Theo Meiners — Owner/Operator

We could devote an entire page to the accomplishments and qualifications of our lead guide and proprietor. Theo has been a successful ski instructor for 30 years, has worked with PSIA as a professional examiner for 21 years and has 15 years of experience teaching Steep Skiing Camps and years of experience coaching children and adults in ski racing in Aspen, Jackson Hole, Chile and Alaska. He has worked as a ski patrol trainer in Chile at Centro de Ski, El Colorado, as well as Snow King Mountain in Jackson Hole, Wyoming.

From 1996 through 2000, Theo worked with Valdez Heli-Ski Guides as theLogistics Manager and one of the lead guides. His mountaineering experience takes him throughout the Rocky Mountains and Alaska Ranges. His avalanche skills have been honed from investigating snow pack in the Alaska and Teton ranges. Theo has been appointed as the National Ski Patrol Regional Avalanche Advisor for the Northern Intermountain Division. He is also working with some of the leading snow scientists in North America and Switzerland in trying to understand the dynamics of an avalanche, its flow and developing survival techniques.

His passion for heli-skiing in the Chugach Range motivated him to purchase 27 acres at Mile 45 on the Richardson Highway. He is dedicated to the Alaska lifestyle, along with helping others open doors to fulfill Alaska heli-ski dreams.

Dave Miller

Dave's objectives are simple: (1) to ski as much powder as safely possible, and (2) to meet people from all over the world and show them the most awesome terrain they've ever skied.

His qualifications include:

• 28 years of on-snow experience in Jackson, Wyoming
• 23 years as a senior backcountry ski guide for the Jackson Hole Mountain Resort
• First guide hired by Doug Coombs; pioneered the very first run for Doug's operation.
• 6 seasons of premier heli-skiing in Alaska with multiple first descents in the Chugach Mountain range.
• Assisted Doug Coombs in the revolutionizing of ski guide protocol with regard to steep backcountry skiing and snow evaluation that is now used all over the world.
• 7 years as an EMT for Teton County Emergency Medical Service
• American Avalanche Institute - Level 3
• Outdoor Emergency Care and CPR
• High angle and crevasse rescue

Dave has been happily married for 26 years and has raised two beautiful girls in Jackson Hole.

Greg Giedt — Guide and Facilities Manager

Greg Giedt is 43 years old. Greg has lived year-round in Valdez, Alaska, for the past 12 years. In the summer Greg is a white water river guide. Greg is a pioneer of the Thompson Pass Helicopter ski scene since its conception. Greg is an expert snowboard guide and instructor, having worked in the snowboarding industry for over 19 years at ski areas as well as in the mountains of Europe, New Zealand and the Chugach Range in Alaska.

Greg holds medical credentials as a Physician Assistant and EMT. He has hands on experience in both a hospital and wilderness environment. Greg has worked for World-class extreme competitions in High Angle rescue in both Alaska and New Zealand.

In his spare time, he is a devoted outdoorsman. He enjoys big game fishing and hunting. He has climbed in both the St. Elias and Alaska Ranges. His dedication to the wilderness and the lifetime pursuit of freedom makes Greg's perspective one of the biggest assets to the organization.

Tom Bennett

Tom has been a ski guide and a fully-certified instructor in Jackson Hole for the last 20 years. He has guided ski and mountaineering trips in the Tetons, Yellowstone, the Alaska Range, the Wrangell mountains and the Alps. On his own, he has skied most of the major Teton peaks, including the Ford Couloir on the Grand Teton, and gone on a dozen expeditions to the high peaks of Alaska, Nepal and South America. He has extensive backcountry ski experience all over the United States, Canada, the Alps, as well as Alaska.

Tom works year-round as a ski and climbing guide. As well as guiding in the Chugach, he guides Mt McKinley in June, and you can find him in the summer working for Exum Mountain Guides.

Matt Belford

Matt grew up in Maryland ski racing on the ice hills of southern Pennsylvania. He then attended Arizona State University earning a B.S. During that time he coordinated and led many desert backpacking and canyoneering expeditions throughout Arizona, including the Grand Canyon. Matt has since worked as a full-time professional ski instructor in Jackson, WY for the past eight years. He has worked as a staff trainer, steep camp coach, and race camp coach while continuing to gain experience and knowledge touring in the Teton backcountry. He has also been a professional examiner for four years, an accredited children’s educator, a wilderness first responder, and is fully certified by the American Avalanche Institute.

Matt enjoys working and playing year-round in Jackson; skiing, mountaineering, and climbing many peaks in the Teton and Gros Ventre mountain ranges. He spends the rest of his time taking care of estates as owner of Apex Property Management and playing with his son, Jackson.

Sam Sehnert

Alaskan born and raised, Sam grew up skiing 300 miles north of Valdez in Fairbanks. After receiving his degree in Kinesiology and Applied Physiology from the University of Colorado, Sam moved to Jackson Hole and immediately fell in love with the Tetons. He has worked as a ski instructor in Jackson Hole for five years, is a fully certified Level III instructor, is a guide for Jackson Hole Mountain Resort, is a Steep Camp and a Team Extreme coach, as well as being an accredited children’s educator.

Sam has EMT training, is certified as a Wilderness First Responder and fully certified by the American Avalanche Institute. Sam spends at least one day a week teaching Jackson Hole kids about backcountry and avalanche awareness. Sam has been working in Valdez with Alaska Rendezvous Guides since 2002. He spends much of his summers doing carpentry work in Jackson and has put those skills to use helping to make the Alaska Rendezvous Lodge what it is today.

Whether in Alaska or Jackson, Sam spends much of his time feeding his passion for the outdoors and can almost always be found skiing, climbing, trail running or biking in and around them.

Craig Fischer

When Craig moved to Jackson in 1995, he had skied less than 25 times his entire life. His first winter he skied 100+ days and has not looked back since. Craig grew up in Kansas hunting, fishing and working on the family farm. He earned his BS degree from Baker University and taught high school biology before moving to Jackson. Craig always knew he wanted to live in the mountains and once he reached Jackson, he knew he had found his home.

Craig is a professional ski patroller for Snow King Ski Area and Jackson Hole Mountain Resort. He is OEC certified by the National Ski Patrol as well as a certified level I avalanche instructor for the National Ski Patrol. Most of Craig's winters are spent patrolling, but on days off he can be found in the backcountry doing what he loves....skiing powder. Craig spends his summers painting houses, hiking in the mountains, and mountain biking anywhere he can. Craig is accompied everywhere he goes by his best friend, Jake the dog.

Working as a guide for ARG is the dream of all dreams for Craig, and he relishes every moment of it. You can contact Craig at craig_afischer@yahoo.com.

Jessica Baker

Jessica Baker has been working and guiding with Alaska Rendezvous Guides for over four years and was one of the first women guides for the operation. In addition to her work with ARG, Jessica is the founder and head coach/guide for Ski Divas Women’s Ski Camps. She is currently an active PSIA level III DECL (Division Education Clinic Leader) for the Intermountain West, a Backcountry Accredited Examiner for PSIA-I and a trainer for the Jackson Hole Ski School. She has been selected as an Intermountain West Regional Demo Team member, and represented at the most recent National Demo Team tryouts in 2008. She has coached and guided Steep Skiing Camps and women's camps in Jackson Hole Wyoming, British Columbia, Idaho, Montana, Alaska, and France for over seven years, and has taught and guided skiing for over 13 years.

Jessica also guides for Jackson Hole Alpine Guides and Exum in the Teton backcountry during the winter months. Additionally, Jessica is the head backcountry guide for Empire Freeride summer ski camps on Beartooth Pass where she developed a backcountry and ski mountaineering curriculum for youth ages 10 to 21. She is Avalanche Level III guide certified, an avid climber and first year climbing guide with Exum Mountain Guides. Jessica has worked as a hydrologist and avalanche forecaster for Bridger-Teton National Forest for 6 years. She has her Wilderness First Responder, and has training in glacial crevasse rescue and wilderness rescue. She has skied such peaks as the Grand Teton, La Meije Pan d’Radou, Cosmiques-Mont Blanc, Gannet Peak, and has landed first descents in the Chugach, Sawtooth, Teton and Purcell mountain ranges.

She grew up in Sandpoint, Idaho in the Selkirk Mountains. From a young age she built a successful ski race career and in 1999 moved to Jackson, Wyoming where she pursued her love for backcountry adventures, freeskiing, big mountains, climbing, and ski-mountaineering. She has won over five big mountain freeskiing competitions; landing such titles as 2000 North American Freeskiing Champion, 2004 US Freeskiing Nationals Champion, third overall Woman on the World Freeskiing Tour both 2004 and 2005, and more. Jessica is featured in ski film productions including Rage films, Storm Show Studios, and NBC productions. Jessica has also been featured in magazines such as Powder, Outside, Skiing, SKI, Freeskier, National Geographic Adventure, Mountain Gazette, and several national news publications.

Jessica is excited to share her love of the Chugach with you on your next adventure to Alaska Rendezvous!

Robb Maris

Eugene, Oregon (Summer) / Jackson Hole, Wyoming (Early Winter)

Robb has dedicated his life to the joys of big-mountain skiing, and in turn, sharing his enthusiasm for such experiences with others. Robb has an intuitive sense for finding the best snow and most aesthetic skiable lines. It's debatable whether Robb's strongest asset is his infectious, positive attitude or his ability to remain level-headed in any situation.  Robb's studies and certifications include: American Avalanche Institute (Level III), NOLS-Wilderness First Responder, Crevasse and Wilderness Rescue, Ski instructor for the Jackson Hole Mountain Sports School.

Seeking out steep technical descents, plowing through deep powder stashes, and sharing these experiences with others are what makes skiing magic for Robb. In the "off season" Robb inspires others by guiding single to multiple-day excursions ranging from rafting, sailing, canoeing and kayaking to hiking, biking and rock climbing back in Oregon Spring through Fall.  Robb has been a proud member of the Alaska Rendezvous family since the winter of 2007. 

Kim Grant

In the Spring of 2006, Kim's adventurous spirit led her to the Chugach where she began working for the Rendezvous as one of ARL's first women ski guides. She started her career as a professional ski patroller in Telluride, Colorado and has since moved on and continues to guide at Silverton Mountain, North America's most extreme ski area. For seven years she has worked as the mountain's only female backcountry ski guide and patroller.

You can also find Kim guiding trips for Mountain Trip on Mt. McKinley or in the summer months, working as a ski guide for South America Ski Sessions (SASS) in Argentina. She has extensive backcountry ski experience throughout the United States, the Alps, Argentina and Alaska. Including a ski descent from the summit of Mt. McKinley.

When Kim isn't skiing, you can find her guiding a raft down one of Alaska's many rivers, the Grand Canyon or dragging her kayak off to paddle in exotic, far away places.

Aaron Sanders

Aaron Sanders, an Iowa farm boy at heart, is a fully certified PSIA ski instructor and a Division Examiner and Clinic leader for the Intermountain division PSIA, as well as a trainer and backcountry guide for the Jackson Hole Ski and Snowboard School. He is a coach for Jackson's Steep and Deep Ski Camps, as well as an instructor for Backcountry Ski Camps. He is fully certified by the American Avalanche Institute as well as OEC by the National Ski Patrol. AJ's quest to experience the mountain environment led him from the midwest to Jackson, Wyoming seven years ago, but his passion for snow and skiing culminate in Alaska.

AJ acquired his remarkable work ethic on the farm: he returns every spring and fall to help plant corn and beans. His summers are spent in Jackson as a fly fishing guide and white water kayak instructor on the Snake River. AJ is an ever-patient student and teacher; he has a keen eye and gives great attention to detail. He is thrilled to be a part of the Alaska Rendezvous Lodge operation, and that he is able to enjoy his work like play.

Mike Trombetta — Guide Apprentice

At age six Mike began to ski the Poconos. As he progressed he snowboarded the Green Mountains and Wasatch Range. After graduation from Culinary School Mike’s sights turned to Tahoe Powder. Moving west opened his eyes and his legs to snowboarding in British Columbia and Alaska. Spending 7 seasons snowboarding and exploring the Chugach Range has gained him vast terrain knowledge. Mike’s current quest is skiing California’s 14’ers.

Prior to heading north for the spring months, Mike can be found at Alpine Meadows, in the Tahoe backcountry or operating the snowcat or guiding for Pacific Crest Snowcats. The rest of the year Mike explores the outdoors; be it climbing Mount Shasta, mountain biking, hiking or camping with his wife and dogs. His little girl (arriving fall of 2009) will soon be joining their adventures. Mike is Level II American Avalanche Institute, CPR and Wilderness First Responder certified. Since the spring of 2003 Mike has traveled to Valdez, AK for over a month each year. Naturally he was proud to join the Rendezvous Team as Chef and Apprentice Guide for the 2009 season.

Up next for Mike is a snowboarding expedition to Denali – plans in the works…

Mary Widener — Guide Apprentice

Mary was born in Whitefish MT. She first experienced the sensations of skiing at the age of 1, from a pack on her parent’s back. By the age of 3 she was tearing up the rope-tow and loving it. She spent the next 15 years alternating her time between skiing and gymnastics.

After graduating from high school she decided to attend the University of Colorado at Boulder. There she realized her true passion for the mountains, which she was able to pursue through participation in both the Hiking and the Ski and Snowboard clubs. After graduating with a BS in Chemical Engineering, and wanting to pursue skiing, she decided to move to Jackson WY. (As any good Chemical Engineer would do.)

Mary continues to live in Jackson where she spends her winters splitting her time between Ski School at Jackson Hole Mountain Resort and Ski Patrol at Snow King Resort. In the summer when she’s not serving at a local fine dining restaurant, she can be found mountain biking, hiking or preparing for triathlons. Her list of credentials include certified PSIA level II instructor, accredited children’s instructor (ACE II), OEC, CPR, EMT and Avalanche II.

For Mary, spending time in the mountains of Alaska is the ultimate dream come true.