Dan grew up in the powder-starved wasteland of Southern California, where nobody owns a snowmobile but seemingly everybody owns a convertible and tiny dog. Fortunately, his parents had better sense than that, as well as an old A-frame ski cabin in the Sierra Nevada’s where his dad taught him to ski by abandoning him atop runs far beyond a 3-year old’s capabilities. After surviving this trial by fire, Dan attended the University of California, Berkeley for college where he learned to rock climb and ski tour. It was during this time that any semblance of a straight-and-narrow career path was lost.

Dan completed a Master of Science at the University of Utah, writing a thesis on the relationship between climbing, environmental advocacy, and climate change. He promptly moved to Colorado and dove into the American Mountain Guides Association certification process and continued his avalanche education through the American Institute of Avalanche Research and Education.

He works as a climbing and mountaineering guide with Kent Mountain Adventure Center in Estes Park, had guided skiing and snowshoeing and taught alpine skiing in Aspen, and is extremely excited to begin his first season with Steamboat Powdercats. Dan has completed the AMGA Rock Guide Course, the AIARE Pro 1, and will be completing his AMGA Alpine Guide Course in the spring. For Dan, the best part of guiding and instructing others is enabling more people to safely experience the joys of the mountains.

When he is not on the job making hippie turns in the Steamboat backcountry, Dan can be found getting the screaming barfies ice climbing, consuming potentially unhealthy amounts of coffee, and passing you on the skintrack.