Our Guides

As far as we can tell, it’s almost impossible to not be smiling when you spend time with Betsy. She is always overflowing with passion and excitement about what she’s doing and the people she’s with, making it hard to not be affected by all that positive energy. Betsy’s thorough attention to every detail of a trip makes for unsurpassed client care. Her extensive knowledge of Wrangell St. Elias could only come from her 15 years of climbing, hiking, rafting and exploring in the area. It is her love for the valley and its community that convinced Betsy to buy property and build her own home in Kennicott overlooking the glaciers which she has been enjoying for so long. In 2011, after guiding for KWG for six years, Betsy became one of the proud owners of KWG and could not be happier with the crew she gets to train and learn with. Whether you go for a glacier hike, ice climb, or backcountry trip with Betsy, you’re sure to laugh, be amazed, learn something new, and have an incredible day! Betsy is Wilderness First Responder, Swiftwater Rescue and Rigging For Rescue Certified.

In addition to guiding, Jared has also been involved with many different television productions as a safety guide, logistics coordinator, and the occasional camera operator. Some of his credits include National Geographic’s Life Below Zero, and Discovery Channel’s Edge of Alaska and Ice Cold Killers. He has also worked with many international television and film productions.
His adventuring has taken him across the globe. He has climbed rock, ice and snow across the American Southwest, in SE Asia, Nepal, South America, Israel and New Zealand. He has also spent time Packrafting in the whitewater of New Zealand.

Jared is well-versed in small or large scale trip logistics, and uses his intimate knowledge of the area and creativity to act as KWG’s primary trip planner and coordinator. He is excited to help plan and stoke the fires of your 2016 trip. Jared is a Wilderness First Responder, Rigging for Rescue certified, and Swiftwater Rescue certified.

The third of KWG’s co-owners, Monte has been guiding in the Wrangell Saint Elias National Park since 2004. Wasting no time, he successfully summited Mt. Blackburn 16,390 ft, the Kennicott Valley’s largest peak, and descended by a new ski line in 2007. In years since, Monte’s enthusiasm for backpacking traverses has taken him to the farthest reaches of the park, logging innumerable off-trail miles in the backcountry both on his personal time and as a professional guide for KWG. Rounding out Monte’s climbing and backpacking experience is a degree in Outdoor Leadership with a minor in Theater from Western State College of Colorado.

Monte is known around the valley as a leader in innovation and exploration, pioneering backpacking routes and packraft first descents. He’s also wrote the packraft guide to McCarthy Creek and a guide to local bouldering. When he’s not in Alaska, Monte tours with The Moth telling real stories on stage.

Monte is a Wilderness First Responder, an AMGA Apprentice Rock Guide and is Avalanche II, Rigging for Rescue, CPR and Swiftwater Rescue certified.

Katy grew up in small-town Minnesota where her love for the outdoors began. She left Minnesota and spent nearly a decade working as an acrobat / high diver with big circus dreams that took her on adventures all over the world. In 2023 she decided it was time to return to the outdoors and joined the KWG family for her first season in the Wrangell Mountains. She fell in love with the Wrangells and is returning for another season to continue to share the magnificence of such an incredible place. When she’s not guiding or working in the KWG office, she can be found out on her own adventures, paragliding, cliff diving, cartwheeling across airstrips, foraging, writing, reading, and soaking up the beauty of the world around her. Katy has her Wilderness First Responder, CPR and Epinephrine certifications.

Janee’ is our amazing Office Manager. She grew up in Texas and has 2 brilliant and beautiful grown daughters, and 2 grand-fur-babies. She spent many years in retail marketing before trading the corporate world for a more adventure-focused life. Since then, she has worked in hospitality at a castle on the shores of Loch Ness in Scotland and at a ski-in/ski-out lodge in Utah. An avid hiker, backpacker, camper, and wild swimmer, Janee’ is passionate about the outdoors and embracing life one season at a time. Janee is excited to join KWG and looks forward to helping create great experiences for guests while enjoying her first Alaskan summer!

The Wrangells have been Avery’s home forever and thankfully she loves it because she’s been hanging out in this valley since she was 10 days old. Avery has spent time in the Wrangells every summer of her life. Her front yard is a glacial moraine where she learned to walk and hike. Avery has taken so much joy in bringing friends and family out into the wilderness, she has spent an unknown amount of hours in the mountains, on glaciers, and rafting the rivers of this area. Avery has many connections to the guiding world and community, her dad Howard Mozen started and ran a rafting company based out of Mccarthy for many years. As a 8 year old scrabbling about on the scree slopes with her little brother their nanny was none other than the future co-owner of KWG Jared Stayeart. Avery has spent multiple winters in Montana working on getting a nursing degree and hanging out in the mountains on her skis. She loves working with kids and taking them into the outdoors. You can often spot her on a hike spinning yarn out of raw wool with a drop spindle. Avery is so excited that she gets to work and play all summer in the home of her heart!
Avery is a Wilderness EMT and has her Avalanche Level 1.

Born in the lush green forest of the American south, Tyler has never been one to sit still. At 18 they left home to thru hike the Appalachian trail and hasn’t stopped walking yet. Educated as an Anthropologist, Tyler seeks to understand the connection between humans and the landscape; where environments meets culture. Called to the desert, Tyler moved to the Southwest and began a love affair with the Colorado Plateau and now the Sonoran Desert working in youth conservation, trail work, and now as a carpenter and guide. With their dog Mira riding shotgun Tyler migrates seasonally, from the Sonoran desert, to the Four Corners, and McCarthy, Alaska with detours far afield. Tyler is an ACA certified Packraft Instructor, Swiftwater Safety Certified and a Wilderness First Responder.

Mike grew up in Ski Racing in the tiny hills of NJ and racing triathlons in the summer. At age 17 he qualified for Team USA racing at the World Championships. His love for mountains brought him to Colorado for college where he got a degree in Outdoor Recreation Leadership. Mike came to Alaska for his first time in 2018 to intern at a heli-ski operation and fell in love with the mountains. He has been guiding in the Wrangells with KWG since 2019. He has passed and received his Professional Level 1 Certification through the American Institute for Avalanche Research and Education, and taken a single pitch instructor course through the AMGA.

In his off time he likes to Ski, Climb, Highline, Paraglide, Surf, Paddle, Backpack, Go fishing, Running, Biking…. Pretty much everything outside and Mikes got a Smile on his face.

Sonai grew up in Western Massachusetts spending many days out hiking in the woods with her family. Since then she has spent time exploring a variety of places including New Hampshire,Vermont, parts of the American South and now Alaska! She is currently working towards getting her bachelors in History and Political Science at Colorado State University. When she is not guiding Sonai can be found backpacking in Colorado or Wyoming, swimming, biking and spending time with family and friends. Sonai is very excited to be joining the KWG team for a third summer! Sonai is a certified Wilderness First Responder.cited to be joining the KWG team again this summer! Sonai is a certified WFR.

Originally from Maryland, Alissa did her undergraduate and graduate work on the East Coast. After owning a business for a decade in Washington DC, she decided to make a hard life pivot to pursue experiences that bring her joy – namely being outside in nature and sharing her knowledge with others as an educator, and she is over the moon excited to be joining the KWG family again this summer. In the winter, Alissa is a Senior Alpine Snowboard Patroller; Outdoor Emergency Care Instructor; and Mountain Captain at Smugglers Notch in Vermont where she helps teach medical, rescue toboggan, and avalanche rescue skills for the National Ski Patrol’s Eastern Division. In between seasons, you’ll find her traveling around the western US and Canada with her partner John and their dog Dozer; looking for ghost towns, fire towers, hot springs and other intriguing places to explore.

Marguerite is in her first-year in Kennicott from Lafayette, Colorado, where she grew up rock climbing, skiing, and camping in the heart of the Rockies. She recently graduated from Colorado State University with a degree in Human Dimensions of Natural Resources and a minor in Spanish. During her gap year in 2020, she worked as liftie in Steamboat Springs, and for the past two summers, she’s been raft guiding on the Poudre River. Marguerite is a certified WFR.

Finley grew up in Minnesota, spending time hiking around a family cabin on Lake Superior and going on extended canoeing and backpacking trips with a YMCA summer camp, eventually becoming a guide there. When not guiding, he enjoys running, biking, and skiing. Currently studying math and economics at Whitman College in Walla Walla, Washington, Finley is also a certified Wilderness First Responder (WFR).

Ryan is passionate about helping people safely explore wild places while building confidence and skills. He enjoys climbing in many styles—including alpine, ice, rock, mixed, and big wall—and exploring new terrain in remote, glaciated environments. With a strong background in mountaineering, glacier travel, and rescue systems, Ryan focuses  on clear communication, sound judgment, and creating positive, engaging experiences for people in Alaska’s mountains.

Elyssa grew up in Seattle, WA in the shadow of Mt. Rainier where she started exploring the Pacific Northwest at a young age. At just 15 years old, she climbed Mt. Rainier which ignited a life-long passion to explore. Elyssa has since climbed all over the Cascades, Southwest, Patagonia, the Dolomites, and Alaska. She loves long, multipitch trad climbing, especially in remote places. Elyssa moved to Fairbanks, Alaska in 2017 to get her master’s degree in wildlife biology and conservation and has spent the past 13 years working all over Alaska, primarily studying ducks. She is passionate about avian conservation and considers herself a bit of a “bird nerd” so you will often see her with binoculars glued to her eyes. However, life behind a computer was not for her and Elyssa decided to pursue guiding as another way to continue her passion for exploration. In her time off, Elyssa loves to backpack, climb, ski, and spend time with her partner, and fellow guide, Ryan and their two huskies Luke and Grace. Elyssa is Wilderness First Responder and CPR certified.

Emelina is from Connecticut and has lived in Colorado for the past five years. She graduated from CU Boulder in May 2026, where she studied Geography, Geology, and Arctic Studies. She first fell in love with glaciers in the classroom and made it a mission to study and work on them in the field. She hopes to pursue glaciology in Arctic regions, with a focus on hands-on, field-based research. Emelina works as a high-alpine field researcher, teaches snowboarding, and volunteers with organizations supporting women’s access to outdoor recreation. She spends her free time making art and defending her ankles from her cattle dog. She also cares deeply about mental health in guiding and the outdoor world, and believes in looking out for one another—on and off the trail. Emelina is a  Wilderness First Responder (WFR).

A long-time New York resident, Madeleine recently completed a degree in Environmental Science and can’t wait to return to Alaska this summer to join the KWG team. In 2024 she spent her first season guiding in Alaska in the Matanuska-Susitna valley. She immediately fell in love with the endless mountain ranges, rivers, and glaciers. Beyond this, Madeleine is passionate about combining art and environmental education. This year she has taken up printmaking and hopes to learn with as many people as possible. Madeleine is a Wilderness First Responder and CPR certified.

Sadie grew up in Colorado, mostly in Fort Collins with a little stint in Steamboat Springs for a bit. Growing up, she did a lot of skiing with her family. I moved to Bozeman, Montana to attend Montana State University (go Cats). That is where she started working in the outdoors professionally. Through Montana State, she guided backpacking trips, backcountry ski trips and rafting trips. After graduating with a degree in Elementary Education, Sadie moved to Alaska to start teaching and to explore more mountains. During the school year, she teaches 8th grade English and Social Studies in Anchorage at the best middle school ever. During the summers she raft guides and plays outside as much as possible. She loves to ski, raft, climb, mountain bike, hike. and fish. Sadie has her WFR, Swiftwater Rescue, and Avy 1 & 2 certifications.