In this episode Dom Baker sits down with Graeme Marshall, Mitch Ryan, and Laura Waterer. Graeme Marshall lives in Nelson, BC with his wife and their three great teenage kids. He is a BC Certified Teacher and a Professional Member of the Canadian Avalanche Association. Graeme’s inspiration for creating the Adventure Tourism Leadership and Safety (ATLAS) Academy developed over years of working as an outdoor educator, guide, and safety tech in a variety of seasons and with a number of organizations. When not leading trips with ATLAS, Graeme tries to get out whitewater canoeing, mountain biking, and ski touring with friends and family. When at home he will likely be strumming a guitar or spinning a record with a wicked cup of coffee by his side.

Mitch Ryan got a taste for backcountry skiing in the ATLAS program at LV Rogers High School in Nelson, BC. He started off in the winter world of work as a volunteer patroller, quickly switching to full time as soon as he was old enough. These glory days consisted of winters at Whitewater Ski Resort, the odd tail guiding stint, wildfire firefighting around the Kootenays in the summers, and surfing and ski touring in all the free time he could find. After cutting his teeth in the Kootenays and going through his CAA level 2 he wanted bigger mountains and landed a job as an avalanche technician at a remote gold mine in northern BC, where he still enjoys spending his winters today.

Grateful to grow up in the small mountain town of Nelson BC, Laura was an avid skier from a young age. In Grade 12 she first stepped foot in the backcountry as part of the outdoor education program at the local highschool. After spending some years traveling around the world and completing post-secondary education in Vancouver, Laura moved back to the Kootenays for a season of volunteer ski patrol at her home hill of Whitewater Ski Resort. That has since transformed into a 10-year career with the snow safety program starting as a volunteer and moving into the assistant patrol director position, and now full-time forecasting. Passionate about mountain safety and giving back to the community, she volunteers with Nelson Search and Rescue and teaches avalanche education courses on the side. In her spare time, Laura explores the Kootenays with her partner and young son.

ATLAS program:

https://www.sd8.bc.ca/programs/adventure-tourism-leadership-safety-atlas

Avalanche Awareness Beyond the Boundaries Society (AABBS):

https://skiwhitewater.com/lessons-programs/professional-courses/youth-avalanche-skills-training-aabbs/

Avalanche Canada youth outreach @behind_thelines

Music in this episode is used with permission of the artist, Age Diamante - I do love you

Artwork by Mike Tea, miketea.com

Episode produced by Wes Gregg