June 4, 2025 • 50 mins
When Jim Trett first joined ski patrol in 1984, he could barely make it down the mountain. "I'm doing my make a pie and try not to fall down," he recalls with a laugh. That reluctant skier would go on to serve an incredible 40+ years as a patroller, including 33 years being on Mt Hood Ski Patrol at Mount Hood, OR before transferring to Santiam Pass Ski Patrol at Hoodoo Ski Area. This conversation reveals an extraordinary life of service across multiple domains. (Recorded in 2024)
The PNWD History Project: Shirley Cummings, the official history project coordinator, (& all around fabulous lady), has been on a mission: Collect and assemble an archive of stories and pictures from the different ski patrols within the Pacific Northwest Division. Hence, Patroller Chats was born!
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Transcript
Episode Transcript
Available transcripts are automatically generated. Complete accuracy is not guaranteed.
Richard Murphy (00:00):
Okay, so I'm going to start with how long
have you been a patroller?
Jim Trett (00:04):
Started in 1974 with Mount Hood.
It was there until aboutprobably seven, eight years ago
now, and then transferredBecause Detroit's only 37.2
miles from my driveway to theirparking lot oh, that's kind of
nice.
Decided I didn't need three skiareas anymore, and steep and
(00:25):
deep.
Richard Murphy (00:27):
Wow, okay, so you've been doing this for 50
years.
Jim Trett (00:31):
I did 40 this year, no 84.
I'm sorry.
Richard Murphy (00:35):
Oh, you started in 84?
84, yeah, okay.
Well, this is kind of easy mathbecause I was born in 64.
Jim Trett (00:41):
So let's go.
Richard Murphy (00:42):
Oh, okay, I can do that, you young pup yeah.
Yeah, but high mileage, highmileage, jim, that's it Okay.
So you've been out there 40years at Hoodoo.
Jim Trett (00:55):
So you know, shelly, yes, I do, and I've only been at
Hoodoo for about seven or eight.
I spent 33 on Hood.
Oh, okay, at Mount Hood SkiPatrol.
Jodie Jeffers (01:08):
Which is basically all of Y-East region.
Jim Trett (01:11):
Yeah, yeah, and I was the Y-East region director for
a while.
In fact, I'm the one thatchanged it from the Mount Hood
region to the Y-East region.
Richard Murphy (01:19):
Oh, were you the region director.
Jodie Jeffers (01:23):
He was the president, oh.
Jim Trett (01:25):
But I was also region director for a while.
Richard Murphy (01:27):
Oh, that's right , I forgot about that yeah, how
long were you the regiondirector?
Jim Trett (01:34):
I want to say I term limited out, so been what.
Six years and I haven't.
I cannot remember, I do notremember.
Jodie Jeffers (01:41):
Was that before or after?
Rod Legg.
Jim Trett (01:45):
I followed Rod.
Okay, so it was Rod and then me.
He kind of sucked me into that.
Richard Murphy (01:55):
So how did you get I believe the maritime term
is Shanghai'd into that job?
Because we just kind of did onehere a little bit ago and they
had to do some ginger cajolingand you know, trying to get
somebody in to be the RD for thenorthwest region yeah, that was
Rod, just kind of.
Jim Trett (02:16):
You know he was traveling, I think, to China a
lot for his job and but I can'tattend all the meetings.
I said, well, I can cover foryou while you're gone.
And next thing I know he's well, I'm going to leave the
position.
Nobody else wanted it, so hereI am, or was.
Richard Murphy (02:32):
Battlefield promotion, as I think they call
that somewhere.
Yeah.
Jim Trett (02:37):
It was a good time.
You know the division peoplewere fun.
We had fun getting together.
Liz was the PD Divisiondirector yeah, division director
were fun, we had fun gettingtogether.
Richard Murphy (02:46):
Liz was the um pd director yeah, division
director, and so we had a bunchof neat people yeah, I, let's
see, I'm trying to think becauseI I only have 10 years in, but
liz was the.
She was the division directorbecause I first started doing
stuff for her on the division.
So yeah yeah, but she wasdivision director, I think, for
(03:07):
like six years or so.
Yeah, yeah, she's been in therefor quite a while, that's it,
so all right.
One question I usually askpeople is why did you join the
ski patrol back in, uh, 1984?
What possessed you to do that?
Were you a skier beforehand,and not really I.
Jim Trett (03:26):
You know it's really wild, because I worked for
kaiser fire, as you know, and wedid medical stuff.
And the year before there hadbeen an article in an art in a
magazine or something about skipatrol and I said, you know,
that would be fun, but I can'tski worth.
But yeah, maybe they could havesomething in the first aid room
, but they didn't talk aboutthat, just working first aid
(03:48):
room.
So the following year I wasmentoring two boys who, uh, who
were avid skiers.
Their parents had been ski skiinstructors, but then there'd
been kind of a uh difficultdivorce and, uh, they hadn't
been able to go.
So I took them up to Meadowsand, um, you know, they're doing
their swish, swish and I'mdoing my make a pie and try not
(04:08):
to fall down.
And I finally looked at about11.
I said, hey, go, you guys, gofor an hour, just go, ski your
brains out.
And they're no, no, no.
And I said, yes, go, and I'llmeet you for lunch, then we'll
go out afterwards.
So I get in the singles line andthe ski patroller comes up from
Mount Hood and says follow me.
So we got to bust the lift line.
Oh, hey, that's pretty cool.
(04:29):
And then on the way up the lift, we started talking.
He found out what I did and hesaid well, you should join the
ski patrol.
I said ski with me and you'llsee why I can't, and that'll
take you about two turns.
And he turns and he told meabout what they call the
associate program, which wouldbe now today's patroller.
Yeah, well, that's exactly whatI've been thinking would be fun
(04:51):
to do.
So I, uh, he said, go into thefirst aid room.
Richard Murphy (04:53):
I did, and the rest is kind of history so well
did you use the ski patrol tolearn how to ski better?
Jim Trett (05:02):
oh, yeah, you know, I got, I got good enough that.
Uh, buzz Bowman, who was a longtime patroller with us patrol
for over 50 years, he would workwith me about four years in he
said, you know, you could tryout for the hill now.
And I, I think the next time Iwent up yeah, I might do that.
And the next time I went out,the weather hit me in the face
really hard and I said, you know, I like being in the first aid
(05:22):
room on days like this.
Let's go back in and havecoffee.
So and I and I think that'swhere my skill set was better
set, you know I'm kind of klutzyuh, I said, would I want to be
in the sled I was pulling?
And the answer was no, so Ijust stayed where I was and I've
been very happy for now 40years see, that's the new
(05:42):
recruiting question.
Jodie Jeffers (05:44):
Do you feel that you would be safe in the sled
that you'd be pulling?
Jim Trett (05:48):
yes, but, uh, yeah, so and that's pretty much how it
happened.
And then, uh, I intended tojust do what I need to do,
because I was looking at thosetwo kids, saying I can take them
up now and and they can getguest passes, and went from
there.
But then I really found anorganization I really like.
(06:10):
About halfway through mytraining year, my sister was
talking to somebody on the phone.
She said, yeah, jim's on theski patrol and he really loves
it.
And I looked at her and saidhow do you know?
Well, I guess I do, becausethat's where I am every weekend.
Richard Murphy (06:24):
Yeah, that's funny.
So you've been doing it for 40years, okay, and you mostly do
it in the aid room.
So what's been, I guess, yourmost funny, memorable event
during your time at Ski Patrol?
Jim Trett (06:40):
Oh God, I've had several.
I always remember we had a kidwho had a concussion.
He was from Sheridan, oregon,and he came in and in the time
he was in there because theywere trying to get an ambulance
and it was coming from a longway away.
He and I got to really having agood time together and on the
(07:00):
way out to the ambulance, when Ifinally got there, I looked
down at him and I said Steve,it's been great knowing you.
I, you know, really likegetting to know you.
I wish you'd remember metomorrow.
And he looked at me and gave methis weird look and about two
weeks later I'm in the samefirst aid room at Timberline and
the kid and his dad walk in andhis dad points at me.
The kid comes over and goes hi,I'm Steve, I guess we're good
(07:23):
friends.
And I said, yes, we are.
And he looked at me and said Idon't remember you at all.
I said I know we had a great one.
Jodie Jeffers (07:33):
I know one that you need to tell.
What's that?
That is about you and DarrylWinterborn.
Jim Trett (07:44):
Darryl Winterborn was our patrol patrol director and
this is at timberline.
Timberline and daryl is just abig bear of a guy, had beard,
easiest guy in the world to getalong with, just just a sweet
guy.
But he gets a call on flocks,which is one of the short
advanced runs, or black diamonds, a timberline.
(08:04):
But to get to it you have tocome down a gentle slope across
the flat road and then up alittle bit across the flat and
then you go down onto Phlox'srun.
So Darrell grabs the sled andhe's picking up speed on the
little down so he can get acrossthe flat and up and then across
the other flat he gets across.
(08:26):
He goes up, he's across theflat just about to go down
flocks.
He looks over and the patient'son his right, not on the run but
on this flat part.
So he throws the sled into aright turn, catches an edge,
edge and when he stops he'slaying with his face in the snow
and the sled literally at thetop of his neck base of his
skull.
(08:46):
He picks his head up with thesled still on him and looks at
the patient who's now two feetaway from him with eyes as big
as saucers and he goes skipatrol, can I help you?
And the lady looks at him andsays, is there anybody else?
And he goes no, I'm sorry.
(09:06):
And from there it went reallywell.
She really appreciated it, butit was just.
Only Daryl can get away withthat and come up with something
that fast.
Richard Murphy (09:15):
Is there anybody else?
Yeah, oh, that's a classic.
Jim Trett (09:21):
It went from there.
So we had a lot of fun likethat.
I had a kid family come in oneyear and it was like an older
boy, his brother, his olderbrother's high school brother,
comes in.
He's tweaked his knee.
I'm filling out the accidentform.
It turns out he's from Salemand I know you know the street
he lives on, as I remember, isEwald, and he and I are talking
(09:46):
and they take him out and alittle while later his
13-year-old brother in middleschool comes in.
He's tweaked something.
I think it was his name.
And so I'm filling out theaccident form and I said so I,
you know, and I just wrote hisname down.
I said you know, I can'tremember his name.
I said Danny, so I know youlive on Ewell, but I can't
(10:06):
remember the address.
And he looks at me and says howdo you know where I live?
And it's the only time I've hada fast comeback.
I looked at him.
I said well, danny, I'm afirefighter and I have to know
where these addresses, you knowwhere people live so I can come
if they need help.
And oh, okay, so he gives methe numbers and I said now do
you go to Leslie or Judson, themiddle school out that way.
How do you know where I go toschool?
(10:29):
And that happens.
And your phone number is thisright?
How do you know my phone number?
And I just keep I'm afirefighter.
Finally, I asked him a question, I were telling him the answer,
and he goes.
He looks at his dad.
Dad, how does he know all thisstuff?
His dad didn't even skip a beat.
Sonny told you he's afirefighter and he's got to know
(10:50):
where know this stuff.
Two months later, in a wrestlingmatch at Blisley, where he goes
to school, there's his dad.
I said how's the kid?
He said well, on the way out ofthe first aid room I said you
know, I should tell him that wefilled out his brother's form
two hours earlier.
And his dad goes.
Oh no, please don't, I'm goingto have to deal with this.
(11:10):
So two months later I go into awrestling meet at Judson and
there's the dad.
I said how is he?
He goes, he's fine, he's rightup there.
I said did you ever tell him?
He said no, no, just go up andsay hi.
So I go up to the bleachers.
Hey, I took care of you whenyou were at Timberline.
How'd you know I was here.
I'm a firefighter.
I have to know where you are.
I have to do some follow-up kidWas shaking his head like well,
(11:34):
my.
Richard Murphy (11:34):
God oh my goodness.
Jim Trett (11:36):
So it's been.
You know we've had good timesand some not so good times, but
you know some cases that I'dlike to not think about anymore,
but for the most part it's beenjust a ball.
Jodie Jeffers (11:47):
you know A lot of friends and a lot of good times
on the Hill and off the Hillreally.
So when I joined it was theBill and Jim show at Timberline,
and literally these two hadeverybody in stitches and Jim
(12:09):
was the first aid chief at thetime.
But what I never was clear onis were you and Bill high in the
same class, or how did you guysstart off?
Jim Trett (12:19):
Well, we were in the same.
But see back, then they werestill using advanced first aid
for the Red Cross, and so when Isigned up at EMT, they looked
at me and said, well, you don'thave to do this because you're
already trained.
And so I missed and I regretthat to this day not being in
that class because I didn't get.
It was some great people.
(12:40):
But when they saw me in October, they're who's this guy?
He was never in our class, butbill and I um, that's how we met
is at the beginning of that,our apprentice year, and it just
kind of clicked between the twoof us and he called you know, I
called him dupas, he called memoron and they had everybody
(13:02):
just always laughing in upatberline.
Jodie Jeffers (13:04):
It was great.
So I know you won't speak of alot of this, so I have to prompt
.
And then, being president ofthe Mount Hood, but tell a
(13:28):
little bit of background on howwe had the different logos and
how Auxiliary AssociatePatroller came to be a lot more
equal at Y-East and Mount Hoodyeah.
Jim Trett (13:41):
When I first joined, you had to carry first aid
supplies, but you had to carrythem in your coat pocket.
They would like if you had ared coat with nothing on it.
They still would prefer you nothave a red coat, and so that's
how we patrolled.
But you got a radio and you hadto have an armband with the
patrol shield on it.
That was instead of how you goton the lift.
Richard Murphy (14:04):
But so I'm skiing around.
Jim Trett (14:06):
Yeah, oh, okay, it was just right in front.
They didn't want you identifiedin any way, shape or form on
the hill.
And when I became first aidchief or associate director, I
think it was I was that first.
I was talking to DarylWinterborn and he you know
(14:26):
where's your first aid supplies?
I said they're in my coatpocket.
He said why don't you have themin a fanny pack?
We're not supposed to.
And so he and I had aconversation and he went to the
executive council and said,beginning immediately, all
associates will have first aidsupplies in a fanny pack.
Couldn't have any idea on it.
And then they said well, youcan put a shield on it, okay,
(14:47):
fine.
So we did that for a while.
There was a push for some kindof logo that said that you were
okay, that you were a patroller.
So we got this blue coat withthis half moon thing with kind
of stitching to show themountain and it did say Mount
(15:09):
Hood, ski Patrol, but then itsaid first aid across it.
My problem with that became Iwas skiing down one of the runs
one day and there's a littletrail that took off into the
trees and I and coming down thiskid was waving and I went over
and he said my friend hurthimself on this run and could
you get the ski patrol?
I said well, I am the skipatrol, show me where the kid is
(15:31):
.
So we went in and he hurt hisknee pretty badly and I looked
at the kid.
I said go back where you were.
There's a guy coming with asled.
Come on, bring him into here sowe can get your friend off the
hill.
I'm come on, bring him intohere so we can get your friend
off the hill.
I'm taking care of the boy.
My head, my back is up, pointinguphill, and all of a sudden I
hear this very angry voicesaying what the hell are you
(15:54):
doing to my son?
And it was like I'm on the skipatrol and there.
And it got a little tense for awhile until I could turn around
and point to the shield on my,on my breast pocket.
And so he oh, okay, we got downto the bottom of the hill and
to the bottom of the lift and helooked at me and said I am so
(16:14):
sorry, but I just saw a guyleaning over my son in the woods
and I said I don't mind.
So that kind of amped up our,our push for redcoats and
eventually we went to redcoatswith full identification, the
cross on the back, with theunderstanding that if you were
going to ski someplace where youcouldn't ski comfortably, you
(16:35):
had to take that coat off andput on an unmarked coat if you
wanted to practice.
And we enforced that ratherrigidly.
Jodie Jeffers (16:43):
But that didn't come about until what?
2010?
Jim Trett (16:47):
2010, something like that.
Yeah, it's been a while, Maybea little before that.
I can't.
Time flies.
I lose track of Maybe aboutthen.
Yeah.
Richard Murphy (16:58):
So if you weren't an elegant and graceful
skier, you had to go put on yourpersonal jacket.
If you're on a green run doingwell, you could wear the white
cross but yeah, it was.
Jim Trett (17:10):
Well, it wasn't.
It wasn't even green, it was.
They just said, if you can skithat, run whatever it is blue or
or, uh, green or even an easyblack you could do it.
But you had to look like youknew what you were doing and if
you wanted because we had a lotof people who joined the patrol
didn't have the skiing ability,so they joined as an associate
(17:33):
in a couple years, work on theskiing, kind of like I did, and
then try out for on the hill,and so we had a lot of people
going through that way.
In fact there was some talk bysome of the more senior ski
patrols saying that's how weshould bring all our new people
on, as you worked the first twoyears in the first aid room.
So that was where we said, ifyou're going to ski something
(17:56):
where you're trying to getbetter, put on a coat that
doesn't identify you as skipatrol, because you have to look
like you know what you're doing, which I totally agree with,
and they enforce that prettywell.
I mean, if you see a kid or anassociate patroller, as we call
the patroller thrashing aroundon a hill, we'd go up to them
(18:17):
and say, go in and take thatcoat off, and if you didn't
bring another coat, don't ski it.
So but it worked, and slowly.
I guess now with Mount Hoodthey can take some extra
training to confirm this andactually run empty sleds and
they've become part of thesit-bump and everything else
(18:39):
that is something that happensat Timberline.
Jodie Jeffers (18:41):
I know for sure.
Jim Trett (18:43):
Yeah, so I mean it's evolved over the years and I
think they've done a great job.
Richard Murphy (18:50):
So what was the transition like?
Going from Timberline over toHoodoo?
Jim Trett (18:56):
Interesting.
You know they did things.
First thing you have toremember is I had to figure out
is they did things differently.
They had their own way.
Some of it I was reallycomfortable with.
Some of it I still kind of go.
I like the way we did it at theother place, but I'm sure if
I'd gone the other way it'd bethe same thing.
It's more of a family kind ofresort.
(19:17):
I remember the first year I wasthere I was eating lunch in the
cafeteria, looking out at thebowl, at the base of the runs,
the lifts, and I'm looking athere comes a snowboarder, here
comes this, here, here comes asnow bike, here's a little girl
running a remote controlledtruck out in the basin with her
dad there.
She was doing it by herself,doing a great job.
(19:37):
And then here comes aparaglider because they would
let them ride the lift up.
And I, yeah, this is a realfamily resort and they've done a
real good job being a familyresort and taking care of
families.
So it's different.
It's, you know, like with MountHood Ski Patrol.
You had your choice of reallyfour ski areas.
(19:58):
Well, three Timberline, skiBowl and Summit and Mount Hood
Meadows.
But they went to teams fairlyquickly.
So yeah, but at Hoodoo it'sjust a nice family feel there
and we go from there.
Richard Murphy (20:18):
Yeah, my brother skis at Timberline all the time
.
That's kind of his deal and hebrought his kids there.
But Timberline all the timethat's kind of his deal and
brought his kids there.
So of all the places that areon Hood, that's the one that I
know the best.
So it's fun.
I like skiing there.
Jim Trett (20:33):
I haven't been down to New.
Richard Murphy (20:34):
York.
I want to get down there and Ineed to make a pilgrimage to all
of the resorts that we have inthis division, because there's
some fun skiing, that's around.
Jim Trett (20:43):
Yeah.
Richard Murphy (20:44):
It's nice.
Jim Trett (20:45):
Let me know when you're coming.
Well, we'll put you out thereor something, and that, right
there is why I love the skipatrol because you have a
built-in community of peoplethat just love to ski hey, if
you're coming over here.
You know it's like, if you wantto come over to crystal mountain
, call me, we'll get somethingworked out okay, no, it's just,
(21:05):
it's, it's good, feel, you know,um, it's a smaller patrol than
than, uh, mount hood, mount hoodand uh, uh, so you really get
to know everybody.
We only have about 48 membersand I think it's less than that
right now, um, where mount hoodhad 250, 300 people.
So, um, but we still had goodtimes up there.
(21:27):
That's where I got better atskiing, because I never had a
patrol or ski away from me.
I'd be going, you guys go ahead, I'm just going to do my wedge.
I was a little past the wedgeby that point, but no, no, we're
going to stick with you untilyou get this right.
And they did.
Richard Murphy (21:43):
Yeah, there's a guy who just became an alumni
member.
I think I got his email twodays ago.
He sent it out to the patrol,ross Bishop, I don't know if you
know Ross.
He's been around for 50 yearsand he said after 50 years I'm
going alumni.
But when I was doing my seniorI spent, yeah, 10, well, seven
(22:05):
years just really learning howto ski again because I was
self-taught.
So Ross spent hours and hoursnagging my ski ability, getting
me to.
You know ski properly anddrills to do and, you know,
arranging for PSIA level threeguys to come out to our mountain
so that we could have you know,professionals come out a couple
(22:27):
of times.
It was just.
It was fantastic.
I have lots of warm feelings inmy heart for Ross Bishop.
I'm sure I ruined many ski daysfor him when he was helping me
learn.
Jim Trett (22:41):
That'd be me with Buzz Bowman.
He'd just look at me.
Richard Murphy (22:49):
No ski, pretty ski pretty, jim, just ski pretty
, you'll be fine.
Yeah, that's it.
So how do you know, jody?
Jim Trett (22:54):
she joined the patrol um jody jim first.
I can't remember which camefirst it.
Jodie Jeffers (23:13):
Well, it was how did no, okay, so I joined the
patrol.
You were the first aid chief,and then, um, there was a group
of people that um sort oforganized, that would get
together weekly on Friday nightsat Porter's Pub.
Jim Trett (23:35):
Yeah, and that had nothing to do with ski
patrolling, but it was a fungroup.
We'd get together on Fridaynight and we became something I
developed when I was a discjockey.
I put together the church andthe seven-day drinkers one day
on an air shift because I hadnothing else to talk about.
So my news guy and I came upwith it and then when I joined
(23:58):
the fire department, we juststarted.
Friday night we went out fordinner just to kind of end the
week.
Friday night a bunch of uswould go out for dinner just to
kind of end the week, and I toldthat story one night and all of
a sudden the church was in fullbloom every Friday night at
Porter's Pub in Kaiser and somenight we'd have up to 25 people
there for services quote-unquoteon a Friday night.
Richard Murphy (24:19):
So I'm just going to go back.
See, I've been making notes.
So currently you're the mayorof Detroit.
You work for the firedepartment.
Were you the fire chief at onepoint?
Jim Trett (24:36):
No, I was a line guy, worked the engine and stuff
like that.
The last 14, I was the publiceducation information officer.
I've done a lot of work withkids and when they wanted to
move into school classes,especially educate you know fire
safety, first aid, cpr thingsthey just that's you.
And then, because if you'reever in broadcasting TV or radio
, anytime you join anyorganization they make you part
(24:58):
of their PR committee.
And I became the public girl,the public information officer
for the fire district, andactually I had it unofficially
before that.
Jodie Jeffers (25:09):
And then Jim was first the fire chief of Detroit
before he became the mayor ofDetroit.
Richard Murphy (25:17):
Yeah, okay, so I'm making this to us here.
Fire chief of Detroit.
Yeah, okay, so there's my alexanagging me, so, um, but you
mentioned something there.
It closing just a couple ofseconds ago.
You were also a disc jockey.
When were you a disc jockey?
Jim Trett (25:38):
oh god, that was my first radio career, or my first
career.
I was going to college.
Actually, when I was in highschool I was the oregon youth
chairman for the musculardystrophy association and we had
this campaign of doing recordhops against dystrophy.
They'd go, they'd go into atown and ask the radio station
to do this promotional thing fora month or two and and I'd go
(26:01):
in and record the commercialsand I kind of thought that was
pretty neat.
And uh, the guy I worked with ata radio station in salem for
that promotion, about the time Iwent to bend to go to college,
he went to bend become a programdirector in a daytime radio
station and he looked at me.
We kind of hung on to eachother because we knew each other
.
And uh, we were not really wellfrom salem but we knew each
(26:22):
other.
And and all of a sudden helooked at me and said, hey, I
need an afternoon guy playingrock and roll.
Would you want to do that?
I could use a job, sure.
So I did that and then ended upgoing full time into it for
about 12 years.
Richard Murphy (26:37):
So what radio station was it?
And so you were first question.
You were drive time like in theafternoon.
Jim Trett (26:46):
Afternoon.
Well, that's a pretty popularthing in the radio business.
Well, except that station wentoff the air at sunset.
Richard Murphy (26:53):
Well, still, you were yeah.
Jim Trett (26:55):
Back then they had daytime radio stations.
You could come on at 6, but youhad to go off at sunset.
So January December, we weregoing off the air at 4.30 in the
afternoon.
Oh, okay.
Richard Murphy (27:04):
I did not know that.
Jodie Jeffers (27:05):
What was the call sign?
Jim Trett (27:06):
What was the call sign?
And then it was KGRL, k-girl,and it was a fun little gig, did
you?
Jodie Jeffers (27:17):
do it at another spot.
Jim Trett (27:19):
Then I came to KBZY in Salem, so yeah, I moved
around, so what was it?
Richard Murphy (27:24):
KGBY KBZY in.
Jim Trett (27:26):
Salem.
So, yeah, I moved around.
So what was it?
Kgby, kbzy, okay, yeah, andthen it went down to KFLY, kejo
and Corvallis, so it was an AMFMoperation.
So yeah, it was an interestingjob.
Glad I got into it, glad I gotout of it it was an interesting
(27:46):
job.
Jodie Jeffers (27:47):
Glad I got into it, glad I got out of it.
But then from there.
Jim Trett (27:55):
When did you start working for?
Was it a judge or who?
Was it in Oregon legislature?
Well, I went to work for theminority whip, wally Carson,
heidi Kuhn, really highly lookedupon by both Republicans and
Democrats.
He was a moderate Republicanback then, but nothing like it
is now.
So I was his legislative staff.
(28:16):
I just wanted to see what itwas like.
I was going to volunteer andall of a sudden he said hey, we
have this.
It was right after I'd left theradio, I was trying to stay in
Oregon, and he said well, I needthis legislative staff guy if
you want to do that.
And I said sure, and so workedwith him for a couple of years.
(28:36):
You know his last term becausewhen I met him he was running
for what he said was going to behis last term and it was his
last term and it was.
He went on to become the chiefjustice of the Oregon Supreme
Court and is, as of right now,the longest-serving chief
justice.
And I didn't care if you're aRepublican or a Democrat.
(28:57):
Every Democrat I've talked toeven said he's a guy that I can
support.
You know, a lot different thanit is now.
Richard Murphy (29:04):
Wait a minute.
So he is currently the chiefjustice.
Jim Trett (29:06):
No he's retired, oh, okay, yeah, but he became the
chief justice after he left.
Well, he got appointed tocircuit court, then the Supreme
Court and then finally, chiefjustice.
Richard Murphy (29:20):
Wow, you hang out with some heavy hitters.
Jim Trett (29:23):
Oh yeah, I did work on Tom McCall's second campaign
for governor.
He was a broadcaster inPortland, just make a name.
I saw him once in dedication tothe Boys and Girls Club.
I was on the board but I wasworking at KVZY there and he'd
(29:44):
been a political analyst for kgwin portland and until he got to
be the governor and he'srunning for his second term and
he's there to dedicate the boysclub and we're having at the
diaz and I'm comparing his 33years of broadcasting to my two
or three at the time.
At the end of it I said well,governor, if you're running for
re-election, if I wanted to getinvolved, how would I do that?
(30:06):
Call ron sch, call Ron Schmidtmy press secretary.
Okay, I didn't.
And then three months later I'mat the dedication of a pool at
Hillcrest School for Girls andhe's there to cut the ribbon.
I'm supposed to judge thebeauty contest.
That was interesting, andafterwards we're doing the
social hour.
He comes up to me.
I say hi, governor.
(30:26):
He said Trent, you never calledSchmidt.
I said I'll do it tomorrow, sir, and ended up on his campaign
staff as a troubleshooter.
So great guy.
Great guy Wow so what does atroubleshooter do?
I wasn't married and living,you know, sharing an apartment
(30:49):
here in Salem and they wouldcall me.
Schmidt was my main contact.
He was the governor's presssecretary but took a leave of
absence to run part of thecampaign.
And they'd call me from thePortland office and say, hey, we
need somebody in Ontariotomorrow morning at eight
o'clock.
Can you leave right now?
(31:09):
And I'd say I can leave in anhour, Okay, fine.
And I'd go over and they'd tellme what the problem was and I'd
go flying over and I guess,because I was from the office or
campaign headquarters, theytook stock in what I did.
I'm going.
I have no, I'm just telling youwhat they told me to tell you.
But so they moved me all overthe place and well, from there
(31:31):
it was.
It was an interesting time,Great job, I loved it.
And when the election was over,it was over, so I went from
there.
Jodie Jeffers (31:40):
But all this, I think, helped you when you had
the major event where the firecame through the canyon and
burned up Detroit.
Jim Trett (31:52):
Yeah, yeah, 90% of town went down.
How long ago was this Huh?
Richard Murphy (31:59):
How long ago was this?
Jim Trett (32:01):
This was 2000 and.
Labor Day weekend 2020.
We got hit by two nights in arow by two different fires, but
the Beech and Creek fire yeah,the big event that happened,
where multiple towns got burnedup.
Jodie Jeffers (32:20):
Yeah, I remember that you were safe up in
Washington.
Jim Trett (32:23):
Yeah, yeah, 90% of Detroit went to the ground those
two nights.
What's it like now we're comingback.
Fema says we're coming backfaster than most cities they've
ever worked with.
Part of that is because theycan't help second homeowners and
so the second homeowners said,get out of the way and took care
(32:44):
of their property but alsobegan helping their neighbors
who didn't have insurance orolder folk who are underinsured
and all that kind of good stuff.
So we're coming back fairlyfast.
We still have about probablyfive, six years to go before
we're back to some kind ofnormal, but it's coming along.
We have good days and bad days.
Richard Murphy (33:02):
Right, that's so a huge chunk of your
infrastructure burned to theground.
Jodie Jeffers (33:08):
I mean, wow that, wow 90 of the town yeah, yeah,
you guys probably didn't hearabout it as much, um, because
it's the one that went down thecanyon and went into gates lions
um down in medford area, wheretalent and phoenix all burned up
so there were about four majorfires burning that weekend.
Jim Trett (33:30):
Actually, the Echin Creek fire came down, kind of
hit Detroit, went down thecanyon towards Salem, then went
north and they actually got asfar north as almost Oregon City
183,000 acres burned out.
But so it's been an interestingtime.
I mean we were without waterfor seven months because our
(33:51):
water, everything above groundof our water plant system,
burned down.
So, uh, we're just nowrebuilding the permanent water
plant because we got a bunch ofmoney from fema for it, but it's
taken three years to get it,you know yep, that was uh.
Jodie Jeffers (34:09):
I was working in the ear that night at salem and
got off in the morning.
But we had heard I think it wasabout three o'clock or I can't
remember what time in themorning was start uh,
discharging as many people asyou can because uh, silverton uh
hospital had just had their ershut at, transferred everybody
(34:31):
out.
San diem uh hospital had totransfer all their patients out
and just have the core ifanybody happened to come into
the er and uh.
And then you just saw thisorange ball just keep coming
closer and closer.
It was scary.
Jim Trett (34:50):
Scary couple nights yeah.
Richard Murphy (34:53):
Yeah, I believe it or not, I delivered internet
to these base camps viasatellite years ago and I never
really understood the wholefirefighting thing until I was
driving to my first, you know,wildland fire and I was going
(35:14):
off of GPS coordinates, you know, back in the day.
So I was looking, trying tofind out, and I was looking on
the map and all of a sudden itopened up into this field and
there was a city in the middleof this field.
And there was a city in themiddle of this field and by city
it was tractor trailers thathad restaurants, you know, for
all the firefighters, a showerfacility, first aid.
(35:36):
I couldn't believe everythingthat they trucked in to, you
know, make these firefightingthings possible.
They had the prisoners from thejail that were actually cooking
.
You know all the food for thefirefighters, I was like holy
man, this is some seriousbusiness.
And then when you look, you knowway, you know in the distance,
(36:00):
because these base camps aren'tanywhere near the fire you can
see how fast that fire is movingand it's just, it is
unfathomable really.
When you see a fire moving atlike 50 miles an hour, it's like
whew, that's just the amount ofsmoke it produces.
Yeah, it's scary, scarybusiness.
Jim Trett (36:15):
Well, every year I do first aid CPR training for
their firefighting crews for thesummer.
Actually, that starts next weekand I always look for the new
hires because we get into theclass and they have a friend up
there that is a wildlandfirefighter.
He's one of their hierarchyguys, so he'll come into the
room I'm teaching and as soon asI see him I'll look at these
(36:36):
new hires who are young, goingto fly fire kind of people, and
I'll look at them and say, oh,by the way, I think you guys are
totally nuts.
And they look at me like what?
And I said you fight fires thatcan outrun you.
That is stupid.
And then Russ, in the back ofthe room, who's the guy that's
(36:59):
been there forever he'll trip upfrom the back saying no, no, no
.
You structural fires are totalidiots because you run into
buildings smart people aretrying to run out of, and by
then the new hires are going huhand we just okay, let's go back
to first aid.
So we have some frying pan tothe fire.
Richard Murphy (37:22):
Yes, oh, good lord, there you go from there
well we've been on looking forthat we've been on the phone for
like 40, well, it's just now 40minutes, it's amazing how fast
those things go when Jody and Ifirst started, you know, trying
to put this thing together, wego yeah, well, you know people
may talk for 10, 15, 15 minutes.
(37:45):
Remember that, jody.
Even though Jody's on mute,I'll talk for her.
Jim Trett (37:50):
Yeah.
Richard Murphy (37:50):
And she was like , yeah, oh yeah, it's only going
to be just a couple of minutes.
And then we started talking topeople and we go, you know, 30,
40 minutes just getting somehistory on you know different
people that have been in the skipatrol and it's funny, you know
, at 10 years.
I am just now getting to wheremost of the people I know have
(38:11):
been in ski patrol, because I'malways amazed where you've got
somebody.
You 40 years, you know it goes30 years, 20 years and here I am
like 10 years.
I just feel like a neophyte.
But with all the stories thatare on there, it it's like oh my
God, it is so interestingtalking to a bunch of alumni.
Jodie Jeffers (38:30):
So I appreciate you spending this time.
Yeah, I think it's just amazingand we need to find out more
about when people came in.
But I mean, their life historyis just flabbergasting to me of
wow, it is really we have from Ato Z and back again of people's
different experiences.
But with the patrol, what wouldyou say would be the top three
(38:56):
things that you've noticed bigchanges with overall, with ski
patrol?
Jim Trett (39:03):
The growth in emergency care because, like I
say, when I started it wasadvanced first aid and then we
went to the WEC and then the OECchanged.
You know, I had a guy here atKaiser Fire who joined the
patrol for a few years and hehad just completed, and here's
how this was when it was WEC, hewas trying, he had just
(39:25):
finished his EMT basic class andhe's now it was WEC, he was
trying, he had just finished hisEMT basic class and he's now
taking the WEC class and backthen they had the textbook and
then the workbook.
And he's going through theworkbook trying to answer and
all of a sudden he looked at itand he really started reading.
He ended up taking the coveroff of his WEC book and the
(39:45):
cover off his EMT basic book andputting the WEC cover on the or
the EMT cover on the.
What was it?
He'd put the WEC book cover onthe EMT book and turn it in
because it was already completeand it was right.
The only thing that wasdifferent were the pictures and
(40:15):
uh, so I mean, so you've seenthat, uh, and you know it, it's
become, um, a little moreintense, I think, than when back
then, because we did.
Finally, I think, recognize asvolunteers.
Even though we're volunteers,uh, we really are professionals.
I mean, we have the same levelof training, if not more, than
some of the pro patrollers.
Some of them have more.
But I just think that's.
Those are some of the bigchanges that I've seen, you know
(40:37):
.
And patrolling is also like Itold you.
I took those two kids upbecause they hadn't been skiing
for a couple of years and gavethem that experience.
It ended up I do a lot ofmentoring and it got to the
point where any kid that Istarted to mentor, okay, let's
go up, you're going to learn howto ski or snowboard.
Timberline was great with thatbecause I wasn't supposed to
(40:58):
have a family pass, because Ididn't have a family.
But Darrell was one of themthat started it.
He said if you're bringing upkids who are in this big brother
type program that we had inSalem at the time, you can bring
up two or three of them, notjust one.
Bring up a couple of theirfriends.
And so those kids were exposedto the sport and some of them
(41:18):
have carried on with it.
They still go to Timberline.
So Timberline has benefitedbecause a lot of the kids that
learned there.
That's where they're taking nowtheir kids to teach, and some
of them come to Hoodoo becauseI'm there and they go from there
.
But that's the other thing thatpatrol has done, at least in my
world, is it's made it possiblefor me to make an impact, I
(41:39):
hope, on another program that Ireally feel strongly about.
Jodie Jeffers (41:43):
Yeah, and then also you had that happen at
Summit when Charlie Wessingerwas the owner.
Jim Trett (41:51):
Yeah, and you know I could take good old Charlie
Summit, if you don't know, iskind of this one lift 800 foot
vertical and they had a skiinstructor and I'd bring kids up
and say they need a lesson andI'd get out my checkbook and
Charlie would just, oh no, justput him in the class.
(42:13):
So I mean he supported it thatway and we went from there.
But it was, you know.
So a lot of kids got someexperiences that they probably
wouldn't have had other thanthat.
So without the program andwithout the help from those
areas, had other than that.
Richard Murphy (42:31):
So without the program and without the help
from those areas, that's so youdo a lot of the big brother kind
of mentoring.
Jim Trett (42:35):
Yeah, I, I became a big brother when I was in san
francisco for a little bit andthen when I moved back up, here
I was, I was a ymca brat growingup and, um, I got to know a guy
who was blinded in World War IIby a sniper.
I just idolized him.
I came back up here and he saidwell, how long are you here for
(42:55):
?
I said I moved back.
Well, what did you do downthere?
I said, well, I got involvedwith the Big Brothers of America
.
He jumped up.
He was blind.
He jumps up, leans across,grabs my arm and said we're
starting a program like thathere at the Y.
You're on the committee.
I may be moving to Portland, I'mnot sure You're on the
(43:17):
committee, the director of theprogram, for about three years
as a volunteer, and then I didtake it over for a little over a
year because of a grant and Iwould have stayed with it.
But when the grant expired theywanted to break up what that
position did to about fourdifferent positions and I said
(43:40):
no, the passion is working withkids in single-parent homes and
the other stuff is going to taketoo much time.
So I had another job off in theprivate sector and off I went.
But, I still mentor kids andI've done some fostering.
Jodie Jeffers (43:51):
Yeah, yeah, and but you were down in San
Francisco, was that?
When you had joined the Navy?
Yeah, yeah.
Jim Trett (43:59):
So, uh and and went from there.
So yeah, it's.
It's been an interesting, I'vehad a fun time.
Richard Murphy (44:08):
All right.
So when were you in the Navy?
Jim Trett (44:11):
I joined halfway through my junior year in the
Reserves and then went activeand then got kicked out because
I was technically blind in myright eye and shouldn't have
gotten in in the first place.
Richard Murphy (44:25):
What year was that 1964?
Jim Trett (44:27):
to 1966 in there somewhere alright, holy cow.
Richard Murphy (44:38):
Wow the US Navy.
I grew up in a Navy town, so Iknow all about the Navy except I
was a CB, so I spent more timewith the Marines.
Jim Trett (44:49):
Oh okay, yep, Fully, understandable, I never got on a
ship that left the port.
Richard Murphy (44:53):
Yeah, you know at NAS would be.
They barely have any Marinesthere.
They used to.
They don't even do gatesecurity anymore.
Back when I was a kid that'sthe pool, so we would go there
to go learn how to swim and dothese other things all on base.
You know now you can't even getanywhere near that bloody place
.
But the pool I learned to swimin was in Officer and a
(45:15):
Gentleman.
When they take the dunker theygo through, it's the plane that
hits the water and flips over.
That was the pool that Ilearned to swim in.
My mom taught there.
That's neat.
Jim Trett (45:27):
That's neat, that's neat oh yeah.
Good catch for stuff.
Richard Murphy (45:35):
Yeah, that was good.
Yeah, my mom did a lot ofvolunteering, so I'm a big
proponent of that, which is whyI love to volunteer.
Jim Trett (45:43):
It's good, I'm glad.
Richard Murphy (45:45):
You've done a lot of fantastic stuff over the
years, holy cow, it's good.
Jim Trett (45:48):
I'm glad You've done a lot of fantastic stuff.
Over the years, holy cow Everynow, and then I look at myself
in the mirror and say, why areyou doing this?
But then something else happensand it's okay.
I've always said with thevolunteer stuff I've gotten back
more than I've ever given.
(46:08):
I had a kid one time.
He was two brothers.
The younger brother was reallyquiet.
I got to where I could read himand if something was wrong,
what's the matter?
I need nothing and I'd stick itup.
Finally tell me and I alwaysremembered, you know I'd usually
at the end of our conversation,okay, here's, I understand, you
know.
Sorry, this is going on, it'llget better, kind of thing, and I
(46:29):
put my arm around his shoulderand say, hey, it's going to be
better tomorrow, you'll be fine.
So one day his mom had a chanceto go on vacation with her
girlfriend.
So I'm playing dad to these twokids and I had a really, really
bad day at work, and this wasthey were in Portland, I'm in
Kaiser, so I'm driving back up.
This is when I was at the walk.
I'm going to be dad,everything's everything.
(46:51):
So I'm cooking dinner and David, the younger one, comes in and
he's helping me a little bit andthen all of a sudden I hear
what's wrong and I went nothingand he kept it up.
So after dinner I'm sitting onthe couch watching TV and he
comes up and he'd never done itbefore.
He sits right down, right nextto me, leans into me and says
(47:12):
what's wrong?
And I said, david, I just had abad day at work.
And he starts well, you know,that was today.
I bet you tomorrow's going tobe better.
And his arm came up around myshoulder and he said you're
going to be fine.
And I said it just got betterright now.
So I mean you give and you get.
That is a sweet story.
Richard Murphy (47:33):
That is nice yeah.
Jim Trett (47:35):
So and I've had experiences like that a lot of
times, where all of a suddenthey know something's wrong and
they want to give back, so yeah,so that's why I keep going
About the time I think I need togive this up, something like
that happens.
No, I need to do this more.
So they go from there.
Richard Murphy (47:53):
Well, I got to say, Jim, it has been fantastic
talking to you.
We're coming up on an hour, sowe have sorry about that?
No, no, no, no, no no no, no,no, no, no no.
We, yeah, we no no, no, no, no,no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no,
no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no,no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no,
no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no,no, no, no, no, no, no no no no
(48:15):
, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no no no, no.
Okay, so I'm going to start with how long
have you been a patroller?
Jim Trett (00:04):
Started in 1974 with Mount Hood.
It was there until aboutprobably seven, eight years ago
now, and then transferredBecause Detroit's only 37.2
miles from my driveway to theirparking lot oh, that's kind of
nice.
Decided I didn't need three skiareas anymore, and steep and
(00:25):
deep.
Richard Murphy (00:27):
Wow, okay, so you've been doing this for 50
years.
Jim Trett (00:31):
I did 40 this year, no 84.
I'm sorry.
Richard Murphy (00:35):
Oh, you started in 84?
84, yeah, okay.
Well, this is kind of easy mathbecause I was born in 64.
Jim Trett (00:41):
So let's go.
Richard Murphy (00:42):
Oh, okay, I can do that, you young pup yeah.
Yeah, but high mileage, highmileage, jim, that's it Okay.
So you've been out there 40years at Hoodoo.
Jim Trett (00:55):
So you know, shelly, yes, I do, and I've only been at
Hoodoo for about seven or eight.
I spent 33 on Hood.
Oh, okay, at Mount Hood SkiPatrol.
Jodie Jeffers (01:08):
Which is basically all of Y-East region.
Jim Trett (01:11):
Yeah, yeah, and I was the Y-East region director for
a while.
In fact, I'm the one thatchanged it from the Mount Hood
region to the Y-East region.
Richard Murphy (01:19):
Oh, were you the region director.
Jodie Jeffers (01:23):
He was the president, oh.
Jim Trett (01:25):
But I was also region director for a while.
Richard Murphy (01:27):
Oh, that's right , I forgot about that yeah, how
long were you the regiondirector?
Jim Trett (01:34):
I want to say I term limited out, so been what.
Six years and I haven't.
I cannot remember, I do notremember.
Jodie Jeffers (01:41):
Was that before or after?
Rod Legg.
Jim Trett (01:45):
I followed Rod.
Okay, so it was Rod and then me.
He kind of sucked me into that.
Richard Murphy (01:55):
So how did you get I believe the maritime term
is Shanghai'd into that job?
Because we just kind of did onehere a little bit ago and they
had to do some ginger cajolingand you know, trying to get
somebody in to be the RD for thenorthwest region yeah, that was
Rod, just kind of.
Jim Trett (02:16):
You know he was traveling, I think, to China a
lot for his job and but I can'tattend all the meetings.
I said, well, I can cover foryou while you're gone.
And next thing I know he's well, I'm going to leave the
position.
Nobody else wanted it, so hereI am, or was.
Richard Murphy (02:32):
Battlefield promotion, as I think they call
that somewhere.
Yeah.
Jim Trett (02:37):
It was a good time.
You know the division peoplewere fun.
We had fun getting together.
Liz was the PD Divisiondirector yeah, division director
were fun, we had fun gettingtogether.
Richard Murphy (02:46):
Liz was the um pd director yeah, division
director, and so we had a bunchof neat people yeah, I, let's
see, I'm trying to think becauseI I only have 10 years in, but
liz was the.
She was the division directorbecause I first started doing
stuff for her on the division.
So yeah yeah, but she wasdivision director, I think, for
(03:07):
like six years or so.
Yeah, yeah, she's been in therefor quite a while, that's it,
so all right.
One question I usually askpeople is why did you join the
ski patrol back in, uh, 1984?
What possessed you to do that?
Were you a skier beforehand,and not really I.
Jim Trett (03:26):
You know it's really wild, because I worked for
kaiser fire, as you know, and wedid medical stuff.
And the year before there hadbeen an article in an art in a
magazine or something about skipatrol and I said, you know,
that would be fun, but I can'tski worth.
But yeah, maybe they could havesomething in the first aid room
, but they didn't talk aboutthat, just working first aid
(03:48):
room.
So the following year I wasmentoring two boys who, uh, who
were avid skiers.
Their parents had been ski skiinstructors, but then there'd
been kind of a uh difficultdivorce and, uh, they hadn't
been able to go.
So I took them up to Meadowsand, um, you know, they're doing
their swish, swish and I'mdoing my make a pie and try not
(04:08):
to fall down.
And I finally looked at about11.
I said, hey, go, you guys, gofor an hour, just go, ski your
brains out.
And they're no, no, no.
And I said, yes, go, and I'llmeet you for lunch, then we'll
go out afterwards.
So I get in the singles line andthe ski patroller comes up from
Mount Hood and says follow me.
So we got to bust the lift line.
Oh, hey, that's pretty cool.
(04:29):
And then on the way up the lift, we started talking.
He found out what I did and hesaid well, you should join the
ski patrol.
I said ski with me and you'llsee why I can't, and that'll
take you about two turns.
And he turns and he told meabout what they call the
associate program, which wouldbe now today's patroller.
Yeah, well, that's exactly whatI've been thinking would be fun
(04:51):
to do.
So I, uh, he said, go into thefirst aid room.
Richard Murphy (04:53):
I did, and the rest is kind of history so well
did you use the ski patrol tolearn how to ski better?
Jim Trett (05:02):
oh, yeah, you know, I got, I got good enough that.
Uh, buzz Bowman, who was a longtime patroller with us patrol
for over 50 years, he would workwith me about four years in he
said, you know, you could tryout for the hill now.
And I, I think the next time Iwent up yeah, I might do that.
And the next time I went out,the weather hit me in the face
really hard and I said, you know, I like being in the first aid
(05:22):
room on days like this.
Let's go back in and havecoffee.
So and I and I think that'swhere my skill set was better
set, you know I'm kind of klutzyuh, I said, would I want to be
in the sled I was pulling?
And the answer was no, so Ijust stayed where I was and I've
been very happy for now 40years see, that's the new
(05:42):
recruiting question.
Jodie Jeffers (05:44):
Do you feel that you would be safe in the sled
that you'd be pulling?
Jim Trett (05:48):
yes, but, uh, yeah, so and that's pretty much how it
happened.
And then, uh, I intended tojust do what I need to do,
because I was looking at thosetwo kids, saying I can take them
up now and and they can getguest passes, and went from
there.
But then I really found anorganization I really like.
(06:10):
About halfway through mytraining year, my sister was
talking to somebody on the phone.
She said, yeah, jim's on theski patrol and he really loves
it.
And I looked at her and saidhow do you know?
Well, I guess I do, becausethat's where I am every weekend.
Richard Murphy (06:24):
Yeah, that's funny.
So you've been doing it for 40years, okay, and you mostly do
it in the aid room.
So what's been, I guess, yourmost funny, memorable event
during your time at Ski Patrol?
Jim Trett (06:40):
Oh God, I've had several.
I always remember we had a kidwho had a concussion.
He was from Sheridan, oregon,and he came in and in the time
he was in there because theywere trying to get an ambulance
and it was coming from a longway away.
He and I got to really having agood time together and on the
(07:00):
way out to the ambulance, when Ifinally got there, I looked
down at him and I said Steve,it's been great knowing you.
I, you know, really likegetting to know you.
I wish you'd remember metomorrow.
And he looked at me and gave methis weird look and about two
weeks later I'm in the samefirst aid room at Timberline and
the kid and his dad walk in andhis dad points at me.
The kid comes over and goes hi,I'm Steve, I guess we're good
(07:23):
friends.
And I said, yes, we are.
And he looked at me and said Idon't remember you at all.
I said I know we had a great one.
Jodie Jeffers (07:33):
I know one that you need to tell.
What's that?
That is about you and DarrylWinterborn.
Jim Trett (07:44):
Darryl Winterborn was our patrol patrol director and
this is at timberline.
Timberline and daryl is just abig bear of a guy, had beard,
easiest guy in the world to getalong with, just just a sweet
guy.
But he gets a call on flocks,which is one of the short
advanced runs, or black diamonds, a timberline.
(08:04):
But to get to it you have tocome down a gentle slope across
the flat road and then up alittle bit across the flat and
then you go down onto Phlox'srun.
So Darrell grabs the sled andhe's picking up speed on the
little down so he can get acrossthe flat and up and then across
the other flat he gets across.
(08:26):
He goes up, he's across theflat just about to go down
flocks.
He looks over and the patient'son his right, not on the run but
on this flat part.
So he throws the sled into aright turn, catches an edge,
edge and when he stops he'slaying with his face in the snow
and the sled literally at thetop of his neck base of his
skull.
(08:46):
He picks his head up with thesled still on him and looks at
the patient who's now two feetaway from him with eyes as big
as saucers and he goes skipatrol, can I help you?
And the lady looks at him andsays, is there anybody else?
And he goes no, I'm sorry.
(09:06):
And from there it went reallywell.
She really appreciated it, butit was just.
Only Daryl can get away withthat and come up with something
that fast.
Richard Murphy (09:15):
Is there anybody else?
Yeah, oh, that's a classic.
Jim Trett (09:21):
It went from there.
So we had a lot of fun likethat.
I had a kid family come in oneyear and it was like an older
boy, his brother, his olderbrother's high school brother,
comes in.
He's tweaked his knee.
I'm filling out the accidentform.
It turns out he's from Salemand I know you know the street
he lives on, as I remember, isEwald, and he and I are talking
(09:46):
and they take him out and alittle while later his
13-year-old brother in middleschool comes in.
He's tweaked something.
I think it was his name.
And so I'm filling out theaccident form and I said so I,
you know, and I just wrote hisname down.
I said you know, I can'tremember his name.
I said Danny, so I know youlive on Ewell, but I can't
(10:06):
remember the address.
And he looks at me and says howdo you know where I live?
And it's the only time I've hada fast comeback.
I looked at him.
I said well, danny, I'm afirefighter and I have to know
where these addresses, you knowwhere people live so I can come
if they need help.
And oh, okay, so he gives methe numbers and I said now do
you go to Leslie or Judson, themiddle school out that way.
How do you know where I go toschool?
(10:29):
And that happens.
And your phone number is thisright?
How do you know my phone number?
And I just keep I'm afirefighter.
Finally, I asked him a question, I were telling him the answer,
and he goes.
He looks at his dad.
Dad, how does he know all thisstuff?
His dad didn't even skip a beat.
Sonny told you he's afirefighter and he's got to know
(10:50):
where know this stuff.
Two months later, in a wrestlingmatch at Blisley, where he goes
to school, there's his dad.
I said how's the kid?
He said well, on the way out ofthe first aid room I said you
know, I should tell him that wefilled out his brother's form
two hours earlier.
And his dad goes.
Oh no, please don't, I'm goingto have to deal with this.
(11:10):
So two months later I go into awrestling meet at Judson and
there's the dad.
I said how is he?
He goes, he's fine, he's rightup there.
I said did you ever tell him?
He said no, no, just go up andsay hi.
So I go up to the bleachers.
Hey, I took care of you whenyou were at Timberline.
How'd you know I was here.
I'm a firefighter.
I have to know where you are.
I have to do some follow-up kidWas shaking his head like well,
(11:34):
my.
Richard Murphy (11:34):
God oh my goodness.
Jim Trett (11:36):
So it's been.
You know we've had good timesand some not so good times, but
you know some cases that I'dlike to not think about anymore,
but for the most part it's beenjust a ball.
Jodie Jeffers (11:47):
you know A lot of friends and a lot of good times
on the Hill and off the Hillreally.
So when I joined it was theBill and Jim show at Timberline,
and literally these two hadeverybody in stitches and Jim
(12:09):
was the first aid chief at thetime.
But what I never was clear onis were you and Bill high in the
same class, or how did you guysstart off?
Jim Trett (12:19):
Well, we were in the same.
But see back, then they werestill using advanced first aid
for the Red Cross, and so when Isigned up at EMT, they looked
at me and said, well, you don'thave to do this because you're
already trained.
And so I missed and I regretthat to this day not being in
that class because I didn't get.
It was some great people.
(12:40):
But when they saw me in October, they're who's this guy?
He was never in our class, butbill and I um, that's how we met
is at the beginning of that,our apprentice year, and it just
kind of clicked between the twoof us and he called you know, I
called him dupas, he called memoron and they had everybody
(13:02):
just always laughing in upatberline.
Jodie Jeffers (13:04):
It was great.
So I know you won't speak of alot of this, so I have to prompt
.
And then, being president ofthe Mount Hood, but tell a
(13:28):
little bit of background on howwe had the different logos and
how Auxiliary AssociatePatroller came to be a lot more
equal at Y-East and Mount Hoodyeah.
Jim Trett (13:41):
When I first joined, you had to carry first aid
supplies, but you had to carrythem in your coat pocket.
They would like if you had ared coat with nothing on it.
They still would prefer you nothave a red coat, and so that's
how we patrolled.
But you got a radio and you hadto have an armband with the
patrol shield on it.
That was instead of how you goton the lift.
Richard Murphy (14:04):
But so I'm skiing around.
Jim Trett (14:06):
Yeah, oh, okay, it was just right in front.
They didn't want you identifiedin any way, shape or form on
the hill.
And when I became first aidchief or associate director, I
think it was I was that first.
I was talking to DarylWinterborn and he you know
(14:26):
where's your first aid supplies?
I said they're in my coatpocket.
He said why don't you have themin a fanny pack?
We're not supposed to.
And so he and I had aconversation and he went to the
executive council and said,beginning immediately, all
associates will have first aidsupplies in a fanny pack.
Couldn't have any idea on it.
And then they said well, youcan put a shield on it, okay,
(14:47):
fine.
So we did that for a while.
There was a push for some kindof logo that said that you were
okay, that you were a patroller.
So we got this blue coat withthis half moon thing with kind
of stitching to show themountain and it did say Mount
(15:09):
Hood, ski Patrol, but then itsaid first aid across it.
My problem with that became Iwas skiing down one of the runs
one day and there's a littletrail that took off into the
trees and I and coming down thiskid was waving and I went over
and he said my friend hurthimself on this run and could
you get the ski patrol?
I said well, I am the skipatrol, show me where the kid is
(15:31):
.
So we went in and he hurt hisknee pretty badly and I looked
at the kid.
I said go back where you were.
There's a guy coming with asled.
Come on, bring him into here sowe can get your friend off the
hill.
I'm come on, bring him intohere so we can get your friend
off the hill.
I'm taking care of the boy.
My head, my back is up, pointinguphill, and all of a sudden I
hear this very angry voicesaying what the hell are you
(15:54):
doing to my son?
And it was like I'm on the skipatrol and there.
And it got a little tense for awhile until I could turn around
and point to the shield on my,on my breast pocket.
And so he oh, okay, we got downto the bottom of the hill and
to the bottom of the lift and helooked at me and said I am so
(16:14):
sorry, but I just saw a guyleaning over my son in the woods
and I said I don't mind.
So that kind of amped up our,our push for redcoats and
eventually we went to redcoatswith full identification, the
cross on the back, with theunderstanding that if you were
going to ski someplace where youcouldn't ski comfortably, you
(16:35):
had to take that coat off andput on an unmarked coat if you
wanted to practice.
And we enforced that ratherrigidly.
Jodie Jeffers (16:43):
But that didn't come about until what?
2010?
Jim Trett (16:47):
2010, something like that.
Yeah, it's been a while, Maybea little before that.
I can't.
Time flies.
I lose track of Maybe aboutthen.
Yeah.
Richard Murphy (16:58):
So if you weren't an elegant and graceful
skier, you had to go put on yourpersonal jacket.
If you're on a green run doingwell, you could wear the white
cross but yeah, it was.
Jim Trett (17:10):
Well, it wasn't.
It wasn't even green, it was.
They just said, if you can skithat, run whatever it is blue or
or, uh, green or even an easyblack you could do it.
But you had to look like youknew what you were doing and if
you wanted because we had a lotof people who joined the patrol
didn't have the skiing ability,so they joined as an associate
(17:33):
in a couple years, work on theskiing, kind of like I did, and
then try out for on the hill,and so we had a lot of people
going through that way.
In fact there was some talk bysome of the more senior ski
patrols saying that's how weshould bring all our new people
on, as you worked the first twoyears in the first aid room.
So that was where we said, ifyou're going to ski something
(17:56):
where you're trying to getbetter, put on a coat that
doesn't identify you as skipatrol, because you have to look
like you know what you're doing, which I totally agree with,
and they enforce that prettywell.
I mean, if you see a kid or anassociate patroller, as we call
the patroller thrashing aroundon a hill, we'd go up to them
(18:17):
and say, go in and take thatcoat off, and if you didn't
bring another coat, don't ski it.
So but it worked, and slowly.
I guess now with Mount Hoodthey can take some extra
training to confirm this andactually run empty sleds and
they've become part of thesit-bump and everything else
(18:39):
that is something that happensat Timberline.
Jodie Jeffers (18:41):
I know for sure.
Jim Trett (18:43):
Yeah, so I mean it's evolved over the years and I
think they've done a great job.
Richard Murphy (18:50):
So what was the transition like?
Going from Timberline over toHoodoo?
Jim Trett (18:56):
Interesting.
You know they did things.
First thing you have toremember is I had to figure out
is they did things differently.
They had their own way.
Some of it I was reallycomfortable with.
Some of it I still kind of go.
I like the way we did it at theother place, but I'm sure if
I'd gone the other way it'd bethe same thing.
It's more of a family kind ofresort.
(19:17):
I remember the first year I wasthere I was eating lunch in the
cafeteria, looking out at thebowl, at the base of the runs,
the lifts, and I'm looking athere comes a snowboarder, here
comes this, here, here comes asnow bike, here's a little girl
running a remote controlledtruck out in the basin with her
dad there.
She was doing it by herself,doing a great job.
(19:37):
And then here comes aparaglider because they would
let them ride the lift up.
And I, yeah, this is a realfamily resort and they've done a
real good job being a familyresort and taking care of
families.
So it's different.
It's, you know, like with MountHood Ski Patrol.
You had your choice of reallyfour ski areas.
(19:58):
Well, three Timberline, skiBowl and Summit and Mount Hood
Meadows.
But they went to teams fairlyquickly.
So yeah, but at Hoodoo it'sjust a nice family feel there
and we go from there.
Richard Murphy (20:18):
Yeah, my brother skis at Timberline all the time
.
That's kind of his deal and hebrought his kids there.
But Timberline all the timethat's kind of his deal and
brought his kids there.
So of all the places that areon Hood, that's the one that I
know the best.
So it's fun.
I like skiing there.
Jim Trett (20:33):
I haven't been down to New.
Richard Murphy (20:34):
York.
I want to get down there and Ineed to make a pilgrimage to all
of the resorts that we have inthis division, because there's
some fun skiing, that's around.
Jim Trett (20:43):
Yeah.
Richard Murphy (20:44):
It's nice.
Jim Trett (20:45):
Let me know when you're coming.
Well, we'll put you out thereor something, and that, right
there is why I love the skipatrol because you have a
built-in community of peoplethat just love to ski hey, if
you're coming over here.
You know it's like, if you wantto come over to crystal mountain
, call me, we'll get somethingworked out okay, no, it's just,
(21:05):
it's, it's good, feel, you know,um, it's a smaller patrol than
than, uh, mount hood, mount hoodand uh, uh, so you really get
to know everybody.
We only have about 48 membersand I think it's less than that
right now, um, where mount hoodhad 250, 300 people.
So, um, but we still had goodtimes up there.
(21:27):
That's where I got better atskiing, because I never had a
patrol or ski away from me.
I'd be going, you guys go ahead, I'm just going to do my wedge.
I was a little past the wedgeby that point, but no, no, we're
going to stick with you untilyou get this right.
And they did.
Richard Murphy (21:43):
Yeah, there's a guy who just became an alumni
member.
I think I got his email twodays ago.
He sent it out to the patrol,ross Bishop, I don't know if you
know Ross.
He's been around for 50 yearsand he said after 50 years I'm
going alumni.
But when I was doing my seniorI spent, yeah, 10, well, seven
(22:05):
years just really learning howto ski again because I was
self-taught.
So Ross spent hours and hoursnagging my ski ability, getting
me to.
You know ski properly anddrills to do and, you know,
arranging for PSIA level threeguys to come out to our mountain
so that we could have you know,professionals come out a couple
(22:27):
of times.
It was just.
It was fantastic.
I have lots of warm feelings inmy heart for Ross Bishop.
I'm sure I ruined many ski daysfor him when he was helping me
learn.
Jim Trett (22:41):
That'd be me with Buzz Bowman.
He'd just look at me.
Richard Murphy (22:49):
No ski, pretty ski pretty, jim, just ski pretty
, you'll be fine.
Yeah, that's it.
So how do you know, jody?
Jim Trett (22:54):
she joined the patrol um jody jim first.
I can't remember which camefirst it.
Jodie Jeffers (23:13):
Well, it was how did no, okay, so I joined the
patrol.
You were the first aid chief,and then, um, there was a group
of people that um sort oforganized, that would get
together weekly on Friday nightsat Porter's Pub.
Jim Trett (23:35):
Yeah, and that had nothing to do with ski
patrolling, but it was a fungroup.
We'd get together on Fridaynight and we became something I
developed when I was a discjockey.
I put together the church andthe seven-day drinkers one day
on an air shift because I hadnothing else to talk about.
So my news guy and I came upwith it and then when I joined
(23:58):
the fire department, we juststarted.
Friday night we went out fordinner just to kind of end the
week.
Friday night a bunch of uswould go out for dinner just to
kind of end the week, and I toldthat story one night and all of
a sudden the church was in fullbloom every Friday night at
Porter's Pub in Kaiser and somenight we'd have up to 25 people
there for services quote-unquoteon a Friday night.
Richard Murphy (24:19):
So I'm just going to go back.
See, I've been making notes.
So currently you're the mayorof Detroit.
You work for the firedepartment.
Were you the fire chief at onepoint?
Jim Trett (24:36):
No, I was a line guy, worked the engine and stuff
like that.
The last 14, I was the publiceducation information officer.
I've done a lot of work withkids and when they wanted to
move into school classes,especially educate you know fire
safety, first aid, cpr thingsthey just that's you.
And then, because if you'reever in broadcasting TV or radio
, anytime you join anyorganization they make you part
(24:58):
of their PR committee.
And I became the public girl,the public information officer
for the fire district, andactually I had it unofficially
before that.
Jodie Jeffers (25:09):
And then Jim was first the fire chief of Detroit
before he became the mayor ofDetroit.
Richard Murphy (25:17):
Yeah, okay, so I'm making this to us here.
Fire chief of Detroit.
Yeah, okay, so there's my alexanagging me, so, um, but you
mentioned something there.
It closing just a couple ofseconds ago.
You were also a disc jockey.
When were you a disc jockey?
Jim Trett (25:38):
oh god, that was my first radio career, or my first
career.
I was going to college.
Actually, when I was in highschool I was the oregon youth
chairman for the musculardystrophy association and we had
this campaign of doing recordhops against dystrophy.
They'd go, they'd go into atown and ask the radio station
to do this promotional thing fora month or two and and I'd go
(26:01):
in and record the commercialsand I kind of thought that was
pretty neat.
And uh, the guy I worked with ata radio station in salem for
that promotion, about the time Iwent to bend to go to college,
he went to bend become a programdirector in a daytime radio
station and he looked at me.
We kind of hung on to eachother because we knew each other
.
And uh, we were not really wellfrom salem but we knew each
(26:22):
other.
And and all of a sudden helooked at me and said, hey, I
need an afternoon guy playingrock and roll.
Would you want to do that?
I could use a job, sure.
So I did that and then ended upgoing full time into it for
about 12 years.
Richard Murphy (26:37):
So what radio station was it?
And so you were first question.
You were drive time like in theafternoon.
Jim Trett (26:46):
Afternoon.
Well, that's a pretty popularthing in the radio business.
Well, except that station wentoff the air at sunset.
Richard Murphy (26:53):
Well, still, you were yeah.
Jim Trett (26:55):
Back then they had daytime radio stations.
You could come on at 6, but youhad to go off at sunset.
So January December, we weregoing off the air at 4.30 in the
afternoon.
Oh, okay.
Richard Murphy (27:04):
I did not know that.
Jodie Jeffers (27:05):
What was the call sign?
Jim Trett (27:06):
What was the call sign?
And then it was KGRL, k-girl,and it was a fun little gig, did
you?
Jodie Jeffers (27:17):
do it at another spot.
Jim Trett (27:19):
Then I came to KBZY in Salem, so yeah, I moved
around, so what was it?
Richard Murphy (27:24):
KGBY KBZY in.
Jim Trett (27:26):
Salem.
So, yeah, I moved around.
So what was it?
Kgby, kbzy, okay, yeah, andthen it went down to KFLY, kejo
and Corvallis, so it was an AMFMoperation.
So yeah, it was an interestingjob.
Glad I got into it, glad I gotout of it it was an interesting
(27:46):
job.
Jodie Jeffers (27:47):
Glad I got into it, glad I got out of it.
But then from there.
Jim Trett (27:55):
When did you start working for?
Was it a judge or who?
Was it in Oregon legislature?
Well, I went to work for theminority whip, wally Carson,
heidi Kuhn, really highly lookedupon by both Republicans and
Democrats.
He was a moderate Republicanback then, but nothing like it
is now.
So I was his legislative staff.
(28:16):
I just wanted to see what itwas like.
I was going to volunteer andall of a sudden he said hey, we
have this.
It was right after I'd left theradio, I was trying to stay in
Oregon, and he said well, I needthis legislative staff guy if
you want to do that.
And I said sure, and so workedwith him for a couple of years.
(28:36):
You know his last term becausewhen I met him he was running
for what he said was going to behis last term and it was his
last term and it was.
He went on to become the chiefjustice of the Oregon Supreme
Court and is, as of right now,the longest-serving chief
justice.
And I didn't care if you're aRepublican or a Democrat.
(28:57):
Every Democrat I've talked toeven said he's a guy that I can
support.
You know, a lot different thanit is now.
Richard Murphy (29:04):
Wait a minute.
So he is currently the chiefjustice.
Jim Trett (29:06):
No he's retired, oh, okay, yeah, but he became the
chief justice after he left.
Well, he got appointed tocircuit court, then the Supreme
Court and then finally, chiefjustice.
Richard Murphy (29:20):
Wow, you hang out with some heavy hitters.
Jim Trett (29:23):
Oh yeah, I did work on Tom McCall's second campaign
for governor.
He was a broadcaster inPortland, just make a name.
I saw him once in dedication tothe Boys and Girls Club.
I was on the board but I wasworking at KVZY there and he'd
(29:44):
been a political analyst for kgwin portland and until he got to
be the governor and he'srunning for his second term and
he's there to dedicate the boysclub and we're having at the
diaz and I'm comparing his 33years of broadcasting to my two
or three at the time.
At the end of it I said well,governor, if you're running for
re-election, if I wanted to getinvolved, how would I do that?
(30:06):
Call ron sch, call Ron Schmidtmy press secretary.
Okay, I didn't.
And then three months later I'mat the dedication of a pool at
Hillcrest School for Girls andhe's there to cut the ribbon.
I'm supposed to judge thebeauty contest.
That was interesting, andafterwards we're doing the
social hour.
He comes up to me.
I say hi, governor.
(30:26):
He said Trent, you never calledSchmidt.
I said I'll do it tomorrow, sir, and ended up on his campaign
staff as a troubleshooter.
So great guy.
Great guy Wow so what does atroubleshooter do?
I wasn't married and living,you know, sharing an apartment
(30:49):
here in Salem and they wouldcall me.
Schmidt was my main contact.
He was the governor's presssecretary but took a leave of
absence to run part of thecampaign.
And they'd call me from thePortland office and say, hey, we
need somebody in Ontariotomorrow morning at eight
o'clock.
Can you leave right now?
(31:09):
And I'd say I can leave in anhour, Okay, fine.
And I'd go over and they'd tellme what the problem was and I'd
go flying over and I guess,because I was from the office or
campaign headquarters, theytook stock in what I did.
I'm going.
I have no, I'm just telling youwhat they told me to tell you.
But so they moved me all overthe place and well, from there
(31:31):
it was.
It was an interesting time,Great job, I loved it.
And when the election was over,it was over, so I went from
there.
Jodie Jeffers (31:40):
But all this, I think, helped you when you had
the major event where the firecame through the canyon and
burned up Detroit.
Jim Trett (31:52):
Yeah, yeah, 90% of town went down.
How long ago was this Huh?
Richard Murphy (31:59):
How long ago was this?
Jim Trett (32:01):
This was 2000 and.
Labor Day weekend 2020.
We got hit by two nights in arow by two different fires, but
the Beech and Creek fire yeah,the big event that happened,
where multiple towns got burnedup.
Jodie Jeffers (32:20):
Yeah, I remember that you were safe up in
Washington.
Jim Trett (32:23):
Yeah, yeah, 90% of Detroit went to the ground those
two nights.
What's it like now we're comingback.
Fema says we're coming backfaster than most cities they've
ever worked with.
Part of that is because theycan't help second homeowners and
so the second homeowners said,get out of the way and took care
(32:44):
of their property but alsobegan helping their neighbors
who didn't have insurance orolder folk who are underinsured
and all that kind of good stuff.
So we're coming back fairlyfast.
We still have about probablyfive, six years to go before
we're back to some kind ofnormal, but it's coming along.
We have good days and bad days.
Richard Murphy (33:02):
Right, that's so a huge chunk of your
infrastructure burned to theground.
Jodie Jeffers (33:08):
I mean, wow that, wow 90 of the town yeah, yeah,
you guys probably didn't hearabout it as much, um, because
it's the one that went down thecanyon and went into gates lions
um down in medford area, wheretalent and phoenix all burned up
so there were about four majorfires burning that weekend.
Jim Trett (33:30):
Actually, the Echin Creek fire came down, kind of
hit Detroit, went down thecanyon towards Salem, then went
north and they actually got asfar north as almost Oregon City
183,000 acres burned out.
But so it's been an interestingtime.
I mean we were without waterfor seven months because our
(33:51):
water, everything above groundof our water plant system,
burned down.
So, uh, we're just nowrebuilding the permanent water
plant because we got a bunch ofmoney from fema for it, but it's
taken three years to get it,you know yep, that was uh.
Jodie Jeffers (34:09):
I was working in the ear that night at salem and
got off in the morning.
But we had heard I think it wasabout three o'clock or I can't
remember what time in themorning was start uh,
discharging as many people asyou can because uh, silverton uh
hospital had just had their ershut at, transferred everybody
(34:31):
out.
San diem uh hospital had totransfer all their patients out
and just have the core ifanybody happened to come into
the er and uh.
And then you just saw thisorange ball just keep coming
closer and closer.
It was scary.
Jim Trett (34:50):
Scary couple nights yeah.
Richard Murphy (34:53):
Yeah, I believe it or not, I delivered internet
to these base camps viasatellite years ago and I never
really understood the wholefirefighting thing until I was
driving to my first, you know,wildland fire and I was going
(35:14):
off of GPS coordinates, you know, back in the day.
So I was looking, trying tofind out, and I was looking on
the map and all of a sudden itopened up into this field and
there was a city in the middleof this field.
And there was a city in themiddle of this field and by city
it was tractor trailers thathad restaurants, you know, for
all the firefighters, a showerfacility, first aid.
(35:36):
I couldn't believe everythingthat they trucked in to, you
know, make these firefightingthings possible.
They had the prisoners from thejail that were actually cooking
.
You know all the food for thefirefighters, I was like holy
man, this is some seriousbusiness.
And then when you look, you knowway, you know in the distance,
(36:00):
because these base camps aren'tanywhere near the fire you can
see how fast that fire is movingand it's just, it is
unfathomable really.
When you see a fire moving atlike 50 miles an hour, it's like
whew, that's just the amount ofsmoke it produces.
Yeah, it's scary, scarybusiness.
Jim Trett (36:15):
Well, every year I do first aid CPR training for
their firefighting crews for thesummer.
Actually, that starts next weekand I always look for the new
hires because we get into theclass and they have a friend up
there that is a wildlandfirefighter.
He's one of their hierarchyguys, so he'll come into the
room I'm teaching and as soon asI see him I'll look at these
(36:36):
new hires who are young, goingto fly fire kind of people, and
I'll look at them and say, oh,by the way, I think you guys are
totally nuts.
And they look at me like what?
And I said you fight fires thatcan outrun you.
That is stupid.
And then Russ, in the back ofthe room, who's the guy that's
(36:59):
been there forever he'll trip upfrom the back saying no, no, no
.
You structural fires are totalidiots because you run into
buildings smart people aretrying to run out of, and by
then the new hires are going huhand we just okay, let's go back
to first aid.
So we have some frying pan tothe fire.
Richard Murphy (37:22):
Yes, oh, good lord, there you go from there
well we've been on looking forthat we've been on the phone for
like 40, well, it's just now 40minutes, it's amazing how fast
those things go when Jody and Ifirst started, you know, trying
to put this thing together, wego yeah, well, you know people
may talk for 10, 15, 15 minutes.
(37:45):
Remember that, jody.
Even though Jody's on mute,I'll talk for her.
Jim Trett (37:50):
Yeah.
Richard Murphy (37:50):
And she was like , yeah, oh yeah, it's only going
to be just a couple of minutes.
And then we started talking topeople and we go, you know, 30,
40 minutes just getting somehistory on you know different
people that have been in the skipatrol and it's funny, you know
, at 10 years.
I am just now getting to wheremost of the people I know have
(38:11):
been in ski patrol, because I'malways amazed where you've got
somebody.
You 40 years, you know it goes30 years, 20 years and here I am
like 10 years.
I just feel like a neophyte.
But with all the stories thatare on there, it it's like oh my
God, it is so interestingtalking to a bunch of alumni.
Jodie Jeffers (38:30):
So I appreciate you spending this time.
Yeah, I think it's just amazingand we need to find out more
about when people came in.
But I mean, their life historyis just flabbergasting to me of
wow, it is really we have from Ato Z and back again of people's
different experiences.
But with the patrol, what wouldyou say would be the top three
(38:56):
things that you've noticed bigchanges with overall, with ski
patrol?
Jim Trett (39:03):
The growth in emergency care because, like I
say, when I started it wasadvanced first aid and then we
went to the WEC and then the OECchanged.
You know, I had a guy here atKaiser Fire who joined the
patrol for a few years and hehad just completed, and here's
how this was when it was WEC, hewas trying, he had just
(39:25):
finished his EMT basic class andhe's now it was WEC, he was
trying, he had just finished hisEMT basic class and he's now
taking the WEC class and backthen they had the textbook and
then the workbook.
And he's going through theworkbook trying to answer and
all of a sudden he looked at itand he really started reading.
He ended up taking the coveroff of his WEC book and the
(39:45):
cover off his EMT basic book andputting the WEC cover on the or
the EMT cover on the.
What was it?
He'd put the WEC book cover onthe EMT book and turn it in
because it was already completeand it was right.
The only thing that wasdifferent were the pictures and
(40:15):
uh, so I mean, so you've seenthat, uh, and you know it, it's
become, um, a little moreintense, I think, than when back
then, because we did.
Finally, I think, recognize asvolunteers.
Even though we're volunteers,uh, we really are professionals.
I mean, we have the same levelof training, if not more, than
some of the pro patrollers.
Some of them have more.
But I just think that's.
Those are some of the bigchanges that I've seen, you know
(40:37):
.
And patrolling is also like Itold you.
I took those two kids upbecause they hadn't been skiing
for a couple of years and gavethem that experience.
It ended up I do a lot ofmentoring and it got to the
point where any kid that Istarted to mentor, okay, let's
go up, you're going to learn howto ski or snowboard.
Timberline was great with thatbecause I wasn't supposed to
(40:58):
have a family pass, because Ididn't have a family.
But Darrell was one of themthat started it.
He said if you're bringing upkids who are in this big brother
type program that we had inSalem at the time, you can bring
up two or three of them, notjust one.
Bring up a couple of theirfriends.
And so those kids were exposedto the sport and some of them
(41:18):
have carried on with it.
They still go to Timberline.
So Timberline has benefitedbecause a lot of the kids that
learned there.
That's where they're taking nowtheir kids to teach, and some
of them come to Hoodoo becauseI'm there and they go from there
.
But that's the other thing thatpatrol has done, at least in my
world, is it's made it possiblefor me to make an impact, I
(41:39):
hope, on another program that Ireally feel strongly about.
Jodie Jeffers (41:43):
Yeah, and then also you had that happen at
Summit when Charlie Wessingerwas the owner.
Jim Trett (41:51):
Yeah, and you know I could take good old Charlie
Summit, if you don't know, iskind of this one lift 800 foot
vertical and they had a skiinstructor and I'd bring kids up
and say they need a lesson andI'd get out my checkbook and
Charlie would just, oh no, justput him in the class.
(42:13):
So I mean he supported it thatway and we went from there.
But it was, you know.
So a lot of kids got someexperiences that they probably
wouldn't have had other thanthat.
So without the program andwithout the help from those
areas, had other than that.
Richard Murphy (42:31):
So without the program and without the help
from those areas, that's so youdo a lot of the big brother kind
of mentoring.
Jim Trett (42:35):
Yeah, I, I became a big brother when I was in san
francisco for a little bit andthen when I moved back up, here
I was, I was a ymca brat growingup and, um, I got to know a guy
who was blinded in World War IIby a sniper.
I just idolized him.
I came back up here and he saidwell, how long are you here for
(42:55):
?
I said I moved back.
Well, what did you do downthere?
I said, well, I got involvedwith the Big Brothers of America
.
He jumped up.
He was blind.
He jumps up, leans across,grabs my arm and said we're
starting a program like thathere at the Y.
You're on the committee.
I may be moving to Portland, I'mnot sure You're on the
(43:17):
committee, the director of theprogram, for about three years
as a volunteer, and then I didtake it over for a little over a
year because of a grant and Iwould have stayed with it.
But when the grant expired theywanted to break up what that
position did to about fourdifferent positions and I said
(43:40):
no, the passion is working withkids in single-parent homes and
the other stuff is going to taketoo much time.
So I had another job off in theprivate sector and off I went.
But, I still mentor kids andI've done some fostering.
Jodie Jeffers (43:51):
Yeah, yeah, and but you were down in San
Francisco, was that?
When you had joined the Navy?
Yeah, yeah.
Jim Trett (43:59):
So, uh and and went from there.
So yeah, it's.
It's been an interesting, I'vehad a fun time.
Richard Murphy (44:08):
All right.
So when were you in the Navy?
Jim Trett (44:11):
I joined halfway through my junior year in the
Reserves and then went activeand then got kicked out because
I was technically blind in myright eye and shouldn't have
gotten in in the first place.
Richard Murphy (44:25):
What year was that 1964?
Jim Trett (44:27):
to 1966 in there somewhere alright, holy cow.
Richard Murphy (44:38):
Wow the US Navy.
I grew up in a Navy town, so Iknow all about the Navy except I
was a CB, so I spent more timewith the Marines.
Jim Trett (44:49):
Oh okay, yep, Fully, understandable, I never got on a
ship that left the port.
Richard Murphy (44:53):
Yeah, you know at NAS would be.
They barely have any Marinesthere.
They used to.
They don't even do gatesecurity anymore.
Back when I was a kid that'sthe pool, so we would go there
to go learn how to swim and dothese other things all on base.
You know now you can't even getanywhere near that bloody place
.
But the pool I learned to swimin was in Officer and a
(45:15):
Gentleman.
When they take the dunker theygo through, it's the plane that
hits the water and flips over.
That was the pool that Ilearned to swim in.
My mom taught there.
That's neat.
Jim Trett (45:27):
That's neat, that's neat oh yeah.
Good catch for stuff.
Richard Murphy (45:35):
Yeah, that was good.
Yeah, my mom did a lot ofvolunteering, so I'm a big
proponent of that, which is whyI love to volunteer.
Jim Trett (45:43):
It's good, I'm glad.
Richard Murphy (45:45):
You've done a lot of fantastic stuff over the
years, holy cow, it's good.
Jim Trett (45:48):
I'm glad You've done a lot of fantastic stuff.
Over the years, holy cow Everynow, and then I look at myself
in the mirror and say, why areyou doing this?
But then something else happensand it's okay.
I've always said with thevolunteer stuff I've gotten back
more than I've ever given.
(46:08):
I had a kid one time.
He was two brothers.
The younger brother was reallyquiet.
I got to where I could read himand if something was wrong,
what's the matter?
I need nothing and I'd stick itup.
Finally tell me and I alwaysremembered, you know I'd usually
at the end of our conversation,okay, here's, I understand, you
know.
Sorry, this is going on, it'llget better, kind of thing, and I
(46:29):
put my arm around his shoulderand say, hey, it's going to be
better tomorrow, you'll be fine.
So one day his mom had a chanceto go on vacation with her
girlfriend.
So I'm playing dad to these twokids and I had a really, really
bad day at work, and this wasthey were in Portland, I'm in
Kaiser, so I'm driving back up.
This is when I was at the walk.
I'm going to be dad,everything's everything.
(46:51):
So I'm cooking dinner and David, the younger one, comes in and
he's helping me a little bit andthen all of a sudden I hear
what's wrong and I went nothingand he kept it up.
So after dinner I'm sitting onthe couch watching TV and he
comes up and he'd never done itbefore.
He sits right down, right nextto me, leans into me and says
(47:12):
what's wrong?
And I said, david, I just had abad day at work.
And he starts well, you know,that was today.
I bet you tomorrow's going tobe better.
And his arm came up around myshoulder and he said you're
going to be fine.
And I said it just got betterright now.
So I mean you give and you get.
That is a sweet story.
Richard Murphy (47:33):
That is nice yeah.
Jim Trett (47:35):
So and I've had experiences like that a lot of
times, where all of a suddenthey know something's wrong and
they want to give back, so yeah,so that's why I keep going
About the time I think I need togive this up, something like
that happens.
No, I need to do this more.
So they go from there.
Richard Murphy (47:53):
Well, I got to say, Jim, it has been fantastic
talking to you.
We're coming up on an hour, sowe have sorry about that?
No, no, no, no, no no no, no,no, no, no no.
We, yeah, we no no, no, no, no,no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no,
no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no,no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no,
no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no,no, no, no, no, no, no no no no
(48:15):
, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no no no, no.
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