tell you, we have womenwho are like five foot tall and
weigh like 80 pounds and theycan do anything that the big
200-pound patroller can do.
This on the pro side, it's likeincredible.
Marylou (37:30):
Oh, yeah, incredible.
Jodie (37:32):
Yeah.
Murphy (37:35):
It's always embarrassed getting out-skied by those women
too.
Marylou (37:45):
When you're learning tobogganing.
Murphy (37:45):
It's not strength.
No, that's all edge control.
And you, it's like, don't dothis.
Okay, they girlish dance, I go.
Edge control, ladies, edgecontrol yeah, yeah.
Marylou (37:57):
I learned that from a woman that I was doing my senior
test with, who was probablyfive, two, five, three, maybe
100 pounds soaking wet christy,real shit.
I learned more from her on howto handle a sled with you know
big guys that were in therebecause she couldn't muscle it
(38:17):
and I was like like oh okay,maybe if I just do what Christy
does.
Oh wow, this is a lot easier,right, because I didn't have to
like brute strength trying tohold something back.
Murphy (38:27):
Right, you know, and then you know high alpine
regions of Kansas too 300 feetof the best snow you can make.
Marylou (38:36):
Well, you know, 500 feet of the best snow you can
make.
Murphy (38:42):
Well, you know, but it's a very unique NSP patrol
because they produce patrollersfor the world.
Marylou (38:48):
Do they really?
Murphy (38:49):
They do.
The guys come over from theCommand and General Staff
College.
We become NSP patrollers therebecause we have sort of an
easier schedule that one year ofour entire career and um so
like when I graduated, um, twoof us went to europe, one went
to korea, the other guys came,went all over the united states
(39:11):
and it's this tiny little molehill on the missouri river bluff
.
It's technically not kansas,it's actually technically
missouri.
It's on the Missouri RiverBluffs.
It's technically not Kansas,it's actually technically
Missouri, it's on the Missouriside of the river oh my goodness
.
And they produce patrollers forthe world, wow.
Jodie (39:29):
That is true.
There is the assumption that ifyou're not skiing at a huge
mountain or very long, or allblack diamonds et cetera, that
you can't handle things.
Murphy (39:43):
And.
Jodie (39:44):
I grew up in southwest Michigan and little teeny
mountain when I say mountain,okay the hill was created.
And the snow was made.
The snow was made, but LittleSwiss Valley has had quite a few
and people that have gone on totry for the Olympics and
(40:04):
different things with thejumping and different things.
That way it's technique, it'sbeing exposed, and you don't
have to be at a giant or eventhe littlest it's.
Every place is unique, wow,okay, so on that.
Marylou (40:27):
Marilyn, thanks very much for coming.
Definitely, it was a veryenjoyable chat.
Murphy (40:32):
There's another little thing maybe.
Marylou (40:34):
Oh, okay, yes, yeah, go ahead.
Murphy (40:36):
You know when Saddam Hussein crossed the line and we
all had to go to the war, about95% of the entire European
division deployed to Saudi,kuwait, which left the wives
behind to help do the servicestuff that we did.
(40:58):
But so everybody at Nationalwent oh it's too bad, the whole
European division was like wipedout, except for a couple of IBM
guys and UPS guys.
I mean so civilians, you know.
So everybody else military.
And so they said show us apicture of you skiing the dunes
(41:22):
and it's a good year.
So we broke up wooden crates.
They were all jagged on the edge.
We duct taped them to ourcombat boots, climbed up a hill,
skied down.
We got a year credit.
Marylou (41:36):
Oh, you're kidding.
No, I think we may edit thatout, just to keep your ear.
Murphy (41:44):
They may want that back.
Those of us from Europe gotback in late April so we were
able to go up to theHennertuxins and ski a couple of
days.
Marylou (41:53):
Oh ski a couple of days .
Murphy (41:54):
Yes but yeah, for fun.
Marylou (41:57):
So you had crates duct taped onto your boots?
Yes, wow.
Murphy (42:02):
We did have skis.
Marylou (42:04):
Yeah, wow, no metal edges there.
Jodie (42:07):
No, can't even say that there was actually even a tip up
.
Murphy (42:12):
No, no, there was like the jacket thing, you know.
Jodie (42:16):
Got to ride back on the heels.
Marylou (42:18):
You had the back seat the entire time.
Murphy (42:21):
But yeah, I never skated dude again, but that was a cool
NSP history tidbit that somepeople probably don't know.
They were very supportive.
Jodie (42:36):
They were very supportive of the military.
I know a couple other peoplethat were that over at the same
time I think it was andreceiving credit.
Murphy (42:46):
And then, when I was in Rocket Mountain Division, they
gave us what's called a PatriotStar and you wear it on the cuff
if you're a combat veteran.
Jodie (42:57):
Of a ski jacket.
Murphy (42:58):
Of your NSP jacket and if you're a combat veteran, you
wear a Patriot Star.
Jodie (43:02):
Oh, interesting, yes, I have.
Do you have one on your?
Marylou (43:05):
jacket, because I'm going to ask people when I see,
hey, marilee, you know what?
That is right there, and justto see if they know if you have
it on your jacket.
Murphy (43:13):
You know I'm not supposed to have a jacket
because I'm not a first aid room.
No, but you're still a patrol.
I have a jacket only because Igo out and I'm ITing and when I
go to other mountains I have tohave a red jacket with a cross,
but I am not allowed to wear it.
Jodie (43:27):
Unfortunately, there are many patrols that if, even
though, when do you get yourcross?
You get your cross when you'redone with OEC and you have
completed your training.
And there are many patrols that, unfortunately, if you are not
an alpine skier, that when I saypatrols it's more sometimes the
(43:48):
ski area that says nope, youcannot have a white cross on
your back if you're out there.
Murphy (43:54):
That's what he said, only the alpine.
That's not a T for toboggan.
Marylou (43:59):
No.
Murphy (43:59):
That's a red cross for safety.
Jodie (44:01):
I mean that's a red cross for safety.
I mean it's a white cross forsafety on the first day.
But there's things that overtime that it's interesting.
I know several patrols thathave gone through quite an
interesting transition.
Interesting transition and,like at one area it's been a
(44:24):
debate of maybe you were analpine before, but now, because
of maybe injuries or differentthings, but you're not to wear
the white cross, and it's likewait a minute, but what do we do
?
Murphy (44:35):
All white cross stuff yeah.
Marylou (44:38):
Like everything.
Like I drop off a patient atthe first aid room and what and?
Murphy (44:42):
he runs as fast as he can.
Marylou (44:45):
Okay, let's be honest, I have to do the paperwork.
Murphy (44:47):
Yes, no not the computer stuff.
Uh, no, because because theyfirst said you drop them off in
the aid room, we'll do the.
I'm like I wasn't there.
I don't know what theconditions are exactly I don't
know if the skis are on or offand with right.
Okay, so you it.
And then I do the first aidcare, yeah, and then yeah.
Marylou (45:05):
Oh, it's wonderful cooperation.
Murphy (45:06):
I will say 50% of the major patients walk in the knees
, get a ride.
Marylou (45:14):
Right.
Murphy (45:14):
But the dislocated shoulders, the fractures, the
head injuries and the heartattacks walk in.
And there's nobody to do thepaperwork and nobody to help me,
because I'm in there by myself.
Yeah.
Marylou (45:27):
So we've had what four, five cardiac incidents in the
last year At least.
Murphy (45:34):
One day this year, in the span of 20 minutes, I had a
man walk in with a fracturedsternum that had paradoxical
movement, a fractured jaw thatwas out to here, but his airway
was okay Right.
A dislocated shoulder that hadbeen surgically repaired not too
(45:58):
long before that and had allthe little nuts and bolts
sticking out Okay, and a fatherhad scooped up the kid and
brought him in.
Marylou (46:10):
I've got to hang out with you in the first aid room.
I'll tell you, I've seennothing of this on top of the
mountain.
Jodie (46:14):
Exactly.
Murphy (46:15):
And I'm like could someone come down and help me?
Yep.
Marylou (46:21):
Hey, mary Lou, from now on I'm going to put this on
record.
You need to call and say Murph,can you come down and help me
at the mountain?
I would happily come down andget some of that experience.
We all know about Jack Ramseyno.
Murphy (46:32):
Jack has, when his heart was acting up.
Jodie (46:37):
See, Jack had to race down.
He's racing to be jack.
Murphy (46:41):
Jack will come on down he's.
He spent several days this yearwith me.
Jodie (46:45):
You're wonderful, jack.
Marylou (46:46):
We love you, yeah I don't love you because you beat
me to all the incidents oh, thishas been so informative.
Murphy (46:59):
So yeah, been around, been there, done that.
So in five divisions I've seena lot.
Marylou (47:07):
There's many ways to skin a cat.
Well, thanks for coming andtalking to us.
That was super nice.
I appreciate it, Mary Lou.
Jodie (47:13):
That was awesome.
Murphy (47:14):
So now just please destroy this tape, oh no
Self-destructing, we're going todestroy it.
Marylou (47:19):
In what five seconds?
Jodie (47:20):
Five, four, three, two.
Destroy this tape because, ohno, self-destructing, that's
right.
In what five?
Marylou (47:23):
seconds.
Isn't that five, four, three?
Murphy (47:24):
two, thirty years?
Jodie (47:24):
I don't know what it is.
Murphy (47:25):
Thank you.
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