This Heeler Has Been Working For 11 Winters As An Avalanche Dog
Meet Heather and Momo, one of Kirkwood Ski Resort’s avalanche dog teams. Momo the heeler is the most tenured avalanche dog at the California ski resort as she in her 11th season working on the mountain. Heather has been a patroller for 19 years at Kirkwood and leads their avalanche dog program, overseeing the training and readiness of 7 dog-and-handler teams.
“At Kirkwood, nearly the entire mountain is avalanche terrain or lies directly below it. Daily operations, especially during storm cycles, require an immense amount of knowledge, dedication, and hard work from our patrol team. Our avalanche dogs are a critical part of that effort, training day in and day out in all weather and conditions, so they are ready to respond at any moment. Heather and Momo embody the professionalism behind that work.”
Heather and Momo’s partnership, built over years on the mountain, reflects Kirkwood’s commitment and trust required to operate in high-consequence terrain. Anyone who wants to support Kirkwood’s avalanche dog program can do so by purchasing a t-shirt at the top of Chair 2, with all proceeds benefiting the Kirkwood Rescue Avalanche Dog Foundation. This year’s design features Momo alongside Ripple and Huckleberry, current and former Kirkwood avy dogs, all heelers from the same bloodline that has served Kirkwood for years.
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