About
Patrol History
Wear the shield with pride. The generations that came before set a high standard of service and safety that still guides our work today.
The National Ski Patrol traces its roots to March 1938, when Roger F. Langley asked Charles Minot “Minnie” Dole to expand his Mt. Mansfield patrol model into a national organization. Dole accepted, founding the National Ski Patrol (NSP).
During World War II, Dole helped establish the famed 10th Mountain Division, with the NSP serving as the sole civilian agency authorized to screen military applicants. After the war, these veterans returned to shape the modern American ski industry including many of the mountains NSP patrols today.
Granted a federal charter by the U.S. Congress in 1980, the NSP continues to lead outdoor safety. Today, the Northern Division carries that same core creed — Service and Safety — across Montana, Wyoming, North Dakota, and South Dakota.
Division Historian Steven Thompson collects patrol histories, photographs, and the “then and now” of outfitting a patroller. If your patrol has a story, send it in.