Nursing the Slopes: A Colonel's Journey Through Ski Patrol, an Amazing Ride!

Few people embody the spirit of "Service and Safety" like Mary Lou Robinson. After joining the National Ski Patrol in 1988 while serving as an Army nurse, Mary Lou's remarkable journey spans five divisions, multiple continents, and countless lives touched along the way. Join us as we Chat with Marylou!   Note: Recorded at a previous convention, please disregard background noises. (2023)

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! 

Transcript

Introduction to Mary Lou

Murphy 1:01

today he was saying yeah, make sure you get Mary Lou, we want to know, Okay, so we're going to start off with you're going to have to introduce yourself.

Marylou 1:11

Hi, I'm Mary Lou, hi, mary Lou. So, mary Lou, what's your NSP number?

Murphy 1:17

Five, one, five, three, zero, zero, zero.

Marylou 1:22

Wow, that's easy, that's yeah.

Murphy 1:24

It was given to me as an award from National.

Marylou 1:28

Really? Oh, we're going to get to that later. Yes, so do you have a national number? Yes, I do. Oh, what's? Your national number 8167. Oh man, I get no beers out of this thing, none, okay, so we're going to start out. What year did you join the Ski Patrol?

Murphy 1:47

1988.

Marylou 1:52

1988. I have to do some math with that. That's like 40.

Jodie 1:57

He's been having problems with math today.

Murphy 1:59

No, not really 40, yet what is it?

Marylou 2:03

19? Oh no, you can do this 23 plus 12. Oh, not really 40 yet.

Jodie 2:05

What is it? 19? Oh no, you can do this. 23 plus 12. Oh, 35. There you go. Yeah, you go.

Marylou 2:10

See, I can get it. When it's broken down like that, those big numbers scare me, okay, wow. So I'm going to skip the how old were you when you joined, because that's just. I realize the ladies don't like asking or answering that question.

Murphy 2:26

Well, I didn't learn how to ski until I was in my mid-30s.

Marylou 2:30

Oh wow, we share something pretty much in common. I was a late bloomer as well.

Murphy 2:39

Skiing was cold, and why would I ever go out and be cold? Yeah?

Marylou 2:44

Yeah, I have learned to be warm when I ski. I layer. Yeah, people like my daughters. They hate to be cold and I'm not cold when I ski because I have learned layering and I have learned high-tech fabric. Yes, Ah so here we go, the big question. In fact, why don't you ask this one? Because that's one of your favorites.

Jodie 3:07

Oh, why did you want to become a patroller?

From Army Nurse to Ski Patroller

Murphy 3:11

I was sort of drafted into it Drafted. I was an EMT instructor and I got this phone call when I arrived in Leavenworth, Kansas, and I thought it was a joke because someone said, hey, we're with the ski patrol and I'm like Kansas. And they said, well, they're moving from the advanced Red Cross to a new thing called winter emergency care.

Jodie 3:46

We had it wrong. I think we put wilderness. It's winter emergency, it's winter emergency care. It wasn't wilderness.

Murphy 3:55

No, that was woofer and that came much later.

Marylou 3:57

Oh, okay.

Murphy 3:59

Okay, so I was drafted into being a candidate and I taught my candidate class, so I would get-.

Marylou 4:08

Wait a minute. As a candidate, you taught your candidate class. Yes. I think, that's a first.

Murphy 4:14

And I would um uh, lecture and sit down and take the quiz, and then the senior patrollers, who were all at advanced first aid, who were also taking the course with the other candidates would then check me off on my skills. So when?

Jodie 4:31

I Wait, wait, wait, wait. You taught it, you gave the test, you took the test and then you had other candidates check you off. No, the other senior patrollers, oh, the senior patrollers, the senior patrollers who were American Red Cross Advanced First Aid.

Murphy 4:47

Okay, they checked me off on the skills because the skills were not that significantly different when we first went over. It was a step up to an EMT level, and so when I won my cross, I got my instructor pin.

Marylou 5:04

At the same time. That has got to be a first.

Jodie 5:06

I don't think anybody else has done that, so you get done with your first year you get your cross for being in the National Ski Patrol and you got your instructor pin. I love it.

Murphy 5:15

From there I went to Europe where I was part of the very first six-pack instructor group, became an instructor in development because it was first introduced in European division.

Jodie 5:29

Really, what year was this?

Murphy 5:31

That would have been 89.

Marylou 5:33

So you said six-pack. What is six-pack? That's how we teach courses.

Murphy 5:39

In terms of setting up a class, no matter what your discipline?

Marylou 5:43

And so they had not done that in Europe before.

Murphy 5:45

They had not done that in the United States before.

Marylou 5:47

Oh really.

Murphy 5:48

The European division was the one who beta tested it. Oh, really, and so then I became an instructor development person and an ONC instructor and, in a way, a division auxiliary advisor, because I was the only one who had ever worked with auxiliaries and so, yeah, it's very small patrol, it's Stuttgart, germany, and so you were on the German ski patrol. No, I was on the American ski patrol American ski patrol in Germany.

Murphy 6:22

In Germany, because I was stationed in Germany with the United States Army. Oh my goodness. Okay, so hold on a second. What was your MOS Nurse?

Marylou 6:31

Yes.

Murphy 6:32

However, the Army had gotten this bug up their tail. You know how Marines are Marines first.

Marylou 6:40

Right.

Murphy 6:40

And then they have a specialty. The Army said, well, we're going to do the same thing.

Marylou 6:44

Oh, thank God.

Murphy 6:45

So they selected me to go to Command and General Staff College and that's why I was in Kansas. They elected me to go to command and general staff college and that's why I was in Kansas and I went then to Europe to help command a, you know.

Marylou 6:57

Like a nursing brigade or something.

Murphy 6:59

Well, it was sort of a mixed brigade.

Marylou 7:03

Medical brigade.

Murphy 7:06

No, it wasn't the brigade level, it was combat support hospital level Wow.

Jodie 7:10

And this is in the 80s. Yes, ma'am, so where did you go for your emt?

Murphy 7:17

I had picked it up along the way. Um well, I was at different posts because you know the, the medics, right? Oh, we're always trying to get emt, as they wanted emt instructors. And they said well, you're an RN who's a critical care ER trauma and so why don't you be one of our instructors?

Jodie 7:34

and I picked it up interesting because I started off as an EMT, then became a paramedic, then became the nurse in critical care and trauma in ER interesting.

Murphy 7:42

No, but I was an RN and that's how I got into it, huh wow, I learned a whole lot about you that I didn't know before. So I know you currently patrol at Crystal.

Marylou 7:54

I'm going to say that. So I patrol with you at Crystal Mountain. I'm very happy that you're there in the aid room. So you work in the aid room. Do you ever get up on the mountain? Do you ski anymore?

Murphy 8:06

because of medical issues. I'm not allowed to ski.

Marylou 8:11

Okay, so I know you spend a lot of time in that aid room and you run that thing incredibly well. What is the biggest challenge that you've seen working in Crystal Mountain? Because they are a long way away from you know the next level of care.

Crystal Mountain's Unique Challenges

Murphy 8:31

We at Crystal are unique. This is my fifth division, and so I have seen a lot of Fifth division. Oh yeah, I can't give a job. You made me laugh. Well, I started in the high up in the regions of Kansas, then went to Europe and then to Massanutten in the Shenandoah Valley, then to here and then to Rocky. Mountain Division, and then now back Holy cow.

Murphy 9:01

So you know it helps if you're in the Army, True, true. So the hardest thing about Crystal is that it's a unique experience because we are so far away from definitive care, Like, even on a good day, an hour and a half to a level four hospital which is okay, and about an hour by air if you can get in by helicopter.

Murphy 9:33

So the people at Crystal have to have a higher level of confidence in being able to stabilize the most seriously injured or ill patients. So we are blessed to have a physician patrol and that's only on the weekends. And then we have paramedics on the paid staff who work during the week, but we also have some on the weekend.

Jodie 9:59

And then they have a protocol through the doctors to be able to do their level of training Right.

Murphy 10:05

And so then I came on the scene IVs meds. So I came in on the scene and of course rocked the boat because I started all the IVs and pushed all the narcs and stuff, so the you know, and then when they would get there. But I didn't do it as a OEC, Right, I did it as a doctorally prepared nurse.

Marylou 10:27

Right, and we have to make that point. Yes, that's how the ski patrol does it. Okay, a doctorally prepared nurse and we have to make that point.

Murphy 10:33

Yes, okay, so now that I've retired my license, I am just an OEC tech, but you can't take the knowledge out of your head, so we have to have the ability to pull things out of literally bags and sacks. We are not a clinic, we are not an emergency room. We cannot and will not ever advertise as that because there's some legal liabilities here. But man can crystal mountain, stabilize patients. We have had some gnarly patients that lived because of the quality of stabilization and care that we can render at Crystal Mountain. And that's a volley plus a paid staff mix.

Marylou 11:23

Well, I know I've seen more helicopters come into Crystal Mountain than I've seen anywhere else.

Murphy 11:28

Well, we are blessed in having, you know, world-class terrain, and so we have a lot of expert skiers. They don't usually get hurt.

Jodie 11:40

When they get hurt.

Murphy 11:41

They are really hurt. And of course then we have beginners who think you know, I've skied for two days now. I'm an intermediate. Well, you're sort of forced into that At Crystal because we have like one green run. Oh, and then so you, really you can. It's a wonderful learn how to ski place. It's real flat, but then when you go up.

Jodie 12:06

Right.

Murphy 12:07

Even our easiest run has a piece of navy blue in it.

Jodie 12:13

Navy blue. I have not heard that before.

Murphy 12:14

Navy blue, navy, blue. Okay, so we get a lot of injuries from people who are learning how to ski, so we can run 20 to 30 patients a day through our aid room and so we have to take care of them. It's unlike other hills where they just put them in the car and say go 30 minutes to the hospital because we have to get down this horrible road and the hospital they're coming to is a level four, so we have to decide whether or not to send them out by ambulance or can we live flight.

Murphy 12:59

Sometimes we can't because of the icing conditions Correct. So I personally have been in the back of an ambulance bagging a patient until we could get lower down to Greenwater and then turn them over to the helicopter staff there to Greenwater and then turn them over to the helicopter staff there. So it takes how long to drive from Crystal to the Level 4 hospital. Well, without elk on the road you might be able to get there in about an hour.

Jodie 13:28

In about an hour If there's like no stops and things like that. But it could take you an hour and a half or so just to get there. So to go to a level two or a level one, we have to use an ALS ambulance or a helicopter. And that's about how far distance if you were to go by ambulance. Well, about an hour to Harborview in Seattle. It is far Okay.

Murphy 13:49

And less than that if we're going to Tacoma.

Jodie 13:52

Okay, wow. So in Tacoma, we Sorry we're doing this medical geeky over here. Oh yeah, Nerd. Yes, I know.

Murphy 14:02

So I am the only RN left in the aid room.

Marylou 14:06

Right.

Murphy 14:07

But the folks who are interested in being aid room patrollers step up and learn how to do some things outside the scope of OEC. But they have been checked off and are supervised by paramedics and or physicians. When we do it, but like we'll put on leads for 12 lead EKGs, they don't push meds because they're not allowed to do that they don't start IVs, but they can spike the bag and have it there for the paramedic and things like that.

Murphy 14:41

We are blessed at Crystal in that we had some money, and so Crystal Mountain has purchased one of these SimMans mannequins, you know, the ones that breathe and bleed.

Jodie 14:52

Just learned about that and all that kind of good stuff, that is my terror.

Murphy 14:58

So we go out and throw them underneath the tree somewhere and call over the radio hey, there's somebody reported down, you know. And then the guys come in not knowing it's the mannequin, but there is the senior paramedic or Dr Feeney, and they put them through their paces for really seriously injured patients. And we can do it because the patient can talk and breathe and have EKGs.

Jodie 15:24

I've worked with simulations, mannequins, but I've never Not outside. I've never done one outside. I never knew they could, with all the.

Marylou 15:32

Oh no. And Mary Lou has the iPad, which controls what all the vital signs are, and so she'll sit there and turn something off, turn something way down. Oh my God, I can't feel this. You should be able to Go ahead and try and guess what the pulse rate is when you can actually tell on the iPad, and so you'll take a stab in the dark and then she'll just hold the iPad like you're not even close.

Jodie 15:58

See what happens when you guess you can't lie.

Murphy 16:00

It's real and we do this a couple of weekends a month and we do the pro-paid staff as well as the volunteer staff together. Excellent, because, unlike some patrols that I have been on, we have a pure integration.

Jodie 16:20

That's excellent. It is a unique, as it should be.

Murphy 16:23

It should be, but it's like some of us professional patrollers are paid and some are not.

Marylou 16:30

Yeah, but the only thing that we don't do, that they do is throw bombs for avalanche mitigation, that's it.

Murphy 16:36

We can't climb, and we can't climb towers, but remember when we could. Okay, so yes.

Marylou 16:42

Yeah, a little liability.

Life-Saving Blue Star Rescue

Jodie 16:43

You have to sign off a liability type of thing Right right, Right.

Murphy 16:47

So no, Crystal Mountain has won the number one ski patrol several times, maybe more than any other patrol in the United States.

Marylou 16:59

We should. Speaking of awards, what awards have you won?

Murphy 17:04

A couple.

Marylou 17:05

Yeah, go ahead, give us a little summary of some of the awards you've pulled down over the years.

Murphy 17:09

Well, I do have a national number.

Marylou 17:11

Yes, oh, I forgot to ask you that. No, you did. No, you did, you didn't get your beer All right.

Jodie 17:15

No beer for you.

Murphy 17:16

In Crystal Mountain we have our own unique award called the Crystal Mountain Hardworking Son of a Bitch oh. A gold a silver award and a gold award, and I've won both of those.

Jodie 17:30

Oh good, okay, the gold twice.

Murphy 17:32

But I've been, you know, the region patroller and the division patroller.

Marylou 17:42

Right and a Miller Award. No, I do not have a Miller Award. What I thought Barb said you.

Murphy 17:48

However, I am, from last year, the National Patroller of the Year.

Marylou 17:53

Oh, that's right. Yeah, that's right. I remember that.

Jodie 17:56

National Outstanding Patroller of the Year, that's awesome that is awesome.

Marylou 18:01

How did you feel when you?

Murphy 18:02

won that, like Peter was pulling my leg.

Marylou 18:07

Why you didn't think you deserved that.

Murphy 18:11

Well, Mary Lou, are you kidding Really All the?

Marylou 18:13

stuff that you do and you didn't think that that was like in the cards. Ever, ever, really.

Murphy 18:18

No, there's so many worthwhile people in Ski Patrol that it's a true honor, but I am one of many who deserve this. That's awesome.

Jodie 18:34

I mean, it's like of course.

Murphy 18:36

Then my sister says oh great, what do we get?

Marylou 18:40

You get a pay raise.

Jodie 18:43

And I went. A plaque Sounds like it's an amazing honor. It is.

Murphy 18:53

I was absolutely stunned um, as I said in the ski patrol magazine, gobsmacked. It's the true word.

Jodie 18:58

Yeah, so I didn't realize that was you. I remember reading that and going finally, I have, there is someone else that says that phrase. I've been gobsmacked. I'm like I gotta find her Willy.

Murphy 19:10

Wonka.

Marylou 19:13

That's it, okay. So I'm going to ask you how do you feel about this phrase? Right, what does the phrase?

Murphy 19:25

service and safety since 1938 mean to you, it's not a quiz. It's um an honor and a responsibility to the skiing public that we are out there and what is so important is that we're doing it without pay is the most expensive volunteer work you can do. It is, and it's almost a calling, and I think Minnie Dole would be super proud to see the caliber of patroller that he started. I had the honor of meeting Mint Doll, his son at the 75th anniversary. Awesome. And then skied down, oh wow.

Jodie 20:20

Ski.

Murphy 20:20

Cooper with a flag with him on National Day. Wow, and just to see all these guys, and just to see all these guys, it's just like you just are amazed. And so, knowing all of that and all of that history and everything that everybody has done, you know it puts you in your place like really Me Interesting Wow.

Jodie 20:53

I like it. I like it. Yeah, we're getting it. It's been a. I really like the question.

Marylou 20:59

It is. We've had some good answers to that. I like that Inspirational.

Jodie 21:04

Inspirational. There you go, okay, so yeah.

Murphy 21:07

I have won the most inspirational patroller award.

Marylou 21:10

So now they're going to come out. What else?

Murphy 21:13

I won a blue star. What?

Marylou 21:15

did you get the blue star for?

Murphy 21:19

I saved a kid from a snow immersion death. But I got him out, got the mask off of his face and he's alive.

Marylou 21:32

That's awesome, and that was in Chamonix. Oh, in Chamonix, and you were by yourself.

Murphy 21:38

I was skiing along with a friend and I heard someone scream mon dieu. Okay, I don't speak French, I don't either, but I recognize my God, okay, so I looked over the edge and there were two legs sticking out of the snow, like this Okay, and I'm like there's two legs sticking out of the snow.

Jodie 21:57

There are two legs sticking out of the snow.

Murphy 22:00

So we had had four feet of snow the night before. So, I got, I unsnapped and then rolled down to where he was. By the time I got there he wasn't moving anymore and one of his family members got there at the same time and we started digging and digging and digging. Wow, and he was in like upside down. But we got to go in and get to him and he was great.

Jodie 22:26

Oh my goodness Okay.

Murphy 22:28

So I crawled in and sort of got the mask out and and right did a like a high mush on him and um he started kicking and it's like, oh my god, you're gonna kill us both. But so um got out and it was great.

Murphy 22:42

His parents didn't speak english and I didn't speak french, but oh but did they say merci, yes, the very next day we were skiing in a different resort and I heard ami ami, which is what they would call in American in France, and I turned around and there was the father and brother, oh wonderful. And they let me know, jen, okay.

Jodie 23:36

Jen okay. Oh, that is awesome.

Murphy 23:39

So we tried to write it up, but there was no French patroller who would sign that this had happened, so I wasn't eligible for the purple star. So they gave me a blue star and that's how I got the 15300. Oh, because they couldn't give me the purple stars.

Marylou 24:01

Well, I think that was worth it, and I think the person that you rescued probably said that was worth it.

Jodie 24:06

Oh my goodness, how old was this little tyke?

Murphy 24:09

Well, he wasn't little, he was a teenager.

Jodie 24:12

Oh my goodness. Or maybe a young man, oh wow.

Murphy 24:14

Yeah.

Jodie 24:15

That Whoa.

Murphy 24:17

Yeah.

Marylou 24:19

Man, that's nice, See. I learned even something more about you. Any other stars that you got?

Murphy 24:24

No more stars.

Marylou 24:27

Nothing. Oh, come on, you've got to have some more awards. You've been around for quite a while, really. No, no.

Murphy 24:33

Well, I know that you, I'm just a first aid room patroller yeah.

Marylou 24:35

No, I'm just a first aid room patroller.

Jodie 24:37

Yeah, it is not. No, it is not Correction. Correction, how would you phrase that differently?

Murphy 24:43

Well, and I keep telling them that I was originally, you know, pulling sleds, but because of some injuries during the war I wasn't able to pull sleds anymore because it wouldn't be safe, because I could lose control of my leg.

Marylou 24:57

Wait a minute. Hold on Injuries during the war.

Murphy 25:02

Which war Desert Storm, oh Desert Storm, persian Gulf War.

Jodie 25:10

But it's not just a.

Murphy 25:11

No, and it's not just a. But, at Crystal. Just a first-year-old person. But, when I left and went to the University of Colorado to teach, I joined the patrol in the Rocky. Mountain Division. They don't have first aid rooms.

Jodie 25:28

There are several places that don't you just?

Murphy 25:30

roll right into the clinic and you say you know, master of Visa, master of Visa, you know Right. So I was stunned by that. I was like what, okay, but anyway. So I was on the Hill for those 13 years and I told them I can't pull sleds.

Jodie 25:46

Right.

Murphy 25:46

And they let me know which I had been saying forever that thing on your back of the jacket is not a T for toboggan, it's a first aid.

Jodie 25:58

So when I left, Sorry, you're getting the applause in the background, please, and thank you, thank you. There you go. Extra applause Absolutely, we are all part of one great big, happy family, happy family patrollers, it's just been the bane of my life.

Marylou 26:17

The bane of your life, Well, you know. Well you know what been the bane of my life. The bane of your life Well, you know what's the bane of my life Is when you make those phone calls or those calls on the radio saying, hey, we're going to have a little practice out in the middle of nowhere and it's snowing and you're cold. And then you learn why you don't take your gloves off to do CPR.

Murphy 26:32

Right.

Marylou 26:34

Compressions no, I'd do those with gloves on.

Jodie 26:36

Yes, so yes, sure, but Wait a minute, what is she doing?

Murphy 26:44

She's leaving? I think she's leaving.

Marylou 26:45

Is that it? Didn't you say Well, that was almost it, so I was just going to wrap it up by saying is there anything else you want to add? Anything you want to add.

Jodie 26:55

I still want to go back to the whole thing about the patroller, but I'm right with Mary Lou on this. So what rank?

Marylou 27:01

were you when you got out of the military.

Jodie 27:03

Colonel, colonel Whoa.

Marylou 27:08

Yeah, okay.

Murphy 27:14

I was a spec four, so I'm going to have a lot more respect when I yell. I started as PFC. Did you really? I did four years enlisted.

Jodie 27:20

See, everyone starts at a basic, the best officer right here, the best officers were enlisted.

Marylou 27:26

I will always say that.

Murphy 27:27

I really wasn't. They gave us a rank. I was on active duty. They gave us a rank and I went to the Walter Reed.

Jodie 27:35

Army.

Murphy 27:35

Institute of Nursing to get my BSN.

Jodie 27:38

Okay, now let's be fair here. We're not talking about just a university down the way. This is the Walter Reed.

Murphy 27:49

That's right.

Marylou 27:50

Where they treat presidents.

Murphy 27:51

Yes.

Marylou 27:53

And I have.

Murphy 27:54

What.

Marylou 27:54

Oh no, we've got to have that story.

Jodie 27:55

You can't end and walk away and not give that one to us, okay, so.

Murphy 28:00

Not when I was a patroller.

Jodie 28:02

Well, no, but you were a nurse.

Murphy 28:03

Oh, but I was a patroller when I did take care of the president of Fiji.

Jodie 28:07

Of.

Murphy 28:08

Fiji, yes, he was a resident in my ICU or I was the head nurse of the ICU at Walter Aid and he was very seriously ill and the first lady was a nurse and he must have spent at least two months with us on my ward. He was too sick to go upstairs to the. There's a special ward at Walter Reed for where all the VIPs go, like when the president's sick and things like that.

Presidential Care and Military Career

Jodie 28:34

Now have you done a USA president care of no. That's pretty impressive, king.

Marylou 28:41

Hussein of Jordan, king Hussein, well, you could have saved us a lot of money if you didn't trade him. No no no, no, no, let's keep this.

Murphy 28:52

No, the King Hussein, not the current King Hussein. Oh, his dad, His father, who was just in. He was married to Queen Noor.

Marylou 28:58

Yeah.

Murphy 28:59

Yeah, just a really nice guy. You know, there you go. Yes, I was temporarily involved with the Reagan assassination resuscitation.

Marylou 29:12

Oh my goodness, Like Jim Brady and the whole thing.

Murphy 29:16

My students and I took care of Mr Brady and You're kidding, yeah, officer Della Husse went to Washington Hospital Center, but the president and Mr Brady stayed at George Washington Hospital.

Jodie 29:35

And you had the harder patient.

Murphy 29:37

I was doing student teaching, getting my master's, and I just happened to be bringing my students to George Washington Hospital when he came and it was really funny because these guys came upstairs with trench coats and everybody's deaf.

Jodie 29:58

Yeah, secret service okay, and it's like are you, captain robinson?

Murphy 30:02

yeah, they know where I am. I'm supposed to be going to school, follow us. And I'm like I did nothing wrong. I was trying to get a parking sticker at the faculty parking and the guy and what else are you, I'm on active duty and he goes, get out of here. And he gave me a parking sticker, so they're up there. So we went down to the ER. Okay, and they're going. Do you know how to put up a floor bag? So I'm setting up all the stuff, the chest tubes, you know for bleeding, oh my goodness, and so you know the guy looks a little familiar.

Murphy 30:33

Oh, oh, oh oh. And then, finally, the White House nurse got there and I walk out and there's Nancy oh my goodness Sitting on this little couch and I went oh, this is legitimately high upper echelon administration here, wow. Wow, I've done a lot of work.

Jodie 31:03

I mean, I've worked at places where we were told okay, you know, you are now going to be in the designated hospital.

Murphy 31:11

Oh yes, oh yes, wow. Every time the president would come into Denver, when I was head nurse of the emergency room at Fitzsimmons, we would have to set up the presidential bed.

Marylou 31:22

The presidential bed? Yes, at the hospital In the.

Murphy 31:25

ER bed at the hospital in the er you said. Anytime the president's in town, you set up a bed and in a designated corner of your emergency room so in case the president is sick and or injured while in your city, um, that's where he's going to go I did.

Marylou 31:40

Is that yes?

Jodie 31:42

I've been at a couple of ers, so he comes to visit, or she comes to visit.

Marylou 31:46

In this case, maybe in the future they set aside at any like would it be Harborview in Seattle where that would happen Probably?

Murphy 31:56

But it depends on where they're going. It could be Swedish or something. It's going to be one of the huge ICUs. Oh, really Okay, You've got to accommodate everybody, so you have every single type of medical physician's specialty available.

Jodie 32:10

A level one trauma center. I wouldn't be surprised if it would be Harborview and then in Oregon when they come to Portland, you have both OHSU and Emanuel for the level one.

Marylou 32:20

Oh wow, why do they always say that Harborview is like the only level one that's in the Northwest? They are not. They are the premier.

Murphy 32:30

They always say that Harborview is like the only level one that's in the Northwest. They are not. They are not. They are the premier in the model that has been around for a while. However, there is trauma stabilization in Tacoma, and Mary Bridge Children's Hospital is the designated trauma hospital for that side of the mountains. You have to come here to Spokane for children's trauma stabilization here. What is it, sacred Heart?

Jodie 32:56

Yes, Sacred Heart.

Murphy 32:57

Okay, so no, but it's you know, and you have a level, one level, two level three level four, depending on how many physician specialties you have and if you're level one they are in the house all the time and in level two you have to have so many minutes for them to get in.

Marylou 33:18

Okay, that answers that question. I mean, I knew it was something like that, but yeah, that was explained very thoroughly.

Murphy 33:26

Well, I'm sorry.

Marylou 33:27

No, I talked to him. No, no, no.

Jodie 33:30

So now Oregon has Portland, which is two in the city of Portland have a level one, yes, and then you go to level twos, et cetera. But yeah, right, and like Montana does not have a level one.

Murphy 33:41

No.

Jodie 33:41

When I worked in Montana, we would fly our patients to Harborview or into Idaho, et cetera.

Murphy 33:47

We would fly our patients to Harborview or into Idaho, et cetera, or to the Bird Center To us in Denver. Yes, when the Army Hospital was still open, fitzsimmons, they would come to Fitzsimmons. And when Fitzsimmons closed and the University of Colorado bought it for a dollar, so then the University of Colorado Hospital is like the premier hospital.

Marylou 34:11

There's nothing in Alaska is there. Not a level one no, no, you've got to fly down.

Jodie 34:16

And that's a long flight, it's a long flight. Yeah, I would not want to be hurt in Alaska. Yeah, so, but Anchorage, I mean they have level twos, but they're not a level one up in there.

Murphy 34:26

They probably have a two in Fairbanks.

Jodie 34:29

Not to my understanding, well, no.

Murphy 34:31

Maybe at Fort Rainwright.

Jodie 34:33

Because Salem in Oregon Salem is a level two.

Murphy 34:37

And then they have to have something in Juneau. Something I mean the governor's there I'm sure they have to have somebody.

Jodie 34:46

This is amazing.

Murphy 34:49

So no, I mean, mean I can go on and on, because I've had experiences that nobody else in the world has had, and you know Well that's good.

Marylou 34:53

I like to see we are learning all kinds of different things today. That's why I love this deal.

Jodie 34:57

What would you like to recommend If you had a new patroller?

Murphy 35:03

in front of you.

Jodie 35:04

And any words of wisdom or things to avoid.

Marylou 35:08

Or.

Jodie 35:09

Not, that's a good one. What would you like to pass on to them?

Murphy 35:18

you are never going to work harder at any other job in your life than you are here, but you will probably not get as much enjoyment and satisfaction either. Stand by for a roller coaster.

Jodie 35:40

Very true.

Murphy 35:41

You will work your butt off, true, and you are working with the finest group of people that you could probably meet. I like that one.

Jodie 35:55

I like that. That's a good one.

Marylou 35:57

Wow, that's going to be a tough act to follow, I know.

Murphy 36:00

But it's sort of like you know somebody's a beer salesman.

Marylou 36:04

Yeah.

Murphy 36:04

Somebody's a Boeing executive.

Marylou 36:06

Right.

Murphy 36:07

Somebody's an elementary school teacher. Somebody is unemployed and desperately looking for something.

Jodie 36:13

Yes.

Murphy 36:14

Lots of people are retired, but college kids, everybody. Microsoft people, but we're all Bill, bob, jill and Joe. We are not Mr, but there's no rank.

Marylou 36:30

That is very true. I have learned that at the ski patrol. Once you put that red jacket on, you are just a patroller.

Murphy 36:35

Well, they do come in and say, colonel Robinson, it's not.

Jodie 36:39

We're going to fix this. It's not just a patroller, we are patrollers.

Marylou 36:43

We are a patroller. Okay, we are patrollers.

Murphy 36:45

We are patrollers and.

Marylou 36:47

I have been a patroller now for 35 years.

Jodie 36:49

Okay so we're all patrollers.

Murphy 36:53

But how long have you been a patroller?

Jodie 36:57

I am going on 21 years.

Murphy 37:00

So even into the 1990s, when I retired from the and I was looking for a place to patrol, went to a patrol and coming out of Europe and the Olympics and I was not allowed to apply because I wasn't a guy.

Marylou 37:25

You were not a guy, okay.

Jodie 37:29

That's unfortunate.

Murphy 37:30

I came to Washington State. I had no idea. You know the pass the Crystal Mountain.

Jodie 37:37

Right.

Murphy 37:39

So they said come on up. I walked into the patrol room and there were girls In Europe. There were three women in the entire division, oh my goodness. And there were no European patrollers that were women, because at that time you had to be a guy to be in the Burgwacht or things like that. So women didn't patrol in Europe until this century. And we have come a long way. But I could not believe my eyes when I walked into crystal mountains patrol room and there were women in there who had patrolled for years what percentage of that patrol is women now?

Murphy 38:21

maybe a third to more than that when you walk in it's not a half, you know, but it's and the number of women paid patrollers that we are getting is significantly larger.

Marylou 38:34

I think that's got to be pretty close to half on the paid side.

Murphy 38:36

Yes, and there's been a, and I will tell you. We have women who are like five foot tall and weigh like 80 pounds. I will tell you, we have women who are like five foot tall and weigh like 80 pounds and they can do anything that the big 200-pound patroller can do. This on the pro side, it's like incredible.

Marylou 38:58

Oh, yeah, incredible.

Jodie 38:59

Yeah.

Murphy 39:03

It's always embarrassed getting out-skied by those women too.

Marylou 39:12

When you're learning tobogganing.

Murphy 39:13

It's not strength. No, that's all edge control. And you, it's like, don't do this. Okay, they girlish dance, I go. Edge control, ladies, edge control yeah, yeah.

Marylou 39:24

I learned that from a woman that I was doing my senior test with, who was probably five, two, five, three, maybe 100 pounds soaking wet christy, real shit. I learned more from her on how to handle a sled with you know big guys that were in there because she couldn't muscle it and I was like like oh okay, maybe if I just do what Christy does. Oh wow, this is a lot easier, right, because I didn't have to like brute strength trying to hold something back.

Murphy 39:55

Right, you know, and then you know high alpine regions of Kansas too 300 feet of the best snow you can make.

Marylou 40:04

Well, you know, 500 feet of the best snow you can make.

Murphy 40:09

Well, you know, but it's a very unique NSP patrol because they produce patrollers for the world.

Marylou 40:16

Do they really?

Murphy 40:17

They do. The guys come over from the Command and General Staff College.

Murphy 40:28

We become NSP patrollers there because we have sort of an easier schedule that one year of our entire career and um so like when I graduated, um, two of us went to europe, one went to korea, the other guys came, went all over the united states and it's this tiny little mole hill on the missouri river bluff. It's technically not kansas, it's actually technically missouri. It's on the Missouri River Bluffs. It's technically not Kansas, it's actually technically Missouri, it's on the Missouri side of the river oh my goodness.

Murphy 40:52

And they produce patrollers for the world, wow.

Jodie 40:57

That is true. There is the assumption that if you're not skiing at a huge mountain or very long, or all black diamonds et cetera, that you can't handle things.

Murphy 41:11

And.

Jodie 41:11

I grew up in southwest Michigan and little teeny mountain when I say mountain, okay the hill was created. And the snow was made. The snow was made, but Little Swiss Valley has had quite a few and people that have gone on to try for the Olympics and different things with the jumping and different things. That way it's technique, it's being exposed, and you don't have to be at a giant or even the littlest it's. Every place is unique, wow, okay, so on that.

Marylou 41:54

Marilyn, thanks very much for coming. Definitely, it was a very enjoyable chat.

Murphy 41:59

There's another little thing maybe.

Marylou 42:01

Oh, okay, yes, yeah, go ahead.

Murphy 42:04

You know when Saddam Hussein crossed the line and we all had to go to the war, about 95% of the entire European division deployed to Saudi, kuwait, which left the wives behind to help do the service stuff that we did. But so everybody at National went oh it's too bad, the whole European division was like wiped out, except for a couple of IBM guys and UPS guys. I mean so civilians, you know. So everybody else military. And so they said show us a picture of you skiing the dunes and it's a good year. So we broke up wooden crates.

Murphy 42:53

They were all jagged on the edge. We duct taped them to our combat boots, climbed up a hill, skied down. We got a year credit.

Marylou 43:04

Oh, you're kidding. No, I think we may edit that out, just to keep your ear.

Murphy 43:12

They may want that back. Those of us from Europe got back in late April so we were able to go up to the Hennertuxins and ski a couple of days.

Marylou 43:21

Oh ski a couple of days.

Murphy 43:22

Yes but yeah, for fun.

Marylou 43:24

So you had crates duct taped onto your boots? Yes, wow.

Murphy 43:30

We did have skis.

Marylou 43:32

Yeah, wow, no metal edges there.

Jodie 43:35

No, can't even say that there was actually even a tip up.

Murphy 43:39

No, no, there was like the jacket thing, you know.

Jodie 43:43

Got to ride back on the heels.

Marylou 43:45

You had the back seat the entire time.

Murphy 43:48

But yeah, I never skated dude again, but that was a cool NSP history tidbit that some people probably don't know. They were very supportive.

Jodie 44:03

They were very supportive of the military. I know a couple other people that were that over at the same time I think it was and receiving credit.

Murphy 44:14

And then, when I was in Rocket Mountain Division, they gave us what's called a Patriot Star and you wear it on the cuff if you're a combat veteran.

Jodie 44:24

Of a ski jacket.

Murphy 44:26

Of your NSP jacket and if you're a combat veteran, you wear a Patriot Star.

Jodie 44:30

Oh, interesting, yes, I have. Do you have one on your?

Marylou 44:33

jacket, because I'm going to ask people when I see, hey, marilee, you know what? That is right there, and just to see if they know if you have it on your jacket.

Murphy 44:41

You know I'm not supposed to have a jacket because I'm not a first aid room. No, but you're still a patrol. I have a jacket only because I go out and I'm ITing and when I go to other mountains I have to have a red jacket with a cross, but I am not allowed to wear it.

Jodie 44:55

Unfortunately, there are many patrols that if, even though, when do you get your cross? You get your cross when you're done with OEC and you have completed your training. And there are many patrols that, unfortunately, if you are not an alpine skier, that when I say patrols it's more sometimes the ski area that says nope, you cannot have a white cross on your back if you're out there.

Murphy 45:21

That's what he said, only the alpine. That's not a T for toboggan.

Marylou 45:26

No.

Murphy 45:26

That's a red cross for safety.

Jodie 45:28

I mean that's a red cross for safety. I mean it's a white cross for safety on the first day. But there's things that over time that it's interesting. I know several patrols that have gone through quite an interesting transition. Interesting transition and, like at one area it's been a debate of maybe you were an alpine before, but now, because of maybe injuries or different things, but you're not to wear the white cross, and it's like wait a minute, but what do we do?

Murphy 46:02

All white cross stuff yeah.

Marylou 46:06

Like everything. Like I drop off a patient at the first aid room and what and?

Murphy 46:10

he runs as fast as he can.

Marylou 46:13

Okay, let's be honest, I have to do the paperwork.

Murphy 46:15

Yes, no not the computer stuff. Uh, no, because because they first said you drop them off in the aid room, we'll do the. I'm like I wasn't there. I don't know what the conditions are exactly I don't know if the skis are on or off and with right. Okay, so you it. And then I do the first aid care, yeah, and then yeah.

Marylou 46:32

Oh, it's wonderful cooperation.

Murphy 46:34

I will say 50% of the major patients walk in the knees, get a ride.

Marylou 46:41

Right.

Murphy 46:41

But the dislocated shoulders, the fractures, the head injuries and the heart attacks walk in. And there's nobody to do the paperwork and nobody to help me, because I'm in there by myself. Yeah.

First Aid Room Realities

Marylou 46:55

So we've had what four, five cardiac incidents in the last year At least.

Murphy 47:02

One day this year, in the span of 20 minutes, I had a man walk in with a fractured sternum that had paradoxical movement, a fractured jaw that was out to here, but his airway was okay Right. A dislocated shoulder that had been surgically repaired not too long before that and had all the little nuts and bolts sticking out Okay, and a father had scooped up the kid and brought him in.

Marylou 47:38

I've got to hang out with you in the first aid room. I'll tell you, I've seen nothing of this on top of the mountain.

Jodie 47:42

Exactly.

Murphy 47:42

And I'm like could someone come down and help me? Yep.

Marylou 47:48

Hey, mary Lou, from now on I'm going to put this on record. You need to call and say Murph, can you come down and help me at the mountain? I would happily come down and get some of that experience. We all know about Jack Ramsey no.

Murphy 48:00

Jack has, when his heart was acting up.

Jodie 48:05

See, Jack had to race down. He's racing to be jack.

Murphy 48:09

Jack will come on down he's. He spent several days this year with me.

Jodie 48:13

You're wonderful, jack.

Marylou 48:14

We love you, yeah I don't love you because you beat me to all the incidents oh, this has been so informative.

Murphy 48:26

So yeah, been around, been there, done that. So in five divisions I've seen a lot.

Marylou 48:35

There's many ways to skin a cat. Well, thanks for coming and talking to us. That was super nice. I appreciate it, Mary Lou.

Jodie 48:41

That was awesome.

Murphy 48:42

So now just please destroy this tape, oh no Self-destructing, we're going to destroy it.

Marylou 48:47

In what five seconds?

Jodie 48:48

Five, four, three, two. Destroy this tape because, oh no, self-destructing, that's right. In what five?

Marylou 48:50

seconds. Isn't that five, four, three?

Murphy 48:51

two, thirty years?

Jodie 48:52

I don't know what it is.

Murphy 48:52

Thank you.