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ANDY'S BIO
Andy's outdoor career began shortly after he moved to the Northwest from Wisconsin at
the beginning of 1986. He soon began exploring the Cascades and Olympics, doing
cross-country skiing, hiking, and backpacking. In 1988, he discovered the
Mountaineers, joined the Everett branch, and took the Alpine Scrambling Course. The
following year, he returned as a volunteer instructor for the course, became a trip
leader, and also completed the Basic Climbing course with the Mountaineers.
Over the next several years, Andy was very active as a participant and leader of
Mountaineers scrambling, climbing, and skiing trips. In 1992, he became a guide for
the Outdoor Recreation Program at Whidbey Island Naval Station. This involved several
outings each year guiding Navy personnel and other base employees on recreational
climbs such as Mt. Baker, Glacier Peak, Mt. Olympus, and Mt. Rainier. In the winter
months he led occasional snowshoe trips for the program.
The mid-90's were the height of Andy's activities as a mountain climber. He took the
Mountaineers Intermediate Climbing Course, an advanced-level program teaching the
techniques of rock, ice, and winter climbing. To graduate this course, climbers had to
complete over 25 elements, an involved process that requires in most cases three to
five years. Andy graduated the course in just one year, one of the quickest ever to do
so. During this time he won several awards from the Mountaineers, including the Ken
Nelson Memorial Climbing Award for outstanding volunteer service to the Everett
branch's climbing program.
In 1995, Andy met with Jane Lewis of Everett Parks and Rec about some
Mountaineers-related business. He offered his services as a trip leader if Jane ever
had the need for extra help, and she replied, "Can you lead a ski trip this Saturday?"
That was the first Everett Parks and Rec outing, to Chiwawa Sno-Park in February of '95.
Andy continued to fill in leading trips, about once a month for the first couple of years.
From 1997 to 1999, as interest in the Everett Parks outdoor programs grew, Andy
was able to transition from working as a part-time City of Everett Parks employee to
being a one-person "guiding service", contracting with, but separate from the city. This
allowed the program to expand, eventually reaching the point where the Parks
programs became, more or less, his full time work. Interest in the program continues
to grow, and now Andy leads about 80 hikes, 40 snowshoes, and 10 ski trips a year.
While most of Andy's outdoor leadership work is with Everett Parks, he does
occasionally contract with other parties to guide their adventures.
Andy also continues to be active with the Mountaineers, as an occasional trip leader,
instructor, lecturer, and committee member. In 1998 he was honored with the Everett
Branch's Distinguished Service Award, given annually to a member for their years of
outstanding contributions to the branch and its over 1000 members.
Throughout his years of outdoor travel, Andy has been a very avid nature
photographer. In his collection are over 10,000 slides that document his trips in and
out of Washington State, from the bottoms of the valleys to the tops of the peaks. He
has given many presentations, and is available to groups interested in seeing
mountain travel slides.
Andy is single, and lives in Everett.
Andy's outdoor career began shortly after he moved to the Northwest from Wisconsin at
the beginning of 1986. He soon began exploring the Cascades and Olympics, doing
cross-country skiing, hiking, and backpacking. In 1988, he discovered the
Mountaineers, joined the Everett branch, and took the Alpine Scrambling Course. The
following year, he returned as a volunteer instructor for the course, became a trip
leader, and also completed the Basic Climbing course with the Mountaineers.
Over the next several years, Andy was very active as a participant and leader of
Mountaineers scrambling, climbing, and skiing trips. In 1992, he became a guide for
the Outdoor Recreation Program at Whidbey Island Naval Station. This involved several
outings each year guiding Navy personnel and other base employees on recreational
climbs such as Mt. Baker, Glacier Peak, Mt. Olympus, and Mt. Rainier. In the winter
months he led occasional snowshoe trips for the program.
The mid-90's were the height of Andy's activities as a mountain climber. He took the
Mountaineers Intermediate Climbing Course, an advanced-level program teaching the
techniques of rock, ice, and winter climbing. To graduate this course, climbers had to
complete over 25 elements, an involved process that requires in most cases three to
five years. Andy graduated the course in just one year, one of the quickest ever to do
so. During this time he won several awards from the Mountaineers, including the Ken
Nelson Memorial Climbing Award for outstanding volunteer service to the Everett
branch's climbing program.
In 1995, Andy met with Jane Lewis of Everett Parks and Rec about some
Mountaineers-related business. He offered his services as a trip leader if Jane ever
had the need for extra help, and she replied, "Can you lead a ski trip this Saturday?"
That was the first Everett Parks and Rec outing, to Chiwawa Sno-Park in February of '95.
Andy continued to fill in leading trips, about once a month for the first couple of years.
From 1997 to 1999, as interest in the Everett Parks outdoor programs grew, Andy
was able to transition from working as a part-time City of Everett Parks employee to
being a one-person "guiding service", contracting with, but separate from the city. This
allowed the program to expand, eventually reaching the point where the Parks
programs became, more or less, his full time work. Interest in the program continues
to grow, and now Andy leads about 80 hikes, 40 snowshoes, and 10 ski trips a year.
While most of Andy's outdoor leadership work is with Everett Parks, he does
occasionally contract with other parties to guide their adventures.
Andy also continues to be active with the Mountaineers, as an occasional trip leader,
instructor, lecturer, and committee member. In 1998 he was honored with the Everett
Branch's Distinguished Service Award, given annually to a member for their years of
outstanding contributions to the branch and its over 1000 members.
Throughout his years of outdoor travel, Andy has been a very avid nature
photographer. In his collection are over 10,000 slides that document his trips in and
out of Washington State, from the bottoms of the valleys to the tops of the peaks. He
has given many presentations, and is available to groups interested in seeing
mountain travel slides.
Andy is single, and lives in Everett.
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