Free skiing on his day off, first-year full-time ski patroller Preston Housel remembers casually skiing down the blue run Rainbow below Four Points Lodge at Steamboat Resort.

The next thing he clearly remembers is waking up in the Emergency Department at UCHealth Yampa Valley Medical Center.

Although he was skiing on the intermediate-level run and not in the trees on Dec. 21, Housel ended up smashing into and wrapping around a tree. He broke his left clavicle in four places, fractured seven ribs in the front and four in the back, and suffered a concussion. After two surgeries he now has multiple metal plates and screws and is off from work for at least six weeks.

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As a ski patroller, including past years as a volunteer patroller, Housel is reminding other skiers and riders to “keep your head on a swivel,” and “slow down a little if things are getting crowded and try to create that space.”

As a multi-sport athlete growing up and now an active 6-foot-2-inch mountain biker and spin instructor at Old Town Hot Springs, Housel has had multiple concussions but no broken bones or surgeries until the late-December accident.

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“Watch out for trees — they don’t move,” Housel advised.

His injuries represent another challenge in what has been a rough year for Housel, 39, who was laid off in October from his industrial designer job after 11 years. The father of two also is going through a divorce and currently lives in his van. While he is recovering, he is staying with friends.

Fellow first-year ski patroller and friend John Whitbeck has organized a GoFundMe fundraiser page titled “Support Preston’s Recovery Journey.” Whitbeck calls Housel a “very caring, quiet individual” who “loves to help people and really is dedicated to his job.”

Housel said he is “really overwhelmed by all the support from other patrollers and the community so far.”

“It’s been amazing and really, really encouraging — so many good people,” said Housel, who grew up in Lakewood.

One of the other ways that first responders who serve in Routt County can be supported during rough times is through the community nonprofit Routt First Responders Foundation, which was founded last year by Steamboat Springs firefighters Devin Borvansky and Nick Fernandez.

Borvansky said the inspiration for starting the new support fund came after the death of a Routt County Sheriff’s officer in 2023. The fund so far has raised some $75,000 through benefit hockey and golf tournaments in September and by participating in Colorado Gives Day.

So far, the foundation has given out about $30,000 to help three families in need. The fund is intended to provide streamlined access to support for more immediate needs such as groceries, rent, medical expenses or travel to medical appointments, Borvansky said. The Routt First Responders Foundation assistance is available to employees who serve in Routt County through ski patrol, search and rescue, law enforcement, dispatch or fire departments.

Anyone who would like to support the all-volunteer-led foundation can visit the Colorado Gives Foundation page Coloradogives.org/organization/Steamboat-Fire-Foundation. Steamboat Fire Foundation was the original name of the foundation that later expanded its reach and updated its name. For questions, email Steamboatfirefoundation@gmail.com

Another resource for first responders comes through Routt County Crisis Support, online at Routtcountycrisissupport.org. It offers the volunteer-based Routt County Peer Support Team to provide mental health and stress-management support among individuals in high-impact, emergency response careers. The crisis-support nonprofit organization also offers the Routt County 1^st Responder Mental Health Assistance Program that promotes confidential, positive mental health through therapeutic and educational resources for first responders and those who support them.

The recently named executive director of Routt County Crisis Support is Becky Slamal, a Steamboat native who earned a master’s degree in counseling, was a member of the Crisis Support Team at UCHealth Yampa Valley Medical Center and has worked in the nonprofit field for 25 years. For questions, email: director@routtcountycrisissupport.org