Photo: Pep Fujas (@pepfujas)

 
 
"The women up at the CNFAIC were huge mentors to me and helped point me in the direction to continue pursuing forecasting at other programs throughout the west, where I ultimately landed in Utah. "
 
I grew up ski racing in Michigan and spent a lot of time in the mountains. I attended school in Colorado to study engineering and once there I transitioned my focus from alpine racing to backcountry skiing. I joined the Outdoor Recreation Center and as a trip leader, I began shadowing guides and acting as a backcountry guide to fellow students.
 
I later transferred to Bozeman and that’s where things clicked for me. I connected with a graduate student in the snow science program who needed a field assistant with avalanche training. I soon realized how closely civil engineering and snow science aligned. While in Montana, I began researching the Earth Sciences and Civil Engineering Departments and teaching local avalanche courses. After graduating, I worked in the Subzero Science and Engineering Laboratory and investigated snow mechanics, and continued working in avalanche education. A few winters ago, I went up to the Chugach Range in Alaska and worked with the Chugach National Forest Avalanche Information Center (CNFAIC). The women up at the CNFAIC were huge mentors to me and helped point me in the direction to continue pursuing forecasting at other programs throughout the west, where I ultimately landed in Utah.
 
Even in the summers I still manage to find myself shoveling snow, and have been working guide on Mount Rainier, the Cascades, and Denali for about 7 seasons now. On the rare occasion I actually get to enjoy the parts of Utah and Washington not covered in snow, I can be found mountain biking, trail running, and trying out new recipes.

 

BORN

Kalamazoo, MI

RESIDES

Salt Lake City, UT | Ashford, WA

ACCOMPLISHMENTS

  • Over 50 summits of Mount Rainer
  • Multiple expeditions on Mount Denali

  • Ski expedition across North America and Iceland

  • American Avalanche Institute Professional Level I & II
  • AMGA courses in the Alpine and Ski Discipline
  • Civil Engineer Degree - Montana State University