Steven King learned his guiding the hard way – on cross-country ski tours in the Breckenridge area. Returning for his 17th season, Steve is looking forward to another winter as our head ski guide. Growing up in an Air Force family, he saw a lot of the country before taking root in Ohio where he earned a graduate degree in exercise physiology. Steve (he prefers that although he says using “Stephen King” gets him immediate seating in most restaurants) has had a variety of experiences that you’ll learn about on the trails.

Kelli King is the other half of our husband and wife skiing duo. When not guiding guests in the wilderness, she finds herself tracking other “wild” life, their nine year old daughter, Maddie! Like Steve, Kelli grew up in Ohio and earned a degree in exercise physiology at Kent State University. After a year as a corporate fitness/wellness instructor, she came out West with her new husband and never left. With her experience wrangling Maddie, she’s perfect to oversee our kids program when she’s not busy guiding ski tours.

Cullen Barker is another seasoned backcountry guide joining us again this winter. Hailing from just down the road in Dillon, he’s been in the backcountry most of his life, and he’s beginning to make a career out of it, with two and a half years of guiding with Colorado Bike and Ski Tours. Cullen’s other passion is mountain bike racing (the 24 hour endurance kind), so don’t be surprised to see him hop on his bike (yes, in the snow) when you’re hitting the hot tub.

Dana Kennedy grew up in Clifton Park, NY. After snagging her B.A. in Urban Studies from Vassar College she jumped in the car with a friend to head west and spent the summer helping out in the dining room at the ranch. Now she’s back to guide for the winter, which takes advantage of her years of competitive skiing. Dana has a fascinating litany of experiences from volunteering for Hurricane Katrina relief efforts to working on an organic grain farm.

Mary Hammer joins us from North Branch, Minnesota where she grew up on a small farm with lots of animals. Although you’ll see Mary decked out in ski gear and guiding you through the woods this winter—don’t let the outfit fool you—she’s an avid barrel racer with a real affection for horses. Mary also just ran her first marathon in June, so don’t feel bad if you’re huffing and puffing to keep up! She graduated from the University of Wisconsin with a degree in Marketing.

Emily Lovett grew up in Ann Arbor, Michigan (Go Blue!). She graduated from Kalamazoo College intent on pursuing a career in business. After six years with GM/EDS as a systems engineer, Emily concluded her system needed to be outdoors. An avid Nordic skier, she instructs for us in the winter and oversees our hiking in the summer. Skiing’s not all she does, ask Emily about bicycle tours in Italy if you get a chance!

Carla Jones is one of the few people you will meet that was born and raised in Steamboat Springs. She is a professional photographer and if you have ever visited the ranch in the summer, you will recognize her as the one standing on the side of the trail, as you passed by, clicking off photos to save the memories. This winter Carla will be guiding and leading her photography workshop.