Post 58 Advisors

Peter Green (Post 58 Director)

Peter has been teaching outdoor skills and leadership to teenagers for more than  40 years. He helped start the Post in 1993 along with a couple of other friends who had worked together at Camp Nor’wester. His experience includes four years as Program Director at Nor’wester on Lopez Island, Washington and six years as a counselor there. Peter was the Coordinator of the NW Oregon Regional Outdoor School Program in 2004 and 2005. Peter served as Director of Outdoor Education at Catlin Gabel School for 11 years, helping it to become the largest program of its kind on the West Coast. He served as Dean of Students at the Catlin Gabel Upper School for three years.

From 1993 to 2003, Peter worked for Oregon Governor John Kitzhaber as the Governor’s Natural Resources Director and he served as Executive Director of the Kitzhaber Center at Lewis & Clark Law School in 2004. For eight years, Peter was chairman of the state’s Outdoor Youth Program Advisory Board. In addition, Peter has climbed extensively including extensive ascents in the Alps, New Zealand, South America and the ranges of Canada. He has worked as a professional guide leading climbing and hiking trips for Oregon Peak Adventures. Peter earned a B.A. in psychology and environmental studies from Williams College and an M.S. in ecology from the University of California–Davis. Peter and his wife Mary live in Portland where they spend their free time exploring the wilderness areas of the Northwest and traveling where they can.

Chris Anderson

Hey, my name is Christopher Anderson! I began climbing in 2018 or so and since then I have gained an immense amount of appreciation for the outdoors. I love looking up to the greats who made climbing such an amazing and developed sport for all the rest of us. My dream is to take the huge amount of stoke I have for the outdoors and pass it on to the next generation, it is the most beautiful thing I can offer. Hopefully I get the chance to be on a trip with you soon, I am looking forward to all the amazing trips we will get to experience!

Nicole Becker

After moving to Oregon from the Midwest, Nicole fell in love with all things outdoors. From learning to ski to climbing Mt. Rainier, Nicole has embraced the opportunities that living in the PNW offers. An architect by day, Nicole enjoys bringing teams together in the office and on the mountain to conquer complex challenges. After consistently finding herself as the only woman on mountaineering teams, Nicole was inspired to look for ways to increase opportunities for diverse participation in outdoor recreation that she wished she had growing up. She enjoys teaching alpine skills and has climbed around the globe. Nicole is dedicated to continually expanding her

Kip Beckwith

Kip was a student in The Post throughout high school and it was the most supportive, liberating, and encouraging community that he had at the time. The Post also gave him a safer way to feed his early climbing addiction. His first student spring break trip to City of Rocks with The Post remains one of his most fond memories from growing up and was a turning point for his self confidence and wellbeing as a teenager. After high school, he worked nine seasons for the National Park Service as a wilderness ranger, SAR technician, parkmedic, and climbing ranger. He then went on to work as a paramedic and teach wilderness medicine courses. He is currently a masters student at the OHSU physician assistant program. He was able to join as an advisor for the 2015 Post New Zealand trip. He still loves ice climbing, wall climbing, rock climbing, and alpine climbing. 

Bryce Bissinger

Bryce grew up in rural Eastern Oregon and first encountered the outdoors while hunting, fishing, and backpacking with his father and grandfather. Bryce began skiing at an early age and has been climbing and mountaineering for over 17 years. Bryce was an infantry officer in the Marine Corps and served for seven years, deploying to Afghanistan twice. During his time in the Marines, Bryce completed the Summer Mountain Leaders course, an intensive 45 day school that covers high angle rescue and rope systems, mountain medicine, rock climbing, and glacier travel. After his time in the Marines, Bryce spent time riding his motorcycle through central and south america, fighting fire for the forest service, and eventually decided to go to Law School. When not working as an attorney, Bryce enjoys skiing, climbing, riding bikes, and spending time with his wife Ari.

Dan Bohling

Dan grew up in St. Paul, Minnesota, where his love for camping and skiing was born. However, destiny had other plans, and in 1999, his career journey led westward to the majestic mountains. Officially, he joined the Post in 2022, but had been witnessing the joys of parenthood and watching his kids grow alongside the adventures of Peter and the Post. Dan has developed an unwavering passion for the transformative power of adventures with the Post.  When not immersed in the tech world, you'll find him indulging his adventurous spirit as a cyclist, hiker, skier, runner, and rock climber. The mountains and trails throughout the world are his playground, offering endless opportunities for exploration. With a traveler's heart, he’s explored 20 countries and 48 states (and counting), always seeking new horizons and cultural experiences.

Chris Breemer

Chris learned to climb in Yosemite Valley in high school when all climbing was "trad" climbing. He has spent the last 30+ years climbing cliffs, walls, and mountains throughout the western U.S and Canada, Patagonia, Baffin Island, and the Himalaya. When not climbing rocks, Chris is studying rocks as a professional geologist.  "I love introducing students to challenging wilderness situations where new skill are learned and life-long confidence is developed." My favorite places in the wilderness are far from the trailhead, far from the trail, with good company.

Jacob Brown

Hello, my name is Jacob Brown, I grew up in Bend, Oregon and moved to Portland for university. My journey in the outdoors began in 2018 when my aunt took me to the summit of South Sister. That adventure left me with a thirst for more. Now I tie up my boots as often as I can, look for a mountain to summit, and find solitude in the wilderness. When I am not in the outdoors you can find me studying hard for a master’s in education, playing low notes on my bass trombone, or nerding out with some dungeons and dragons.

Steve Budlong

Steve grew up in Connecticut, New York and New Hampshire, backpacking, climbing and kayaking the Appalachian mountains spanning from Pennsylvania to Maine. He was first introduced to mountaineering after spending a summer with NOLS in the Wind River Range in Wyoming in high school. After double majoring in English and Geology and graduating from the University of Denver, Steve moved to Seattle in 2016 in search of bigger, more technical climbs, finally settling in Portland in 2019. Theres no greater joy he finds than summiting the stratovolcanoes of the Cascades, and introducing friends and colleagues to new adventures along the way. Steve works in cybersecurity software sales and lives with his wife and daughter in Washougal, Washington. Him and his family enjoy mountaineering, backpacking, kayaking, rafting and rock climbing.

Timothy Cedarleaf

Timothy grew up in Klamath Falls in Southern Oregon and after moving to Portland in 2018, he got into lead climbing and has been loving it since. Growing up, he did a lot of backpacking and always loved getting outside for walks, bike rides, hikes, and rock climbs, and that hasn't changed! He likes to bring a travel guitar on post trips and will ask you to play it if you know any songs!

Keith Daellenbach

Keith Daellenbach was born in Minnesota and grew up in semi-rural Albany, Oregon. He graduated from Oregon State University with an undergraduate in mechanical engineering and from Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute with a masters in the same. His career focus has been designing medical, aviation, and commercial products. He enjoys foreign travel, history, museums, art, and poetry. Keith is an avid mountain climber, explorer, hunter, angler, fly fisherman, canoeist, backcountry skier, photographer, scuba diver, and beekeeper. His climbs include the Oregon Pentad (North, Middle, and South Sisters, Broken Top, and Mount Bachelor) in one day, Liberty and Ptarmigan Ridges on Mount Rainier, North Ridge Grand Teton, North Ridge Mount Assiniboine, regular Northwest Face of Half Dome, Galdhøppigen (Norway), Castor (Switzerland), Mount Fuji, El Pico de Orizaba, Cerro Aconcagua, Kilimanjaro, and two first ascents of remote mountains in the Alaska Coast Range mountains on the Juneau Icefield (Mount Blachnitzky and Peak 6,500’ above the Boucher Glacier). He hiked across the Grand Canyon in one day with his wife and then 10 year old son, Micah, and ski circumnavigated Mount’s Hood, Saint Helens, and Adams as well as Crater Lake, Wapta Icefield, and the extended Ptarmigan Traverse. He is a founder and director of an all-volunteer, non-profit land conservation foundation, Madrone Wall Preservation Committee, which saved an amazing civic treasure from being mined and destroyed and then, after 20 years of effort, helped open Madrone Wall Park in 2017, in Clackamas County near Portland. He enjoys supporting Postees in pursuing their own outdoor adventures and dreams.

chris dearth

Chris has been a passionate outdoor enthusiast since he was young and began backpacking and climbing in the Sierra. At 16 he hiked the length of the John Muir Trail and climbed many of the 14,000 ft peaks along the way. Since then, he has explored many of the great mountain ranges around the world, including the Alps, Himalayas, Andes, Rockies, the Scottish Highlands as well as the White and Green Mountains in the Eastern US. Over the years, he has climbed many of the Cascade volcanos of the NW. Chris also loves long distance cycle touring, most recently cycling the entire width of Cuba, the Outer Hebrides of Scotland and Europe from Sicily to Scandinavia. Chris and his wife, Rosemary (also an advisor), have traveled extensively on five continents and lived for several years in Sudan, Africa.

Gina Digiacomo

Gina grew up in a small town in Connecticut and moved to Portland in 2019. While she was in college, she decided she wanted a fun and active hobby to take her mind off school, so she joined the indoor climbing team and fell in love with the sport. Soon she started climbing all over the world, and has done trips from sport climbing in Kentucky all the way to deep water soloing in Thailand. She even did a month-long cross country road trip with her boyfriend while living in a converted Prius. When it's too cold to climb, she loves to hike and backcountry ski with her dog Kimchi. She currently works as an engineer in Portland, and hopes to one day upgrade the Prius into a van.

James Edwards

James has watched for six years, as a parent, the impact The Post has had on students. He comes to us with a background of outdoor enthusiasm. He has enjoyed time as a whitewater rafting instructor, participant in an Outward Bound course, multiple ski seasons with 100+ days, backpacking, mountain biking and excelling at breathing mountain air. He is a full time elementary school teacher who hopes to empower youth in the outdoors.

Iris Ellenberg

As a student in the Post between 2013 and 2016, Iris learned a lot about the value of group adventure and pushing past her comfort zone. On her first ever Post trip to Smith Rock, she was initially gripped by her fear of heights. To her surprise, she was met with compassionate, yet unwavering, insistence that she not give up, and she didn’t! As a result, her first rock climbing adventure left her with a newfound confidence that she could accomplish much more than she’d previously imagined. Over the course of the many Post trips she participated in, Iris discovered the special bond that is created when we overcome physical & psychological difficulties together in the outdoors. As an advisor, Iris feels grateful for the chance to create these same kinds of magical experiences for current Post students. Through her work as a camp counselor in the gulf islands of British Columbia and as a long-term substitute teacher in Albuquerque, New Mexico, Iris has found the importance of supporting youth in their personal growth and she’s so happy to be doing that with the Post.

Josiah Failing

Josiah started climbing after being inspired by a National Geographic article about big-wall climbing in Antarctica. He’s been involved with Post 58 starting as a student in 1999, then eventually evolving into an adult advisor. Since finishing college in Santa Cruz CA, he landed a job as a geologist and went on to climb over the West, with favorite spots being Yosemite Valley, Indian Creek, Joshua Tree, and the High Sierra. Fulfilling a childhood dream, he spent four days climbing El Capitan, sleeping on an airy portaledge thousands of feet off the ground. Josiah loves being an advisor to Post 58 students, especially on rock climbing trips. You might find him teaching Leading on Rock or crack climbing classes, helping out on Smith Rock trips, or on week-long spring break trips! He's a total goofball, and enjoys being outside having fun, in the sun, rain, or snow.

Casey Ferguson

I have long been an enthusiast for all things outdoors. I grew up in Texas and went on my first ski trip to Colorado with friends at 17 years old, taking a bus from Austin to Denver. At 26 years old, I left Texas and began my westward migration, slowly picking up more outdoor activities as I moved first to Albuquerque, New Mexico and finally to Portland, Oregon. I enjoy telemark skiing, hiking, camping and backpacking. I had wanted to climb the mountains of the Pacific Northwest for years, but had very little climbing experience and was limited in time due to my job and young children. Last year, I took a basic climbing course through the Mazamas and since then have been “all in” with climbing, tackling multiple alpine climbs as well as outdoor rock climbs (to my surprise). I have worked as a physician for 24 years and have also enjoyed becoming certified as a Wilderness First Responder, allowing me to use my medical knowledge and skills in the backcountry setting when the need arises. After benefitting from the incredible volunteerism in the Mazamas, I am inspired to support others to safely learn these outdoor activities in both in the Mazamas and Post 58. I helped coordinate and teach the family mountaineering course in the Mazamas and plan to continue with this into the future. When my son joined Post 58 in 2023, I decided to become an advisor to support this worthwhile organization.

Kathy Fry

Meet Kathy Fry, a Pacific Northwesterner born and raised amidst the breathtaking landscapes of the PNW. With a profound love for rivers and mountains, she's equally at home paddleboarding or taking a cold plunge as she is hiking the peaks and skiing down slopes. Kathy finds her truest peace and renewal in the great outdoors—fueling her passion for hiking and backpacking. While she doesn’t consider herself a die-hard climber, summiting Mt. St. Helens holds a special place in her heart as an unforgettable experience along with hiking The Narrows in Zion National Park. When she's not out exploring nature's wonders, you'll find her with her two children, or nurturing her other passion indoors as a designer and co-owner of a firm dedicated to crafting sustainable and equitable public spaces. 

Rosemary Furfey

Rosemary Furfey is an avid lifelong hiker, backpacker, cross-country skier, and cyclist. She enjoys exploring the Northwest, as well as national parks throughout the country. This summer she backpacked for five days through the Black Canyon of the Yellowstone River in Yellowstone National Park, and paddled the Green River for eight days in Canyonlands National Park. She even enjoys snow camping and has cross-country skied around Crater Lake two different times during the winter months. In 2019, she and her husband, fellow Post Advisor Chris Dearth, cycled through Europe for six months. They visited 18 countries while enjoying backroads and meeting fellow cyclists along the way. Rosemary enjoys sharing her love of the outdoors with Post students and learning from her fellow Post Advisors.

Ian Gallager

Ian grew up in New Hampshire climbing the 4000-footers of the White Mountains. He got his first taste of the Pacific Northwest on a NOLS mountaineering trip in the North Cascades the summer after graduating from high school and couldn't wait to come back. After 4 years in North Carolina and a thru-hike of the Appalachian Trail, he made his way to Portland as an AmeriCorps member building homes at Habitat for Humanity, and continues to work there now as a construction project manager. Between trips to the outdoors, he spends his time biking around town, playing ultimate frisbee, and making delicious homemade onion pizza.

Tim Gentry

Tim started climbing his sophomore year of high school with Post 58 as a student, going on both mountaineering and rock climbing trips with the program. Now a Junior in the mechanical engineering program at Montana State University in Bozeman, Tim loves almost every type of climbing, including ice, alpine, trad, and big wall climbing. At MSU, he works for the outdoor program and leads backpacking, rock climbing, and ice climbing trips for the program. He also sets at the school’s climbing gym. Since graduating the Post, Tim has climbed in the Tetons and Wind Rivers in Wyoming, Yosemite, Squamish, and the Alaska Range. When not climbing, you can find Tim attempting other outdoor activities such as running, mountain biking, and skiing.

John Godino

I'm a 25+ year resident of Portland and adventure seeker on mountains, whitewater rivers, and mountain bike trails.
I hail from Northern California, and along the life path I've been a US Forest Service wilderness ranger and wildland firefighter, have a Masters degree in geosciences / cartography, am active in the sport of competitive orienteering, and have been a long time volunteer climb leader, navigation and mountaineering instructor for the Mazamas.
My lovely daughter, Lia Godino, will be a senior at Lincoln in the 2021/22, and is in the post for her third year.
I have a climbing website/blog called Alpinesavvy.com, where are you’ll find more than 400 climbing related tips covering intermediate and advanced technique, along with navigation resources to help you stay found. Please come have a look.

Josue Gonzales

My name is Josue (ho-sway). I am originally from Michigan but moved out to Portland in the summer of 2023. I have worked with youth in outdoor settings through summer camps in both Michigan and California. I currently work with Friends of the Children, a 1-on-1 youth mentoring organization here in Portland. I’m excited for the future adventures that await us!

Charlie Grant

Charlie initially gained his appreciation for outdoor spaces from Post 58 as a student (and then student president), and has returned to Portland to spearhead the Post's outreach efforts and to cultivate relationships between the Post and partner organizations working with underserved youth. Charlie's interest in climbing and exploring the natural world has defined his career and hobbies. Before moving back to Portland, Charlie served as a lead field instructor for the Teton Science Schools in Jackson Hole, Wyoming, where he worked with students from all over the country, using Grand Teton and Yellowstone National Parks as his classroom to teach Environmental Ethics and Place Based Education. Before his time in Wyoming, Charlie worked for Emory University's Tibetan Studies Program in Dharamshala, India and at the St. Paul's School in Concord, New Hampshire. 

mary green

Mary has been an advisor with the Post for 24 years.  She has been climbing for over 25 years, including trips to the Andes, Himalayas, Canada and New Zealand.  She has summitted Mt. Elbrus in the Caucusus, Kilimanjaro in Tanzania, and Pachermo (20,400') in Nepal.  Mary has reached the summit of 49 of the 50 state high points.  She was the first woman to summit all of the county high points in Oregon.  Mary works as a vocational rehabilitation therapist, helping people with serious head injuries get back to work.  In her free time she climbs and skis.  

Ayni Hailicka

Ayni joined the Post in 2018 mainly as a way to reconcile the regret of not having joined an outdoor program while she was in school. Now she’s excited that the Post will bring her two passions together: outdoor pursuits and youth development. She loves to walk, and walk, and walk, which has proven beneficial for the art of backpacking. This mild obsession has taken her up and down and around the Cascades, Sierra, Rockies, Ecuadorian Andes, and beyond. Youth have joined on her on these adventures from time to time through organizations like Big Brothers Big Sisters, Big City Mountaineers, Lasting Adventures, and Friends of the Children. Now that Ayni has landed in Portland, she’s looking forward to continuing to build relationships, skills, and so many more memories through the Post.

Richard Hall

Richard Cross Hall, NAD V, CI/CT, SC;L has been an outdoor enthusiast most of his life. He began backpacking as a young child exploring the deserts in Arizona where he grew up. He became a part-time raft guide in 1999. He volunteered for Inner City Outings, a non-profit organization that took at-risk youth rafting mostly on the South Fork of the American River in the Sacramento area.  He has also guided for Disabled Sports USA and Wet Planet. One of his favorite rafting trips was a 3 week expedition on the Zambezi River in Africa. Rich began climbing in 2014. He climbed Mt. Shasta to raise money for Big City Mountaineers. Another non-profit organization focused on helping at-risk youth through mountaineering. Since then Rich has taken Basic Climbing Education (BCEP) and assisted with Family mountaineering classes through the Mazamas. Some of his favorite climbs include Unicorn Peak and Three Fingered Jack.

Nico Hamacher

Nico grew up on a farm outside of Portland and spent much of his forest-filled childhood covered in dirt and learning to love the outdoors. He joined Post in high school and it’s been a special part of his life since then by teaching him leadership, general outdoors, climbing, and mountaineering skills. While in college at Quest University Canada, he climbed regularly and ended up utilizing many of the outdoor skills he learned from Post while working as a ski patroller on Whistler Blackcomb. After college, his combined interests in protecting the outdoors and medicine led him to a masters focused on climate change and human health impacts. In his extra time, he runs a bed and breakfast with his sister, Mia (former Post prez!), and his dog, Lula.

Joseph Hewitt

Joseph grew up bouncing between Hawaii and Oregon, and playing outdoors in the sun and rain. He began rock climbing while in college in Eugene, OR as an excuse to eat snacks in beautiful places. After college, working in outdoor stores, as an artist, on films, as an EMT, and now as an educator for Portland Public Schools, Joseph finally found out about Post 58 from a student. The rest is history.

Gordon Hickey

Gordon was born in Tacoma, Washington which was a perfect location for outdoor endeavors . Thanks to an adventurous family he was exposed to nature at a very early age. He clearly remembers carrying his own backpack for an overnight trip when he was five years old. Throughout his childhood there were numerous outdoor trips to the Cascades, the Olympics, skiing at Crystal Mountain, and coastal areas. While in high school, Gordon started to climb more mountains with his father, brother, and other relatives. Climbing Mt. St. Helens several times before it blew its top created special memories. His son, Matt, asked him to attend a POST meeting in the fall of 1994. Naturally, Matt became a very active Postee and he became an involved advisor. A couple of years went by and his daughter, Leslie, also joined the POST and took on a number of responsibilities including the role of president. Gordon has thoroughly enjoyed every POST activity and interacting with POST students. He hopes to continue contributing as much as possible

Caleb Jacobson

A 2020 graduate from the Post, I transitioned to serving as an advisor right from the get-go after a year on the steering committee. I have always been captivated by the beauty of nature but it wasn’t until high school that this passion really took hold when I joined the Circuit Bouldering Gym competitive climbing team. With the team, and later as Circuit staff, I experienced outdoor climbing in destinations such as Bishop, CA and Leavenworth, WA and got hooked. I have also worked as a camp counselor for both The Circuit and for the Friends of Tryon Creek. My time in the outdoors motivates me to capture adventures through my photography, a pastime which continues to evolve into a professional goal of mine. The Post has helped broaden my experiences beyond vertical rock and into alpine environments, and now I simply can’t get enough. Besides climbing and photography, I also am known for delivering slightly memorable Haikus and I am a certified Wilderness First Responder. I am currently attending Oregon State to complete a degree in Digital Communication Arts.

Jackie Kinsler

Jackie hails from the great (flat) state of Michigan. After moving to Portland in 2018, she looked into the distance and exclaimed “what is that???”. It was a mountain! Intrigued by the concept that the ground could go “up”, Jackie was determined to learn all the ways to go “up”. She has thoroughly enjoyed connecting with people as she climbs, backpacks, and backcountry skis (turns out going “down” is fun too). Jackie is extremely grateful to be part of the kind, caring, and jubilant Post 58 community. One thing she doesn’t like about climbing is alpine starts (as seen in the picture).

Karissa Lambert

Karissa moved to Portland more than two years ago and has been an advisor with the Post ever since. She has been rock climbing since 2011 and started mountaineering in 2015. Having lived in Washington most of her life, Karissa feels most at home in the granite peaks of the North Cascades. She fell in love with the views that climbing has to offer, as well as the inner strength we can all find by pushing ourselves further than we think we can. Karissa works full time as a nurse at a local hospital when she's not out exploring. She has done a wide variety of traveling and is always looking for exciting new ways to mix her love for the outdoors, adventures, nursing and traveling. She also has a new side-kick, a puppy named Otis, come try to teach him a new trick when you meet him!

Katie Lei

After growing up in Portland and finishing high school at St. Mary's Academy, Katie Lei moved to Walla Walla, Washington to attend Whitman College where she quickly fell in love with the Outdoor Program. She worked as a trip leader, rock climbing instructor, and climbing center manager and spent most of her weekends and breaks climbing up rocks or floating down rivers. Since then, she has worked on staff at Outdoor School in Oregon and Outward Bound in Colorado and pursued adventures all over the Western United States, including a 3-week trip down the Colorado River through the Grand Canyon and a 5-month hike on the Pacific Crest Trail in 2013. Her most memorable climbing experience to date  was on a route called Epinephrine in Red Rock Canyon, Nevada. Katie’s favorite piece of trad gear is a Black Diamond .75 cam, and her favorite book to recommend to anyone interested in climbing or philosophy is The Rock Warrior’s Way.

Stephen Lezak

Stephen Lezak is based in the flatlands of East Anglia, England. Tough times. He grew up in Portland and was a member of the Post from 2009–2011, where his advisors and peers taught him amount about accountability, humility, and wonder.

After graduating from college, Stephen worked as a climbing and ski instructor and high school geography teacher. Today he is a researcher studying environmental justice in Mongolia and the consequences of climate change in the Arctic. He has skied in the backcountry of Alberta, British Columbia, Washington, Oregon, California, Italy, Switzerland, Norway, and Sweden. He has never gone swimming and regretted it.

Lucy M.S

Lucy was born and raised in the U.K. Upon emigrating to the U.S., she lived first in Nashville, and then Philadelphia, before moving to Portland for work in 2002. Wherever she has landed, Lucy has always prioritized taking advantage of the outdoor opportunities and experiences available to her at her doorstep. She walked and back-packed in the U.K., added mountain biking in Nashville and then running and road biking in Philadelphia. In the Pacific Northwest you will find her running, hiking, skiing, paddling and riding on trails, as well as climbing and skiing on mountains. Indoors you will find her spending time with family and friends, at work as a musicologist, and planning her next outing.

carter nelson

Born and raised in the Willamette Valley, Carter began his outdoor adventures hiking and camping throughout the Pacific Northwest. As a high schooler in Eugene, he developed a love for rock climbing after being introduced to the sport by one of his gym teachers. Given an early edition of Freedom of the Hills and taught some basic anchor and belay techniques, he went out the next day to buy all of the gear needed to start rope soloing at the local mini-crag “The Columns”. Later taking part in the outdoor program at the University of Oregon, Carter learned many technical skills and developed leadership experience through repeated climbing trips to Smith Rock with various instructors and peer mentors. After traveling abroad to many climbing destinations across the Americas and Southeast Asia, Carter landed in Portland, where he currently works as a coach for the Planet Granite youth climbing team and enjoys leading technical rock climbing trips with the Post 58.

David o'Connor

Being a born and raised Portlander I’ve always enjoyed the outdoors, however grey and drizzly they may be.  I grew up on family camping trips along with adventures backpacking and hunting with my father and have enjoyed spending time in nature ever since.  I love that these journeys get me to remote parts of the state that I wish more people got to see…there’s so many backcountry gems.  I’ve always found the experience of being out in the wilderness or on a mountain top to be so empowering and yet profoundly humbling.  I was introduced to the Post during my time working with the Boy Scouts, and have now been an advisor for 3 really fun years.  I’d have to say that my favorite trips have been the long spring break and summer trips -- there’s just something about driving for days crammed into cars with your friends (or soon to be friends!) and then spending a week together.  All of the ridiculousness and shared experience that happens on those trips as a group just creates such a special environment and so many lasting memories. 

Clare O’Donnell

Clare is excited to be part of the Post and have the opportunity to explore the outdoors with fellow Post members. She grew up in Southern California and has had the privilege of backpacking through the Sierra Nevada Mountains, San Jacinto Mountains, Mojave, Sonoran, and Great Basin Deserts, San Bernardino Mountains, Death Valley, and Yosemite. Clare is eternally grateful for the amazing advisors who made these trips possible and is happy to now have the opportunity to do the same. Clare moved to Portland about 10 years ago and is currently working towards her professional counseling license. When she’s not studying, Clare enjoys spending time with her energetic 5 year old son especially in the great and beautiful outdoors of the Pacific Northwest.

Chris Park

I grew up in Portland but didn’t get involved in the Post until I came back from college in New Jersey. In college I was an outdoor trip leader, taking new first-year students backpacking on the Appalachian Trail every fall.

I am so grateful to be back in Oregon and enjoy the beautiful outdoors we are so blessed to have. In my free time outside the Post, I like to play basketball and golf. Hope to go on a backpacking trip with you soon!

Haley Pefferman

Haley is from Sacramento, California and moved to Portland in 2016 to go to Portland State where she studied Graphic Design. She has always loved spending time outside and appreciating the art in nature, but it wasn’t until after college that she discovered the wonders of climbing and mountaineering. The boost in confidence and inner strength that she found from climbing are both things that she wants to help others achieve for themselves. When she’s not exploring the outdoors, she likes to go thrifting and get crafty. Her current obsession is mastering the art of Facebook marketplace.

Dave pell

Dave grew up in a small town in Connecticut, moved to Colorado for two years, and relocated to Portland in 2019.  Dave is stoked on outdoor adventures, whether that involves ski (and non-ski) mountaineering, surfing secluded PNW surf breaks, sub 5.8 multi-pitches, or long treks through the woods.  He strongly believes the most memorable trips always involve the most nonsense.  He is excited to share his passion, pass down some knowledge, and learn some things from the post 58 students.

Andrew Petrillo 

Andrew, a Portland native, discovered rock climbing and mountaineering at the age of 17, with his first summit being Kilimanjaro. Over the past decade, he has immersed himself in climbing, successfully summiting El Capitan three times along with multiple other big wall ascents. His favorite climbing adventures are long alpine climbs in the Cascades and High Sierras. Andrew has traveled through South America, North America, and Nepal, pursuing his passions for climbing and surfing. When he's not in the mountains, he is busy life coaching teenagers preparing for college, teaching and practicing yoga, and shaping surfboards. Always up for a good time and a fun adventure, his ultimate goal is to reach the car at the end of each trip.

Laura Platt

Hi! I’m Laura. My passion for exploring the natural environment is a product of an upbringing outside an isolated town in Western New York. Too far from town to participate in typical pastimes with the neighborhood kids, my two brothers and I would run into the woods in the morning and would often not return until dusk… or sometimes a couple days later. We explored with our faces in the streams, bare feet in the mud, and an ardent curiosity about our surroundings. That curiosity has continued into adulthood, and I am fortunate to be able to work in the magnificent old growth forests of the PNW collecting ecological data. I absolutely love leading backpacking and bike trips with the Post, and exploring all the magical places of this region! If I’m not on my bike or tending to my chickens, I can be found in the canopy of a big tree staring at moss and lichen.

Polina Polikakhina

Polina was born and raised in Eastern Russia. She developed her love for the mountains when she moved to Alaska with her family in 2012. She loves going backpacking, climbing rock and mountains, and skiing. She studied civil engineering at PSU and now works in transportation engineering and planning. She also loves dancing tango, riding a bike and to cook for friends and family.

Anthony Ramos

Growing up in central California, Anthony found joy and purpose in the wilderness and trails. With experience from a young age of camping, hiking, backpacking, hunting, and off-roading, Anthony has seen the outdoors from several perspectives. Moving to the Portland area in 2019 has brought a new area to enjoy and a great community to connect with. Working for BSA summer camps after completing his Eagle Scout allowed Anthony to broaden his knowledge. As part of the Post, Anthony has been showing the benefits of slowing life down for a while, how these experiences change your view on your normal day to day, and respecting your surroundings.

Tracey Rinck

My first climb was Mt Hood on a whim with a friend who climbed. After getting to the top and not knowing how to even put on a harness, I decided that because I liked climbing, I should probably learn the basics. I spent the next year taking basic training from the Mazamas where I met a climbing partner who was also helping out with the post. She brought me to a meeting and I loved it! When I’m not with the post, I’m usually hanging with my own kids watching soccer games or cross country meets! 

Clinton Roose

Clinton grew up in a small town in Northern Idaho.  As part of 4-H, he helped youth and started his love for the outdoors.  After high school, he started assisting with Odyssey Youth Group, which would assist with LGBTQIA+ youth who may be having hard experiences coming out and helping them in the process.  In 2008, he moved to Seattle for a stint and returned about a year and a half later.  In 2013, he started volunteering with WACYPAA where he would assist in putting together conferences and getting young people outside.  In 2015, he moved to Portland where he started rock climbing and fell in love with it (you can still see him climbing at Movement.)  He joined Post around August of 2023 where his first trip was a Smith trip and he realized it was something that he had been missing from his life.

Debra Sankovitz

Deb grew up in Pennsylvania where the summer humidity and winter ice kept her nestled indoors.  That all changed when she moved to Colorado in her 20's and spent the next two decades exploring the great Rocky Mountains on foot and  by bike. Deb was thrilled when she landed in Portland and her daughters discovered the magic of the Post, and the contagious enthusiasm for mountaineering and outdoor leadership that ensued. Her girls have since moved on, but Deb hasn't. She can't seem to get enough of these intrepid teenagers. When she's not helping to lead Posties in hikes, climbs and snowshoe adventures, she works as a high school counselor and college admission coach.

Camden Searcy

Hi, I’m Camden! I am currently studying biology at Lewis & Clark College in Portland. I grew up camping and hiking with my family in the PNW, in the Rockies, and in the Southwest. The mountains have always been a place where I can appreciate the beauty of nature and have fun with my friends at the same time. Overtime, my outdoor pursuits have expanded to include two of my passions: rock climbing and mountaineering. I discovered the Post through my little brother, who is a member, and I was drawn to it as a way to share my love of the mountains!

Josh Simko

Josh started backpacking as a kid with his Dad and two brothers in the Big Horn Mountains of Wyoming. He has spent years hiking and backpacking, and his favorite trip was a solo thru hike of the John Muir Trail. He also enjoys mountaineering, and is learning climbing alongside the Post 58 students. When not in the outdoors, Josh is a lawyer at Nike. He loves being in the wilderness with the Post 58 students, seeing them taking on new challenges, learning and growing into their potential.

Eric sorensen

I grew up in the Sacramento Valley, lauded for its proximity to both the mountains and the ocean but not exactly an outdoor paradise itself. With the exception of skiing the Sierras as often as I could, it wasn't until I started college at Humboldt State University, behind the redwood curtain, that I really started getting outside. I hiked and backpacked up and down the north coast, the trinity alps, the canyonlands and the cascade range, among others. Tried my hand at scuba diving the ice cold water of Mendocino, CA. Wasn't a fan. But I did love ocean kayaking and free diving for abalone, despite getting absolutely ragdolled by the surf and swallowing more than a few ounces of sea water. Each new experience was always thanks to someone else who'd been there before, inviting me along, showing me the way. Eventually I found myself in the position of showing others. The give and take of the outdoors is part of its lasting appeal. There is always something new to learn, to experience and ultimately, to teach. Truth be told I'm a bit obsessed with learning! Now I run a tutoring business by day and get taken to school in the great outdoors as often as I can by night.

Paul Taylor

Paul Taylor is a Portland based climbing and mountaineering guide. He is an NWAC instructor and the Oregon regional ambassador. He serves as the Oregon Program Director and lead guide for a Seattle based guide service, Kaf Adventures. Over the course of his 16-year career, he has worked as an instructor, facilitator, and guide for numerous outdoor education companies and guide services across the United States. His deep love of wild places and a passion for teaching have been a driving force in his professional and personal pursuits. His early adventures were focused on primitive living and survival skills and long distance hiking. He has racked up more than 10,000 miles of trail-time, including thru-hikes of the AT, PCT, and many other trails. He is an EMT-B, WFR, LNT Master Educator, and has an AIARE level 2 certification. Additionally, he is continuing to pursue his AMGA certifications. When he’s not teaching or working, he enjoys trail running, mountaineering, cooking, ice climbing, reading, and travelling with his wife and daughter.
 

Meg Waltner

Meg grew up in Northern California, where she developed a love of the outdoors early -- backpacking, camping, and river rafting with her family. Meg led backpacking trips for incoming students while in college and has continued to be an avid backpacker since, as well as taking up rock climbing, back-country skiing, and bike-packing. Meg's favorite trips have been a 500 mile section hike on the PCT/Sierra High Route and a bike-packing trip along the Carretera Austral in Chile and Argentina. Meg moved to Portland in 2019 and while her love of the Sierra Nevada mountains will be hard to match, she is excited to explore everything the Pacific Northwest outdoors has to offer.

Dave wieland

Dave (he/him) grew up in Kitsap County, Washington, studied Political Science and community organizing in Seattle, and has been working in environmental justice, trail construction, and/or youth development all over the Western US for the last decade. It's important to know that he's afraid of heights, loves cooking group meals on camp stoves, and plans absurd multi-sport human-powered adventures. His favorite outdoor places are: Old Snowy (WA Cascades), Joe's Valley (Utah), the Eastern Sierras (CA), and the Matanuska Valley (AK).

Jerrine Wong 

Jerrine is a recent Oregon transplant who will go outside, rain or shine. Typically, she is a slow and steady sport kind of person, but will move quickly at the promise of food or warmth. Surveying her belongings, half is comprised of outdoor gear and the other half of cooking equipment. Her primary activities in the outdoors are backpacking and climbing. She knows nothing about pop culture. She really likes clouds. She doesn’t stay home long enough to sprout plants from seed (☹) and has recently adopted a Roomba named Bart (😊). Jerrine doesn’t really like wearing pants, but thinks perhaps she should own some and is searching for the perfect pair with a sweatpants-feel and the formal aesthetic of slacks. In the photo, she is eating a friendship pie she backpacked in for her friends to enjoy.

Ben York

My name is Ben York and I am from Cincinnati, Ohio. I moved to Portland in the summer of 2019 to work for Nike as a construction program manager. I have always had a love for the outdoors have fully immersed myself into all that Oregon has to offer. I have worked seasonally in Alaska, Tennessee and Germany. I have been with the Post for a little over a year and can’t wait to go on some more adventures!

KOBY YUDKIN

Koby grew up and found his love for the outdoors in Oregon. In high school, he joined a student run mountaineering club where he discovered his passion for climbing, skiing, and outdoor leadership. After high school, Koby moved to Maine and in 2017 graduated from Bates College with a degree in Environmental Studies. Koby’s guiding career began in New Hampshire with winter ascents of Mount Washington and technical ice climbing throughout the valley. He soon found his way back to the west coast where he currently guides ascents of large glaciated mountains throughout the Cascades and Alaska. Koby is stoked to guide and to share his passion for learning and living in the outdoors with everyone.

Stephen Zadrozny

My friends call me SteveZ. I love to climb rocks, snow, ice, and mountains. I grew up in Pennsylvania, was a Boy Scout and Adventure Scout for years. I moved to Portland in 2014 where I climbed my first glaciated peak, and soon after became a Mazama member. I currently help teach trad climbing and mountaineering courses with the Mazamas. In addition I am a youth climbing coach at Planet Granite.

Troy Zueske

Troy grew up in the woods of Wisconsin and made his way to Portland after college in 2018. He’s always had a passion for the outdoors and that only expanded when he got to the PNW. During the day, he designs bike and ski gear at Smith Optics and weekends are spent backpacking, biking, surfing, and snowboarding. Troy is passionate about getting outside and helping others to do the same!