Zeb is an IFMGA / American Mountain Guide. He has traveled the globe, from Alaska to Antarctica, Hokkaido to the Himalaya, skiing, climbing and guiding in the great ranges of the world. Whether its gliding slopes on skis, crimping rock or swinging tools on ice, Zeb loves moving in the mountains and working with people. He favorite thing about guiding is building unique adventures for his clients and finding ways to explore the great mountains of the world.

Brandon grew up in the foothills of the ancient Adirondack Mountains of upstate New York. It was here, amongst the heavily vegetated, glacier sculpted, granite peaks and craggy rivers that Brandon’s love for the outdoors was cast. Graduating from the State University of New York with a degree in Outdoor Recreation Leadership and privileged enough to have attended an Outdoor Educators semester at the National Outdoor Leadership School in Lander Wyoming, he was armed with the skills to begin his internship in alpinism.

Brandon has climbed and skied extensively in most of the major ranges in the contiguous United States with many technical climbs and ski descents in the North Cascades, Cascade Volcanoes, High Sierra, Tetons, Wasatch, Canadian and Colorado Rockies and desert Southwest bolstering his resume. Brandon is a lifelong alpinist with a strong belief that the mountains are cathedrals, in which one’s character can be clearly viewed and positively altered.

In mountain guiding, Brandon has made it his niche to develop the skills of other climbers and skiers. He is in his element working with his clients on long term progressions in which skills can be honed and lasting relationships founded.

When he is not out climbing or skiing, Brandon enjoys archery hunting, flyfishing and woodworking. Brandon works within his scope of practice through the training of the American Mountain Guides Association and the Wilderness Medical Institute.

John's passion is teaching people about snow science and how to travel safely in the mountains. As an American Institute of Avalanche Research & Education (AIARE) Lead Instructor, John holds his AIARE Level 3 certification and is a professional member of the American Avalanche Association. Having called Lake Tahoe home for over fifteen years John has been both a professional ski patroller at Palisades at Tahoe ski resort and an outdoor educator teaching experiential education at primary, secondary and college levels. John maintains both EMT and WFR certifications.

Marc has a broad and deep background in guiding and loves to teach the skills and techniques that keep us going in the mountains. He has explored high peaks at home and abroad, put up hundreds of rock and ice climbing routes, put down many first descents on skis, and is the author of some climbing and backcountry skiing guide books. Marc has helped establish safety standards for mountaineering equipment with the UIAA Safety Commission. Marc has been teaching avalanche courses for decades and continues to be an AIARE Course Leader for Blackbird Mountain Guides.  Avanti!

Jason knows the Truckee backcountry as well as anyone.  He grew up skiing here and has enjoyed exploring the backcountry in Tahoe and beyond for years. Jason's passion for pursuits in the mountains and love of teaching fits his role at Blackbird Mountain Guides perfectly! 

Jan grew up in New Jersey and attended college in northern Vermont. After a few years of exploring the green mountains, out west was naturally the next step. Jan has lived in North Lake Tahoe for over a decade and has been working in the mountains since 2016. When not ski guiding at home, Jan can be found down in the eastern Sierra chasing blank spots on the map or up at Mount Shasta farming corn in the spring. 

Andrew was born and raised in the skiing and climbing Mecca of Florida.  When swamps and alligators grew tiresome, he decided to trade it all in for bottomless powder days and splitter cracks. After moving to Tahoe a decade ago, he dove head first into splitboarding and rock climbing and continues to look for bigger lines and harder climbs while exploring the ranges across the Americas.

Despite his ramblings, he always finds his way home to the Sierra Nevada where he spends most of his time. The mountains are where Andrew feels most himself and he loves sharing the climbing and skiing experiences with his clients as much as he does moving in the mountains himself.  Sharing the knowledge he has gained in the mountains over the years is truly his passion.

As a Seattle-based mountain guide since 2018, Zack is among fewer than 15 AMGA-certified Splitboard Guides in the U.S. He has developed splitboard educational curricula for multiple organizations and is an AIARE course leader. Zack's achievements include a splitboard descent of the East Face of Aoraki/Mt. Cook in New Zealand and steep descents across Alaska, Canada, and Europe. With a Forestry degree from UBC and expertise in avalanche forecasting, Zack blends academic and field knowledge to promote responsible mountain access. He is pursuing full IFMGA certification while guiding and teaching with Blackbird Mountain Guides year-round.

Angelique started out skiing on a repurposed landfill in Southern Michigan (no joke) and slowly wandered her way West, stopping in each state along the way to explore bigger mountains and deeper snow, before landing in South Lake Tahoe and calling this place home. She splits her time as an AIARE Instructor, PSIA certified ski instructor, backpacking guide, outdoor educator, and natural resources field technician. Specializing in education and communication, Angelique creates an encouraging group culture in all of her classes and values deep connections built in the mountains. Her goal is to teach effective decision-making practices in the backcountry, develop leadership skills in her students while pushing comfort zones, and promote environmental stewardship in human-powered activities. She holds certifications in Wilderness First Responder medicine, Swiftwater Rescue, Avalanche Rescue, and alpine and adaptive ski instruction.

AMGA Certified Ski Guide, climber, adventurer, American Institute for Avalanche Research and Education (AIARE) Course Leader, American Avalanche Association professional member, and military veteran, Doug began his lifelong love of adventuring and building friendships in the mountains at a young age in his hometown of Ketchum, Idaho. Working towards guide certification with his friends and mentors in the guide community has allowed Doug to turn his passion for teaching and sharing experiences in the mountains into a profession. Throughout his life, the mountains have always played an integral role in providing experiences and building friendships as Doug pursued challenge, mastery, stoke, and connection. Doug’s personal and professional work have allowed him the good fortune to ski and climb on five continents. In his spare time, you can find him in the mountains with friends.

Anouk Erni grew up on the glaciers and peaks of Switzerland, where she found an appreciation and stoke for the elevated outdoors. As a young adult, she ventured to California where she learned to rock climb and fell in love with the west coast. While she calls the Eastern Sierra her home, she began her guiding career in the Pacific Northwest, where she worked on glaciated peaks such as Mt Rainier and Mt Baker. She returned to California eight years ago and has been rock, alpine, and ski guiding in California year-round. Anouk is an AMGA Aspirant Mountain Guide, as well as an AIARE and AAI avalanche course leader. She hopes to fulfill her dream of becoming a certified IFMGA Mountain Guide and expand her guiding into Europe part time, while still calling the Sierra her home.

Nicholas is a lifelong skier. He grew up skiing at Winter Park, Colorado, and has a
background in competitive freeride. He loves seeking out adventures in the mountains
and sharing them with others. After graduating from Montana State University with a degree in snow science in 2019 he started guiding professionally, showing others how much fun can be had in the mountains. He’s climbed and skied all over the world and enjoys chasing winter year-round down in South America. In the summers he can be found riding his bike as much as possible, fumbling around on a surfboard, and exploring around the world. He’s an adventurer at heart, and enjoys helping his guests find a sense of accomplishment outside of their comfort zone.

Joe was born and raised in Washington state and continues to call it home. He has been a lifelong skier and this passion brought him naturally to the bigger mountains and glaciers of the Pacific Northwest. He has been guiding both skiing and alpine climbing, as well as teaching avalanche education for the last 8 years, and as a full-time guide, he’s always excited to share what he has learned in a lifetime of adventures in the mountains. Notable experiences include 80+ summits of Mt Rainier, 30+ summits of Mt Baker, Mt Denali, and guided ski trips in the North Cascades, Canada, and Alaska, as well as extensive skiing experience in South America. In his time off, Joe can be found either on a mountain bike, or in a wetsuit on a surfboard.

Mason grew up skiing the deep snow of Mt. Baker and the North Cascades, where he developed a passion for wild places and sharing them with others. A former ski patroller at Crystal Mountain, he became fascinated with snow science, avalanche safety, and ski guiding. Mason has guided in the Cascades, Alaska's Chugach Mountains, the Ecuadorian Volcanoes, Russia's Caucasus, and British Columbia's Coast Mountains. He also coordinates search and rescue efforts in the North Cascades and Whatcom County. When not skiing or guiding, Mason enjoys crabbing in the San Juan Islands and mountain biking with his family.

Nick Lozica is from the San Francisco Bay Area, and found climbing at an early age in the gym. Nick's love of rock climbing brought him to the Eastern Sierra in 2020 and has been climbing non stop since. As well as climbing, backcountry skiing has become a winter passion. Nick is currently an Apprentice Rock Guide, Apprentice Alpine Guide, AIARE Instructor, Certified SPI and Wilderness First Responder.

Jess grew up snowboarding on the East Coast and moved to Washington a decade ago, drawn by her love of public lands and curiosity for big mountain snowboarding. Starting in Seattle working at a marketing agency, she soon realized she needed to be closer to the mountains. Moving to the Stevens Pass area, she began working seasonally for the Forest Service while honing her splitboarding skills, learning avalanche safety, and exploring the Cascades.

Her passion for splitboarding has taken her to incredible places like Japan and Alaska. Along the way, she recognized the lack of female representation in splitboarding, guiding, and avalanche education, and committed to helping change that for other women starting their backcountry journeys. Since 2022, she has been teaching avalanche courses, empowering women to navigate the backcountry with confidence. Now based in Glacier, WA, Jess calls the Mount Baker area home and hopes to become an AIARE course leader and pursue AMGA certification.

Eric learned to ski on a small hill in Western NY before moving to New England and cutting his teeth in the White Mountains. After finishing school, he moved out west in pursuit of bigger mountains, a little more fresh snow, and a life in which he could share his passions with others. As an AMGA  Apprentice Ski Guide and avalanche educator, he seeks to share the wonders of the mountains with others. In addition to being an Apprentice Ski Guide, Eric is an Apprentice Alpine Guide and Wilderness First Responder. 

Sean started rock climbing in 2015 which then led to the beginning of his guide career in 2018. His guiding career began in Western North Carolina, and Sean fell in love with it immediately. He's always had a strong passion for instructing which was realized in high school when he started coaching gymnastics. Sean loves guiding and instructing because he loves sharing his
knowledge with others. The mountains have done so much for him in life; they have provided emotional, mental, and physical relief in so many ways. So, for him to be able to recreate those experiences he has had for others is one of the many things he loves about it. He says his guide career always feels like it is just beginning, with all the new techniques to be learned, the changing practices and environments, and the new people he has the pleasure of being around. Sean believes mentorship is how we keep each other safe in the mountains and if he can provide that to others, in some capacity, it’s a win in his book.

Ingrid Backstrom has skied professionally for over 20 years, appearing in over 20 ski movies. She has been fortunate to travel the world for skiing, making first descents in Baffin Island Greenland, Antarctica, and 20,000’ Reddomain Peak in China. She has coached freeride for over 20 years as well, helping lead and facilitate women’s clinics, steep camps, and freeride camps across the West and in Chile. Along with a small, women-led team, she co-founded SAFE AS Clinics in 2012 to provide extensive Intro-to-Avalanche clinics to over 1000 participants. She is a certified AIARE Instructor and is passionate about sharing safety education, and fun to riders of all experiences and abilities.

Bob Newcomb enjoys skiing across the American west and particularly in the Sierra Nevada, but also enjoys more distant travel. He had tagged ski descents in Alaska, Canada, Russian, Japan, and the European Alps, as well as alpine climbs on the volcanos of Ecuador. In the off season, he enjoys whitewater rafting and kayaking, and has made several descents down the Grand Canyon, and even guided the White Nile River in Uganda.

Bobs favorite ski descents and climbs include:
Cosmiques Couloir, Chamonix France
Mountaineers Route, Mt. Whitney California
Dragontail Couloir, Rocky Mountain National Park Colorado 
North Couloir, McGown Peak Idaho
Fuhrer Finger, Mt. Rainier Washington
Southwest Couloir, Middle Teton GTNP
Summit of Cotopaxi, Ecuador

Kristen grew up in Maryland, where she was exposed to adventuring in the Appalachian
Mountains and Atlantic ocean at a young age. She went to the University of Denver in 2007 to play lacrosse while studying Sustainability but fell in love further in love with snowboarding & rock climbing. After working as a professional project manager for the last 10 years in solar and efficiency projects, Kristen’s true passions are backcountry adventuring and empowering others to do so safely. Her lifelong love for the mountains led her on successful trips all over the Rocky Mountains, the Alps, British Columbia, Japan and the Cascades. Most recently this path led her to furthering her backcountry education where she is now an AIARE avalanche instructor, Wilderness First Responder, AIARE Pro 1 certified guide and Certified Yoga Teacher. Kristen lives
to blend the zen of being in the mountains with the preparation and thriving in exciting terrain.

With over 30 years of playing in the mountains, Andrew Richardson is a dedicated guide, educator, and coach, passionate about helping others explore the backcountry safely and confidently. A lifelong learner, he loves teaching avalanche safety, backcountry touring, and ski mountaineering, equipping adventurers with the skills to chase their dream lines.

Andrew grew up skiing in Lake Tahoe and has called the Cascades home since 2007. His pursuits have taken him across North America, from ski descents high on Denali to the rugged ranges of British Columbia, from the steep couloirs of the Tetons to the iconic volcanoes of the Pacific Northwest.

When he’s not guiding in the mountains, Andrew applies his expertise as a performance strength and endurance coach at Samsara Experience, helping athletes and outdoor enthusiasts push their limits and achieve peak performance—whether on the slopes, on the trails, or beyond.

Hailing from the Green Mountains of Vermont, Peter moved West after graduating from art school in the Boston area. In search of softer snow, he landed in Mammoth Lakes where he worked as a ski patroller for several years. While in Mammoth Lakes Peter began working part time as a guide, and started working on his AMGA training. In 2022 Peter moved to Truckee to work full time as a ski guide and avalanche educator. In the summers he can be found working for an alpine rescue team in the Cascade mountains.

Sam grew up hanging around a ski school while his mother instructed; he began teaching at age 16, since then he has taught, coached, trained and tested athletes of all ages and abilities around the west. Settling in Tahoe, guiding and instructing in the Sierra backcountry was a natural progression. “It’s just so fun igniting other people’s passion, and knowing that you're giving them the tools to do it well and safely.”
The rest of the year is spent chasing wild rivers, and skateboarding with his wife and daughter.

Snowboarding for 30 years Jason Champion first took to backcountry snowboarding in the late 1990’s. In 2000, along with his first summit on Mt. Shasta, he started focusing more on snowboard mountaineering. Around the same time he started Splitboarding and currently operates a guide service
called Sierra Nevada Splitboarding specializing in Expedition style “tour camps”
Jason has been professionally guiding for 14 years in the Chugach of Alaska, the Cascade volcanos of the Pacific Northwest and the Sierra Nevada Mountains of California.

He is a certified A.M.G.A. Splitboard Guide, American Avalanche Institute Level III, Wilderness First Responder and a certified Mechanized Ski Guide. With his infectious attitude in the Alpine, Jason is defined by his experience. He’s enthusiastic about sharing the technique of mountaineering in “good style” that contributes to successful objectives in the mountains. He is constantly furthering his education in the field of guiding as well as teaching more Avalanche safety courses. 

Jason has worked for many guiding operations including Alaska Snowboard Guides, Shasta Mountain Guides, Alpine Skills International, and Splitboard Guides International. He has also built and managed remote tour camps both in Alaska and California and has experience with snowboard media production.

Whether in mountain boots, rock shoes, or on skis, Matt is a deep believer in the ability of movement through mountain landscapes to enrich our lives, and thoroughly enjoys sharing the mountains with all his guests. Originally from the Front Range of Colorado, Matt now resides in the Pacific Northwest and is lucky to have the North Cascades as his backyard. Besides mountain travel, Matt's passions include soul music, ice cream, and street tacos, preferably all at once.

Bill Seline has been a Mountain Guide and Instructor for Alpine Skills International and Tahoe Mountain School for the past 18 years, guiding trips and teaching courses in the Sierra, including some trips to the French and Swiss Alps, Alaska, Tetons and Africa.  He teaches level 1 and level 2 avalanche courses, is a Course Leader and has served on the American Institute of Avalanche Research and Education (AIARE), Education Committee. He is also a member of the Professional Ski Instructors of America (PSIA) and is a Level 3 Telemark Instructor. Bill has been certified as a Top Rope Site Manager and completed the Ski Guide Course with the American Mountain Guides Association (AMGA). Bill is a Certified Paramedic and has worked on an ambulance for over 40 years; he recently retired as the Fire Chief of the Truckee Fire District.  He also teaches CPR, Advanced Cardiac Life Support, Pediatric Advanced Life Support, Wilderness First Aid, Wilderness First Responder, and Wilderness EMT classes. He has been a flight paramedic with Care Flight and an Outdoor Emergency Care (OEC) Instructor for the National Ski Patrol. He is a past member of the Far West Professional Ski Patrol and current member of the American Mountain Guides Association and Wilderness Medical Society. His education includes a Bachelor’s of Science from California State University, Fresno in Health Science and a Masters of Arts in Organizational Leadership from Chapman University.

Allen Giernet grew up in San Diego and always had a thirst for the outdoors.
Whether in the mountains, the ocean or the desert he had to be outside. After
several years running the youth snowboard competition team at Mountain High his
longing to get into the peaks beyond the resorts took him into splitboarding. This in
turn took him into the Sierras, The Rockies, The Cascades and more. In 2010 he
began teaching rock climbing as an AMGA Single Pitch Instructor in Joshua Tree and
other So Cal Areas. In 2012 he founded So Cal Snow Avalanche Center, began
teaching avalanche courses with the National Ski Patrol and began to guide on
splitboard.
He has traveled all over the west and beyond in search of great climbing and big
snow covered mountains to find powder filled descents. But the magical Eastern
Sierra will always hold a special place in his heart.
Allen currently calls Methow Washington home in the North Cascades and still
spends time in So Cal. He Ski guides and teaches avalanche courses in The Eastern
Sierra, Colorado and the North Cascades. That thirst for the outdoors remains
unquenched and Allen loves to share this enthusiasm with anyone and everyone out
there. When not out in the mountains searching for the next descent, hiking, biking
or paddling, he may be found running The Methow Store with his partner in the
Methow Valley. Serving up cold beer and great food next to the best put in on the
Methow River.

Originally from the East Coast, Mike cut his teeth in the climbing & ski mountaineering world while attending school in Killington, Vermont. After college (like so many people born & raised on the East Coast), he moved West in 2016 and landed in Summit County, Colorado for 4 years. It was here where he was exposed to the reality of skiing in the Colorado backcountry and through necessity, began honing his avalanche assessment skills. Mike credits his years in Colorado as one of the most influential learning periods when it comes to avalanche education & believes there's great value in learning backcountry skiing in a complex continental snowpack. In 2019, Mike traded spooky persistent slab problems for stable Sierra gold and relocated to Truckee, California. Since then, he’s called North Lake Tahoe “home”. Mike spends his winter and spring seasons teaching and guiding splitboarding in the Sierra Nevada & Cascade Range. In summertime, he heads up to Washington to guide in the North Cascades & beyond. Mike has a laid back, thorough teaching style and will never pass up the opportunity to share the good word of all things mountain climbing.

Koby grew up and found his love for the outdoors in the vibrant forests surrounding Portland, Oregon. In highschool, he joined a student-run mountaineering club where he discovered a passion for climbing, mountaineering, and outdoor leadership. The hook was set. After highschool, Koby moved to Maine and in 2017 graduated from Bates College with a degree in Environmental Studies. Enthralled by the hard, old-school, climbing ethics of Cathedral Ledge, Koby would sneak away to the granite laden hills of the Northeast at every opportunity. Koby’s guiding career began soon after with winter ascents of Mount Washington (NH) and technical ice climbing throughout the valley. Koby currently resides in Oregon where he enjoys guiding technical ascents of the Cascade peaks as well as rock climbing on everything from Washington granite to Oregon’s more volcanic offerings. In addition to guiding, Koby is the Technical Director for the Explorers Post 58, the organization where he initially was introduced to climbing.

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Zack is an IFMGA Mountain Guide based out of North Bend, WA. He grew up in Jerusalem, exploring the desert canyons of the Judean desert and cut his teeth climbing long routes on the Jordanian sandstone of Wadi Rum. Zack has spent the majority of his professional life as an outdoor educator and to this day is more excited about creating strong bonds and helping people grow their skill sets than he is about always climbing or skiing the hardest or coolest line. 

After many years of a semi-nomadic lifestyle, Zack returned to the US full-time in 2014 and now lives with his wife in the Snoqualmie Valley and is passionate about exploiting his local terrain, both climbing and on skis. In his free time, you can find him sport climbing, riding bikes, walking in the woods, and attempting to speak languages other than English to varying degrees of success. 

Originally from the Northeast, Billy graduated from Hamilton College in New York, with a degree in History before pursuing a career as a professional guide. Since college, his love for climbing and skiing has brought him all over North America as well as the world.  Whether big or small, Billy is excited to share his passion and the experience of the mountains with other climbers and skiers.     
 
Billy guides backcountry skiing and climbing in the Wasatch Mountains and
Tetons as well as climbing and skiing in the North Cascades, Sierra Nevada and internationally. Billy is a certified IFMGA Mountain Guide and holds Level 3 avalanche certification from the American Avalanche Institute, and is an American Avalanche Association Pro instructor.

Ryan lives in Truckee, CA and is an AMGA Certified Alpine & Rock Guide. He is also an Emergency Medical Technician.

Originally from Redmond, WA, he learned to climb in the Cascade Range and is passionate about every discipline of climbing, from challenging single pitch rock routes to long ice climbs, big walls, and alpine traverses.

Ryan has spent more than two dozen years climbing in the Pacific Northwest, across the United States and abroad. He has completed classic ascents throughout the North Cascades, in the desert Southwest and Mexico.

Andrew grew up in the frozen Northeast honing his ice skiing skills and climbing some of the best granite in the country. He is an assistant AMGA Rock and Alpine guide and an apprentice ski guide. Andrew traded the icy slopes of New England for west coast powder and now splits his time between Tahoe, Washington, Alaska and the Red Rocks outside Las Vegas NV. He has a passion for education an is excited to show people the skills to explore new place and inspire love for the outdoors.

Evan Stone was in graduate school back home in Madison, Wisconsin when COVID hit. He decided it was the perfect time to leave school, sell everything he owned except his climbing gear and snowboards and move into a van with his dog, Laila. For the past four years, he has chased climbing, split boarding and ski mountaineering with a passion and is now a full-time guide & outdoor educator. Evan insists that the ski season actually lasts all summer, and, in his free time, you can often find him climbing and split boarding on Mt. Hood and other Pacific Northwest volcanoes. When
he isn’t out extending the ski season, he loves to hike with his dog, surf on the Oregon coast and spend time with his friends and family.

Eric is the COO of Blackbird Mountain Guides and an accomplished entrepreneur with a background in law, tech, and outdoor sports. As an attorney and the founder and former CEO of Snowledge, Eric has blended his business expertise with his passion for the mountains. A seasoned freeride athlete and competitor, he is also an ambassador for several core industry brands.

When he's not guiding business strategy for Blackbird, you can find him handing out Japanese summit candies on the skin track or pushing the limits of intermediate mountain biking on the loamy trails of the PNW.

Chris grew up in the Pacific Northwest and discovered the mountains as a snowboarder but truly only fell in love with splitboarding and mountaineering after moving to Lake Tahoe in 2010. Bigger mountains and longer descents eventually lured him south to the Eastern Sierra, and Chris now calls June Lake, CA home. In addition to working as our Program Manager, Chris is also a Guide and AIARE Instructor. His passion is pairing clients with guides and helping facilitate meaningful experiences in the mountains. As an avid mountain enthusiast across all 4 seasons, Chris has visited the summit of over 350 Sierra peaks.

As soon as he could stand, Max was on skis! Born in France, he grew up exploring the slopes and backcountry of the French Alps a few valleys over from Chamonix. He loves a good hike and has trekked extensively in the Alps, Pyrennees, Rockies and up to Everest Base Camp. Max fell in love with Alpine climbing on Mt Rainier. Since then he has organized and led a group climb on Kilimanjaro, and attempted to summit Aconcagua in Dec 2023 but was turned back by high winds. He plans to return soon for another attempt!

Max has 15+ years of experience in Marketing and Operations leading both emerging and global brands. Max hold a BA in International Relations and a MBA.