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Last Lift
Book Takes a
Light-Hearted Look

at Patrol Life

BY TROY HAWKS

The Adventures of Wiley A. Valanche, by Kim Kircher
and William Steel, Booklocker.com, Inc. 2017.
ISBN 978-1-63491-742-1 pp. 87

THE SLOGAN OF the National Ski Patrol is “We’re a different
breed,” but it’s not just the individual patroller that’s unique.
The relationships between patrollers, the various personalities,
and weird-science chemistry that makes up a functional ski area
patrol department is often even more remarkable. Tucked away
in little shacks at the tops of ski areas across the country, seasons “And finally drink beer,” Wiley said. “At least I
and years are considered short-time, and it’s not uncommon to get to drink beer with the avalanche crew.”
encounter “patrol-mances” of 20, 30, or more years.
The Adventures of Wiley A. Valanche affords a whimsical For Steel, The Adventures of Wiley A. Valanche is a reemer-
look at the life and times of a ski patroller, and it also shares gence of his previous work. He introduced the character of
a glimpse of the kinship among the brothers and sisters Wily Avalanche during his first year on the job in 1974. Wiley
of the ski patrol department at Crystal Mountain, Wash. patches were made a few seasons later, and ultimately became
William Steel, the book’s illustrator, first started patrolling at a badge [patch] of honor that all Crystal patrollers wear.
Crystal in 1974, and he went on to enjoy a 40-year career. In In 2008, Steel brought Wiley out of retirement and that
her own right, the book’s author, Kim Kircher, has worked at has since led to this Homer Simpson-like portrayal of Wiley.
Crystal for a few decades now –work that has included more The 87-page book features more than 40 full page illus-
than 600 hours of explosive control work. trations coupled with Kircher’s words. Combined, the two
Kircher clearly illustrated that she is as proficient with uncover the inside humor and common challenges that all
words as she is with bombs in her first book, The Next Fifteen patrollers face on the job.
Minutes: Strength From the Top of the Mountain, published in
2011. In her latest work, Kircher moves her narrative toward a One day, the Boss finally called Wiley into his
more elementary level. Add in Steel’s ingenious sketch illustra- office. “Son, the time has come for you to slay
tions, and at first glance you might mistake this for a kid’s book. the mighty avalanche. You, my fine plebian, will
Rather, the narrative speaks pretty specifically to old-school ski join the avalanche prowlers in the pre-dawn and
patrol culture and customs. In the book, Kircher writes: protect this mountain and the skiing public!”

“All I ever do,” Wiley lamented to his only Wiley’s heart soared. “When do I start?”
friend, “is fix these ropes.”
In the end, Wiley had his day with the avalanche, and on
Rabbit looked on passively, his nose twitching the first encounter, the avalanche won. Wiley survives the
double time. incident, and we suspect the choice of Wiley as the charac-
ter’s name [Wile E. Coyote] could be a hint that there very
“And drink coffee,” Wiley said. “And run a well might be more avalanche encounters to come. For now,
sled or two. And drink more coffee. And wait the score is Avalanche one, Wiley zero.
for sweep. And drink another coffee. And take
these ropes down on sweep.” Troy Hawks is the marketing and sales director for Sunlight
Mountain Resort, Colo. The resort is the winner of NSAA’s
Rabbit didn’t appear moved to comment. 2016-17 National Marketing Award for Best Family Campaign.

74 | NSAA JOURNAL | SUMMER 2017