The Darren Johnson Avalanche Education Memorial Fund based in Big Sky has announced it is granting nine scholarships totaling $20,400 in 2024 to support ski patrollers seeking to access continuing education safety courses. Morgan Throckmorton, a ski patroller at Lost Trail Ski Area, is one of the nine scholarship recipients.
The scholarship fund is named after Darren Johnson, a Big Sky local and seasoned Yellowstone Club ski patroller who died in an avalanche in 2016 while on duty helping Montana State University graduate students collect snowpack data. The fund was created by Darren’s fellow ski patrollers and friends and is managed and administered by the Yellowstone Club Community Foundation. Johnson was a member of the National Ski Patrol and a beloved member of the Yellowstone Club ski patrol for six years.
“Darren was not only a great colleague, but he was an even better friend,” said Lance Stratton, a founding member of the Darren Johnson Memorial Fund and ski patroller at the Yellowstone Club. “His legacy lives on through these scholarships. Our annual memorial events in January have brought light to a dark time for those who worked the day we lost Darren to the mountains.”
The continuing education scholarships are offered to ski patrollers across the country in a competitive selection process. The advanced training, which is already provided by the Yellowstone Club to its patrol team, can be cost-prohibitive for smaller ski areas, especially ones that rely on volunteers.
This year, nine scholarships were granted to patrollers at six ski areas in the United States and one in Canada, including Lost Trail Ski Area in Montana, Sun Valley in Idaho, Stevens Pass in Washington, Mammoth Mountain Ski Area in California, Red Mountain Resort in British Columbia, Red River Ski Area in New Mexico.
The funds are primarily raised through two events held every January in Big Sky, including the Beehive Pint Night, which will be held on January 16th, and the Waypoint film screening and silent auction, which will be held on January 20th.
“Working at a small, family-owned ski area like Lost Trail is an incredible opportunity to connect and work closely with the local community,” said Throckmorton. “This scholarship is helping support our mountain by providing the resources for me and others to strengthen our avalanche program and education through professional courses approved by the American Avalanche Association. This support ensures our team has the training necessary to maintain a safe and enjoyable environment for everyone and aligns with industry best practices.”
Ski patrollers interested in applying for the 2025 grant cycle may apply here: https://yccf.submittable.com/submit/04cd1c04-45f9-4ca5-863d-44c4e2b13f8b/darren-johnson-memorial-scholarship
Members of the public may contribute to the patrollers’ education fund here: https://www.paypal.com/donate?campaign_id=JEK4RYC2NX4ZW
The community can learn more about upcoming Darren Johnson Memorial Fund community events on its Instagram account: @Afirm_Fund.