Guardian Angels of the Granby Nationals: Mountain bike doctors on patrol
(7/27/2010)
By Tonya Bina: Sky High Daily News
One particular rider at the USA Cycling Mountain Bike National Championships in Granby from July 15-18 wasn't racing for the title of champion. For Dr. Mark Paulsen of Timberline Clinic in Granby, who also serves as medical director at SolVista Ski Basin, riding his bike on the mountain to reach injured contestants was a race of its own kind.
Competitive bicyclist Nate Avery suffered a skull fracture while racing in the USA Cycling Mountain Bike National Championships at SolVista ski area the weekend of July 15-18 in Granby. Surrounding him are on-mountain EMT bike patrollers and Dr. Mark Paulsen (yellow bike helmet) of Timberline Clinic in Granby. Paulsen serves at the medical director at the resort's new on-mountain care unit and supervises bike-patrol medics. Courtesy photo
Paulsen and eight paid EMT bike patrollers at SolVista, plus about a dozen volunteers, provided medical support in as many as 102 accidents that took place during the four-day event. On an average (non-event) weekend at SolVista, patrollers may respond to about 10 injuries on the mountain, Paulsen said.
For a racing venue that hosted 1,800 mountain bikers, that number of medical incidences is on par with other mountain-bike circuit events, said SolVista Bike Park Director Matt Thompson, who has been racing on the national and world stage since 1997.
