STEVENS PASS, Wash. — Stevens Pass has been keeping a ‘pawsitively’ adorable secret that’ll melt your heart.
Staff shared photos on social media of their newest member of the ski patrol team: Jazz.
She’s a Nova Scotia Duck Trolling Retriever and is two months old.
0 of 5
“She’s already bringing boundless enthusiasm to every training session, and melting hearts faster than fresh snow on a sunny day,” the Stevens Pass Avalanche Rescue Dogs group shared.
Jazz is currently in training and will spend the next few seasons learning the skills she needs to become an avalanche rescue dog.
“Make sure to give her a boop to wish her luck on her first season,” staff said.
Avalanche rescue dogs are trained to use their sense of smell to find people buried in snow. The training process is rigorous. It typically takes two to three years to become certified.
The Avalanche Rescue Dog Program has been at Stevens Pass since the 1990s and is an essential piece of mountain operations at the ski resort.
Last year, KIRO 7 got a closer look at the program. We spoke to Angela Seidling, the director of ski patrol there. She said that Stevens Pass has 220 avalanche paths, and crews work hard to make sure they are safe.
You can learn more about the program here.
©2025 Cox Media Group
