My first rappel was terrifying. Inching over the edge of Lookout Mountain on what seemed to be a dirty chunk of clothesline, my thoughts centered around stuff breaking, me falling, and whether I would hit the Waffle House roof in the valley below. What was I doing here? Why would anyone want to walk slowly backward over a cliff? Minutes later I landed safely on the trail. Whew. Did I mention the rap was only 12 feet?

Childhood camping with my father: Shenandoah Valley, Smoky Mountains...rock and water,  snakes and turtles, Ranger Rick magazine. All strengthened my passion for the outdoors and ultimately led to working with PMI, the company that made the rope used on that first rappel. Living in Chattanooga, I squeezed in a B.A. in Mathematics between trips underground to the deep caves and pits in the area.

By 1998 I was working with Petzl (another vertical equipment manufacturer) and when the company decided to move to Utah from Georgia, I got on board immediately (so much for math degrees). I had heard of the mysterious desert drainways called slot canyons and discovered Pine Creek Canyon in Zion by chance during a visit from my good friend Jeff Smith of Chattanooga. Having spotted it from the canyon overlook trail, we scurried down the slot to the first rappel and saw water far pooled below. Ooops, no wetsuits in the car. Four months later I returned to do Pine Creek and became thoroughly hooked on Zion's twisty topography.

Weekend trips from Salt Lake to Zion increased in frequency to 2-4 a month and I began to imagine living in Springdale, a dream which was realized in 2010 with the offer of a guiding position with Zion Adventure Company. ZAC's unique experiential/educational focus offers daily opportunities to be part of a group of people (including you) who are facing fears, learning, growing, and simply having a darn good time in one of the world's most unique environments. No place I'd rather be.