The value of well-trained avalanche rescue dogs has risen this year due to the record amount of snow that fell in Summit County, and the Park City Professional Ski Patrol Association is doing something about it.
The union will host the Backcountry BowWow on Friday, March 31, at the Cabin, 427 Main St. The event is a fundraiser for Wasatch Backcountry Rescue, a nonprofit that, among other services, provides training for rescue dogs, said union member Amy Ladd.
“Giving back to the Wasatch Backcountry Rescue is very close to our hearts,” she said. “They host dog schools and obedience tests throughout the winter, not just for our dogs, but for all the other programs in the Wasatch Back. We couldn’t train our dogs without them.”
Wasatch Backcountry Rescue’s purpose is to execute rapid responses for avalanche rescue, winter-related mountain rescue and medical evacuation using trained professionals and search and rescue dogs, according to a press release issued by Ladd.
“This organization and their rescue efforts have been instrumental for the safety of our local community,” it said. “Every year, more work is needed to train avalanche dog teams, educate the public and provide safer and faster response times.”
Since 2019, 12 people have been killed in avalanches in Utah, according to Ladd, and earlier this month, Ryan Barr, a 46-year-old man from San Diego, California, died in a slide in Weber Canyon.
“Many of these accidents occur in the Wasatch range and directly impact members of our community,” she said. “With the bountiful amounts of snow received this year, WBR needs our help now more than ever.”
The fundraiser will start with a cocktail hour, featuring live music performed by indie pop singer Aspen Anonda, Ladd said.
“During that hour we’ll have a silent auction with higher ticket items that have been donated by local businesses and organizations,” she said. “And the Ski Patrol’s rescue dogs will be the highlight of the cocktail hour. They will be there along with their handlers,” she said. “So attendees will get to interact and take photos with them.”
Silent auction items include American Avalanche Institute classes and recertification courses, and skis and gift certificates donated by restaurants and shops located on Park City’s historic Main Street, Ladd said.
“We’re always amazed at the donations we receive every year,” she said. “Everyone is excited to donate, because they have an idea of what the Wasatch Backcountry Rescue and the Ski Patrol do.”
In addition to embarking on search-and-rescue missions, the Park City Professional Ski Patrol Association also works to take care of its members, Ladd said.
Last year, membership of the union that represents Park City Mountain ski patrollers ratified a three-year wage agreement with Vail Resorts that averted the possibility of a strike.
After the Backcountry BowWow’s silent auction wraps up at the end of the cocktail hour, the Salt Lake City-based bluegrass band, the Pickpockets, will take the stage, Ladd said.
“Throughout the night we’ll also do some opportunity drawings,” she said. “People will be able to purchase opportunity drawing tickets, and our grand prizes will include skis and guided fly fishing trips, and more.”
This year’s fundraising goal is $20,000.
If people who can’t attend still want to donate, they can by visiting givebutter.com/c/BowWow, Ladd said.
“We raised $19,000 last year, and that was our biggest fundraiser to date,” she said. “We’ve been doing this for eight years in different locations, and even though COVID messed us up a bit, we’ve been lucky to find a venue like the Cabin for the past two years.”
Registration for the Backcountry BowWow is now open, also at givebutter.com/c/BowWow. All attendees must be 21 or older, because the Cabin is a bar.
“We love hosting the event on Main Street,” Ladd said. “I feel like half of the fun is being in the historic downtown Park City.”