Copyright 2007
Sun Valley Trekking
 

OUR BACKCOUNTRY ADVENTURE GUIDES

All our guides at Sun Valley Trekking are certified Wilderness First Responders, have extensive avalanche forecasting and rescue training, years of teaching experience in the outdoors, and are licensed by the Idaho Outfitter and Guide's Board.

Carrie Seitz Douglas earned a B.A. in Communications and Marketing from the University of Dayton in 1990. For the past decade, Carrie, AKA Big Air Care, has traveled extensively in all hemispheres, and she boasts the lengthiest and most diverse resume on the block -- including an incredible depth of backcountry experience. Besides journeywoman status as a log cabin chinker, Carrie served as a Peace Corp Volunteer in Thailand and managed the Himalayan Explorer's Club in Katmandu, Nepal. She's a certified Montessori teacher, and has worked seasonally as a naturalist in Alaska and a ski instructor in Colorado.

Joe St. Onge earned a BA in Outdoor Education from Prescott College in 1994. Since then, his talent and ambition as an educator and mountain guide have taken him to many of the world's great ranges. He's guided climbing and ski expeditions throughout the contiguous United States, Alaska (including ascents of Denali and multiple first ascents/descents in the St. Elias Range), Ecuador, Bolivia, and Pakistan. He has also returned to Prescott College to teach as an adjunct professor in their Outdoor Education and Wilderness Leadership degree programs. In between expeditions, Joe co-founded an environmental education program in Crested Butte, Colorado and earned a masters degree in Geography at Utah State University.

Scott Douglas is an SVT owner and guide with fifteen years professional experience. Scott earned a BA in Backcountry Journalism from Prescott College in 1995. He continues to combine his love of adventure with freelance writing and photography, and has contributed features to Couloir Magazine and other publications.

Additionally, Scott has worked as a naturalist, guide, telemark ski instructor, and outdoor educator in different parts of the Rockies and Alaska, and his adventures have taken him to many remote corners of the world.

Scott earned an MFA in Creative Writing, which he sees as the perfect complement to the adventurous life of an outfitter and guide. He enjoys teaching and traveling in the mountains and on rivers, remodeling old buildings, and pulling his little boy around in a sled.

Francie St. Onge hails originally from Minnesota, where some say she skied out of the womb. She completed a Bachelor of Science in Forestry-Resource Conservation at the University of Montana in 1995. Since then, she has guided wilderness expeditions throughout the inter-mountain west and Alaska, Co-founded a winter environmental education program in Crested Butte, Colorado, and worked as a naturalist in Denali National Park. Francie completed an MS degree in Recreation Resources-Environmental Education at Utah State University. Chief guide for SVT’s Chix programs, Francie's enthusiasm for wild places has a contagious effect on our guests.

Bob Jonas is founder of Sun Valley Trekking. After 20 years guiding the fortunes of SVT, Bob has a part-time role in our Yellowstone operations, and as a guide. In his 60’s, the "old man" of the outfit is happy to leave business management to the young bloods so he can repair to the wilds at anytime, any season. Bob is the author of a book, Ski Magazine's Total Skiing. He is also director of the Wild Gift, a non-profit he recently founded, which sponsors young leaders on exceptional wildlands experiences. Bob is a former salmon fishery biologist (Alaska and Greenland), and also worked as a middle school teacher in Idaho. A Sun Valley native, in 2002 Bob notched his 56th season as a skier, which includes countless days in the backcountry, millions of runs down Sun Valley's incredible resort slopes, and a stint as ski instructor and coach in the 1960s.

Pam Street was born and raised in the mountains of Central Idaho, Pam has made a life of skiing and wilderness adventure.

Pam’s professional pursuits include coaching and instructing Alpine Ski Racing, Telemark Skiing, and the Nordic techniques of skating and classic skiing.

Pam has 20 years of guiding backcountry skiing and hiking and has a deep love and knowledge for the mountains of Central Idaho.

Kat Darling is a native of the mountains of New Hampshire. Kat grew up on skis and spent her early years ski racing on the steep hard pack of race courses before her love of the outdoors brought her to Prescott College to study Outdoor Education and Environmental Studies. During her Prescott College studies, Kat enrolled in a three week backcountry ski course hosted by Sun Valley Trekking and she was hooked. Kat returned two years later and has worked her way from apprentice to licensed backcountry ski guide with an intimate knowledge of the mountains surrounding Sun Valley and our huts. A farmer in the warmer months, Kat is a joy as a backcountry companion.

Patrick Graham earned a B.A. from Johnson State College in Outdoor Education with a concentration in wilderness leadership and adventure education in 2004.

During school Patrick honed his skiing and climbing skills in the icy mountains of Vermont, and since then has been putting them to good use exploring the wild ranges of the world on his skis.

When Patrick isn't skiing in the Sawtooth, Tetons, Wasatch, or Andes mountains he works as an instructor at a therapeutic wilderness program in eastern Utah.

Marc Hanselman was born and raised Sun Valley and has been skiing and snowboarding since the ripe age of 3. After completing a degree in Art from the San Francisco Art Institute, Marc has made a life of guiding.

Marc works as a rock climbing guide in the summer and a ski guide and a professional Ski Patroller in the winter. Marc has traveled throughout Asia and Oceania, completing first ascents of rock climbs in Thailand and Australia, back country skiing in Japan, and trekking in Vietnam, Japan and Tibet.

Mark Puleio is a native New England skier who has been pursuing ski lines since he was 3 years old. Graduating in 1994 from Prescott College with a degree in Wilderness Leadership, Mark has been professionally guiding in the mountain environment for over a dozen years. Mark guides expeditions to several South American venues including Peru, Bolivia and Ecuador and has climbed and skied extensively throughout North and South America. He has a level 1 certification with the Canadian Avalanche Association and is a Wilderness First Responder with five years full time ski patrolling under his boards.

Mark is a certified Rock Guide with the American Mountain Guide Association and has completed his Alpine and Ski Mountain Guide training courses, and is hoping to complete his full certification with the International Federation of Mountain Guides Association in 2008. Mark also works with college and university outdoor education programs helping to create and run curriculum based programs of study. When he is not guiding trips he enjoys being at home with his two children, Stokely and Harper, and his wife, Kimberly in a quaint village in the hills of Vermont.