For the past 11 years, I have been spending the months of March and April on Thompson Pass, Valdez, Alaska. The skiing is what brought me, but soon after I fell in love with the ice climbing. Sometimes the ice climbing season starts as early as October and usually lasts until April 10th. For the past 8 years, I have been guiding for Valdez Heli Ski Guides. On the days we can't fly, I can be found in the Keystone Canyon guiding ice climbing as well as on my days off for personal fulfillment. I enjoy the month of February, before the work season, climbing and skiing in Valdez, but the temperatures are cold and the days short. March is a great month for ice climbing as the temps are warmer and the days are longer.

After the first season of skiing and climbing in Valdez, I was convinced and decided to move to Alaska. Since then, I have been guiding skiing, climbing, and river rafting from March to September. In June 2005, I guided an all women's trip on the West Buttress of Denali through Mountain Trip. The girls I worked with inspired me to think about doing more in the mountains with women. This fall, while climbing with girls in Joshua Tree, we started talking about the ice in Valdez and how cool it would be to get some women together to climb there. Anna came up with the name, Alaska Ice Pixies, and I called my boss to ask for a week off to climb with women. After making the dates and name our conversation wandered to a climbing trip in Patagonia. The trip formulated with Janet Bergman, Sarah Garlick and myself seeking big granite lines in the Torre Valley, Southern Patagonia, Argentina. Thus far, we've managed 30 alpine pitches on incredible granite, one summit, and over 100 miles of walking. Finally, the weather has pushed me to focus on this project...

I work with the following companies:
Valdez Heli Ski Guides
Alaska Mountaineering School
Mountain Trip
Nova Riverrunners