I am a seasoned survival instructor and wilderness guide and I live what I teach.

I sleep outside nearly every night of the year... I heat my home with firewood I harvest myself, hunt, gather, and fish for part of my food, I walk, run and hike barefoot as much as possible…and I hold a deep spiritual respect for  “the Great Four”.

I use the 4 elements to guide my understanding of the natural world…

• Breathe the Air

• Drink and swim in the Water

• Soak and respect the Sun

• Walk and nourish the Earth

My personal goal is to educate modern people on how to face a serious challenge in a backcountry setting when all other conveniences fail, but more than that, I want us to reconnect to a huge part of our history that we’ve nearly forgotten. It is who we are…

Credentials & Training

• MovNat Level 3 Certified Trainer 2019 - current

• Wilderness Frist Responder 2015 - current

• First Aid/CPR certified 2015 current

• Wilderness Survival Skills Trainer 2014 - current

• Leave No Trace Certified Trainer 2014 - current

• Modern & Primitive Fire Skills Certified 2013 - current

Outdoor Experience

• Life long Colorado outdoorsman.

• Extensive backcountry hiking, survival and camping experience.

• Hunting and backpacking guide experience.

• Experience teaching youth and adults in outdoor environments.

• Knowledge or Colorado mountain terrain, weather, wildlife, plant life and backcountry safety.

• ‍Experience in Colorado’s alpine environment through summits

  of 14,000 ft. peaks. ‍

Organizations I Work With

• Mountain Youth Network 2024 - current

• Clear Creek Metropolitan Recreation District, Camp Programs 2022 - current

• MovNat 2019 - current

• Tomahawk Ranch 2017 - current

• Evergreen Park & Recreation District 2015 - current

The philosophy of elemental wisdom..

Air is the first element of importance. You can’t hold your breath longer than a few minutes.. The air holds the temperature… the number one killer of people in a backcountry situation is hypothermia (too cold) and hyperthermia (too hot)…this now comes the basis of defense. This point of view relates Air to shelter… priority number one!

Water comes next!

Dehydration is also responsible for a large portion of human deaths in the back country..Water flows through all things living.. it is the life blood of the earth…it flows in a constant cycle, circulating forever through the entire planet… its movement is partially due to the Sun! Which then comes the next element in our list…

Fire

Fire and water are tied for second since we humans have done a great job polluting everything in our environment… now water is considered suspect… all fire comes from the Sun.. its gives life and energy to everything it touches… sometimes too much… when that sun energy gets released, we call it fire! Fire can warm us, cook our food and keep the boogie man away… but also can destroy and reshape our existence… it demands careful nurturing, and control… it is a living, breathing being… and it demands respect!

The Earth!

The Earth is the foundation in which all life can be built… it is stable, structured, and strong… it can influence, and be influenced by all other elements… the warm pressure from the core, causes the earth to shake and shatter… the structure of all animals, all trees and plants, all rocks and bugs, all mountains and valleys… that structure is the beauty we see… and we call it the Earth!