Alex grew up in Kansas City, MO before moving to California for college (B.A., Claremont McKenna College) and graduate school (M.S., University of California, Davis). While in college, Alex competed in varsity cross country and track and field and was an USTFCCCA All-American in 2014. He also began rock climbing, mountaineering, and backcountry skiing in the San Gabriel range of southern California while at Claremont, developing a passion for long days in the mountains. Alex began working in the outdoor industry full-time following the completion of his graduate work and has experience as a guide, ski patroller, ski instructor, and shop tech. He has guided in Washington, Alaska, and California, and has spent considerable personal time in the Austrian and Italian Alps and Dolomites. Alex loves helping guests reach their goals in the mountains, whether that's reaching a summit, learning new ski mountaineering techniques, or just enjoying some quality snow. In addition to his work as a guide, Alex is also the head grant writer for Full Belly Brasil, an NGO focused on food and water security in Brazil, and maintains an active role in ongoing geochemical and sedimentological research.