Mark Allen is a Washington Native, climbing since 1991 and guiding since 2001 and is currently is working towards AMGA certification. His guiding experience includes alpine,ice, rock and ski trips extensively in the Cascades and Sierras with additional experience in the Alaska Range, B.C Coast Range , Red Rocks NV, and Joshua Tree. Mark has also led successful expeditions to Aconcogua, Argentina, Denali, Alaska, Patagonia, Antartica and China. He has enjoyed making challenging climbs and ski descents in New Zealand, British Columbia, Patagonia, Cascades, Tetons, and Sierra. His academic background is in geology with an emphasis on mountain building processes. Speaks travelers German, Spanish, and Chinese. Mark is an AMGA certifed ski mountaineering guide.

Katharine Bill has been climbing and backcountry skiing for 23 years, and her climbing experience includes trips to the Alaska Range, the Waddington Range, the Karakorum, the Himalaya, Ecuador, the Canadian Rockies, the Coast Mountains and throughout the Western US. She has guided previously for the Colorado Outward Bound School and the Early Winters Women. Katharine has a master's in forestry and moonlights for the Methow Conservancy, where she works with local landowners to help conserve private land in the Methow Valley.

Paul Butler has been guiding in the North Cascades for over 17 years. His experience has been a combination of private guiding and working as a Chief Instructor for the Pacific Crest Outward Bound School. His passion for climbing has led to adventures all over the western United States as well as abroad in Ecuador, Patagonia and the Alps. He is a level III PSIA certified Nordic and backcountry ski guide.

Geof Childs has guided professionally for over 27 years. During that time he has traveled around the world climbing, skiing and snowboarding. He has established over 200 first ascents on rock and ice and has guided in the North Cascades since the mid-seventies. Geof's articles have appeared in all of the leading climbing periodicals and his book, Stone Palaces, a collaboration of his previous works, is available in bookstores everywhere. Geof is married with one child and is a full-time resident of the Methow Valley.

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Larry Goldie has been climbing for 20 years and guiding professionally for 16. He guides and instructs rock climbing, mountaineering and backcountry skiing. He has climbed and guided extensively in the Cascades, with additional experience in the Alps, Sierras, Rockies, Alaska and Canada. With a passion for skiing, Larry holds PSIA certification in the Nordic, Alpine, Telemark and Backcountry disciplines.As an AIARE trained instructor, Larry is one of our lead avalanche educators. Larry is an internationally (IFMGA) Certified Mountain guide.
 

Scott Johnston grew up in Boulder, Colorado where he began climbing in his teens in 1973. He has since climbed extensively in the U.S., Canada, Alaska, Mexico, South America, Europe and the Himalayas. He began guiding career with the Boulder Mountaineering School in 1977. When not climbing Scott loves to ski. After spending 5 years Nordic ski racing on the U.S. ski team, Scott now focuses on backcountry ski touring. While pursuing personal and professional goals in the mountains, Scott supported himself with jobs in the aerospace and astronomy fields in his own businesses utilizing his formal education in mechanical engineering.
 

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Anne Keller, a Washington native, has been climbing since 1985 and guiding for 13 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 5 years as a professional ski patroller and now works winters as a heli-ski guide in Mazama. She is an Emergency Medical Technician and has a formal education in Physical Therapy. Anne is an AMGA certified Ski Mountaineering guide.

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Sean McCabe has been climbing for 23 years and guiding for 10. He has climbed in many major mountain ranges across the globe and extensively throughout the US. Equally at home on difficult rock, ice or alpine routes, Sean uses climbing as inspiration for his art. His love for the mountains is apparent in all of his artwork, and his love for teaching has won him "Teacher of the Year" at the Methow Valley High School where he teaches art. He has been teaching art for 10 years and recently won the prestigious Milken Family Foundation National Educator Award, dubbed "The Oscars of Teaching" by Teacher Magazine. To see a sampling of Sean's latest work Click Here.
 

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Suzanneh Rowntree, the NCMG graphic designer and wildcard, Sussi keeps things running behind the scenes. She has been living and playing in the Northwest mountains for 13 years. When not designing ads, posters or webpages, skiing, climbing, mtn. biking, and traveling are among her favorite activities. She has owned Manzanita Graphic Design for 9 years and received her B.S. in Geography from the University of Utah.

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Michelle Smallman, a native of the Northwest, has been climbing for over a decade and guiding professionally for 12 years. She has climbed and guided in Alaska, Canada, the Cascades, the Sierras, Patagonia, and Peru. While instructing for the National Outdoor Leadership School, Michelle has led over 15 month long expeditions to remote regions of North and South America. Her formal education is in Human Ecology and Spanish.

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Alexa Spivy is the latest addition to the NCMG staff as our office manager. If you can't find her in the office during warm months, she's likely out tending her vegetables, fruit, flowers, chickens, turkeys, pigs and cover crops. Alexa has an addiction to growing things controlled only by long deep winters. She owns and operates a 1.5 acre small scale intensive CSA farm known as Twelve Moons Farm during our brief but extremely productive version of a growing season. She wouldn't want it any other way though, for she loves the long and snowy Winters here in the North Cascades with bountiful opportunity for rejuvenating backcountry tours, skate skiing, running with the dogs, sledding, winter pruning fruit trees and snuggling by the fire with her honey!

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Ray Thomas has found his home in the Northwest corner of Washington State and has been living here for 10 years. Ray has been climbing for over 14 years and guiding for 10 years. Long days in the mountains ascending classic mountaineering routes are a favorite pastime. But his deep passion is backcountry telemark skiing and he skis year around as much as possible. Ray is NCMG's equipment manager.

Scooby, a veteran member of our staff, helps us remember what is really important in life - face shots and good food. Scooby is a fully trained avalanche rescue dog and often accompanies us on mountain adventures. With a host of summits to her credit, she will usually travel 3-4 times the distance of any other team member without the slightest complaint. While not out in the mountains Scooby can usually be found making friends outside the Mazama store.

Jeff Ward has been working as a full-time professional mountain guide since 1995. During that time he has had the opportunity to guide in a variety of places including Europe, South America, Nepal, Africa, Mexico, Alaska, Canada, and throughout the Western U.S. Jeff's schedule usually includes trips to Colorado and Canada for ice climbing, the European Alps for ski mountaineering and alpine climbing, and the North Cascades for alpine climbing and ski touring. Jeff has been trained as a Wilderness EMT, Level 3 Avalanche Forecasting and High Angle Rescue. Jeff is also an Internationally (IFMGA) Certified Mountain Guide.