My first experience teaching was instructing geology labs. Later, in Antarctica, I spent a couple of seasons training scientists and field staff in survival skills and mountain safety. My first guiding job in the Cascades also centered on instruction, and now, years later, one of the most rewarding parts of guiding is watching long-time guests return and steadily improve. There’s real satisfaction in seeing someone progress through difficult tasks and knowing you’ve done your best to help them along.

Most of my guiding is a solo affair. Working with experienced colleagues is rewarding, and a reminder that this profession is best when it’s collaborative!

The biggest part of my life these days is my family. That means less time for personal climbing and skiing, but watching my daughter grow has become my favorite pastime. When she’s at the pump track on her Strider bike, I’m there on my surf skate. Hike-and-fly paragliding, gravel biking, and a handful of other pursuits fill the rest of my free time.