I am fortunate to work with some very talented and incredible people in the Mountain Operations division at Monarch. While all staff members (and Monarch guests) had to rise to face new challenges this season, one department has been on the very tip of the spear helping to operate our ski area during a global pandemic. As a remote ski area located on the Continental Divide far from a medical clinic, the Monarch Ski Patrol is our local health care provider at the ski area. Their efforts have been significant this season as they initiated new patient care protocols, subjected themselves to weekly rapid testing, and managed COVID quarantine and isolation situations for the company as they unfolded. Two professional medical staff members worked as Infection Control specialists to help Monarch operate during this very unusual season. As first responders, this crew was eligible to receive some of the earliest vaccines in our county. On top of helping to manage this unique health environment, they still performed flawlessly to handle the routine risk management duties, weather reporting, avalanche mitigation, terrain management and emergency rescue situations that come up during a winter season. In addition to these many tasks, they still found time to offer more when asked to help shovel out the lodge, cover the top lift station at Panorama or take care of that last line item in every Monarch Job Description…”other duties as assigned”. Kudos to our Patrollers!