Lift Operations Supervisor

There’s no such thing as an average day’s work for Dale Logan. As Mount Washington Alpine Resort’s Lift Operations Supervisor, Dale’s company car is a skidoo. His clientele are the thousands of annual visitors to the popular Vancouver Island destination. His staff is a young, dedicated team of lift operators and ticket checkers who take their snow sports very seriously.

He’s responsible for training, supporting and supervising the mountain’s first line of customer service. He’s a multi-talented asset to Mount Washington, and he never fails to create a light-spirited environment to enhance the experience of coworkers and customers alike. 

Dale is responsible for some of the mountain’s most visible and social employees. “Lift operators are the number one assets of any ski hill operation,” says Dale. “They are some of the first to start work and will do so in any weather condition, day or night. They are passionate about their snow sports and getting the job done quickly and professionally.”

If his staff is passionate and professional, it’s because Dale has given his team members the training and support they need to start strong, provide exceptional service and succeed at the resort. The training he provides to new recruits is notably diverse, encompassing the full gamut of customer service, personal safety, technical procedures and equipment maintenance.

The people skills demanded by his operational duties also make him ideally suited for Mount Washington’s Human Resources Committee. As a member, he helps to set the committee’s objectives and priorities, directly advocating for the wellbeing of Mount Washington’s diverse workforce.

Dale’s involvement with HR has the added perk of extensive travel. His personality, professional skills and expertise on mountain life make him the perfect recruiter, taking him to conventions across the country in search of new, passionate employees to appreciate what he describes as the Resort’s “work hard, play hard, and have lots of fun” atmosphere.

Dale got his start in the industry as a health club attendant at the Lodge at Kananaskis. Initially attracted by the lodge’s surroundings and flexible work schedule, which could accommodate his riding habit, he found that the charms of the tourism industry were much further reaching and more profound.

By December of the same year he had moved on to Nakiska Alpine Resort’s day care facility, adding skiing to his list of outdoor perks. This was the start of Dale’s love affair with mountain life.

It’s each resort’s unique atmosphere that Dale finds compelling. “Each has its own ‘mix’, so to speak.” At Mount Washington, it’s the people who leave a strong impression on him. “It’s hard to find that thing that makes mountain people, well, mountain people.”

Mountain people proved to be strong motivators. Dale started at Mount Washington in November of 2000; today he supervises a staff of over 150.

Dale deals with countless personalities in his staff and Mount Washington’s customers; he lists his constant stream of social encounters as both his greatest professional joy and challenge. When inclement weather and mechanical issues disrupt alpine service, it’s Dale and his staff who are the first to ease relations with the resort’s valued skiers, snowboarders, riders and summertime hikers. Similarly, his staff is uniquely positioned to set a positive, comfortable and enjoyable atmosphere from one side of the resort to the other.

When asked to provide his most memorable moments at Mount Washington, Dale replied that such a request was “unfair because there are so many. Plus, I don’t think I would want to incriminate others.”

A dedicated professional with unparalleled social skills, respect for his employees, and a drive to enjoy his job, Dale Logan is a perfect example of a man whose tourism career is constantly evolving and perpetually rewarding.