Post 58 Advisors
The post relies on its wonderful group of advisors to make trips possible! Learn a little bit more about the adults involved with our organization.
Peter Green (Post 58 Director)
Peter has been teaching outdoor skills and leadership to teenagers for more than 40 years. He helped start the Post in 1993 along with a couple of other friends who had worked together at Camp Nor’wester. His experience includes four years as Program Director at Nor’wester on Lopez Island, Washington and six years as a counselor there. Peter was the Coordinator of the NW Regional Outdoor School Program in 2004 and 2005. Peter served as Director of Outdoor Education at Catlin Gabel School for 11 years, helping it to become the largest program of its kind on the West Coast. He served as Dean of Students at the Catlin Gabel Upper School for three years.
From 1993 to 2003, Peter worked for Oregon Governor John Kitzhaber as the Governor’s Natural Resources Director and he served as Executive Director of the Kitzhaber Center at Lewis & Clark Law School in 2004. For eight years, Peter served as chairman of the state Outdoor Youth Program Advisory Committee. In addition, Peter has climbed extensively and worked as a guide leading climbing and hiking trips for Oregon Peak Adventures. Peter earned a B.A. in psychology and environmental studies from Williams College and an M.S. in ecology from the University of California–Davis. Peter and his wife Mary live in Portland where they spend their free time exploring the wilderness areas of the Northwest and traveling where they can.
Ori Alon
My name is Ori Alon and I was a member of the post from 2013-2017 and then became an advisor. I currently go to Whitman College where I lead outdoor trips and teach climbing classes. I grew up in Portland Oregon and the Post 58 continues to be a huge part of my life. My absolute favorite place I've ever climbed is Joshua Tree, with a close second right in Oregon's back yard at Smith Rock. While I might only be in Portland a couple times a year, I look forward to some rappelling (my favorite part of any climb) with the Post.
Charli Beck
My name is Charli. I didn’t always understand the value of adventuring in the mountains and woods because I lived IN the mountains and woods and took them for granted throughout my childhood. Now I live in the city and have learned the beauties of hiking and climbing. I have ten years of rock climbing ingrained in my muscles and have stood on top of nearly 25 mountains (some admittedly tiny, but always worth while). This time spent exploring has taught me all about both mental and physician stamina, the value of a positive attitude, and the importance of always having extra snacks. I am excited to work with the students of Post 58 on spending as much time as possible experiencing this world of wonders. Let’s go!
Nicole Becker
After moving to Oregon from the Midwest, Nicole fell in love with all things outdoors. From learning to ski to climbing Mt. Rainier, Nicole has embraced the opportunities that living in the PNW offers. An architect by day, Nicole enjoys bringing teams together in the office and on the mountain to conquer complex challenges. After consistently finding herself as the only woman on mountaineering teams, Nicole was inspired to look for ways to increase opportunities for diverse participation in outdoor recreation that she wished she had growing up. She enjoys teaching alpine skills and has climbed around the globe. Nicole is dedicated to continually expanding her
Kip Beckwith
Kip was a student in The Post throughout high school and it was the most supportive, liberating, and encouraging community that he had at the time. The Post also gave him a safer way to feed his early climbing addiction. His first student spring break trip to City of Rocks with The Post remains one of his most fond memories from growing up and was a turning point for his self confidence and wellbeing as a teenager. After high school, he worked nine seasons for the National Park Service as a wilderness ranger, SAR technician, parkmedic, and climbing ranger. He then went on to work as a paramedic and teach wilderness medicine courses. He is currently a masters student at the OHSU physician assistant program. He was able to join as an advisor for the 2015 Post New Zealand trip. He still loves ice climbing, wall climbing, rock climbing, and alpine climbing.
Tom Benton
Tom joined Explorer Post 58 at the beginning of its second year. He led many mountain climbs, caving trips, backpacking trips and conditioning hikes. He participated in many spring break trips, ski trips and snow caving trips. In 1997 he broke a leg by hitting a tree while playing “George of the Jungle”. He stayed with the Post while recovering and during a Smith Rock trip he hiked on crutches all the way to Phoenix Buttress. In 2011, Tom moved to Colorado and now lives at 7,000’ in the Rocky Mountains where he climbs 14,000’ mountains when he gets a chance. He still went on several Spring Break trips after that and to City of Rocks this year.
Mary Berger
Mary grew up in the foothills of Mt. Rainier where she spent her childhood exploring the Washington Cascades with her adventure-loving siblings. She then moved to Canada where she spent seven years in British Columbia before landing in Oregon. Mary is an avid hiker and backpacker in the summer and Nordic skier in the winter. Some of her favorite past adventures include backpacking through Norway’s fjords, hiking the Grand Canyon rim to rim in a day, and participating in a legendary long-distance ski race near Denali. She believes that glacier run-off is the world’s best drink, bear cubs are the world’s cutest animal (although she loves seeing any wildlife), and glissading is the best way to forget how exhausted you are from a climb. When she’s not somewhere on a trail, Mary works in digital marketing and as a professional classical musician.
Bryce Bissinger
Bryce grew up in rural Eastern Oregon and first encountered the outdoors while hunting, fishing, and backpacking with his father and grandfather. Bryce began skiing at an early age and has been climbing and mountaineering for over 17 years. Bryce was an infantry officer in the Marine Corps and served for seven years, deploying to Afghanistan twice. During his time in the Marines, Bryce completed the Summer Mountain Leaders course, an intensive 45 day school that covers high angle rescue and rope systems, mountain medicine, rock climbing, and glacier travel. After his time in the Marines, Bryce spent time riding his motorcycle through central and south america, fighting fire for the forest service, and eventually decided to go to Law School. When not working as an attorney, Bryce enjoys skiing, climbing, riding bikes, and spending time with his wife Ari.
Chris Breemer
Chris learned to climb in Yosemite Valley in high school when all climbing was "trad" climbing. He has spent the last 30+ years climbing cliffs, walls, and mountains throughout the western U.S and Canada, Patagonia, Baffin Island, and the Himalaya. When not climbing rocks, Chris is studying rocks as a professional geologist. "I love introducing students to challenging wilderness situations where new skill are learned and life-long confidence is developed." My favorite places in the wilderness are far from the trailhead, far from the trail, with good company.
Jacob Brown
Hello, my name is Jacob Brown, I grew up in Bend, Oregon and moved to Portland for university. My journey in the outdoors began in 2018 when my aunt took me to the summit of South Sister. That adventure left me with a thirst for more. Now I tie up my boots as often as I can, look for a mountain to summit, and find solitude in the wilderness. When I am not in the outdoors you can find me studying hard for a master’s in education, playing low notes on my bass trombone, or nerding out with some dungeons and dragons.
Louise Brown
Louise had been hearing about the Post for over 20 years from her friends Mary and Peter before she was invited to help out with a backpacking trip with her nephew (Jacob Brown) as an adult advisor. She enjoyed the experience so much she signed up a few weeks later! Louise is an avid cross-country skier, hiker, rock climber, trail maintainer and cyclist. She crossed the US on a bike in 2017 and followed up with a trip partially across Canada in 2019. She loves being outdoors and is excited to join in with the energy of the Post members. Currently, Louise lives in Bend where she is active with the Central Oregon Nordic Club and the SWATS (Sawyers with Attitude to Spare). Professionally, she works as an environmental engineer and project manager at a consulting firm.
Alicia Buoni
Alicia is excited to be part of the Post and combine two passions: spending time in the wilderness and physical movement. Alicia grew up in Western Massachusetts with a view of the Appalachian Trail from her living room and surrounded by the Berkshire Mountains. She moved to Oregon in her mid-twenties as part of a modern dance company performing at the Shakespeare Festival in Ashland. During her time in Southern Oregon, she hiked and backpacked every free moment. The wilderness and surrounding peaks were always calling to her. Alicia's love for hiking, backpacking, biking, and skiing has only grown since moving to Portland. When not hiking, Alicia runs a Pilates and Gyrotonic studio in the Pearl Districts, walks her dog, and spends time with her two teenage boys. She is excited to connect with the youth of the Post and learn new skills along the way.
STEve burton
Steve Burton started climbing in the White Mountains of New Hampshire with his brother and a copy of Mountaineering: The Freedom of the Hills. They started out learning how to build toprope anchors and climbing single pitch routes on rock and ice and slowly built their way up to leading multi-pitch climbs. Steve moved to Portland 17 years ago and loves the challenge and adventure of mountaineering on the big mountains of the Northwest. Some of the highlights of his climbing career include summiting the Grand Teton with his wife on their honeymoon, trekking the Ptarmigan Traverse, climbing the West Ridge of Prusik Peak and the Kautz Glacier route on Mt. Rainier, and, as a lifelong skier, every ski mountaineering descent he's made. Steve has always enjoyed helping new climbers "learn the ropes" and has a special obsession with safety in all his climbing systems. Steve's favorite rants, in no particular order, are: nylon vs. spectra, alpine vs. tele, synthetic vs down, what constitutes a "ski descent," and when to use an Oxford comma (hint: always). Don't get him started. When Steve isn't in the outdoors or spending time with his family, he works as a web developer in downtown Portland.
Jacob Case
Jacob joined the Post when he was a sophomore in high school and was inspired to do as many trips as he could. He has spent a lot of time struggling to improve his rock climbing skills and has bailed off the Nose of El Capitan twice. After college he had the privilege of living in Wyoming working for Teton Science Schools, teaching kids about the wonder of science and nature. Jacob loves nothing more than an adventure with his friends and hopes to give Postees the skills they need to pursue their own passions and adventures.
Timothy Cedarleaf
Timothy grew up in Klamath Falls in Southern Oregon and after moving to Portland in 2018, he got into lead climbing and has been loving it since. Growing up, he did a lot of backpacking and always loved getting outside for walks, bike rides, hikes, and rock climbs, and that hasn't changed! He likes to bring a travel guitar on post trips and will ask you to play it if you know any songs!
evan chenoweth
Hello! I’m Evan, an out-of-state “reserve” Post advisor currently located in Reno near the climbing Meccas of Tahoe, Bishop, Yosemite, and the High Sierras. I was a student in the Post while attending Lincoln High School and happily became an active advisor for about five years when I returned to Portland after attending college at Tufts and grad school at University of Washington. I’ve climbed most of the Cascade Mountains, flown in helicopters on Canada trips, had many a Smith Rock adventure, and love sharing my passion for climbing in the outdoors with students. I don’t want to brag, but I’m a 5.4 ropegun and can rappel 5.14… My day job is mechanical engineering at Tesla, so I haven’t been getting out as much as I did in Portland, but hope to see you on an adventure soon!
Keith Daellenbach
Keith Daellenbach was born in Minnesota and grew up in semi-rural Albany, Oregon. He graduated from Oregon State University with an undergraduate in mechanical engineering and from Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute with a masters in the same. His career focus has been designing medical, aviation, and commercial products. He enjoys foreign travel, history, museums, art, and poetry. Keith is an avid mountain climber, explorer, hunter, angler, fly fisherman, canoeist, backcountry skier, photographer, scuba diver, and beekeeper. His climbs include the Oregon Pentad (North, Middle, and South Sisters, Broken Top, and Mount Bachelor) in one day, Liberty and Ptarmigan Ridges on Mount Rainier, North Ridge Grand Teton, North Ridge Mount Assiniboine, regular Northwest Face of Half Dome, Galdhøppigen (Norway), Castor (Switzerland), Mount Fuji, El Pico de Orizaba, Cerro Aconcagua, Kilimanjaro, and two first ascents of remote mountains in the Alaska Coast Range mountains on the Juneau Icefield (Mount Blachnitzky and Peak 6,500’ above the Boucher Glacier). He hiked across the Grand Canyon in one day with his wife and then 10 year old son, Micah, and ski circumnavigated Mount’s Hood, Saint Helens, and Adams as well as Crater Lake, Wapta Icefield, and the extended Ptarmigan Traverse. He is a founder and director of an all-volunteer, non-profit land conservation foundation, Madrone Wall Preservation Committee, which saved an amazing civic treasure from being mined and destroyed and then, after 20 years of effort, helped open Madrone Wall Park in 2017, in Clackamas County near Portland. He enjoys supporting Postees in pursuing their own outdoor adventures and dreams.
chris dearth
Chris has been a passionate outdoor enthusiast since he was young and began backpacking and climbing in the Sierra. At 16 he hiked the length of the John Muir Trail and climbed many of the 14,000 ft peaks along the way. Since then, he has explored many of the great mountain ranges around the world, including the Alps, Himalayas, Andes, Rockies, the Scottish Highlands as well as the White and Green Mountains in the Eastern US. Over the years, he has climbed many of the Cascade volcanos of the NW. Chris also loves long distance cycle touring, most recently cycling the entire width of Cuba, the Outer Hebrides of Scotland and Europe from Sicily to Scandinavia. Chris and his wife, Rosemary (also an advisor), have traveled extensively on five continents and lived for several years in Sudan, Africa.
Gina Digiacomo
Gina grew up in a small town in Connecticut and moved to Portland in 2019. While she was in college, she decided she wanted a fun and active hobby to take her mind off school, so she joined the indoor climbing team and fell in love with the sport. Soon she started climbing all over the world, and has done trips from sport climbing in Kentucky all the way to deep water soloing in Thailand. She even did a month-long cross country road trip with her boyfriend while living in a converted Prius. When it's too cold to climb, she loves to hike and backcountry ski with her dog Kimchi. She currently works as an engineer in Portland, and hopes to one day upgrade the Prius into a van.
James Edwards
James has watched for six years, as a parent, the impact The Post has had on students. He comes to us with a background of outdoor enthusiasm. He has enjoyed time as a whitewater rafting instructor, participant in an Outward Bound course, multiple ski seasons with 100+ days, backpacking, mountain biking and excelling at breathing mountain air. He is a full time elementary school teacher who hopes to empower youth in the outdoors.
Josiah Failing
Josiah started climbing after being inspired by a National Geographic article about big-wall climbing in Antarctica. He’s been involved with Post 58 starting as a student in 1999, then eventually evolving into an adult advisor. Since finishing college in Santa Cruz CA, he landed a job as a geologist and went on to climb over the West, with favorite spots being Yosemite Valley, Indian Creek, Joshua Tree, and the High Sierra. Fulfilling a childhood dream, he spent four days climbing El Capitan, sleeping on an airy portaledge thousands of feet off the ground. Josiah loves being an advisor to Post 58 students, especially on rock climbing trips. You might find him teaching Leading on Rock or crack climbing classes, helping out on Smith Rock trips, or on week-long spring break trips! He's a total goofball, and enjoys being outside having fun, in the sun, rain, or snow.
James Freeman
James grew up in the Carolina foothills, but left after college in pursuit of Western adventure. After working wilderness therapy for four years in Bend, James recently moved to Portland to finish his Masters in Social Work at PSU, where he hopes to connect healing with the outdoors. Lover of rafting, climbing, backpacking, and pranks, James is likely to be found climbing at a local crag or hunting the best burrito in Portland. He can’t wait to get on the rocks, on trail or in the water with Post 58!
Rosemary Furfey
Rosemary Furfey is an avid lifelong hiker, backpacker, cross-country skier, and cyclist. She enjoys exploring the Northwest, as well as national parks throughout the country. This summer she backpacked for five days through the Black Canyon of the Yellowstone River in Yellowstone National Park, and paddled the Green River for eight days in Canyonlands National Park. She even enjoys snow camping and has cross-country skied around Crater Lake two different times during the winter months. In 2019, she and her husband, fellow Post Advisor Chris Dearth, cycled through Europe for six months. They visited 18 countries while enjoying backroads and meeting fellow cyclists along the way. Rosemary enjoys sharing her love of the outdoors with Post students and learning from her fellow Post Advisors.
Laura Geilenfeldt
Laura joined Post 58 as an 8th grader in 1995. A few years after graduating she joined the organization again, this time as an advisor. Her favorite trip to lead was Mt St Helens,
"I love taking new students on their first climb, it can be such an empowering experience! It's especially so with one like St Helens because for the rest of their lives every time they see that landmark they will know they stood on top!"
Currently, Laura is living in Idaho and serves on the Board of Directors in the role of President. She is the mother of two girls, future Posties, and though the nature of the activities has changed a bit, she still loves to take her family on outdoor adventures.
Professionally, she has worked as a Paramedic for 15 years and is currently training to be a Crisis Intervention Social Worker.
Tim Gentry
Tim started climbing his sophomore year of high school with Post 58 as a student, going on both mountaineering and rock climbing trips with the program. Now a Junior in the mechanical engineering program at Montana State University in Bozeman, Tim loves almost every type of climbing, including ice, alpine, trad, and big wall climbing. At MSU, he works for the outdoor program and leads backpacking, rock climbing, and ice climbing trips for the program. He also sets at the school’s climbing gym. Since graduating the Post, Tim has climbed in the Tetons and Wind Rivers in Wyoming, Yosemite, Squamish, and the Alaska Range. When not climbing, you can find Tim attempting other outdoor activities such as running, mountain biking, and skiing.
Ian Gingerich
Ian gained an appreciation for the outdoors growing up in Honolulu, where he enjoyed surfing, body-surfing, and hiking. Once leaving the islands to attend Whitman College in Walla Walla he was introduced to backpacking, skiing and rock climbing, and eventually became a leader for the school's outdoor program. After graduating, Ian became a raft guide, leading river trips in Oregon, Idaho and Washington. Ian moved to Portland in 2019 to work at OHSU, but couldn't imagine life without outdoor adventures, and became a Post 58 advisor as a way to spread his stoke for the outdoors.
John Godino
I'm a 25+ year resident of Portland and adventure seeker on mountains, whitewater rivers, and mountain bike trails.
I hail from Northern California, and along the life path I've been a US Forest Service wilderness ranger and wildland firefighter, have a Masters degree in geosciences / cartography, am active in the sport of competitive orienteering, and have been a long time volunteer climb leader, navigation and mountaineering instructor for the Mazamas.
My lovely daughter, Lia Godino, will be a senior at Lincoln in the 2021/22, and is in the post for her third year.
I have a climbing website/blog called Alpinesavvy.com, where are you’ll find more than 400 climbing related tips covering intermediate and advanced technique, along with navigation resources to help you stay found. Please come have a look.
Charlie Grant
Charlie initially gained his appreciation for outdoor spaces from Post 58 as a student (and then student president), and has returned to Portland to spearhead the Post's outreach efforts and to cultivate relationships between the Post and partner organizations working with underserved youth. Charlie's interest in climbing and exploring the natural world has defined his career and hobbies. Before moving back to Portland, Charlie served as a lead field instructor for the Teton Science Schools in Jackson Hole, Wyoming, where he worked with students from all over the country, using Grand Teton and Yellowstone National Parks as his classroom to teach Environmental Ethics and Place Based Education. Before his time in Wyoming, Charlie worked for Emory University's Tibetan Studies Program in Dharamshala, India and at the St. Paul's School in Concord, New Hampshire.
mary green
Mary has been an advisor with the Post for 24 years. She has been climbing for over 25 years, including trips to the Andes, Himalayas, Canada and New Zealand. She has summitted Mt. Elbrus in the Caucusus, Kilimanjaro in Tanzania, and Pachermo (20,400') in Nepal. Mary has reached the summit of 49 of the 50 state high points. She was the first woman to summit all of the county high points in Oregon. Mary works as a vocational rehabilitation therapist, helping people with serious head injuries get back to work. In her free time she climbs and skis.
heidi grompe
Heidi grew up in Portland and joined the Post during high school. Through the post, she learned how to rock climb and mountaineer and has been hooked ever since. During college at University of Portland she led rock climbing, snow shoe and hiking trips through their Outdoor Program. Additionally, she was a climbing instructor at UP’s rock wall. After college she moved to Austria, where she taught English and thoroughly enjoyed her proximity to the alps. She is now back in Portland for med school at OHSU.
Ayni Hailicka
Ayni joined the Post in 2018 mainly as a way to reconcile the regret of not having joined an outdoor program while she was in school. Now she’s excited that the Post will bring her two passions together: outdoor pursuits and youth development. She loves to walk, and walk, and walk, which has proven beneficial for the art of backpacking. This mild obsession has taken her up and down and around the Cascades, Sierra, Rockies, Ecuadorian Andes, and beyond. Youth have joined on her on these adventures from time to time through organizations like Big Brothers Big Sisters, Big City Mountaineers, Lasting Adventures, and Friends of the Children. Now that Ayni has landed in Portland, she’s looking forward to continuing to build relationships, skills, and so many more memories through the Post.
Nico Hamacher
Nico grew up on a farm outside of Portland and spent much of his forest-filled childhood covered in dirt and learning to love the outdoors. He joined Post in high school and it’s been a special part of his life since then by teaching him leadership, general outdoors, climbing, and mountaineering skills. While in college at Quest University Canada, he climbed regularly and ended up utilizing many of the outdoor skills he learned from Post while working as a ski patroller on Whistler Blackcomb. After college, his combined interests in protecting the outdoors and medicine led him to a masters focused on climate change and human health impacts. In his extra time, he runs a bed and breakfast with his sister, Mia (former Post prez!), and his dog, Lula.
Albaraa Hamid
I’m Albaraa, originally from Syria and I’ve been living here since 2013. I grew up near the mountains. In the recent years I found lot of passion to ski mountaineering after a long journey of rock climbing. My Mantra is “limited supplies can save you longer.” I love exploring new terrains and I know one day I’ll move out to South America. I’m a physician during the day time, I work as trauma anesthesiologist at a level one trauma hospital where I’m passionate about taking care of major complex trauma cases that teaches me a lot about safety and human limitations. I’m happy and thrilled to share the mountains, the stoke and the experience with you.
Ian Hennebery
Ian grew up in Portland climbing and skiing, joining the Post in high school and going on every trip he could. He continued to climb in college where he was involved in the Oregon State University Adventure Leadership Institute taking and teaching classes while working in the climbing gym and leading trips. During college he discovered whitewater rafting and kayaking and quickly fell in love, working summers as a raft guide in Oregon and Idaho getting kids out into the wilderness. Ian returned to Portland after college and joined the Post as an adviser hoping to give students the same experiences that were so important to him growing up.
Gordon Hickey
Gordon was born in Tacoma, Washington which was a perfect location for outdoor endeavors . Thanks to an adventurous family he was exposed to nature at a very early age. He clearly remembers carrying his own backpack for an overnight trip when he was five years old. Throughout his childhood there were numerous outdoor trips to the Cascades, the Olympics, skiing at Crystal Mountain, and coastal areas. While in high school, Gordon started to climb more mountains with his father, brother, and other relatives. Climbing Mt. St. Helens several times before it blew its top created special memories. His son, Matt, asked him to attend a POST meeting in the fall of 1994. Naturally, Matt became a very active Postee and he became an involved advisor. A couple of years went by and his daughter, Leslie, also joined the POST and took on a number of responsibilities including the role of president. Gordon has thoroughly enjoyed every POST activity and interacting with POST students. He hopes to continue contributing as much as possible
Caleb Jacobson
A 2020 graduate from the Post, I transitioned to serving as an advisor right from the get-go after a year on the steering committee. I have always been captivated by the beauty of nature but it wasn’t until high school that this passion really took hold when I joined the Circuit Bouldering Gym competitive climbing team. With the team, and later as Circuit staff, I experienced outdoor climbing in destinations such as Bishop, CA and Leavenworth, WA and got hooked. I have also worked as a camp counselor for both The Circuit and for the Friends of Tryon Creek. My time in the outdoors motivates me to capture adventures through my photography, a pastime which continues to evolve into a professional goal of mine. The Post has helped broaden my experiences beyond vertical rock and into alpine environments, and now I simply can’t get enough. Besides climbing and photography, I also am known for delivering slightly memorable Haikus and I am a certified Wilderness First Responder. I am currently attending Oregon State to complete a degree in Digital Communication Arts.
Alex Johnson
After moving to the Pacific Northwest from Georgia in 2019, Alex immediately fell in love with the mountains and the outdoors. Whether it's hiking, backpacking, rock climbing, running, biking or skiing, most weekends you can find Alex out in the mountains somewhere. Since joining the Post, Alex has been able to share these passions with students, teaching them the joys of the outdoors, and how to respect your surroundings. He looks forward to many more years of adventure ahead!
Jackie Kinsler
Jackie hails from the great (flat) state of Michigan. After moving to Portland in 2018, she looked into the distance and exclaimed “what is that???”. It was a mountain! Intrigued by the concept that the ground could go “up”, Jackie was determined to learn all the ways to go “up”. She has thoroughly enjoyed connecting with people as she climbs, backpacks, and backcountry skis (turns out going “down” is fun too). Jackie is extremely grateful to be part of the kind, caring, and jubilant Post 58 community. One thing she doesn’t like about climbing is alpine starts (as seen in the picture).
Karissa Lambert
Karissa moved to Portland more than two years ago and has been an advisor with the Post ever since. She has been rock climbing since 2011 and started mountaineering in 2015. Having lived in Washington most of her life, Karissa feels most at home in the granite peaks of the North Cascades. She fell in love with the views that climbing has to offer, as well as the inner strength we can all find by pushing ourselves further than we think we can. Karissa works full time as a nurse at a local hospital when she's not out exploring. She has done a wide variety of traveling and is always looking for exciting new ways to mix her love for the outdoors, adventures, nursing and traveling. She also has a new side-kick, a puppy named Otis, come try to teach him a new trick when you meet him!
jack lazar
Jack grew up in the Portland area and began climbing competitively indoors at the age of ten. By age fourteen he became involved in the Catlin Gabel Outdoor Program where he took his climbing and adventuring outdoors. Through high school he was one of the leaders of the program and received the Leadership Award at graduation. While at Whitman College Jack was one of the lead instructors in the college’s outdoor program. He has completed the 30 day Wilderness EMT Program and plans to attend medical school in the next few years.
Katie Lei
After growing up in Portland and finishing high school at St. Mary's Academy, Katie Lei moved to Walla Walla, Washington to attend Whitman College where she quickly fell in love with the Outdoor Program. She worked as a trip leader, rock climbing instructor, and climbing center manager and spent most of her weekends and breaks climbing up rocks or floating down rivers. Since then, she has worked on staff at Outdoor School in Oregon and Outward Bound in Colorado and pursued adventures all over the Western United States, including a 3-week trip down the Colorado River through the Grand Canyon and a 5-month hike on the Pacific Crest Trail in 2013. Her most memorable climbing experience to date was on a route called Epinephrine in Red Rock Canyon, Nevada. Katie’s favorite piece of trad gear is a Black Diamond .75 cam, and her favorite book to recommend to anyone interested in climbing or philosophy is The Rock Warrior’s Way.
Stephen Lezak
Stephen Lezak is based in the flatlands of East Anglia, England. Tough times. He grew up in Portland and was a member of the Post from 2009–2011, where his advisors and peers taught him amount about accountability, humility, and wonder.
After graduating from college, Stephen worked as a climbing and ski instructor and high school geography teacher. Today he is a researcher studying environmental justice in Mongolia and the consequences of climate change in the Arctic. He has skied in the backcountry of Alberta, British Columbia, Washington, Oregon, California, Italy, Switzerland, Norway, and Sweden. He has never gone swimming and regretted it.
Jack Mallahan
Jack grew up in Seattle and is a big activities guy. He loves skiing, mountain biking, surfing, climbing, and pretty much any excuse to play outside. With a background working with youth in a summer camp capacity, Jack loves to foster the stoke in the next generation of adventurers. After graduating from Gonzaga, Jack moved out to Colorado to be a ski instructor, but finally found his way back to the PNW. You can find Jack out in the wild eating snacks and giving high fives.
Jodhi Mather-Pike
I joined the Post at the beginning of 2020 and have loved the challenges and opportunities it's given me. It's a chance to grow as a person in a great community; socially, emotionally and in technical skills. Most of my time is split between a career in the music industry, working my day job with at-risk youth at Trillium Family Services or climbing around the PNW.
Adventure sports have been a way to push myself, explore the beauty of nature and build community. It's such an important aspect of my life now and I feel very grateful to be able to contribute to offering that to others.
Paul Matson
Paul is a physician and serves as the medical advisor of Post 58. He has spoken at many meetings of Post 58 on topics including first aid, hydration and dehydration, and frostbite and hypothermia. He is also available to leadership to advise on issues such as first aid equipment, medications, and on any specific medical concerns that may come up.
In past years he was an active climber and summited many of the peaks in Colorado and in the Pacific Northwest. Although he is no longer climbing, he still enjoys hiking and skiing.
carter nelson
Born and raised in the Willamette Valley, Carter began his outdoor adventures hiking and camping throughout the Pacific Northwest. As a high schooler in Eugene, he developed a love for rock climbing after being introduced to the sport by one of his gym teachers. Given an early edition of Freedom of the Hills and taught some basic anchor and belay techniques, he went out the next day to buy all of the gear needed to start rope soloing at the local mini-crag “The Columns”. Later taking part in the outdoor program at the University of Oregon, Carter learned many technical skills and developed leadership experience through repeated climbing trips to Smith Rock with various instructors and peer mentors. After traveling abroad to many climbing destinations across the Americas and Southeast Asia, Carter landed in Portland, where he currently works as a coach for the Planet Granite youth climbing team and enjoys leading technical rock climbing trips with the Post 58.
David o'Connor
Being a born and raised Portlander I’ve always enjoyed the outdoors, however grey and drizzly they may be. I grew up on family camping trips along with adventures backpacking and hunting with my father and have enjoyed spending time in nature ever since. I love that these journeys get me to remote parts of the state that I wish more people got to see…there’s so many backcountry gems. I’ve always found the experience of being out in the wilderness or on a mountain top to be so empowering and yet profoundly humbling. I was introduced to the Post during my time working with the Boy Scouts, and have now been an advisor for 3 really fun years. I’d have to say that my favorite trips have been the long spring break and summer trips -- there’s just something about driving for days crammed into cars with your friends (or soon to be friends!) and then spending a week together. All of the ridiculousness and shared experience that happens on those trips as a group just creates such a special environment and so many lasting memories.
michal orczyk
Michal was a student in Post 58 from 2005 to 2008, and has been climbing ever since. He is WFR certified and has undergone the Post's single pitch climbing and alpine skills training courses. He currently works as the Development Manager for the Cascade Forest Conservancy (www.cascadeforest.org), an organization dedicated to protecting and preserving Washington's South Cascades. Any of his friends can confirm that Michal has excellent taste in music, food and literature. His favorite memories from the Post include climbing Liberty Ridge on Mt. Rainier, speaking in a French accent for an entire week at Pinnacles National Park, climbing at Smith Rock in a bathrobe and wizard hat, and the many wonderful relationships he built with fellow students and advisors.
jake palazzi
Jake grew up in Olympia Washington hiking in the cascades and swimming in the Puget Sound. A run-down little gym in his hometown was the entrance into rock climbing he needed and opened the door to so many wonderful outdoor experiences. He has experience mountaineering, backpacking, skiing, surfing, and sailing around the northwest and is excited and honored to be a part of the work Post does to get kids into the outdoors.
Chris Park
I grew up in Portland but didn’t get involved in the Post until I came back from college in New Jersey. In college I was an outdoor trip leader, taking new first-year students backpacking on the Appalachian Trail every fall.
I am so grateful to be back in Oregon and enjoy the beautiful outdoors we are so blessed to have. In my free time outside the Post, I like to play basketball and golf. Hope to go on a backpacking trip with you soon!
Riley Peck
Riley is a newer advisor, but not new to the Post. He was Post president between 2005 and 2006, and led the organization’s transition from the Mazamas to a new, independent organization. He has climbed with the Post and independently around the world, including in Canada, New Zealand, and South America. Professionally, he works for a large European renewable energy developer focusing on renewable energy policy in western North America. He has two kids, aged two and five, who crush it at the climbing gym.
Dave pell
Dave grew up in a small town in Connecticut, moved to Colorado for two years, and relocated to Portland in 2019. Dave is stoked on outdoor adventures, whether that involves ski (and non-ski) mountaineering, surfing secluded PNW surf breaks, sub 5.8 multi-pitches, or long treks through the woods. He strongly believes the most memorable trips always involve the most nonsense. He is excited to share his passion, pass down some knowledge, and learn some things from the post 58 students.
laura pierson
Laura’s mountaineering experience began in 2013 when her husband dared her to join him on his maiden voyage up Mt. Hood. She thought it was a joke but afterward found herself hooked. Working as a 911-dispatcher at the time, Laura found the peace and challenge of the mountains both healing and addictive. Some of the highlights of Laura’s outdoor life include a car to car summit of Rainier in 24 hours, trekking trips in Nepal, climbing Mt. Olympus while 5 months pregnant, and the hours of time spent in miserable conditions somehow made sweet by friends. When not in the mountains or at work, you can find Laura running, SUP’ing, hiking, or laughing over 3 year old jokes with her family.
Laura Platt
Hi! I’m Laura. My passion for exploring the natural environment is a product of an upbringing outside an isolated town in Western New York. Too far from town to participate in typical pastimes with the neighborhood kids, my two brothers and I would run into the woods in the morning and would often not return until dusk… or sometimes a couple days later. We explored with our faces in the streams, bare feet in the mud, and an ardent curiosity about our surroundings. That curiosity has continued into adulthood, and I am fortunate to be able to work in the magnificent old growth forests of the PNW collecting ecological data. I absolutely love leading backpacking and bike trips with the Post, and exploring all the magical places of this region! If I’m not on my bike or tending to my chickens, I can be found in the canopy of a big tree staring at moss and lichen.
Polina Polikakhina
Polina was born and raised in Eastern Russia. She developed her love for the mountains when she moved to Alaska with her family in 2012. She loves going backpacking, climbing rock and mountains, and skiing. She studied civil engineering at PSU and now works in transportation engineering and planning. She also loves dancing tango, riding a bike and to cook for friends and family.
Anthony Ramos
Growing up in central California, Anthony found joy and purpose in the wilderness and trails. With experience from a young age of camping, hiking, backpacking, hunting, and off-roading, Anthony has seen the outdoors from several perspectives. Moving to the Portland area in 2019 has brought a new area to enjoy and a great community to connect with. Working for BSA summer camps after completing his Eagle Scout allowed Anthony to broaden his knowledge. As part of the Post, Anthony has been showing the benefits of slowing life down for a while, how these experiences change your view on your normal day to day, and respecting your surroundings.
Tracey Rinck
My first climb was Mt Hood on a whim with a friend who climbed. After getting to the top and not knowing how to even put on a harness, I decided that because I liked climbing, I should probably learn the basics. I spent the next year taking basic training from the Mazamas where I met a climbing partner who was also helping out with the post. She brought me to a meeting and I loved it! When I’m not with the post, I’m usually hanging with my own kids watching soccer games or cross country meets!
Clinton Roose
Clinton grew up in a small town in Northern Idaho. As part of 4-H, he helped youth and started his love for the outdoors. After high school, he started assisting with Odyssey Youth Group, which would assist with LGBTQIA+ youth who may be having hard experiences coming out and helping them in the process. In 2008, he moved to Seattle for a stint and returned about a year and a half later. In 2013, he started volunteering with WACYPAA where he would assist in putting together conferences and getting young people outside. In 2015, he moved to Portland where he started rock climbing and fell in love with it (you can still see him climbing at Movement.) He joined Post around August of 2023 where his first trip was a Smith trip and he realized it was something that he had been missing from his life.
Debra Sankovitz
Deb grew up in Pennsylvania where the summer humidity and winter ice kept her nestled indoors. That all changed when she moved to Colorado in her 20's and spent the next two decades exploring the great Rocky Mountains on foot and by bike. Deb was thrilled when she landed in Portland and her daughters discovered the magic of the Post, and the contagious enthusiasm for mountaineering and outdoor leadership that ensued. Her girls have since moved on, but Deb hasn't. She can't seem to get enough of these intrepid teenagers. When she's not helping to lead Posties in hikes, climbs and snowshoe adventures, she works as a high school counselor and college admission coach.
Roland Scott
After joining the Post in high school, my interest in climbing grew quickly. I began mountaineering, rock climbing, and generally accepting that the outdoors would be taking up a large portion of my life going forward. Growing up, I was lucky enough to be a part of a family who valued the outdoors. As I now start to build my life with the outdoors in mind, I have become more and more appreciative of having a childhood where going outside was just what we did for fun – something which I now recognize to have been a great privilege. No matter what I do in life, being out in the wilderness will always be part of the journey and making sure that others have similar opportunities to experience the outdoors will always be one of my goals. The Post helped to shape the person I am today and I hope that between my position as Outreach Coordinator and becoming an advisor I can help to shape others as well.
Camden Searcy
Hi, I’m Camden! I am currently studying biology at Lewis & Clark College in Portland. I grew up camping and hiking with my family in the PNW, in the Rockies, and in the Southwest. The mountains have always been a place where I can appreciate the beauty of nature and have fun with my friends at the same time. Overtime, my outdoor pursuits have expanded to include two of my passions: rock climbing and mountaineering. I discovered the Post through my little brother, who is a member, and I was drawn to it as a way to share my love of the mountains!
Ben Smucker
Ben Smucker grew up outside of Eugene and attended Junction City High School, lettering all four years in high school golf and basketball. During undergrad, he played golf for three seasons at NCU and completed his Master’s in Teaching from Concordia in 2019. He spent three years abroad, living in New Zealand and teaching English as a Second Language in Cambodia. Ben loves hiking, rock climbing, photography, mountaineering, and much more. One of his goals is to summit all of the major Northwest peaks, which he hopes to complete sometime in the next few years. He is currently teaching 3rd grade and Lower School PE at Oregon Episcopal School. He lives in Southeast Portland, coaches Middle School XC at OES and Varsity Golf at Westside Christian, and enjoys the outdoors year around.
Eric sorensen
I grew up in the Sacramento Valley, lauded for its proximity to both the mountains and the ocean but not exactly an outdoor paradise itself. With the exception of skiing the Sierras as often as I could, it wasn't until I started college at Humboldt State University, behind the redwood curtain, that I really started getting outside. I hiked and backpacked up and down the north coast, the trinity alps, the canyonlands and the cascade range, among others. Tried my hand at scuba diving the ice cold water of Mendocino, CA. Wasn't a fan. But I did love ocean kayaking and free diving for abalone, despite getting absolutely ragdolled by the surf and swallowing more than a few ounces of sea water. Each new experience was always thanks to someone else who'd been there before, inviting me along, showing me the way. Eventually I found myself in the position of showing others. The give and take of the outdoors is part of its lasting appeal. There is always something new to learn, to experience and ultimately, to teach. Truth be told I'm a bit obsessed with learning! Now I run a tutoring business by day and get taken to school in the great outdoors as often as I can by night.
Gracie Strasser
Gracie grew up bouncing back and forth between the lovely town of Prescott, Arizona and city of Spokane, Washington. She made her way to the Pacific Northwest after college, first to Seattle and then moving south to Portland. She adores being on a bike (any kind), skiing and snowboarding, and backpacking. Being an outdoor enthusiast is half the reason she joined the Post-the other being her passion for working with youth in the outdoors. Growing up in an environment that valued the outdoors as healing, she desires to give that same experience back to people younger than her. Gracie is currently loving ripping on her mountain bike, tearing up Leif Erikson in her trail runners, and collaging her heart out from the comfort of her couch at home.
Paul Taylor
Paul Taylor is a Portland based climbing and mountaineering guide. He is an NWAC instructor and the Oregon regional ambassador. He serves as the Oregon Program Director and lead guide for a Seattle based guide service, Kaf Adventures. Over the course of his 16-year career, he has worked as an instructor, facilitator, and guide for numerous outdoor education companies and guide services across the United States. His deep love of wild places and a passion for teaching have been a driving force in his professional and personal pursuits. His early adventures were focused on primitive living and survival skills and long distance hiking. He has racked up more than 10,000 miles of trail-time, including thru-hikes of the AT, PCT, and many other trails. He is an EMT-B, WFR, LNT Master Educator, and has an AIARE level 2 certification. Additionally, he is continuing to pursue his AMGA certifications. When he’s not teaching or working, he enjoys trail running, mountaineering, cooking, ice climbing, reading, and travelling with his wife and daughter.
Scott Tucker
Scott grew up playing in the Cascade Mountains outside of Seattle, WA where he learned the fundamentals of mountaineering on Mt. Rainier, Mt. St. Helens, Mt. Baker, and the peaks of the North Cascades. He discovered rock climbing along Icicle Creek, Leavenworth, and backpacking along the PCT. These experiences, along with XC ski racing as a wintertime passion, launched a lifelong enthusiasm for exploration. The mountain ranges in the PNW are vast and Scott is able to continue peak bagging and wilderness travel with his children, forever finding new vistas and locations of pristine beauty. And now the discovery continues as Scott works with the youth of Post 58 to safely learn the thrill of mountain adventure. His greatest joy is seeing the students move on to lead their own adventures and become the future stewards of the high country.
Meg Waltner
Meg grew up in Northern California, where she developed a love of the outdoors early -- backpacking, camping, and river rafting with her family. Meg led backpacking trips for incoming students while in college and has continued to be an avid backpacker since, as well as taking up rock climbing, back-country skiing, and bike-packing. Meg's favorite trips have been a 500 mile section hike on the PCT/Sierra High Route and a bike-packing trip along the Carretera Austral in Chile and Argentina. Meg moved to Portland in 2019 and while her love of the Sierra Nevada mountains will be hard to match, she is excited to explore everything the Pacific Northwest outdoors has to offer.
Dorothy Wang
Dorothy is from Northern Virginia but recently moved to Portland to get her Master's in Sports Product Design. She is passionate about getting everybody outside and trying new things. She describes herself as aggressively average at most sports. She is always down to go climbing, backpacking, snowboarding, riding etc. The outdoors have been a special place that has inspired growth and self confidence in her and she hopes to share her love for it with people younger than her. Dorothy is currently loving learning to rip on her mountain bike, climbing fun multi-pitch routes, and experimenting with sewing and natural dyes.
ian wayne
An Explorer Post alum and former Post President, Ian Wayne lives in New York City, far from the action in the mountains. He began climbing at age 14 and since then adventures and objectives on rock and snow have led him across the US and beyond. He's enjoyed several stints as a dirtbag-spectrum climbing pilgrim, ticking routes and areas of his wish list, and suited up for more high brow adventures in Nepal, Mexico and Canada. Though the Big Apple still feels like home, he will always hear the call of the hills.
Dave wieland
Dave (he/him) grew up in Kitsap County, Washington, studied Political Science and community organizing in Seattle, and has been working in environmental justice, trail construction, and/or youth development all over the Western US for the last decade. It's important to know that he's afraid of heights, loves cooking group meals on camp stoves, and plans absurd multi-sport human-powered adventures. His favorite outdoor places are: Old Snowy (WA Cascades), Joe's Valley (Utah), the Eastern Sierras (CA), and the Matanuska Valley (AK).
David Williams
Senior Advisor, Post Board member, retired trial attorney, former Peace Corp Volunteer in Micronesia on remote outer island that changed his life forever. Fell in love with the mountains at age 13 climbing north side of Mt. St. Helens. 50+ years general mountaineering and ski mountaineering in western USA, Canada and French and Austrian Alps. Early YMCA, NOLS and Thatcher Wilderness School mountaineering instructor with teens in 1960’s. Passion for long distance sailing. 40+ years and 50,000+ miles sailing in PNW, trans-Pacific and Mediterranean. Have been involved with the Post since son and daughter were Post officers in the mid-1990’s. Enjoys encouraging and supporting a passion for the out of doors with teenagers.
Sarah Wolf
Sarah Wolf was a student in the Post from 2004 to 2007 and has been involved with the post as an advisor ever since. She still climbs and travels with the close friends that she made during her time as a student and loves to see the kids build these long lasting friendships, confidence, and leadership skills as they take part in all that the Post has to offer. Sarah loves rock climbing, mountaineering, skiing, and generally anything that takes her into the mountains. When she's not with the Post, Sarah works as a ceramic artist.
Jerrine Wong
Jerrine is a recent Oregon transplant who will go outside, rain or shine. Typically, she is a slow and steady sport kind of person, but will move quickly at the promise of food or warmth. Surveying her belongings, half is comprised of outdoor gear and the other half of cooking equipment. Her primary activities in the outdoors are backpacking and climbing. She knows nothing about pop culture. She really likes clouds. She doesn’t stay home long enough to sprout plants from seed (☹) and has recently adopted a Roomba named Bart (😊). Jerrine doesn’t really like wearing pants, but thinks perhaps she should own some and is searching for the perfect pair with a sweatpants-feel and the formal aesthetic of slacks. In the photo, she is eating a friendship pie she backpacked in for her friends to enjoy.
Ben York
My name is Ben York and I am from Cincinnati, Ohio. I moved to Portland in the summer of 2019 to work for Nike as a construction program manager. I have always had a love for the outdoors have fully immersed myself into all that Oregon has to offer. I have worked seasonally in Alaska, Tennessee and Germany. I have been with the Post for a little over a year and can’t wait to go on some more adventures!
KOBY YUDKIN
Koby grew up and found his love for the outdoors in Oregon. In high school, he joined a student run mountaineering club where he discovered his passion for climbing, skiing, and outdoor leadership. After high school, Koby moved to Maine and in 2017 graduated from Bates College with a degree in Environmental Studies. Koby’s guiding career began in New Hampshire with winter ascents of Mount Washington and technical ice climbing throughout the valley. He soon found his way back to the west coast where he currently guides ascents of large glaciated mountains throughout the Cascades and Alaska. Koby is stoked to guide and to share his passion for learning and living in the outdoors with everyone.
Stephen Zadrozny
My friends call me SteveZ. I love to climb rocks, snow, ice, and mountains. I grew up in Pennsylvania, was a Boy Scout and Adventure Scout for years. I moved to Portland in 2014 where I climbed my first glaciated peak, and soon after became a Mazama member. I currently help teach trad climbing and mountaineering courses with the Mazamas. In addition I am a youth climbing coach at Planet Granite.