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ABOUT US
The exemplary reputation of the Alaska Avalanche School is greatly due to the quality of our instructors and staff members. We employ only the most experienced, professional individuals in the outdoor education industry. Most of our instructors have been long time Alaskan residents and outdoor enthusiasts, partaking in backcountry mountain travels. From Mountain Rescue, Industrial Forecasting, Mountain Guiding, Heli-ski and Backcountry Ski Guiding: all aspects of avalanche evaluation and mitigation are represented within the AAS staff.
AAS instructors have extensive qualifications to make them the best in the industry. All are Wilderness First Responders or have obtained greater medical certifications. Many of our instructors have completed advanced avalanche trainings and are certified instructors of the American Avalanche Association. Our instructors continue with snow science research of their own. We also are up to date with current developments through the International Snow Science Conferences, teaching nationally. The wealth of knowledge and strength of our instructors makes an AAS education second to none.
Jeremy Allyn
Jeremy lives in Seattle, Washington and has been a regular guest instructor for AAS for the last few years. He is a professional member of the American Avalanche Association, former pro ski patroller at Crystal Mountain, and a Level 1 and Level 2 certified instructor with the American Institute for Avalanche Research and Education (AIARE) located in Gunnison, Colorado. Jeremy is a climbing guide for Seattle’s Mountain Madness, where he also volunteers through the Northwest Weather and Avalanche Center. He has worked as a senior guide for the American Alpine Institute, leading everything from climbing expeditions to the Alaska Range and the Wrangell-St. Elias, to technical rock routes in the North Cascades, Red Rocks and the Bugaboos, to ski tours in the Canada’s Selkirk Mountains. He was instrumental in developing AAI’s avalanche curriculum, and continuing guide education. When not skiing or climbing, Jeremy loves the “simple life”: a good book or movie, and coffee or a beer.
Tucker Chenoweth
Tucker Chenoweth was born in the high windy mountains of Colorado to a pair of devoted skiers. Instead of attending daycare with all the other children, his parents sent him out on the slopes to learn the ways of gravity. After a teenage ski racing career and a bachelor’s degree in Environmental Science, he began pursuing his ultimate passion full time. During a ski patrol career that lasted nine years, he discovered Alaska in 2000 as a volunteer Mountaineering Ranger on the slopes of Mt. Denali. He was hired as one of the eight paid rangers in 2004, and his adventures have taken him to such exotic locales as the Kitchatna Spires, Mt. Huntington, Mt. Hunter, and many more. He has also been a part of the AMGA ski mountaineering program and has worked as a ski guide. The avalanche phenomenon has interested him from the start, and for the last decade he has studied snow and helped create interest in educating backcountry users.
Ina Cloud
Born and raised in Alaska, Ina has always had an affinity for the outdoors. Her adventures began in the wee years of her life on the canoe trails around the Matanuska Valley, and blueberry picking in the Chugach and Talkeetna mountains. Since then she has found her way onto skis and a snowboard enjoying long days in the Alaska mountains. When not enjoying the outdoors you’ll find Ina heading up the AAS office.
Brad Cosgrove
Brad grew up exploring the rivers and mountains of Idaho and now lives year round on the Turnagain Arm in Alaska pursuing his love of water, frozen or liquid. As an apprentice guide at the age of 14, Brad began chasing fish and whitewater on Idaho’s rivers leaving him with ample time to hone his ski skills and mountain sense during the winter months. By the age of 19, Brad was working as a professional guide on rivers, fishing, and back country skiing. Since then he has worked as a ski touring guide, mechanized ski guide and has experience with avalanche mitigation. The beginning of each winter finds Brad teaching avalanche courses for Alaska Avalanche School and Alaska Pacific University. His strengths are countless days in the field both personally and professionally and a strong desire to keep skiing the backcountry. Brad has been studying snow for 15 years and has taken several avalanche courses in Canada and the U.S. Most recently Brad has been in hot pursuit of his AMGA Ski Mountaineering Guide certification. When not guiding or instructing, Brad can be found enjoying Alaska with his wife Shannan.
Bill Glude
Bill Glude is the owner of and lead forecaster/instructor for Alaska Avalanche Specialists, LLC. in Juneau, and was the founder and director for 12 years of the nonprofit Southeast Alaska Avalanche Center. Bill is a Professional Member, boardmember, and recognized instructor with the American Avalanche Association. His 30+ years of professional avalanche experience and 35+ years of serious snow study include backcountry ski and heliski and snowboard guiding, and teaching over six thousand students in avalanche courses ranging from basic awareness to Level 3, crew, professional, and guide training. Bill is actively involved with snow and avalanche research and has published a number of papers, reports, and articles on his studies and on applied snow science techniques. Bill’s consulting work includes avalanche forecasting for the City and Borough of Juneau (CBJ), the Alaska Division of Emergency Services, and the Alaska Department of Public Safety. It includes studies, mapping, and avalanche program development for the proposed Lynn Canal road and other Alaska Department of Transportation and Public Facilities (DOT&PF) projects, avalanche plan development for the CBJ, site studies for the US Forest Service and several tourism operators, and avalanche rescue work for the Alaska Department of Public Safety. It includes forecasting, comprehensive avalanche plan and structural and operational mitigation program development and operation with helicopter and other explosive work for the A-J and Kensington Mines, the Alaska DOT&PF, and several powerplants and transmission systems.
Mike Janes
Mike Janes is an instructor and apprentice forecaster for Alaska Avalanche Specialists, LLC. in Juneau. He grew up in Juneau, and for years has been one of the most active climbers and backcountry snowboarders in the area. He got started in avalanche work with Level 1 and 2 courses and put in many field days helping the Southeast Alaska Avalanche Center (SAAC) on their research projects. He has completed the Alaska Mountain School's rigorous mountain guide training, guided for several seasons on Denali, and completed the American Avalanche Association AvPro professionals' course. He has worked on the Kensington Mine project, the Juneau urban forecast program, and the Snetttisham power line projects for Alaska Avalanche Specialists and SAAC. He has taught the University of Alaska Southeast avalanche course series with Bill Glude and has taught Alaska Avalanche School courses in Southcentral Alaska.
Eeva Latosuo
Born and raised in Finland, I have been on skis most of my life. The passion for snow and mountains has landed me in many wonderful places in the world. First I moved to Bellingham, WA, in 1994 and skied and climbed in the Cascades for five years. I worked for National Outdoor Leadership School teaching mountaineering and climbing in the summers. Next stop was Vail, CO, where I worked as a professional ski patroller and EMT-Basic with the the local ambulance service. For the last four years, I have called Anchorage home, where I finally have a “real job” that utilizes my graduate degree in Environmental Science, as a faculty member at Alaska Pacific University.
Teaching in the Outdoor Studies Department keeps me outside as an outdoor educator. Courses like Snow Science, Winter Wilderness Skills, and Backcountry Skiing allow me to share my skills and knowledge about snow with students who love (or learn to love) skiing as much as I do. I started teaching avalanche curriculum with Alaska Avalanche School during the season 06-07, and I am looking forward to learning and teaching more with the School in the years to come. One interesting fact about me is that in my 10+ years of backcountry skiing, I have never been in an avalanche, and I hope to keep it that way. My favorite thing in the winter is to do a ski run in the mountains with my husband Jaime and our border collie Tuuli, who loves to chase snowballs.
Chris Love
Chris Love is a lifelong skier and outdoor enthusiast. He began his education in Avalanche Awareness in 1998 when he first came to Alaska. Since then he has spent many days climbing and skiing throughout Alaska, Montana, and Washington. In 2006 Chris began teaching Avalanche Awareness courses for NSP and in 2007 started working for the Alaska Avalanche School. When not guiding or working as a biologist during the summer months Chris works as a ski patroller, NSP Avalanche I instructor, and EMT from his home in Talkeetna, AK where he lives with his wife Colleen.
Sean McManamy
Like all east-coast kids who love snow, Sean left home as soon as
possible. After a short tour in the rocky west he came to Alaska for
its' deep snowpacks. Since graduating from Alaska Pacific University
in 2007, Sean’s work history includes: Mountain Guide, Avalanche
Instructor, Dishwasher, Whitewater Photographer, Handyman, A.P.U.
Adjunct Faculty Member as well as volunteering for the CNFAIC Observer
Program.
In 2008, Sean presented at the Eastern Snow Conference in Vermont
(held in the same room as his senior prom) and the International Snow
Science Workshop in British Columbia. Most recently, the American
Avalanche Review published an article on his work with The Avalanche
Terrain Exposure Scale in Alaska.
Today he calls the small town of Hope home, and even though
backcountry skiing is his passion, Sean does own and operate a
snowboard.
Kip Melling
Kip has lived in Alaska for 25 years. His knowledge and experience are the result of many years of guiding and instruction. Skiing Alaska’s backcountry, brought about a fascination and a respect for snow. He has instructed for UAA, National Ski Patrol, Alaska Mountain Rescue Group, and the Alaska Avalanche School, which he has been a part of for the last 10 years. His passion for skiing, and love for winters in Alaska, have anchored him in the South Fork of Eagle River, where on a powder day he can be found skiing terrain above his house.
Nancy Pfeiffer
Nancy began her snow experience when she started skiing at just 2 years old. Her outdoor career took a turn when she participated in her first avalanche course at age 18. It was then that she realized the study of snow was something that could hold her interest for a very long time. She has been teaching avalanche classes for 18 years and recently presented at the International Snow Science Workshop (ISSW), a nation wide study on the effectiveness of avalanche education. To keep current of the development of snow science, she attends the ISSW regularly and is active in The American Avalanche Association (AAA) as a Professional Member and Certified Avalanche Instructor. Nancy stays in touch with the other programs by teaching at avalanche schools and forecasting centers in the lower 48 and Chile. Nancy has extensive experience with avalanches as a guide, instructor, forecaster, and avid skier. Her experience guiding extensively in Alaska and many of the world’s mountain ranges, including New Zealand, Antarctica, and Patagonia makes her one of AAS’ lead instructors.
Bill Romberg
Bill has been highly involved in alpine climbing, mountaineering, and skiing in Alaska since coming to Alaska in 1990. He has spent several hundred days in the backcountry all over Alaska, including the Brooks Range, the Alaska Range, and the local Talkeetna, Chugach, Kenai, and Tordrillo ranges. He is a former president of the Mountaineering Club of Alaska, and has 9 years of experience in technical rescue and avalanche response with the Alaska Mountain Rescue Group (AMRG), where he spends considerable time coordinating classroom and field training events related to avalanche skills and organized avalanche accident response.
He is also a volunteer snow observer for the Chugach National Forest--recording and reporting snowpack observations in the Kenai Mountains. Bill's interest in snow and avalanche education is a direct result of increasing exposure to avalanche terrain through personal climbing and avalanche accident response with AMRG. When not working, volunteering with AMRG, Bill can found outdoors with his family skiing, climbing, hiking, or rafting.
Greg Runyan
Greg moved to Girdwood and the Chugach Mountains of Alaska in the spring of ’94. He spent the next 10 years learning the skills and expertise to climb, ski and live in the Alaskan mountains. The magic of backcountry skiing in Alaska inspired his travels and lifestyle. For the past 5 years, Greg has built a home in McCarthy and earned a living as a mountaineering guide and instructor. Greg enjoys sharing the skills for safe travel in the mountains, whether he is teaching ice-climbing to U.A.A. students, glacier travel to tourists, fixed rope ascension to Denali climbers, or glacier skiing in the St.Elias Mountains to clients. Greg has worked for The Alaska Mountaineering School(AMS), Kennicott Wilderness Guides, South American Climbing, U.A.A. Outdoor Education Program, Naniquah Corporation, and Alyeska Ski School. In 2008, Greg was privileged to join the Alaska Avalanche School. He is excited to share his experiences and learn from the faculty and students.
Kent Scheler
Born and raised in the high desert mountains of Eastern Oregon, Kent has dedicated his life to riding the steep and deep. Kent followed his dreams to Alaska in 1999 where he perused an Environmental Science degree with and emphasis on snow and avalanche study. Kent is a professional member of the American Avalanche Association and is formally trained and certified in avalanche safety, both in the United States and Canada. Kent has almost a decade of experience riding Alaska mountain terrain and his professional background includes: heli-guiding, avalanche research and publications, avalanche safety education, assistant avalanche forecaster, and remote meteorological monitoring. Kent takes pleasure in working in challenging environments and spends his free time enjoying all that Alaska has to offer
Blaine Smith
Blaine began his study of avalanches in 1985 and has worked for the Alaska Avalanche school since 1991. He initially apprenticed under Doug Fesler and Jill Fredston of the Alaska Mountain Safety Center, and he has continued his ongoing avalanche training through a variety of workshops and conferences, including the International Snow Science Workshop. He is a professional member of the American Avalanche Association (AAA) and AAA Certified Avalanche Instructor.
In addition to his dynamic teaching style and avalanche expertise, Blaine brings a long history of working, guiding, and teaching in the outdoors. In 1987 he began his career as an outdoor educator and guide and has since worked for the University of Alaska, Alaska Pacific University, Alaska Denali Guiding, Alaska Mountain Safety Center, and the Alaska Mountaineering School, among others. He has guided several successful seasons on Denali with multiple summits.
When not teaching avalanche courses, Blaine can be found volunteering with the Alaska Mountain Rescue Group as an avalanche specialist, skiing in the backcountry, or mountain guiding. Blaine has been published in Accidents in North American Mountaineering, International Technical Rescue Symposium Proceedings, and in Lessons Learned II. Using Case Studies and History to Improve Safety Education.
Joe Stock
Joe has been climbing and skiing for 23 years, mostly in North and South America, Australia and New Zealand. His passion is skiing through Alaska's mountains. Recently, he made full-length ski traverses of the Tordrillo Mountains, the Neacola Mountains and through the Chugach Mountains from the Glenn Alps above Anchorage to Valdez. He has an undergraduate degree in geology and geography from the University of Canterbury in New Zealand and a graduate degree from CSU in Fort Collins, Colorado. Joe is alpine and ski mountaineering certified by the American Mountains Guides Association and is working on rock guide certification, the final segment to receiving international guide status. Joe also works as a writer and photographer. He lives in Anchorage with his wife Cathy.
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