North Cascade Heli Skiing Staff

		Guides
		Ken Brooks Ken was born in Seattle and from the age of two has been skiing the Cascades. In high school, Ken was hired to teach skiing at Alpental ski area and he has been working in the ski industry ever since. In 1985, on New Years day, after a single helicopter lift from Whistler followed by a 4,000-foot powder run Ken was hooked. Heli-ski guiding became the focus. After graduating from the ski area management and instruction program at Wenatchee Valley College, Ken went to France to teach with his full certification as a ski instructor. Returning to Washington, he guided on Mt. Rainier and in Alaska. Walking up from Paradise one day in 1992, he heard that North Cascade Heli-Skiing was looking for investors. This seemed a perfect match since Ken all ready had property in Mazama. His nine years of experience ski patrolling at Crystal Mountain was ideal for the avalanche control work, snow stability evaluations and first aid skills requisite for a heli-ski guide. Today Ken oversees North Cascade Heli-Skiing operations year round.
		Paul Butler A resident of Mazama, a co-owner and lead guide for North Cascades Mountain Guides and publisher of the Methow Valley News, Paul bought into NCHS in May of 2005. Born and raised in Minnesota, Paul moved out west after attending Carlton College. He has been guiding in the North Cascades for over 15 years. His passion for climbing and skiing has led to adventures all over the western United States as well as abroad in Ecuador, Patagonia and the Alps. Paul is also busy raising two children with his wife, Bo.
		Eric Burr Old helicopter skiing guides fade away slowly. Eric still helps out on our base radio, and with charting the avalanche weather and snow pit data. Since he’s also a retired forester and naturalist, and still leads nature walks at the Freestone Inn, we sometimes bring him along on our helicopter ski tours. If he looks familiar it’s probably because he’s been writing for, or has been written about, in ski publications since the 1970’s. He was one of the original heli-ski guides who started this strange sport here in 1983.
		Dale "Fuzzy" Caulfield A Washington State Native, who grew up on the west side, or the coast as we call it here. Dale learned to ski in places such as his backyard on barrel staves with diaper bindings. He then soon progressed to wood skis, burning up the slopes at such places as the Mountaineers Lodge on Snoqualmie Summit and Paradise Lodge on Mount Rainer. Spending several years as a ski instructor both Alpine and Nordic took Dale to Colorado (college degree in Ski Area Technology…what’s that? Hmmm…). It was then on to Europe, living in Switzerland teaching skiing and learning about avalanches in the back country, sometimes not the smartest way! Dale has spent 31 years in Alaska as a commercial fisherman between traveling to Asia, South Pacific, and other far away lands as a tourist and skier. He moved to the Methow Valley in 1981. This tucked away valley has become his home base for fun and outdoor adventure where he lives with his wife and daughter. Dale started guiding for a local snow-cat operation in 1982, and in 1985 opened a hut-to-hut ski business called Rendezvous’ Outfitters, which he owned and operated for twelve years. Dale has worked for North Cascade Heli-Skiing now for 12 years. He continues to enjoy the people, the working environment, and of course, the skiing!
		Larry Goldie Born and raised in the suburban jungle of New Jersey, Larry escaped after high school and has been living the mountain dream ever since. His work in the ski industry has included several years as a ski technician, seven years as a ski instructor and two years as a professional ski patroller. He has been guiding skiers in the backcountry for over ten years in the Rockies, Cascades, Sierras and Alps. Larry is an IFMGA-certified mountain guide. He is co-owner and head guide at North Cascades Mountain Guides in Mazama
		Anne Keller A Washington native, Anne has been climbing since 1985 and guiding for eight years. Her guiding experience includes over 40 ascents of Mt. Ranier, several expeditions to the Alaska Range, and numerous routes in the North Cascades and the Tetons. Anne has worked five years as a professional ski patroller and has been a guide with NCHS for four years. She is an Emergency Medical Technician and has a formal education in Physical Therapy.
		Jerry Laverty Jerry grew up skiing “mountains” of lower Michigan in the ‘60’s. He began ski guiding and instruction U.S. Army at the Huckleberry Creek Mountain Training Camp near Mt. Ranier. After teaching troops from Florida, 82nd Airborne Rangers and British Special Forces, Jerry began a long stint of ski patrolling at Crystal Mountain from 1982 to 1995, eventually serving as assistant patrol director A move to the Methow Valley in 1997 was soon followed by buying land, building a home, marrying and having another son. Jerry continued his work in the mountain environment when he joined up with NCHS to guide on a more regular basis.
		Seamus O’Daimhin Seamus began flying helicopters in spring of '68 and has since accumulated fourteen thousand hours of flight time. Despite years of mountain blizzards and whiteout conditions, no passenger has ever suffered a scratch. You are in good safe hands at North Cascade Heli-Skiing.
		Michelle Smallman Michelle, a Washington native, made her first turns at Snoqualmie Pass. At a young age Michelle discovered backcountry skiing and the bliss of endless mountains of untracked powder. Her skiing adventures have taken her as far north as Valdez, Alaska and as far south as the volcanoes of Chile and Argentina. Michelle works year round as a mountain guide. She teaches avalanche courses, leads expeditions to remote corners of the world, and enjoys the beauty of living in the Methow Valley.
		John Sunderlund John has lived and skied in the North Cascades for the last twenty years. He has worked as an outdoor program guide, a river guide, a professional ski patrolman and as a heli-guide for North Cascade Heli-skiing since its inception in 1988. He received his first avalanche training in 1983 and has been an avid student of snow science and avalanche forecasting ever since. He has also been involved in Nordic skiing as a cofounder of the Methow Institute Foundation, and did the legal work for the acquisition and construction of the Methow Community Trail from Winthrop to Mazama. For his "day job" he works as Land Project Manager for the Methow Conservancy, the local land trust in the Methow Valley.
		Office
		Dave Betts Dave grew up in Seattle, Washington, and started skiing the Cascades at 4 and then snowboarding at the age of 13- back in the days of Sorrel boots and ski boot liners (just a few years ago he claims). In addition to a healthy snow sports addiction, Dave has a life long love for the North Cascades and has spent the past 10 years exploring them as a backpacker and climber (and as often as possible).Dave graduated from Whittier College in Southern California and then spent over a decade in the world of marketing and communications before moving to the Methow Valley this spring to work as a mountaineering instructor for Outward Bound. As a former client of ours, he leapt at the chance to bring his client service skills to bear for NCHS as office manager. When not in the office, Dave can be found split boarding, climbing or hiking the many trails of the North Cascades.
		Joy Schwab Joy moved from Sun Valley, Idaho in 1992 and has worked for NCHS since coming to the Methow Valley. She enjoys seeing guests who return year after year. She works with her husband, Cliff, who has a woodworking business, as well as for the Methow Conservancy and the Methow Institute Foundation. Joy keeps in shape backcountry skiing, skate skiing, road biking and hiking in our beautiful backyard.