Don Portman owner/director
A ski instructor for over 40 years, Don is a PSIA level 3 certified instructor, certification examiner, divisional clinic leader and a past two-term member of the prestigious Professional Ski Instructors of America National Nordic Demonstration Team. In 1976 Don was hired by Jack Barron (the original builder of Sun Mountain Lodge) to develop a cross country ski program here. Most of the trails in the Sun Mountain area are a result of this. He was one of the founders of MVSTA and is currently president of the board. He is an editor-at-large of SkiTrax Magazine www.skitrax.com  and has written about and taken photographs of nordic skiing for numerous publications. In 2006 he received the Dagfin Ragg award for his contributions to the North American cross country ski industry.

David Lawrence
David is a current PSIA National Nordic Demo Team member. He is a level 3 certified instructor, certification examiner and a divisional clinic leader. He will be traveling and teaching throughout North America and Japan this year as a new member with the National Nordic Team. David has been skiing since he was six years old, starting at Wintergreen Resort in the Blue Ridge Mountains of Virginia. David is a contributing writer for Master Skier www.masterskier.com and a coach for the Methow Valley Nordic Ski Team. He also helped rewrite the Northwest division’s certification standards. Teaching has always been David’s drive, even academically. David has a B.A. in English Literature and a Master’s degree in Curriculum and Instruction. David with his wife Brooke own and operate Pangaea River Rafting www.leaveboringbehind.com  near Missoula, Montana.

Bret Alumbaugh
Sun Mountain’s year-round activities director started skiing when he was two years old at our local Loup Loup Ski Bowl www.skitheloup.com . Bret started ski racing while still in elementary school. He is a level 3 certified instructor, PSIA Northwest chief nordic certification examiner and a divisional clinic leader. He has been invited to teach instructor training clinics all over the Northwest and has been a popular clinician for Seattle groups like the Mountaineers and the Washington Ski Touring Club.  In his spare time he coaches the Loup Loup Junior ski team.

Eric Burr
Retired National Park ranger/naturalist and heli-ski guide, Eric usually teaches up at our Mazama shop.  He’s also available for snowshoe nature walks, or the longer lesson-tours, and is particularly fond of ski touring to places like Cedar Falls, Monument Creek Trail, and the Goat Wall Trails or Sandy Butte for steeper terrain. Eric is a level 3 certified instructor and past backcountry examiner. It follows naturally that turning touring skis is also one of his specialties.  If he looks familiar it’s probably because he’s written for, or been written about in ski publications since the 1970s.  His book, Ski Trails and Wildlife, is at the Winthrop library, or on sale at the Mazama Country Inn, Trails End bookstore, or on line at www.trafford.com/05-0717 .

Kevin van Bueren
Kevin is a current PSIA level 3 Nordic ski instructor.  His passion for the sport started at a young age having grown up Nordic skiing throughout Oregon.  After receiving a B.A. in Recreation Management and first working for Sun Mountain Lodge, Kevin traveled throughout the country working at a handful of resorts.  For the last 15 years, he has worked full-time in the Activity, Fly and Ski Shop at Sun Mountain Lodge; working along-side everyone who is “living the dream.”  Kevin enjoys coaching for the annual Methow Valley Nordic Club’s Ski Camp and the Winthrop Fitness Ski & Yoga Camp. He also enjoys occasional travels throughout the Northwest coaching weekend clinics.  Kevin is proud to be on the Board of Directors of the Methow Conservancy.  When he is not skiing, Kevin owns and operates North Cascades Fly Fishing, LLC www.fishandfloat.com.

Laurie Fry
Laurie is a well know Methow Valley artist. Her water color paintings grace the walls of many northwest homes and the covers of some books. Laurie is a level 3 certified instructor. She coaches at the Methow Valley Nordic Club’s annual Ski Camp and the Winthrop Fitness’s Ski & Yoga Camp. Laurie is famous for her unflappable kindness and good nature and gets many private lesson requests. She has been skiing all winter and painting all summer in the Methow Valley for almost two decades.

Jim Harbour
Young Jim started skiing in his mid-forties and has been passionate about the sport ever since. He is a level 3 certified instructor and directed the Spout Springs Nordic Ski School in the in the late 1980’s and early 90’s. He began teaching in the Methow Valley in 1993. He loves the speed and quiet beauty of track skiing and the freedom of light weight back-country skiing. He has been known to whoop with joy while skiing and wants to share that joy with others. With Jim a lesson is always FUN without a lot of technical hyperbole – Smiles and laughter are always abundant. Check out this Tacoma Tribune article: www.thenewstribune.com/adventure/story/269989.html

Melinda Oakley
Melinda is a Washington native who learned to ski in McCall, Idaho on a pair of skinny Kazama Mountain High telemark skis. In 1985 she began teaching with the Vail/Beaver Creek ski school where she taught and led back country ski tours for 10 years. Melinda has been teaching for 21 years; 11 of those right here in the Methow Valley. She is a PSIA certified level 3 instructor for both classic and skating styles. You can also find her telemark skiing any where in the mountains. When the snow melts she and her husband own and operate Morning Glory Balloon Tours www.balloonwinthrop.com in Winthrop. She shares her passion for skiing and the outdoors with kids, adults and anyone who wants to go outside and play.

Dick Ewing
Dick began cross country skiing in the Cascades near Portland, Oregon in the early 1970’s when few groomed trail existed. Skiing was touring to many of the places that one hiked in the summer. Around 1974 Dick was asked to join the Nordic Ski School based in Portland. Ski instruction then was as much about backcountry navigation and survival skills as ski technique.  Dick and his wife Pam moved to the Methow in 1985.  A key reason for moving to the Valley was the growing interest in track skiing and established trail system. In 1986 Dick joined the staff of the Methow Valley Ski School. Dick’s involvement with Professional Ski Instructors of America since the 1970’s, Level 3 certification, dedication to the sport, and personal experience on skis provide the many insights behind the personalized instruction that students enjoy in Dick’s classes.

Libby Hillis
Growing up on  west side of the Cascades, Libby learned to ski at Ski Acres on Snoqualmie Pass and made the shift  into Nordic skiing while living in a cabin in Alaska accessible only on skis.  She has been a Mazama resident since 1985 and began teaching with the Methow Valley Ski School in the late 80’s. A level 3 certified instructor, she enjoys all varieties of Nordic skiing and has enough skis in her closet to always have a good ski day in the Methow, regardless of snow conditions.  Backcountry, front country, MVSTA trails, and dog skiing in the backyard, “the skiing is always good someplace”.    

 

Kip Roberts
Kip began teaching downhill skiing at Pine Bend Ski Hill in Minnesota. His interest in nordic skiing lead him to lay out and develop the North Star Ski Trail outside of Minneapolis where he oversaw trail grooming and taught cross country skiing. In Minnesota he became a U.S. Ski Association certified coach. Moving west, Kip taught telemark and cross country skiing trough the Mountain Gear Ski School in Spokane from 1985 to 1993. He is a level 2 PSIA certified instructor and has been teaching in the Methow for over 12 years.

Grace Shaddox
A product of Central Washington University’s recreation program, Grace is the newest and youngest member of our staff. She specializes in our children’s programs. During the 2007-08 season Grace received more positive guest comment cards than anyone else. Her cheerful, upbeat manner keeps everyone in the ski shop smiling. Grace is a PSIA level 1 certified instructor and feels like she is living the dream by skiing everyday in the Methow Valley.

Chris Garner
Nebraska-born, turned fitness enthusiast to get into shape after having her last child, Chris became an aerobics instructor after moving to Gainesville, FL.  Again relocating to Santa Barbara, CA, she discovered cycling, both road and mountain.  There Chris met husband Brad, a sailor/backcountry trekker and former downhill ski bum.  After her kids went their own ways, Chris and Brad moved to his 35-foot wooden sailboat. Living on the water, she became enamored with outrigger paddling, and raced with Ka’Nai’a Outrigger Club’s Masters Women’s Team.   Around the same time, Brad introduced her to cross-country skiing in the Sierra Nevada, and she fell in love yet again. In 2002, on a new-home search in their VW camper, Chris and Brad found the Methow Valley and dropped anchor.  In addition to year-round enjoyment of recreational sports in the Methow, Chris operates a small inn and teaches Yoga.

Sam Naney
Sam grew up in the Methow Valley and began skiing as soon as his feet would hold him steady. Beginning in his early teens Sam started racing at the national level, and went on to race four years for Dartmouth College, serving as Team Captain his senior year. Since graduating with a degree in British History in 2006 Sam has continued to train and race professionally, traveling across North America and Europe. With goals of qualifying for the coming Olympic Games, Sam strives to incorporate coaching and instruction into every winter, and brings a blend of humor and current skiing modes to every lesson.

Ray Robertson
Ray has been skiing, hiking and running the Methow trails since 1983 and has been teaching skiing here for 15 years. He learned to alpine ski at Stevens Pass while growing up in Shoreline, and made the switch to skinny skis at Whitworth College in Spokane. Ray got his start teaching x-country skiing at a winter camp near Lake Wenatchee and has enjoyed helping kids and adults get their start or improve their skiing ever since. Ray and his wife Sylvia live and farm on Libby Creek. 

Margrit Broennimann
A native of Switzerland, Margrit has spent most of her life in the ski resort business.  From Saas-Fee and Crystal Mountain to the old Windy Pass ski hut for Equinox Ski Tours - north of Harts Pass, this lady’s been around.  Her day job is up at Sun Mountain Lodge, where she’s worked for many years, but we’ve persuaded her to help us out at our Mazama operation occasionally on her days off.