Born in Denver, Colorado, Jesse discovered his love of climbing mountains while stationed in the Pacific Northwest honing his skills on the glaciers and alpine rock faces of the Cascades. After leaving the Navy, Jesse began a lifelong career as an educator, first by teaching crevasse rescue courses on the Nisqually Glacier in Mount Rainier National Park as an instructor with Olympic College in Washington and then as a teacher in Xianning, China, where he spent 2 years teaching English to grade school children.

Now, as an AMGA certified guide, Jesse regularly guides and educates climbers in the Front Range, Red Rock Canyon, and the Pacific Northwest. He has led alpine trips to the Bugaboos, Cirque of the Towers and Rocky Mountain National Park and has taken clients to Nepal, leading expeditions to 6,000- and 7,000-meter peaks such as Island Peak, Mera Peak, and Baruntse. A former Naval combat veteran, Jesse has also worked at the National Sports Center for the Disabled as a lead guide, helping to arrange climbing programs in Clear Creek Canyon for guests with adaptive needs, and has partnered with Paradox Sports for adaptive ice climbing events in Vail.

Jesse lives in Denver, Colorado with his partner, Anunta, and their dog, Nala the Adventure pup. Outside of guiding, Jesse is an avid photographer, guitarist and skateboarder, and can often be found looking for pick-up pickleball matches on courts throughout the front range.

Professional Credentials

• Certified Rock Guide, American Mountain Guide Association

• Assistant Alpine Guide, American Mountain Guide Association

• Apprentice Ski Guide, American Mountain Guide Association

• Avalanche Institute for Avalanche Research and Education (AIARE) Course Instructor

• Wilderness First Responder