CAIC Staff

Ethan joined the CAIC as the Director in 2005. Ethan grew up in Boulder and learned to ski when he was three. He has worked with snow and avalanches since 1990. He worked as a ski patroller (Big Sky Ski Resort) and as a backcountry avalanche forecaster (Utah Avalanche Forecast Center). He studied meteorology (B.S., University of Utah), mountain weather and snow-drift formation (M.S., Colorado State University), and snow metamorphism and microstructure (Ph.D., CSU). In 2016, he received the Bernie Kingery Award and a Distinguished Alumnus Award from the University of Utah. Ethan has published a variety of articles and has been a member of national and international working groups on snow, weather, and avalanche topics. Ethan lives in Leadville with his wife and two children.

Brian joined the CAIC as Deputy Director in 2010. Brian began working in the mountains in the mid-1990s. He has worked in a variety of snow climates on both sides of the equator as a mountain guide, avalanche educator, curriculum developer, former Executive Director with the American Institute for Avalanche Research and Education (AIARE), and member of the American Avalanche Association Education Committee. Brian earned a M.S. in Engineering, studying snow and ice mechanics in Alaska’s Chugach Range. He worked for many years as a consultant investigating snowpack runoff and potential changes to seasonal snowpacks as a result of climate change. Brian lives in Carbondale with his wife and two kids.

Mike “Coop” Cooperstein joined CAIC in 2015. Coop grew up in Maryland and learned to ski when he was ten. His snow career began as a ski patroller at Snowshoe in West Virginia when he was 18 years old. He soon moved to Bozeman, Montana. He worked at the Yellowstone Club for 11 seasons as the Assistant Snow Safety and Assistant Ski Patrol Director. In 2008, he completed his M.S. in Earth Sciences from Montana State University studying surface hoar and near-surface faceting. He co-owned a guide service, climbing and skiing in some of the world’s highest ranges. In his free time, he likes to ride his bike, travel, read, learn new stuff, and play with his dog.

Matt joined CAIC in 2018, serving as both a backcountry and highway forecaster before being promoted to Southern Mountains Regional Manager for the 2024-25 season. Originally from Kansas City, he learned to ski at age five and moved to Colorado in 1993. By 1996, he was working as a ski patroller at Snowmass, quickly transitioning into snow safety. During summers, Matt has worked with the U.S. Forest Service in wildfire management, cursing the heat while waiting for the snow to fall. His career reflects a passion for mountain safety and avalanche forecasting. 

Will joined CAIC in 2021. Born and raised in Texas, Will’s ski career didn’t start until after he moved to Colorado and started ski patrolling at Breckenridge Ski Resort in 1989. He was instantly hooked on all things avalanche-related after going on his first avalanche mitigation route as a rookie ski patroller where he threw his first bomb and saw his first avalanche. This set in motion a decades-long career in snow science. He rose through the ranks of ski patrol to become an avalanche forecaster, snow safety director, and assistant director of ski patrol. Will has a passion for climbing, backcountry skiing, rafting, fly fishing, and just about everything else to do in the mountains. He and his family live in Buena Vista.

Kelsy joined CAIC in 2023. Kelsy grew up in Colorado and started skiing when she was six. Kelsy started backcountry skiing a decade ago when she lived in Wyoming — one of the two times she moved away from Colorado: first for her undergraduate degree at Amherst College and then again to get her MPA from the University of Wyoming. Kelsy has worked in communications for the public sector for over a decade, serving as a PIO since 2016. When not working, she volunteers for West Elk Mountain Rescue and enjoys running, hiking, and generally being outside. Kelsy lives in Marble.

Krista joined CAIC in 2023. She started skiing with her parents in the Cascade Mountains of Washington. Upon graduating college with a civil engineering degree, she pursued colder snow and maximum ski time in the Wasatch. Eventually, her pursuits led further east to the San Juan Mountains where she fell in love with the complexity of both the snowpack and its contentious runoff. Before joining CAIC, she worked as a guide and ski patroller at Silverton Mountain for six seasons. During the summers, she has chased the runoff working as an engineer, hydrologic technician, and raft guide in neighboring tributaries of the Colorado River. While not working, Krista enjoys spending time outdoors with family and friends, cooking, painting, reading, and playing cribbage.

Jess Chencinski joined CAIC in 2025. Originally from Illinois, she found her way to Colorado four years ago through hiking and spending time outdoors. When she's not at work, she enjoys exploring new trails and 14ers to hike, traveling, seeing live music, and snapping photos of the places and moments that inspire her. She fell in love with skiing after learning just this past season and quickly got hooked. With a degree in Public Health and six years of experience working in the federal government, she's excited to be part of the CAIC team and to keep learning about snow, mountains, and life in the backcountry. 

Dylan joined CAIC in 2021. Dylan grew up in New England. His parents had him on skis before he could properly walk, and he spent every winter weekend skiing at his family cabin in Maine near Mount Washington. Upon graduating high school, he moved to Colorado and found his true love for the mountains. Dylan graduated from the Colorado Mountain College Avalanche Science Program and has since been teaching avalanche courses, guiding on skis and splitboards, researching snow hydrology, and spending southern hemispheric winters Highway Avalanche forecasting in New Zealand. Dylan lives in Marble. When he is not playing in the snow, you are likely to find Dylan out rock climbing, mountain biking, trail running, slacklining, and reading.

Jeff joined CAIC in 2015 with a one-year hiatus during the 2022-23 season to guide for Telluride Helitrax. Growing up in Southern Michigan, Jeff developed a love for frozen water early on, playing hockey and learning to ski on snow-covered landfills. After moving to Colorado in 2007, he worked as a ski patroller, guide, and avalanche forecaster in both highway and backcountry settings. When he's not on the snow, Jeff enjoys mountain biking, tennis, sewing, and strolling the streets of Silverton with his loyal dog, Abe.

Steve joined CAIC in 2025. Raised in Florida, he worked as an ocean rescue EMT before trading his surfboard for a splitboard and moving to Colorado in 2005. He began his snow career as a snowboard instructor at Arapahoe Basin in 2006 and found a natural transition from tracking hurricanes and ocean swells to monitoring snow and weather systems. Steve has a background in information systems and previously worked as a civilian contractor for the Navy. He now lives in the San Luis Valley, where he serves as president of Rio Grande Search and Rescue and volunteers as a firefighter and EMT. When he’s not in the field, he stays busy caring for a small farm’s worth of animals. 

Chris Dickson joined CAIC in 2024 after a career as a mountain guide and outdoor educator. Originally from Massachusetts, he moved west to pursue bigger mountains, earning a degree in Environmental Science from Colorado College. In 2015, he settled in Telluride, where he worked as a guide, avalanche educator, and Executive Director of a local avalanche education non-profit. Chris also produced over 50 episodes of the "San Juan Snowcast" podcast. When he's not studying snow, he enjoys climbing and learning how to handle the full-time duties of being a new Dad.

Austin joined CAIC in 2021. Born and raised in Colorado, Austin fell in love with skiing the mountains at a very young age thanks to his father who encouraged him to take an unconventional career path. He pursued a degree in Outdoor Recreation at Western State College in Gunnison. After college, he started his ski patrol career at Park City Mountain where he stayed for five seasons. He worked for three years as the Assistant Patrol Director of Monarch Ski Area, where he began training his dog, Fawkes, for avalanche rescue. Austin has worked in New Zealand in snow safety as well. When not working, Austin likes to trail run, bike, climb, and hang out with his dog. 

Valerie Foley joined CAIC in 2025 as a Geospatial Data Specialist. She grew up skiing with her family in Summit County and has shaped her life around time in the mountains ever since. She brings a background in remote sensing, lidar analysis, and geospatial data automation, with experience leading forest structure modeling for the Forest Service and product development in the commercial lidar sector. She's based in Ridgway, and when she's not working, you'll find her and her dog Mally in their camper either chasing snow or enjoying quiet corners of the backcountry. 

Theresa joined CAIC in 2025. She has a bachelor’s degree in English from Bridgewater State University and studied marketing and journalism at CU Boulder. She has spent more than two decades in senior public relations and brand marketing roles across the snowsports, outdoor, and travel markets. In 2011, she launched a successful public relations agency, and her work has been featured in national outdoor and travel media outlets. Originally from Boston, she moved to Colorado in 1998 to snowboard and work at Copper Mountain. She now resides in Durango with her husband and daughter.

Ian joined CAIC in 2021. He grew up in the avalanche and ski mecca of England where a deep snowpack was 6" and the ski club would park an old tractor on the hillside to create a rope tow. Travels as a kid taught him about the wind slabs in Scotland and the wide-open bowls of the European Alps. He has worked in New Zealand, the Alps, Canada, Alaska, and Colorado as a ski patroller, mountain guide, and avalanche educator. During this period he gained his IFMGA Mountain Guide Certification through the American Mountain Guide Association. Ian moved to Colorado in 2008 and started patrolling at Eldora. He lives in Louisville with his wife and two daughters.

Alex joined CAIC in 2024 as a Highway Forecaster in the Southern Mountains. He holds an MS in Earth Science from Montana State University, where he used drone-based LiDAR to study snow distribution on avalanche paths affecting a road system in Norway. Alex brings a diverse background in snow science and avalanche forecasting. He has experience working as a ski patroller at Vail Mountain, and he most recently worked with the Wyoming Department of Transportation as an avalanche forecaster for Teton Pass and highways south of Jackson, Wyoming.

Jason joined CAIC in 2015. Jason made the pilgrimage from the East Coast to Steamboat Springs in 1999. Jason joined the ski patrol at Canyons Resort in Park City, Utah in 2005, and became part of the resort’s snow safety team. The need for more winter led Jason to spend summers in New Zealand as the snow safety officer at Craigieburn Valley ski area and the public forecaster for the Craigieburn Range. Now adjusting to life with only one winter per year, Jason spends his summers riding bikes, combing through avalanche and weather data, and avoiding climates where daytime high temperatures exceed 70 degrees.

Brandon joined the CAIC in 2017. He grew up skiing and playing hockey in the Vail area.  He studied Geology and English at Bowdoin College in Maine and got his formal avalanche education in Canada. Brandon started his snow career ski patrolling at Beaver Creek in 2004 and eventually ski patrolled in France and New Zealand. He worked as a highway avalanche forecaster for the Washington State Department of Transportation where he occasionally shot an Abrams Tank for avalanche mitigation--usually in the rain. Brandon enjoys living in the Colorado mountains, touring for some "Dad-Wiggles" in backcountry meadows, skiing, and river time with his family.

Spencer joined CAIC in 2004 and has held various roles over his long tenure. Spencer was born and raised in Colorado. He began skiing in northern Colorado and began learning about avalanches in northern Utah. He continued his avalanche education in southern Montana with an MS in Earth Sciences from Montana State University. Spencer’s forecasting career started in 1999 with the Bear River Avalanche Information Center in Utah. He has collaborated with colleagues from the CAIC, North America, and Europe to understand trends and patterns in avalanche accidents and occurrences. His kids are the fourth generation of the family to ski and the fifth to fish in Colorado. You can often find Spencer floating on rivers in the summertime.

Troy joined CAIC in 2022. Troy was born and raised in Colorado and started skiing when he was two in his family’s backyard in Conifer and at Geneva Basin Ski Area. He started working in snow as a Ski Patroller at Alta in 1998 after graduating from the University of Utah. Prior to joining CAIC, Troy was the Patrol Director at Silverton Mountain and a heli guide. He worked there for 14 seasons and also forecasted and did avalanche mitigation for Ouray Silver Mines in the San Juan Mountains. When not working, Troy enjoys exploring Southern Colorado with his blue heeler, Kodiak, and on his motorcycle with friends.

Andrew joined the CAIC in 2022. Originally from Connecticut, he moved to Colorado in 2007 after obtaining a Bachelor’s of Science in Geology from Juniata College in Pennsylvania. He comes to the CAIC after spending 10 seasons as a ski patroller at Breckenridge, the Remarkables in New Zealand, and most recently as a Lead Avalanche Technician at Arapahoe Basin Ski Area. Andrew lives in Summit County where he wishes it would snow more but that summers would last longer. When not working, Andrew enjoys spending time with his family, riding his mountain bike, and using chairlifts to go skiing.

Jordan joined CAIC in 2025. A lifelong skier who grew up in Boulder, Jordan started backcountry skiing in high school and has been earning his turns ever since. He holds a bachelor’s degree in Ecology and Environmental Studies from the University of Colorado Boulder, a master’s in Physician Assistant Studies, and Professional Avalanche 1 and 2 certifications. When he’s not in the field, Jordan works as a Physician Assistant in Emergency and Critical Care medicine. He lives in Steamboat with his wife, two kids, and retired avalanche rescue dog, Juniper.

Ben joined CAIC as an education coordinator from 2006-2012 and rejoined as a forecaster in 2018. Ben moved to Colorado in 1992. He got into avalanche safety after being caught and buried by an avalanche as a teenager and losing friends in avalanches. He spent 12 years as the Program Director at the American Institute for Avalanche Research and Education (AIARE) and served as forecaster and later director at the Crested Butte Avalanche Center. One of his favorite jobs spanned 18 seasons, forecasting for the Elk Mountains Grand Traverse ski race. Ben lives in Crested Butte where he backcountry skis, snowmobiles, hikes, and mountain bikes with his wife and two children.

John joined CAIC as a Field Technician for the Central Mountains in 2025. Based in Mesa County, he brings years of experience skiing, snowboarding, and working in winter conditions through forestry projects and snow operations. He is an active member and team leader with the Mesa County Sheriff's Winter Search and Rescue Team, where he helps coordinate safe navigation in challenging snow environments. John holds Avalanche Level 1 and Level 2 (motorized) certifications and now spends most of his time in the backcountry on a snowmobile. He enjoys combining his field skills with winter safety and continues to support SAR efforts in western Colorado.

Luke joined CAIC in 2025. He grew up snowboarding in Colorado and competed in freestyle snowboarding while attending the U.S. Air Force Academy. After college, he served five years in the military before returning to Colorado in 2024. Luke began working in the snow professionally as a ski patroller at Hilltop Ski Area in Anchorage and has since guided both ski and ice climbing trips in the winters, and rock and alpine climbing in the summers. He now lives in Colorado Springs and spends his free time chasing ice, climbing rock, running rivers, and embracing his role as the fun uncle who spoils his niece and nephew.

Kreston is rejoining CAIC as a Backcountry Forecaster for the Central Mountains, bringing a wealth of experience and knowledge from various mountain environments. Throughout his career, he has honed his forecasting skills in both the Northern and Central regions of Colorado. Beyond CAIC, Kreston has worked as a ski patroller and guide across the backcountry and mechanized ski industries, including heli-skiing in Alaska. As a certified educator with AIARE and AAI, Kreston has taught countless courses, sharing his deep expertise in avalanche safety with aspiring backcountry travelers. His diverse background, from guiding 

Ron joined CAIC in 2016. Ron was born in Israel where sliding in a plastic bag down snow-covered hillsides piqued his interest in both hills and snow. He eventually moved to Colorado to explore more snowy mountains and more sophisticated sliding equipment. Ron has worked as a ski patroller and avalanche forecaster in Colorado, New Zealand, and Alaska. Ron’s tendency to ask many questions has led him to collaborate with North American and European scientists on applied research projects. Ron’s work includes the development of the Extended Column Test and other avalanche forecasting tools. Ron enjoys spending time outside with his wife and two kids.

John joined CAIC in 2006. He became interested in weather and snow growing up in New England anxiously awaiting the next nor’easter. He obtained an M.S. in meteorology at the University of Wisconsin – Madison. He moved to Colorado in 1984 and worked for fifteen years as a meteorologist for a NOAA applied research program. He completed a Ph.D. in Atmospheric Science at Colorado State University. He ski patrolled at Arapahoe Basin. After forecasting for eight years at CAIC, he is now the Mountain Weather and Avalanche Specialist. His focus is providing computer-generated weather forecasts.

Max joined CAIC in 2023. He was born and raised just outside of Philadelphia and grew up doing far more surfing along the East Coast and internationally than skiing. Max moved to Steamboat in 2016 and started backcountry skiing shortly thereafter. He has worked as a ski patroller, EMT, and ski guide, and has also taught avalanche education and wilderness medicine courses in Colorado and across the West. He serves as a Routt County Search and Rescue volunteer. When not working, Max enjoys backcountry skiing, yoga, and cooking.

Carly joined CAIC in 2025. She holds a degree in Environmental Science from Colorado College and a Professional Avalanche Level 1 certification. Originally from Illinois, Carly was introduced to skiing at age three while visiting her sister in Salt Lake City. She later switched to snowboarding and eventually found her way into the backcountry in Utah’s Cottonwood canyons. Carly moved to Colorado in 2019 and began working in the outdoor industry in 2020. She got started in the snow industry as a ski guide with Aspen Expeditions in 2024. She now calls Carbondale home, where she enjoys splitboarding, trail running, mountain biking, and drawing.

Jeremy joined CAIC in 2021. Jeremy started on skis at Silver Creek, Colorado and progressed into fulfilling his middle school “career days” with the Winter Park Ski Patrol. After graduating from Fort Lewis College he worked as a Patroller and Guide at Silverton Mountain Ski Area, spending 15 years there and also worked five seasons in Alaska’s Chugach Mountains as a mechanized guide. He was actively involved with EMS/SAR and other community efforts in his nearly 20 years in Silverton. He is grateful for adventures of all kinds.

Ryan joined CAIC in 2017. Ryan grew up in Kansas and started skiing as a kid. He moved to Colorado in 2000 to pursue his graduate studies in biology. After finishing school, he did what any sensible biologist would do and got a job as a ski patroller. He spent over a decade working as a patroller at Eldora Mountain Resort, Arapahoe Basin, and a ski field in New Zealand. He has worked as an avalanche forecaster in Chile, the Kurdistan Region of Iraq, and on Snoqualmie and Chinook Passes in Washington Ryan’s other interests include photography, getting lost in the woods, and drinking unhealthy amounts of coffee. He lives in Leadville where he enjoys skiing, hiking, mountain biking, and spending time with family.