Jake grew up in Utah, bounced around Europe and Africa for a few years, and moved to Anchorage in 2002. He describes himself as a mountain guy with a flair for the arts. He is happily married to Amy Malouf. So far they have climbed, along with their 15-year-old daughter and 13-year-old son, the highest mountain in 44 of the 50 states. This introduction has basically nothing to do with the story he is about to tell.