Growing up in the desert wastelands of Southwestern New Mexico and West Texas I found little appreciation for such things as oil wells and tumbleweeds.  Sure, if you’re an oil man or a tumbleweed enthusiast, you might find something aesthetically pleasing about this area of the country, but for someone who dreamt about powder days in three feet of snow on a mountain peak, it is an inconvenient place to begin life. 

So, after graduating from the University of Texas in 1999, I sought out to explore this journey called life.  Moving to Colorado, I worked as a ski-lift operator, a raft guide and a copywriter in an advertising agency.  However, it was after meeting my future wife, Robyn, that I truly began to explore everything life had to offer.  In 2001, we were married in Port Washington, Wisconsin and then proceeded to live in El Salvador as Robyn finished her commitment to the U.S. Peace Corps.  Although I was not an official volunteer in the Peace Corps, I helped Robyn in her projects and garnered valuable experience working on everything from planting trees to painting a world map with elementary kids.

These experiences have taught me that I enjoy working in an outdoor environment, particularly in the areas of experiential education.

EXPERIENCE

• 11/2006 - Wilderness First Responder Renewal (Certified until March 2010)

• 8/2005 - Guided a baggage boat down the Grand Canyon for Moki Mack
Responsible for navigating an 18 foot boat downt he Grand Canyon on a 18 person commercial trip. Duties included cooking, cleaning, medical first aid, and entertainment.

• 1/2004 - Wilderness First Responder Training by Desert Mountain Wilderness
40 hour class in administering first responder medical attention in the wilderness.

• 3/2003 - Snowboard Instructor - Williams Ski Hill
Responsible for teaching groups of two to six (adults and children) in the various beginning techniques of recreational snowboarding.

• 2/2003 - Backpacking Guide in Grand Canyon - Canyon Dreams
Guided backpacking trips down the Grand Canyon. Duties included camp setup, kitchen work, backcountry cleaning, water sanitation, backcountry cooking, and medical first aid.

• 8/2002 to 9/2002 - Advanced Scuba Diving Certification - Honduras
Obtained advanced scuba diving certification through a series of twelve dives which included, night diving, deep diving, naturalist diving, shipwreck diving, and navigation diving.

• 6/1999 to 10/1999 - Whitewater Raft Guide - Mad Adventures, Winter Park, Colorado
Responsible for the safety and enjoyment of tourists rafting on the upper Colorado River. Developed roles in leadership while building a cohesive team with people from diverse backgrounds.

• 12/1998 to 5/1998 - Ski Lift Operator - Winter Park Ski Resort
Responsible for the safe loading and unloading of guests on a lift servicing beginner and advanced runs.