Archives: Instructors

Brian Smith is an Exum Lead Guide and an Internationally Certified AMGA/IFMGA Mountain Guide. He has been climbing for 23 years, skiing for 37 years, and guiding at Exum Mountain Guides for the past 15 years. Brian has lived in Jackson Hole since 1998, was a ski patroller at Jackson Hole Mountain Resort from 2006-2016, … Read more

Matt works as a snowboard guide for Valdez Heli Ski Guides, High Mountain Heli Skiing and Yostmark Backcountry Tours. He has also guided trips on the West Buttress of Denali for Mountain Trip, and has led extended backcountry expeditions throughout Alaska, Colorado, Utah and New Mexico for NOLS and similar outdoor programs. Matt’s experience in … Read more

Andy Lapkass started teaching for AAI in 2011, but has been a student of the mountains for more than 3 decades. Andy’s climbing resume is long and distinguished with several 8000-meter peaks to his credit. Andy has climbed and skied in many of the world’s greatest ranges. He has also pursued endurance running and biking whole- heartedly and has … Read more

Mike has been skiing and climbing in the Wasatch mountains of Utah since 1980. In addition to 15 years as a backcountry ski guide and ice climbing guide in Utah are 30 years as an elite snowcat operator on three continents. His love of snow and mountains have taken him to the southern alps of … Read more

Within a few minutes of meeting Adam Fabrikant, it will be apparent that his enthusiasm for skiing in the mountains is infectious. Adam fell in love with backcountry skiing while at college at the University of Colorado, and stoked his powder skiing passion while living in Alta shortly there after. Whether seeking out steep descents in … Read more

Billy Haas graduated from Hamilton College in NY and promptly moved to Utah to pursue a career as a professional ski and mountain guide. He currently works as a backcountry ski and climbing guide in the Wasatch and Teton Ranges. Having guided ascents from Denali in Alaska to Aconcagua in South America, Billy loves to … Read more

Emilie Drinkwater is a  mountain guide and guide service owner based in Salt Lake City, UT and Keene Valley, NY.  She grew up alpine and nordic ski racing in New Hampshire and was first introduced to climbing while in college in NY’s Adirondack Mountains.  Her first work as a climbing guide was in 2001 and … Read more

Jason has lived in the Mountain West for over 20 years and for the last 15 years he’s worked as a Professional Ski Patroller and Avalanche Forecaster at Grand Targhee Resort. As the K9 Supervisor Jason has been responsible for the development of Targhee’s K9 unit, including an annual workshop instructing dog teams from around the Greater Yellowstone Region. Volunteering with search … Read more

Jenna’s avalanche education began when she moved to Jackson, Wyoming, in the 1990s, where she joined the pro ski patrol at Jackson Hole Mountain Resort and started teaching for NOLS. In 2004, Jenna Malone moved south to attend the University of Utah’s Physician Assistant Program, and now works in Neurosurgery and Trauma at Intermountain Medical … Read more

Rod Newcomb is the founder of the American Avalanche Institute. Rod founded AAI the winter of 1974/75. He is a former forecaster at Jackson Hole Mountain Resort and an avalanche researcher in the San Juan Mountains of Colorado. Rod has been a backcountry skier since 1961. Rod has taught avalanche courses all over the country, … Read more

Pete Earle is the head of Ski Patrol and Snow Safety at Wasatch Peaks Ranch where he is working hard to build a ski patrol and snow safety program from the ground up. Pete has been teaching courses with AAI since 2012, and focuses mainly on teaching professional level courses. He is excited to share … Read more

Dan Corn began guiding in 2004 in New England then in 2008 he headed west to Jackson, WY. Here he works for the American Avalanche Institute and Exum Mountain Guides. Spring brings him up to Alaska to ski guide for Valdez Heli Ski Guides and then guide trips for the Alaska Mountaineering School on Denali and in the Alaska Range. … Read more

Trevor is a passionate backcountry skier, AMGA certified guide, avalanche instructor and high school teacher. He has been teaching and guiding in the backcountry for over 20 years. As a senior field instructor for NOLS he has over 250 field weeks. He is an Exum Mountain Guide in both summer and winter. He has taught many different levels and … Read more

Lynne Wolfe is a long-time resident of the Greater Yellowstone Ecosystem. She is editor of The Avalanche Review, a publication of the American Avalanche Association, and is also a AAA Certified Avalanche Instructor. She has taught avalanche courses for schools such as AAI, Prescott College, Jackson Hole Mountain Guides, Friends of the Utah Avalanche Center, Silverton Avalanche School, NOLS, Yostmark … Read more

Jim Woodmencey is the chief meteorologist at Mountain Weather and has been forecasting the weather for Jackson Hole and the Tetons for over 20 years. Jim formerly worked as an avalanche forecaster for the State of Alaska, and then went on to work for High Mountain Heli-Skiing in Jackson as a lead guide and weather/avalanche forecaster, from 1987 to 2008. … Read more