DMM hires instructors who work in medicine and are able to keep their fingers on the pulse of the medical field. DMM instructors are WFR’s, EMT’s, paramedics, PA’s, RN’s, flight medics, ER and trauma nurses. They’re also hikers, backpackers, mountain bikers, skiers, canyoneers, boaters, mountaineers, climbers, guides, SAR members, outdoor educators, and conservationists, just like their students. Click on the images below to learn more about DMM instructors.
Alec (he/him) found the outdoors through a summer internship in Alaska in 2017. Intended as a one-off summer job between semesters of business school, he quickly realized that working outside was what he wanted to do for the rest of his life. He spent the next seven years working across Alaska as a guide and logistics manager, finding a deep love for the state’s giant yet shrinking glaciers. After spending enough time in remote locations, some close calls made him realize how critical medical training is to stay prepared in the backcountry. He took his first WFR in the winter of 2019.
His glacial experience eventually landed him a job in Antarctica where he worked for several seasons supporting scientists and expeditioners across the continent. To pay the bills in the off season, he acquired his EMT in 2022 and began working as a ski patroller. In 2024, after eight years of chasing the seasons across the world, he took a job at Colorado Mesa University where he currently serves as the Outdoor Program Director. In this role, he helps over 1,500 college students get outside on adventure trips per year, often for their first time.
When he’s not working, he enjoys riding the incredible mountain bike trails of western Colorado, exploring the wild terrain of Alaska’s glaciers, and seeking adventure and community in all its many wondrous forms.
Anna was lucky to call Utah her home growing up, where she grew to love playing outside in the mountains of northern Utah and the red rock desert. Her guiding journey began at the USU Outdoor Program, where she led students on biking, skiing, climbing, and rafting trips. Those early experiences showed her how much she loves bringing people outside, as well as teaching. Working for USU Outdoor Programs also gave her the chance to learn from seasoned outdoor professionals who helped to shape how she approaches the outdoors.
Anna was first introduced to Wilderness Medicine when she took her first WFR course with DMM. That experience completely reshaped her trajectory and ultimately convinced Anna to pursue nursing school and start a career focused on caring for people on their worst days. Blending medicine, the outdoors, and teaching is the perfect intersection of everything she loves.
Anna currently balances her time between sea kayak guiding in Alaska, desert adventures, and nursing. Anna is a busybody and spends much of her time playing outside on mountain bikes, kayaks, skis, and she even sometimes enjoys running. She also loves to play music, watercolor, and is actively on the hunt for new hobbies.
Must-have med kit item: Emergency blanket and a happy attitude
Arielle grew up in California’s Santa Cruz Mountains, where she developed a lifelong passion for
the outdoors through hiking, backpacking, and exploring the coast. She brought that passion
with her to the University of Idaho, where she guides multi-day rafting and backpacking
expeditions through the University’s Outdoor Program.
Arielle earned her Emergency Medical Technician (EMT) certification while in high school and
has since applied her skills working on the ambulance with the Moscow Volunteer Fire
Department. During her first year at the University of Idaho, she completed her Wilderness First
Responder (WFR) certification, combining her interest in prehospital medicine with her passion
for backcountry travel.
Since joining Desert Mountain Medicine as an instructor in 2025, Arielle has enjoyed helping
students build confidence in wilderness medicine while sharing her enthusiasm for prehospital
care, outdoor leadership, and education. Outside of work, she can often be found exploring the
trails of the Palouse, reading a good book, or cooking meals to share with family and friends.
Must have first med kit item: Band-aids, they can be used for everything.
After many years guiding and serving as the Operations Manager for Rocky Mountain Outfitters based out of Midway, UT, Becky is currently living the ski bum life in Utah. Though she’s really loving the storm cycles Utah’s been having this season, she’s looking forward to reentering the outdoor industry again this summer. Teaching wilderness medicine is the best of both worlds for Becky, as she loves the rigor of medicine and the environmental challenges of the outdoors. Outdoor recreation is a theme in Becky’s family; her sister is a climbing coach and program manager out of Portland, OR, and her parents are constantly rock climbing, kayaking, and biking. She has another sister in London, too, bless her city-slicker heart. Becky most loves outdoor activities where she can practice the art of suffering, which include mountain biking, snowboarding (front and backcountry), backpacking, and rock climbing. She considers herself pretty good at all these sports, and an absolute expert at puzzles and burrito making.
Must-have med kit item: Triangle Bandages!! Any previous student of mine can attest to that
Becky has been a WFR for 10 years and has been teaching for DMM for the past 3 years. As her students know, she is on a quest to become the Best WFR in the World, and encourages all her students and fellow alumni to join her on this quest. She is a Senior-level Command Staff member and Mission Coordinator for Lake County Search and Rescue, in Leadville, CO. Being on a SAR team provides her access to monthly medical training, an advantage she wishes more WFA’s and WFR’s had access to, and which led her to working on the DMM Alumni Project and serving as DMM’s Program and Partnership Development Coordinator.
Over the years Becky has worked as an English teacher, a private tutor, a youth outdoor educator, a lifty and snow bike instructor, a high ropes course guide, a zipline guide (though she prefers the title “Sky Ranger”), a grant writer, and a freelance writer and editor. Through her curious procession of job titles, she remained focused on developing her creative writing skills, and she’s proud to report her work has appeared in Alpinist Magazine, American Alpine Journal, and many literary magazines and journals around the nation. She often writes about her outdoor experiences and her slow crawl towards technical outdoor competence.
In the winter she shreds 30 degree backcountry slopes and gets her snowmobile stuck in beautiful places. In the summer she loves climbing mountains with no trails to the top and flailing on 5.10 climbing routes. During the shoulder seasons she and her husband, Chris (also a DMM instructor), go canyoneering, where her tiny frame feels like an honest-to-God superpower in Mae West slot canyons.
Billy started his outdoor career instructing and course directing for Outward Bound in Colorado, UT, Mexico, and Alaska, working long courses from 23-85 days mountaineering, rafting, canyoneering, and sea kayaking. Billy has worked as an avalanche practitioner in several diverse operational settings including backcountry ski guiding, ski patrolling, and avalanche forecasting. He has also taught avalanche courses for over 20 years and is currently an AIARE Rec 1 & 2 Course Leader and Pro 1 & 2 Instructor. Currently Billy is a lead guide for Irwin Guides and Eleven Experience in Crested Butte, Colorado working as a snowcat ski guide in the winter and guides many of summer’s activities. Billy has been a Wilderness EMT-B for 25 years and has patient care experience in ambulance, Search and Rescue, and Ski patrol settings. He has taught wilderness medicine for over 20 years with the Emergency Care & Safety Institute, NOLS Wilderness Medicine, and currently with Desert Mountain Medicine. Billy brings his years of diverse experience to create dynamic courses designed to prepare participants to care for patients and manage risk in real life situations.
Brent (he/him) made his way to Colorado from South Carolina to work at summer camp, then worked in outdoor education for several years before starting a career in emergency medicine. Now, Brent is a WEMT Ski and Bike Patroller at Copper Mountain and works part-time at the Vail Health Hospital as well as teaching for DMM. Most often, you can find Brent cooking his signature dishes, staring at maps in his personal adventure compendium, playing cribbage, or exploring the mountains in his backyard.
Casey is a globe-trotting science nerd. She works in communities impacted by mining and hazardous industries. Her organization supports governments and local leaders by building skills in identifying and addressing environmental issues that impact people’s health. Her job allows her to blend international travel and grassroots community work where she’s continually confronted by the general greatness of people all over the world. Casey is an EMT and a WFR, skills she uses regularly during her work in low resources settings abroad. While much of her work is community-based, the settings often meet the criteria for backcountry limitations. Casey’s not a guide, yet she’s experienced both sides of a wilderness emergency, as a patient and a care provider, so she understands how incredibly important it is for everyone to have the knowledge and tools to deal with an emergency. She’s a master of much, including sitting on a raft while someone else avoids the holes, grandma’ing down what everyone else would call a “green” single track on her crappy mountain bike, and obtaining directions via pantomiming.
Must-have med kit item: I have a pinky finger sized SAM splint that was given to me as a joke years ago that I know I’ll need some day. For something
Christian lives in Flagstaff, Arizona and enjoys mountain biking, skiing, rafting, and trail running, all activities that fold into his larger specialty in life–having fun! He was first introduced to wilderness medicine while serving as a volunteer for the Wyoming Conservation Corps. From there, he went on to obtain his WFR, EMT, and lead instructor position with Desert Mountain Medicine. He currently works as the National Medical Training Specialist for American Conservation Experience. In addition to serving as a lead Instructor for DMM, he is also their Corps Coordinator, which supports scheduling and logistics for DMM corps courses. He loves doing his part to inspire and educate the next generation of outdoor professionals, and enjoys sharing his passion for wilderness medicine via DMM courses he provides to corps staff and volunteers.
Must-have med kit item: Irrigation syringe. Mostly used for keeping students awake after lunch
Currently, Courtney is a high school biology teacher and field hockey coach. She has been teaching for 8 years, and last year she spearheaded a Wilderness First Aid class for Monarch High School, which is how she got involved with Desert Mountain Medicine. She is incredibly excited to be able to offer this hands-on real-life curriculum to her students, and hopes to continue to grow the program. She is also currently on the Emergency Response Team at work and is one of five teachers who help respond to medical emergencies at the school.
When not working, you can find Courtney enjoying all the outdoor sports Colorado has to offer. She enjoys skiing, hiking, camping, rafting, mountain biking, climbing, and riding horses, although admittedly better at some of those than others. She also loves learning new things, crafts, live music, traveling and spending time with those she loves.
Daria (she/her) has worked as a guide for over six years leading backpacking, rafting, climbing, mountain biking and canyoneering trips. She has also worked as a hunting and fishing guide. Daria works as an EMT in Boulder, UT and volunteers in SAR operations in Garfield County.
In Daria’s free time she can be found foraging in the mountains or climbing an apricot tree in Capital Reef. Daria has studied ancestral herbalism in the southwest and the use plants like cacti (for burns and reducing core temperature) and scrub oak (as a clotting agent) for her personal trips.
Must have med kit item: KT tape (probably because she needs it so often)!
Dean recently retired from a 30-year career in the fire service. Being a lifelong resident of Colorado, he played in the mountains around Leadville, hunting, fishing, hiking and mountain biking. He has buckled twice at the Leadville 100 MTB, finishing a total of three times and unfortunately having to stop at mile 43 due to a mechanical on try number four. As firefighter and Colorado State paramedic, he combines deep clinical skills with extensive operational experience in wildland firefighting, hazardous materials response, and technical rescue. He currently works with Aims C.C. instructing in their paramedic program, a board member and co-director and BICP Level 1 coach of the Wyoming Youth Mountain Bike Camps. One of his goals in life is to get more kids outdoors and on bikes. Dean has been married to the love of his life for over 30 years and has two grown children who grew up on bikes and love the outdoors as much as he does.
Jessica was a commercial river guide on multi-day trips for 15 years, so she knows how essential wilderness medicine skills are for guides and recreational backcountry users alike. Today, Jessica works as an Emergency Resident at University of New Mexico, the only trauma center in the state. It’s a fast-paced environment, and some days its all she can do just to stay afloat, but she has the privilege of working with the best people around, and she learns so much on every shift, so its definitely worth the stress! When the burnout starts getting real, she turns to wilderness medicine. Teaching wilderness medicine stokes her stoke on medicine again! She firmly believes everyone who spends any time in the backcountry needs to know how to care for themselves and their partners. On DMM’s board Jessica serves as physician advisor and supports curriculum development. Within the realm of medicine, Jessica is hoping to specialize in rural emergency medicine, and within the realm of life, Jessica currently specializes in quoting romantic poetry and Shakespeare in any tradition. If you ever have a course with Jessica, definitely ask her about medieval history. On precious days off from the ED, Jessica loves kayaking, climbing, skiing, sleeping on the ground, and learning new constellations, all with the best life partner ever who lets her perform sutures on him in the kitchen after he’s smashed his face in the backcountry. She’s especially loves hiking until her feet her and making plans at her kitchen table for unrealistically long backcountry days
Must-have med kit item: IV catheter for flushing out wounds
Eli (he/him) has been an instructor for DMM since 2022 after taking a incredible WFR recertification with Nadia in Crested Butte. He was raised exploring the wild spaces that surround the San Francisco Bay Area. It was not until a semester NOLS course in the Rockies that he seriously considered a career in the outdoors. Before completely immersing in the outdoor lifestyle, Eli studied Psychology and Neuroscience at Tulane University in New Orleans. While in NOLS, he took great lengths to feed his passion for skiing, rock climbing, and backpacking. Soon after graduating he moved to Crested Butte, where he has guided skiing, rock climbing, and mountain biking for Irwin Guides over the past several years. As an EMT-B and Wilderness First Responder, Eli is an enthusiastic educator in the field of wilderness emergency medicine. In the winter he splits his time between ski patrol and guiding at the cat skiing operation. When he is not teaching or guiding, you can catch Eli playing music with his friends, starting an impromptu dance party in the street, or riding his bike to jump in the river!
Ellen first ventured into wilderness medicine when she was unsure of her next steps after graduating college and decided to pursue her interest in medicine and obtain her WEMT. This experience was what drove her to pursue nursing and eventually put her into the fast-paced world of emergency medicine. Over the years, she’s worked in both large Level-1 trauma centers and small critical access hospitals in Moab, Gunnison, and Salida.
Currently, Ellen is the ALS provider for Monarch Ski Patrol and is passionate about teaching Wilderness Medicine, and hopes to inspire others to explore the world of medicine.
Outside of work, Ellen enjoys mountain biking, white water rafting, skiing, and finding time for crafting pottery for her small pottery business when she’s not out in nature.
Med kit go tos: tourniquet, chest seal, NPA- I don’t like to be caught off guard with the things that are hard to improvise!
Elsie (she/her) has been an instructor with DMM since 2019, but her journey with DMM started many years before when she took her first WFR. Nadia and Morgan were her instructors and her first introduction to wilderness medicine. After meeting these two women Elsie was inspired to join the DMM team
In the summer Elsie instructs for Colorado Outward Bound School and teaches for DMM — in the winter you can find Elsie fixing rope lines at Wolf Creek where she ski patrols. Elsie adores the outdoors and the freedom she feels while romping around the mountains. Her favorite place to be? All bundled up, sipping coffee at sunrise with the people and dogs she loves.
Must have in the med kit: your wits, hand warmers and a sweet treat
Emily (she/her) joined DMM as an instructor in 2025, bringing together her passion for the outdoors and education. Originally from Dallas, TX, Emily discovered her love for nature on a 2015 backpacking trip with HMI. Since then, her interest in wilderness medicine and the outdoors has only deepened. Emily began her guiding career in 2019 at Noah’s Ark Whitewater in Buena Vista, where she also found a love for backpacking, trail running, gear organization, and river trips. She studied Earth and Oceanographic Science at Bowdoin College, and after graduating, taught middle school Science and PE before becoming the Experiential Education Coordinator at the Colorado Springs School. Having taught herself to ride a bike at 18 and play piano at 24, Emily loves learning new skills as an adult or cozying up with her emotional support Kindle.
Must have med kit idem: wound care materials…she enjoys wound care more than anyone probably should.
Emily (she/her) grew up in Cañon City, Colorado, where she had a free range upbringing that included skiing, playing, exploring, and getting lost in the high desert and nearby mountains. Her adoration for the outdoors led her to seek out careers that aligned with her obsessions. Accordingly, she has worked as a guide and outdoor educator since 2008. She has experience in multiple disciplines, but has spent most of her professional time climbing, canyoneering, and rafting. Emily took her initial WFR course during her first degree in Outdoor Education and later completed her BSN, becoming a registered nurse in 2020. She has worked as an ER nurse in Colorado and urgent care nurse at the base of Big Sky Ski resort. Emily started teaching wilderness medicine for Desert Mountain Medicine and Colorado Community Colleges almost full time in April of 2022. Emily feels very fortunate that she’s able to combine her passions, outdoor education and medicine, by instructing wilderness medicine courses. She has a lot of fun passing along her knowledge and facilitating, what was for her, a life changing experience.
In Emily’s free time, she enjoys being outdoors with loved ones and dogs. She loves to climb, snow and split board, spend time on the water, and travel. She also enjoys her time inside with reading, cooking, and binge watching sci fi/thriller/fantasy shows.
Raised in the worlds largest alpine valley, Erin was shaped by the high peaks and windy planes of Southwest Colorado. Her work focuses on mountain guiding, mountain rescue, and mountain safety education. Her passion to share, help, and teach have brought her to all hemispheres of the Earth. Erin is a AMGA Aspirant Ski Guide, AMGA Apprentice Alpine Guide, AIARE Course Leader, Wilderness-EMT and IRATA level 1.
Ethan has been a professional outdoor guide and educator since 1999 when he took his first WFA. He obtained his WFR two years later. Ethan cherishes helping others learn how to access and enjoy our outdoor spaces. As the academic director and lead instructor of Colorado State University’s Outdoor Recreation Leadership program, Ethan teaches wilderness medicine courses, as well as the various technical and leadership skills students need to get outside.
Gina lives in Steamboat Springs, Colorado, where she spends her time skiing, mountain biking, hiking, and playing pickleball and mahjong with friends and family. Decades of leading student expeditions and outdoor programs have kept her on her toes, and she has maintained her Wilderness First Responder certification since 2003. For more than 25 years, Gina taught high school science while simultaneously leading over 60 wilderness expeditions and coordinating international travel programs to places including Namibia, Cambodia, Peru, Greenland, Patagonia, and beyond. She enjoys logistics puzzles almost as much as she enjoys convincing nervous students that they are more capable than they think. Gina loves teaching wilderness medicine because it combines her favorite things: science, problem solving, storytelling, and watching students realize they are capable of handling more than they thought possible.
Must-have med kit item: A tourniquet. I hope I never have to use it!
Greg currently works for Utah State University Outdoor Programs where he oversees the student-led adventure trip program and outdoor certification courses that include Wilderness First Responder, Wilderness First Aid, Avalanche Rescue, Avalanche Rec 1, and Swiftwater Rescue. He is also volunteer member of search and rescue, serving for 3 years in Salt Lake County and currently on year 7 in Cache County, Utah. When he is not working, you can find Greg on the river or his mountain bike during the spring/summer/fall, and wandering the backcountry in search of the fluffy white stuff during the winter months. Greg has been involved with Desert Mountain Medicine since 2013 and is a lead WFR and WFA instructor.
Gus is a PNW transplant (currently living in Portland) who grew up in a suburb of Kansas City, Kansas. Most of his young life was spent inside playing video games until an avid interest in skateboarding drove him to see new places and spend more time out of the house. A skateboarding-induced stress fracture in his lower back at 15 years old sidelined him from skating and kept him in and out of physical therapy for almost a year. Knowing how much it stinks to lack the power of free movement sparked his interest in all kinds of activities like climbing, running, martial arts, and pretty much everything else physical. A job as a trip leader in college was the perfect fit for him as it allowed him to be outside, lift people up, learn from others, and test his limits. By getting WFA and then WFR certified for that job, he discovered a passion for wilderness medicine that led him to become an instructor with DMM. He is currently preparing for a WEMT course and is hoping to land a job that allows him to care for people in challenging terrain after the course concludes.
Must haves in med-kit: Tape, because band-aids aren’t sticky enough.
Jesse is the Coordinator of the Outdoor Adventure Leadership Minor at Utah State University. He loves working with his students to learn, experience, and thrive in the outdoor industry. For Jesse, teaching wilderness medicine is an obvious and essential component of a well-rounded outdoor education. His students are learning the fundamentals of the outdoor recreation industry, and wilderness medicine is key to their foundational knowledge. His students wouldn’t be able to safely lead groups into the backcountry without wild. Med. skills, so he considers wilderness medicine courses perhaps the most important part of his students’ education. Jesse’s a relative newcomer to Utah, having lived in the Midwest for 15 years, but’s wasted no time getting acquainted with his desert home. He loves paddle sports and awesome trails, both of which are available in abundance here in the Cache Valley. Beyond those two pursuits, he’s the ultimate generalist. He loves trying different experiences, learning more, and living a recreation-based lifestyle.
Must-have med kit item: Band-Aids and Aquaphor! Between the amount of boo-boos we have when leading youngins’ to chapped lips and chaffing, those two items are the most used every time.
Johann’s first experience with medicine was in 1996 when he was a senior in high school riding in an ambulance alongside his mom, who was a paramedic. Johann would frequently field calls with his mom in those days in the suburbs of Trenton, NJ. He’s still not quite sure how he feels about this curious developmental experience, but his therapist has some ideas. Now as an adult, Johann works as the Coordinator of Outdoor education for Colorado Mountain College, as well as a faculty member in Outdoor Education and Sustainability studies. Johann has been teaching wilderness medicine since 1998, and has been a DMM instructor since 2005. Johann enjoys standard mountain town activities, such as climbing rocks, skiing, riding bikes too fast, drinking coffee, reading books, though not all at the same time. He loves his small mountain town life that allows him to spend time with his family and be of service to his community.
Joe worked with the Utah Conservation Corps out of Cedar City, Utah for 6 years, where he started as an instructor with Desert Mountain Medicine. With the UCC, Joe worked to oversee southern Utah crews from Zion to Escalante and everywhere in between. He is now based out of Flagstaff, Arizona working for the Arizona Conservation Corps and continuing to instruct with DMM. Joe enjoys getting out climbing, mountain biking, skiing, kayaking, canyoneering, and rafting. Joe also doubles as Lone Coyote Art and y’all should go check out his mural in Cedar City if you pass through.
Kacie (she/her) enjoys being part of the water cycle- skiing in the Rockies in winter and floating western rivers in the summer. Taking her first WFR in 2018 through her college outdoor program, Kacie always wanted to find ways to connect her passion for EMS with outdoor education and has been doing so ever since. She is currently the Student Wellness, Experience, and Leadership Coordinator at Alzar School. Prior to her work at semester schools, she held multiple positions as a ski patroller, outdoor expeditionary instructor, raft guide, operations manager for a rafting company, and roles in collegiate outdoor education.
Kacie is also certified as an AMGA SPI, American Avalanche Association Pro 2, and Swiftwater Rescue Technician.
Med kit must have: Plenty of tape and a picture of her cat, Fitz to boost morale
Kaen (kl) Lapides is a paramedic and educator. She has been a senior lead instructor and staff trainer for Desert Mountain Medicine for over a decade. Passionate about the science of learning and expediting institutional knowledge acquisition in students and staff, she spent enough time as a paramedic and avalanche control route leader at the Breckenridge Ski Area and in the ER to now require hair color assistance for the grey. She owns WildMed Etrier; a company that produces medical reference apps. Prior to that, significant time in the field with the Colorado Outward Bound School mountaineering and backcountry ski programs allowed her to perfect a mean challah bread in a Banks Fry Bake Pan over a MSR stove.
Katie began working for DMM in 2017 after observing a WFR course taught for a Colorado Outward Bound School semester course she was instructing. She was impressed by the depth of curriculum and the hands-on instructional style and soon joined the DMM team. Katie has worked in the outdoor education industry since 2008. She also worked for Grand County EMS as an EMT responding to front and backcountry emergencies in the greater Moab area from 2018-2023. When not in the field, you’ll find Katie seeing clients at her Rolfing® practice, climbing or running with her pup Pickles.
Kyle is a climbing guide based in Estes Park, Colorado. He has spent two seasons as a ski patroller in Oregon, 2 summers guiding rock and alpine routes in and around RMNP, 5 years living in the PNW exploring glaciers and alpine rock across the Pacific Northwest, and 8 years as an Officer in the U.S Army. Oh, and once he completed the Continental Divide Trail. Through all this he’s attained many valuable experiences and certifications to feel confident in almost any austere environment/ condition he may find himself in. He’s a W-EMT who has a passion for teaching and the world of Wild Med.
Must Have Med Kit Item: Trauma Shears
Kyle is the Associate Director for the Southwest Conservation Corps Ancestral Lands. He works to get young, indigenous people outside to gain work experience while contributing to our amazing Southwestern landscape. Kyle is Navajo and Hopi, so he knows that land stewardship exists in the DNA of indigenous peoples, so getting a chance to do this work for a living is not only fulfilling for him, he considers it a duty. He’s drawn to wilderness medicine because of its dynamic nature; it keeps him and his students on their toes. He loves the elegance of transferability of DMM’s curriculum, as it applies to not only medicine, but decision making, leadership, teamwork, and so much more. In his free time, Kyle likes to read about talking, talk about reading, write about nothing in particular, and attempt to cook as one might attempt science experiments. He’s an avid baseball player and a pretty alright guitar player. Though his work takes him to beautiful areas, he spends vacations also going to beautiful areas, a true “busman’s holiday” kind of situation.
Must-have med kit item: Chex Mix. Not technically a med kit item, but y’all get it.
Liz teaches wilderness medicine because it’s seriously cool! The medical world is ever changing, and there’s always something new to learn. Having the skills to help loved ones, clients, or perfect strangers on their worst day is essential for Liz, and, she believes, for her students. Liz has been a ski patroller since 2013, as well as a Program Coordinator for Rocky Mountain Youth Corps. Prior to joining RMYC, Liz worked over 10 years as a raft guide, outdoor educator, ski instructor, and dog sled guide. These days, Liz spends her limited free time sharing her passion for the outdoors with her 1-year-old son, which is not incidentally why she’s become really good at changing diapers while standing on the side of the trail in fresh powder. She and her husband, Adam, love to take rafting trips, go climbing, hiking. Backcountry skiings, and mountain biking. She’s done the Grand Traverse from Crested Butte to Aspen, twice (so far)!
Must-have med kit item: Vet wrap. I once used it to tape a bike seat back on when the seat post broke. It wasn’t great, but it worked better than a seat post up the posterior!
Makena was born and raised in Colorado, enjoying all the outdoor activities from a young age. Her passion for the outdoors continued to grow during her time in college in Fort Collins, CO where she studied Conservation Biology and worked as a trip instructor for the Outdoor Program. Makena took her first WFR course at CSU, and she loved it so much that she continued on to get her Wilderness EMT a few years later after working seasonal jobs as a ski instructor and kids summer camp instructor in the San Juans in Southern Colorado. Makena has spent the past few years using her EMT skills as a ski patroller in Utah, worked as the Assistant Ski Patrol Director for Brian Head Resort, worked as an Critical Care Technician for the Copper Mountain Clinic, and volunteers for Search and Rescue.
Makena started teaching wilderness medicine courses with Desert Mountain Medicine in 2022 with the goal to help build confidence in others through providing practical, life saving skills since her first WFR was so empowering and transformative. Makena started working in a full time role with DMM in 2024 as a logistics coordinator, and now works as the Director of Instructor Operations.
Makena spends her free time skiing, mountain biking, hiking, and taking her Australian shepherd on trail adventures of all kinds! She also loves to cook and grow fresh veggies in her garden.
Matt works as an outdoor educator for Colorado Mountain College – Steamboat Springs. His official title is Assistant Dean of Instruction, i.e. boring administrator, but if you looked underneath that mountain of paperwork Matt’s often buried under, you’d see him smiling ear-to-ear. As Assistant Dean he gets to develop and teach programs that will give his students the skills and preparation to earn meaningful jobs that will fulfill them. He’s especially passionate about teaching outdoor education and wilderness medicine because those skills can be applied towards students’ whole lives, regardless of their professions. Outdoor education teaches students resilience, leadership, conflict resolution and communication skills, which are applicable to just about everything. The role outdoor educators play is going to be essential in protecting and growing our open spaces where we call home. That’s why Matt loves taking people outside to connect with nature through water sports—rafting, kayaking, packrafting, SUP’s, and the odd inflatable crocodile—and to show them how important rivers are to our continued existence. Only when people have connected with something are they willing to fight for it. Matt and his beautiful wife are raising their daughters in this tradition of outdoor connection and stewardship, and he loves nothing better than spending time as a family in the wilderness. They primarily ski, raft, bike, and hike, but they’re up for any old adventure with the right people!!
Must-have med kit item: water purification kit (Sawyer filter and bag). WATER IS LIFE!!!
Max (he/him) took his first WFR course with DMM in 2016 and has been involved in EMS ever since. He’s worked as a ski patroller, an EMT on an ambulance and in an emergency department, and is currently a member of his home county’s search and rescue team. Max also has extensive experience working in the mountains, previously as a mountain guide and currently as a ski guide, avalanche science and rescue instructor, and as a field technician for the Colorado Avalanche Information Center.
On any given day you’ll find Meg ripping around Missoula with kids on skis or bikes. By serving as the Recreation Program Manager for Missoula Parks and Recreation, Meg gets paid to run the coolest bike and ski gangs anywhere in the West. Her mission is to create community programming to reduce barriers and get people of all ages and abilities outside and active. It’s the perfect job for her, because Meg was put on Earth to be with kids. Coaching kids on how to rip bikes while yelling and pumping up the stoke is her reason for being. In her 20-plus years working in the outdoor industry, she has paddled more class II and set more top rope 5.8 than any other human alive. That epic mountain that tops out at 6,000 feet? – yeah she climbed that and stopped for 20 snack breaks. Meg loves teaching wilderness medicine because the core skills required–flexibility, creativity, calm, and critical thinking–are also the cornerstone of amazing leaders, and the world needs more of those.
Must-have med kit item: Cartoon Band Aids and snacks – when you work with kids these are primary assessment tools. Will a band aid or a snack fix it? Most of the time, yes.
Michelle (she/her) discovered her love for the outdoors while attending Northern Arizona University for a Forestry degree. She continued her passion of being outdoors by joining the conservation corps world in 2012 working throughout the states of Arizona, Utah, and New Mexico on chainsaw, crosscut, and trail crews. Michelle took her first WFR course in 2009 and began teaching with DMM in 2018. When Michelle is not teaching WFAs or working, she enjoys spending as much time outdoors (while it isn’t unbearably hot) with her husband, daughter, and two rescue dogs.
Mike teaches at Bridges High School, an alternative school in Carbondale, CO. He also teaches rock climbing, self rescue, mountaineering and canyoneering courses at Colorado Mountain College. On the entrepreneurial side of things, Mike owns Glenwood Climbing Guides, where he regularly leads trips. Mike loves spending time with his four kids and playing in the mountains. Fun Mike trivia includes such facts as: Mike has climbed the Nose on El Cap in a single day, twice, and Mike currently holds the world record for most vertical feet snowboarded under human power.
Mike ran a college outdoor program and managed an outfitting business for a decade or more (he can’t quite remember the exact dates; a decade is a long time!) before dedicating himself to ski patrolling in the winters and teaching in the summers. He’s currently working as the lead of the medical department for Taos Ski Patrol. Avalanche mitigation work, ski cutting in particular, is a hoot, but his favorite part of the job is medical response. The combination of front-country medicine and resources in a dynamic mountain environment with the added potential for technical ropework is incredibly fun, challenging, and rewarding. As a wilderness medicine instructor, his aim is always for his students to walk out of his classes feeling the same feelings of competence and preparedness that he felt after his first WFR 20 years ago. Mike truly believes that the entire outdoor industry benefits from having more than just our guides certified. As such, he’s super stoked when he comes across students who are taking a WFR course to become better adventure partners to their friends and to support their personal recreation goals. Among Mike’s personal pursuits and talents are skiing, mountain biking, thinking about fishing more, and growing an incredibly mediocre mustache.
Must-have med kit item: Epi and a hemostatic dressing are the root. Everything else you can make up.
Morgan grew up in the funky, midwestern town of Lawrence, Kansas. At age 17 her dream of playing college soccer was realized when she moved to the heart of San Juan mountains to play at Fort Lewis College. There, she obtained a bachelors degree in Exercise Science while simultaneously developing a love for outdoor recreation. Eventually, the soccer cleats were retired and she found herself swan diving, head first, into anything involving mountain adventures.
Landing her first “real” job in a small Emergency Room in Durango, CO as an ER Technician, she discovered her passion for medicine and followed her dream of becoming and ER Nurse. In 2010 she graduated as an RN and soon thereafter began roving the country as a traveling nurse experiencing many different hospital settings anywhere from large level I trauma centers to small mountain town critical access hospitals.
In 2014, Morgan was the first on scene to tragic accident in a remote Utah Canyon that resulted in six fatalities. The aftermath of the accident left her feeling un-prepared as a solo rescuer in a wilderness setting and subsequently she obtained her WFR and began teaching for DMM in 2015.
Morgan is currently the Program Director for DMM where she has taken on the responsibility of teaching wilderness medicine courses, curriculum writing, and instructor progression. In 2019, she started the Women’s Wild Med Program. Wilderness Medicine courses for women, taught by women. The goal is to highlight and celebrate the women who are shaping outdoor recreation and wilderness medicine, and empower the many millions more who are a vital part of these industries.
In her personal life, Morgan is a connoisseur of mountaintop dance parties and a chaser of sunsets with her dog Pinto Bean. Recreationally, she believes in a balance of relaxing and adventurous outdoor experiences. Some days, she needs a leisurely hike capped off by a summit boogie sesh. On other days she needs to push herself until she questions and reaffirms what her limits really are.
Morgan now calls Northern New Mexico home where she is able to combine her two passions which are Wilderness and Emergency Medicine, as a a ski clinic nurse at the Taos Ski Valley.
Nathan Page grew up in the shadow of Mount Rainier in the Puget Sound of Washington State. He quickly gained a love and appreciation for the sheer granite walls of the Cascades as well as the glaciers that persist and carve them. Nathan has been in the outdoor guiding and environmental education world since 2010, working as a backcountry climbing instructor for NOLS and an outdoor educator for various California-based outfits. He has been working in program management in the Higher Ed sector for the past decade and loves a good interactive whiteboard lecture with a scenic view! Nathan currently serves as the Assistant Director for the University of Denver’s outdoor program. When not working, you can find Nathan working on his latte art (still not great) and hiking / running with his lil daughter in tow!
Pam has been teaching and practicing emergency medicine for over 15 years. While not officially a guide, she’s been an outdoor educator and outdoor photographer for over 25 years taking tiny humans and adults on adventures from the rivers to glaciers and all the magical wilderness in between. Pam has been a patient, and a patient care provider in remote settings around the world.
In her day job she works in emergency services training and coordinating over 90 Fire & EMS volunteers in Moscow, ID.
First aid kit go to: Ibuprofen – especially now that I’m over 40…
Pamela (she/her/ella) has been playing outside for as long as she can remember and has always found a way to incorporate outdoor fun into her professional life. Following many hours of field and lab research studying pipefish, she quickly pivoted to a career in Outdoor Rec. Pamela spent three years managing a kayak rental operation in the heart of Texas (Austin, for those that don’t know) before moving on to the world of conservation corps. Currently, Pamela is the Youth Program Manager at Southwest Conservation Corps, where she enjoys teaching folks new skills to confidently lead high schoolers in conservation projects. Pamela is also passionate about getting BIPOC communities engaged with the
outdoors in safe and responsible ways. In her off time, you can find Pamela romping around in the mountains, whether it be hiking, biking, or skiing.
Must-have in the med kit: k-tape and salt pills! Because blisters and hyponatremia are no fun.
Richard (he/him) has been instructing for DMM since 2017 and slinging logistics for the Southwest Conservation Corps since 2011 and before. They are also an avid outdoors enthusiast with a literal lifetime of outdoor experience, starting on the crags and fells of the Lake District, summits and valleys of the Alps and Pyrenees and landing in the jagged peeks of the San Juan Mountains in SW Colorado where they call home. Richard also serves on LaPlata County SAR since 2017.
Sally (she/her) has been working in the field of leadership education for more than 20 years and is extremely passionate about helping people to learn and grow through experiential activities. Her true passion is in facilitating participants through experiences that promote individual challenge and self-discovery, which sometimes leads to true interdependence and cohesion in a group. She has worked in several different areas within the outdoor recreation industry including an instructor for the National Outdoor Leadership School (NOLS), a guide in wilderness therapy, ropes course director and facilitator, ski/snowboard instructor, outdoor education instructor, event coordinator for the cities/towns of Crested Butte and Gunnison, and executive educational consultant among others. She has served as a volunteer for several different organizations including the Western State Mountain Search and Rescue Team, Safe Ride, Gunnison Trails, and more. She has been a Department Chair/Faculty member for Outdoor Education and Park Ranger programs at Red Rocks Community College and Faculty at Western Colorado University.
Born and raised on the plains of South Dakota, Sam was eventually drawn west by a deep-rooted love for the mountains. Today, he lives in the Black Hills, where he combines his background in education with a high-level career in emergency medicine.
Sam is the co-owner and operator of Don’t Panic LLC, a wilderness medicine and emergency response training company he runs alongside his wife, Nora. Together, they leverage their expertise to better prepare individuals for the unexpected in remote environments.
Though a high school math teacher by trade, Sam’s path shifted toward medicine after five years in the classroom. He began as a ski patroller before completing his Wilderness EMT (WEMT) course in 2016. That pivotal training led him to join both the local ambulance service and search and rescue (SAR) within months.
Sam has since advanced to become a Paramedic and currently serves as the Director of Custer County Search and Rescue. While his days in public education are behind him, his teaching roots remain a cornerstone of his work. Whether he is coordinating complex SAR operations or leading a Don’t Panic LLC workshop, Sam is dedicated to applying his skills year-round in the Custer area.
When he isn’t rescuing hikers or teaching, Sam can be found rock climbing, sailing, or enjoying the Black Hills with Nora and their two daughters.
Originally from Maine and migrating to the west in 2011, Sandra (she/her) has spent the last 20 years guiding and educating in the outdoors throughout the northeast and western states. After working as a guide in Alaska for 5 years, she got hired at the University of Idaho and then landed her dream job as the Director of the University of Idaho’s Outdoor Program. Her passions including sea kayaking, rafting, ice climbing, backcountry skiing, and mountain biking. She first got her WFR in 2005, has helped with DMM courses since 2016 and became an instructor for DMM in 2022. When she’s not teaching, you can find her fly fishing or mountain biking with her family near a remote Idaho river or mountain top.
Must have in the med kit: medical tape and extra pens
Sarah believes in the transformative power of feeling small in big wild places, and enjoys nurturing confidence, empathy, and widened perspectives by teaching outdoor skills. She remembers the empowerment that she felt after her first wilderness medicine course in 2010, and loves getting to facilitate that experience for her students as they learn to make good backcountry decisions and take care of themselves and each other.
Med kit must-haves: tourniquet and sour patch kids. Having the first on hand provides some peace of mind and hopefully wards off ever having to actually use it; having an ample supply of the second makes an astonishing variety of teenage trail ailments lessen or disappear.
Scott grew up in Golden, CO and is retired from a 30 year career in wildland and structure fire, working as a firefighter, paramedic, paramedic field instructor, and fire officer in the Denver Metro area. Scott has also spent 25 years working in outdoor education with High School seniors, backpacking, climbing, and rafting. He is an avid cyclist and telemark skier and since retirement has worked as a commercial fisherman in Alaska as well as teaching classes with DMM. Scott also enjoys beekeeping, gardening, hunting and fishing and has a lifelong enthusiasm for emergency medicine.
Scout works for OARS guiding rivers throughout the West. She loves that her job is to hang out and work alongside people on vacation in beautiful wilderness areas! She began teaching for DMM in early 2019. Teaching wild. med. is constantly challenging, but she loves seeing her students connect the dots and become more confident. Her teaching is also the best preparation for her guiding, and her guiding provides valuable experiences for her teaching. It’s super cool that her jobs support each other so well! Scout’s favorite outdoor activities are rafting, backpacking, sandwich eating in the summer, and skiing and burrito eating in the winter. Her dog has hiked more 14ers than her, so she’s not the coolest adventurer in her family…yet. Lastly, Scout feels it’s important to share the immense pride she takes in cutting uniform cheese cubes for OARS’ cheese board night on the river. She likes to think it speaks to her attention to detail and craftsmanship, but realistically it speaks to her fear of not getting enough cheese.
Must-have med kit item: The thing I personally use the most is the knuckle bandages- metal boxes, sand, and dish water do a number on my hands in the summer.
Sophia is a full-time bioengineering PhD student and graduate researcher, with a focus on soft tissue engineering and regenerative medicine for the musculoskeletal system. In plain English, she’s trying to engineer better treatments for bone, tendon, muscle, and joint injuries so we can all play as long as possible. Sophia believes that people are happier, healthier, and better adjusted when they can move about the world pain-free, and this drives her work. Outside of her PhD work, Sophia volunteers for the Moscow Ambulance Company as an EMT. She’s proud that her town of 25,000 people is exclusively served by this 100% volunteer agency! She loves being able to use medicine to help others, whether as an EMT or a bioengineering researcher. Her passion for wilderness medicine stems from her love of the outdoors, and her belief that wilderness is an essential part of human nature that many of us have forgotten to nourish. She is married to her awesome adventure partner, Zack, and together they have two dogs, Athena and Lasso, who are excellent backcountry skiers and mountain bikers. They’ve never wrecked once! Unlike Sophia, who is really gifted at wrecking her mountain bike irregardless of terrain level. Sophia has a deep love of all-things science, which pervades every aspect of her life. For example, her running buddies refer to their regular 5:30 a.m. trail run as “science hour with Sophia.” She loves skiing (backcountry and resort), mountain biking, trail running, backpacking, camping, fishing, hiking, pretty much anything that involves fresh air and time away from a screen. She can talk science through all these activities (maybe that’s why she wrecks her bike so much?)
Must-have med kit item: Tourniquet. They save lives and there are a lot of backcountry situations where one is useful.
Sydney (she/her) originally hails from Southern California and grew up camping and backpacking the Sierra Nevada Mountains. She is now a nurse and DMM instructor in Portland, OR. Her love for the outdoors grew as a collegiate trip leader getting to climb, kayak, and explore the beautiful PNW. She is passionate about preparing people to safely recreate in the backcountry and sharing the spaces she loves so much. In her free time, you’ll find Sydney knitting or reading in scenic locations and trying new outdoor activities.
Taryn is a physician assistant who focuses primarily in occupational medicine and women’s health. Her favorite part of her work and teaching is talking to women about sex and their bodies and creating a safe and comfortable space to talk about what is often an uncomfortable topic. She originally started teaching wilderness medicine so she could feel more confident in the backcountry, but soon realized that the folks who take and teach wild. med. courses are exactly the kind of passionate, vibrant people she wants to spend her time with. Plus, its an awesome feeling to have friends and students leave her course feeling like they can handle an emergency. Though she’s fairly specialized with this whole medicine thing, her actual speciality in life is chopping onions with a culinary school precision. Taryn has the best husband, who works for Petzl and is a pro level baby dad to their 1-year-old daughter, Lucy, who, it has been agreed, is definitely a good baby. Taryn loves riding bikes and snowboards, doing literally anything with her dog Toby, and going on road trips with her family (bonus points if that road trip involves searching for a difficult-to-find hot springs).
Must-have med kit item: ACE wraps. There is nothing I can’t do with an ACE wrap.
Ticia took her first WFR almost 20 years ago, and knew at that moment that this was exactly what she wanted to do for the rest of her life. Inspired by her WFR instructor, she gave up van life and guiding rivers to go to nursing school and become an ER nurse. Today, she works in the Emergency Department in Gunnison, CO. She loves working in a field where she has to think of her feet and face new challenges everyday. She is constantly awed that she has a job where she get to reset someone’s heart, transfuse blood, and help a sick kid feel better all in the same day! Plus, she adores her amazing, intelligent colleagues who have dedicated their lives to helping people in crisis. The fun and challenge of teaching wilderness medicine is all about taking complex concepts and making them simple and easy to understand. A WFR course changed Ticia’s life, so she takes seriously the privilege and responsibility of teaching wilderness medicine, and wants each of her students to leave her courses feeling empowered confident to care for people on their worst days. Ticia lives with her husband and 6 year-old son in a treehouse at 9,600ft in the middle of nowhere, Colorado. They keep the beer cold in the creek and get to ride a zipline to the outhouse. In the backcountry, Ticia loves sports where she can succumb to gravity: mountain biking down endless, flowing single track, white water rafting, and skiing.
Must-Have med kit item: two ace wraps, two triangle bandages, one SAM splint, and some gauze – you can stabilize just about anything.
Tommy (he/him) grew up on the Oregon coast, where exploring forests, beaches, and mountains sparked a lifelong love of the outdoors. He has worked as a climbing guide and outdoor educator for more than a decade, leading climbing, backpacking, paddling, and wilderness programs for schools, universities, and nonprofits across the country. Tommy is also the founder and owner of Yarrow Mountain Guides, a climbing guide service based in Santa Fe, New Mexico. Tommy enjoys teaching wilderness medicine because it combines outdoor education with practical, hands-on skills that help people feel more confident caring for themselves and others. Whether he’s in the field or the classroom, he loves helping people learn through experience. When he isn’t teaching or guiding, Tommy enjoys climbing, surfing, writing music, camping, and spending time with friends and family.
Must have med kit items: ibuprofen and tape.
Trevor has been going on long drifts and getting lost in Idaho his entire life. He currently serves as the University of Idaho Campus Recreation Associate Director, surrounded by an amazing group of students he gets to learn with on a daily basis. In addition to teaching for Desert Mountain Medicine, Trevor instructs swiftwater rescue and avalanche education courses. He is a board member and forecaster for the Wallowa Avalanche Center, a founding member of the Idaho River Rendezvous and involved with outdoor land access issues for national non-profit organizations. When he isn’t in the office, you’ll find him chasing fish, his bird dogs or water in all phases, in and around the great state of Idaho.
Zack grew up in the corn fields of northern Illinois, but was lucky enough to spend his summers paddling around the lakes of the Boundary Waters Canoe Area Wilderness in Minnesota. Zack’s journey into Wilderness Medicine started years ago as a young, bright eyed NOLS student, where he took his first Wilderness First Aid course. It was that very course that led him to a career in the outdoors as a sea kayaking guide in the beautiful Kenai Fjords National Park, AK and his eventual continuation to obtain his Wilderness First Responder certification.
Zack now lives and works in Taos, New Mexico as an WEMT and member of the Taos ski and bike patrol. Zack has a passion for providing Wilderness Medicine education to those who live and play in wild places.
When not working, you can find Zack either looking for trout in the small rivers of New Mexico or chasing his avalanche dog in training, Finn, around the mountains.
