Cam Mackenzie

Lead Forecaster

Cam grew up in Massachusetts and then moved west for college at the University of Utah, where he received his BS in Physical Geography with an emphasis in natural hazards and mountain weather. He was a pro ski patroller in Utah at Solitude for ten years finishing his time there as an Avalanche Mitigation Technician. He also spent seven years as an instructor for the University of Utah Snow and Avalanche Dynamics program within the Atmospheric Science department, teaching snow mechanics and avalanche science. His current interests in the field involve snow metamorphism within wildfire scars and forecasting weather in areas with limited weather stations or radar coverage. Cam has worked for the Forest Service as a firefighter for 12 years and is currently a squad leader with the Salmon Heli-Rappellers, where he has been since 2015. Cam lives in Salmon, Idaho, and enjoys mountain bikes, hunting, fishing, and exploring the Bitterroot mountains.

Arden Feldman

Avalanche Forecaster

Growing up in Boston’s suburbia, Arden built snowmakers in his backyard to combat the lack of snow. Looking for deeper snow and bigger mountains, he moved west to study Geology at Colorado College. That’s where he fell in love with backcountry skiing. Eager to learn more about snow, he spent a summer at Montana State University’s Subzero Lab researching the fracture mechanics of the Extended Column Test. After graduating, he continued that research while interning at the Crested Butte Avalanche Center and the Colorado Avalanche Information Center. In 2018 he presented the completed study at the International Snow Science Workshop in Innsbruck, Austria. He then said goodbye to Colorado’s luscious depth hoar and moved to Utah to ski patrol at Solitude Mountain. He favored the early mornings breaking trail up Solitude’s exposed ridgelines while watching the sun rise over the Wasatch. He also spent a winter avalanche forecasting for the Bridgeport Avalanche Center in the Eastern Sierras. In addition, to fine-tuning his avalanche forecasting skills, he thoroughly enjoyed snowmobiling on Sonora Pass’s backcountry playground. Arden loves thinking about the complex interactions between snow, weather, terrain, and people and is excited to share that passion with the community in Missoula. You’ll find him out trail running, backpacking, or floating down a river when not out in the snow.

Nata de Leeuw

Avalanche Forecaster

Nata is from Calgary Alberta and was fortunate to grow up in a ski family, travelling to the mountains each weekend. After earning a degree in Earth Sciences from the University of British Columbia Okanagan, she returned to Alberta and began her avalanche career as a ski patroller at her home ski area, Castle Mountain Resort. She spent seven years patrolling, and eventually became a control route leader and a forecast team member. During the summers she worked for Parks Canada conducting whitebark pine research and restoration. After many winters spent managing hard wind slabs, enduring near endless blowing snow, and debating coworkers over avalanche problem types, Nata was inspired to conduct further research. This brought her to Montana State University where she graduated in 2023 with a Master’s Degree in Snow and Avalanche Sciences and a thesis entitled “Meteorological Controls on Wind Slab Properties”. She has presented her research at the International Snow Science Workshop and numerous local Snow and Avalanche Workshops. Since graduating, she has taught for the American Avalanche Institute, mapped wildfires, and had a brief return to ski patrolling at Beartooth Basin. She has also enjoyed having more free time to be in the mountains for fun.

Tanner Haskins

Educator

Originally hailing from Vermont, where he grew up on the slopes of Killington and earned a BS in Mechanical Engineering from UVM, Tanner now calls Salmon, Idaho, home. Tanner travels a well-worn circuit, beginning with rafting the River of No Return and Middle Fork of the Salmon in the summer, followed by backcountry touring, guiding and teaching avalanche courses in the early winter, and ending with a spring-time pilgrimage to Alaska’s Chugach range to guide heli-skiing. During his free time, Tanner enjoys mountain biking, skate skiing, hiking, hunting, road trips and taking photographs.

Madison Miller

Educator

Madison Miller is originally from Seattle and grew up skiing in the rain at Snoqualmie Pass. She has worked as an outdoor educator since 2012. She has taught ski lessons in the Cascades, led wilderness trips on the Olympic Peninsula, and guided for the Aspen Center for Environmental Studies in Colorado.

She earned a B.S. in chemistry from the University of Montana, where she conducted research on wildfire ecology in the Northern Rocky Mountains. As a college student, she discovered a love for backcountry skiing, a passion she shares with others through her teaching. She has a deep appreciation for avalanche education because it provides a scientific understanding of natural phenomena and imparts valuable life skills for on and off the slopes.

She teaches avalanche education classes for the West Central Montana Avalanche Foundation and the University of Montana Outdoor Program. She is currently pursuing a M.S. in Toxicology, examining the sexual dimorphic health effects of wildfire smoke.

Kyler Tingley

Educator

Kyler hails from the powder-filled wonderland of Northern Utah, where he started his outdoor recreation and winter sports career almost a decade ago. He began educating and guiding adolescents in a variety of outdoor settings, from whitewater rafting to winter backcountry travel. After honing his "Wasatch Wiggle" and cutting his teeth on the beautiful slopes and steep couloirs of the Bear River and Wasatch Ranges, Kyler moved to Missoula, where he began ski patrolling at Montana Snowbowl and exploring the local backcountry zones. Kyler is passionate about backcountry recreation and enjoys any opportunity to spread the love of the sport. When the snow is not flying, Kyler spends his time in a drift boat chasing big brown and rainbow trout on the Clark Fork River drainage.

Elizabeth Fricke

Educator

Elizabeth Fricke is originally from North Carolina and moved to Montana in 1999. Her background is grounded in outdoor education. She worked for the North Carolina Outward Bound School, the National Outdoor Leadership School, the Chadwick School, and seasonally raft guiding and kayak instructing on rivers and rocks for many years.

She received her undergrad at Appalachian State University in Recreation Management and a Master’s in education at the University of Montana. Currently, she directs the University of Montana’s Outdoor Program and has been in that position since 2004. She teaches courses for the American Mountain Guide Association, Leave No Trace Center for Outdoor Ethics, and the West Central Montana Avalanche Foundation. She is passionate about teaching others and prefers ski tours to lift rides any day.

She completed a Level 1 Avalanche course through NOLS in 2004, a Level 2 in 2009, and a Pro Level 1 course in 2019 through the American Avalanche Institute. She enjoys skiing with her husband and two daughters - and loves chasing them around the mountain on weekends.

Maelan Arciello

Educator

Maelan grew up skiing at Red Lodge Mountain before moving to Missoula with his family in 2006, where he continued to develop his skills at Montana Snowbowl. He earned a B.S. in Parks, Tourism, and Recreation Management from the University of Montana. During his junior year, Maelan accepted an internship in Steamboat Springs, Colorado, where he spent a year and a half teaching skiing. It was there that he discovered a passion for instruction, on-snow education, and exploring the backcountry.

After returning to Missoula in 2016, Maelan began coaching with the Missoula Freestyle Team and started volunteering with the West Central Montana Avalanche Foundation (WCMAF) in 2017, supporting Know Before You Go school programs. Since then, he has continued to grow as an educator and has taken on an expanded role within the WCMAF Avalanche Education Program.

Maelan is an American Avalanche Association (A3) Pro with a strong background in outdoor education. He emphasizes learning through engagement, prioritizing both safety and enjoyment in the mountains. His goal as an educator is to help students build confidence, develop sound decision-making skills, and travel more thoughtfully in winter terrain.

When he is not on the snow or the river, Maelan can be found serving up great food from his food truck, Cheese Louise, or working with the Whitewater Rescue Safety Institute on environmental spill response and waterway safety projects across the country.

Jane Quinn

Educator

Jane Quinn has worked as a professional outdoor educator since 2013, teaching students of all ages, experience levels, and backgrounds. She is particularly passionate about women’s programs and creating learning environments that are inclusive, supportive, and confidence-building.

After several years of backcountry skiing without formal avalanche training, Jane committed to deepening her education and was inspired to pursue her Instructor Trainer certification through the American Institute for Avalanche Research and Education (AIARE). She has been teaching co-ed and women’s Avalanche Level 1, Avalanche Rescue, and Level 2 courses since 2017. Jane is also a certified instructor with the Professional Mountain Bike Instructor Association (PMBIA).

In the summer of 2024, Jane became the Program Director for Girls Thrive, a Helena-based nonprofit that empowers girls in grades 6–12 to build self-confidence, strong relationships, and a positive body image through outdoor experiences and guest-led programming.

When she’s not teaching in the mountains, Jane can be found telling delightfully bad dad jokes and spinning riddles during course breaks—often to the equal amusement and groans of her students.

Gus Batchelder

Educator

Gus grew up in Seeley Lake and Ovando, spending his childhood exploring the Swan and Mission Mountains. He learned to ski at a young age at Blacktail Mountain, Discovery Ski Area, and Grand Targhee, and in 2015 he began exploring the world of backcountry skiing.

Over the past six years, Gus has guided in Alaska’s Wrangell Mountains, instructed courses for the National Outdoor Leadership School, and worked as a ski technician at several ski shops. During the warmer months, he enjoys packrafting, bikepacking, and long backpacking trips.

Zach Snavely

Educator

Zach grew up in rural Pennsylvania, spending his time seeking adventure in the woods, lakes, and rivers through every season. Although he began skiing “East Coast ice” in high school, it was not until he moved to Wyoming in 2010 and was introduced to the backcountry that he truly caught the bug.

Zach spent eight years working for the National Outdoor Leadership School before transitioning into guiding in the ski, rock, and alpine disciplines. More than a decade later, he remains deeply hooked on the mountains and feels fortunate to share these landscapes with others.

Zach believes there is something new to learn every day spent traveling on snow and continues the lifelong pursuit of that perfect turn.

Ryan Milling

Educator

Ryan has been exploring the backcountry on skis since moving to Montana in 2012. He has a strong passion for education and lifelong learning and has taught for a variety of organizations, including the National Outdoor Leadership School, Aerie Backcountry Medicine, the Montana Wilderness School, and the University of Montana Outdoor Program.

Ryan is committed to breaking down barriers so more people can enjoy the outdoors safely and responsibly. His avalanche and skiing background is rooted in years of ski patrolling, leading winter camping expeditions, and teaching avalanche and winter skills courses. As an American Avalanche Association Pro, he is continually working to improve the quality of avalanche education and prioritizes inclusive learning environments that are free from big attitudes and egos.

Ryan is also a nurse and works in the local emergency room. When the snow melts, he enjoys whitewater kayaking and guiding on the Middle Fork and Main Salmon Rivers.

Ben Schmidt

Educator

After an ill-fated early attempt at backcountry skiing, Ben took his first avalanche course at the University of Montana in the 1990s. Since then, he has gathered field observations, volunteered, taught classes, and helped others learn how to prepare before heading into the mountains.

Ben grew up skiing the “summits” of Wisconsin and Michigan’s Upper Peninsula and moved to Montana shortly after a ski trip to Big Mountain, now known as Whitefish Mountain Resort. He brings more than a decade of experience in ski patrol and avalanche mitigation, along with many years of skiing across a wide range of Rocky Mountain snow conditions and terrain.

When the snow melts, Ben teaches whitewater rescue courses and works in risk mitigation and environmental emergency response. He also spends as much time on the river as possible when his schedule allows.

Patrick Black

Executive Director

Patrick has spent the past two decades exploring the mountains and rivers of western Montana and Idaho, landscapes that have shaped his life and deepened his connection to the communities that live, work, and recreate there. He earned a Bachelor of Arts in Political Science and became involved with the West Central Montana Avalanche Foundation (WCMAF) while completing a Master’s degree in Public Administration at the University of Montana, joining the organization in 2015.

In 2023, Patrick earned his Pro 1 certification through the American Avalanche Institute. He is grateful to work alongside a dedicated team of avalanche professionals and committed community partners, serving as the Executive Director of WCMAF, where he helps advance the organization’s mission to support and provide accessible, high-quality avalanche information and education for all who travel in the backcountry.