Mark Rickbeil began his career in rope and rescue in 1995, spending winters as a professional ski patroller at Red Lodge Mountain in Montana. His summers were dedicated to guiding in the backcountry and working on high-ropes and challenge course facilitation and construction. During his twenties, he also worked as an arborist, gaining extensive experience operating on ropes in tree environments.
From 1999 to 2006, Mark served as the Patrol Director at Red Lodge Mountain, where he also contributed to marketing and sales during the summer months. During this time, he was actively involved with Red Lodge Fire & EMS and Carbon County Search and Rescue. In 2006, Mark joined the Billings Fire Department and became a member of its technical rescue team in 2007. He took over as team coordinator in 2018 and retired in October 2024 after 18 years of service.
Mark continues to work part-time as a ski patroller at Red Lodge Mountain, marking over 30 years as a member of the National Ski Patrol – Pro Division. He spends the rest of his time traveling and teaching technical rescue and REMS (Rapid Extraction Module Support) courses for Colorado Mountain College, as well as aerial evacuation and other rescue disciplines for Peak Rescue. He also serves as a team lead for REMS assignments on wildland fires.
He holds a SPRAT Level 1 certification and is preparing to rejoin the Red Lodge Search and Rescue team following his recent return to the area.
