Instructors
Erich Peitzsch
Erich is a research physical scientist at the U.S. Geological Survey Northern Rocky Mountain Science Center in West Glacier, MT. He studies avalanches and snow, specifically wet snow avalanches, using drones for snow and avalanche research, and using tree rings to investigate avalanche patterns through time. He received his Ph.D. and M.S. from the Department of Earth Sciences at Montana State University. He worked as a ski patroller at Alpine Meadows Ski Area in Lake Tahoe, as the director of the Flathead Avalanche Center, and currently oversees the Going-to-the-Sun Road avalanche program in Glacier National Park. When not studying snow, he spends time in the mountains and traveling with his family.
Lloyd Morsett
Lloyd is a transplant to the Flathead Valley after spending a couple of decades working and playing in the scariest snowpack on the planet. Lloyd has been a professional ski patroller, avalanche dog handler, and educator since the 1900s. He is also a professional member of the American Avalanche Association and a founding board member of Friends of the Flathead Avalanche Center. Although avalanche rescue and ski touring remain his true loves, Lloyd has recently been seen holding the handlebars of a 150 horse power brap machine.
Burket kniveton
Burket grew up surfing, skateboarding, and snowboarding. He earned a degree in Outdoor Education and Leadership, a master’s degree in counseling, and completed advanced avalanche forecast training with the American Avalanche Institute. He has worked as a backcountry snowboard guide and he has studied the human factors that contribute to decision making in mountain sports. He is now a Licensed Clinical Professional Counselor in Whitefish. After more than 30 years of snowboarding, he put on skis for the first time in 2022 to help his son learn to ski on the magic carpet at WMR.
Jenny Cloutier
Born and raised in the Flathead Valley, Jenny enjoys instructing ecology, outdoor medicine, mental health, and avalanche education courses. Jenny has followed her passion for snow and education through working as a patroller at Whitefish Mountain Resort, teaching in the Flathead National Forest’s winter safety and avalanche program, writing and instructing courses for Western Washington University students, and leading Patrol Fund and Flathead Avalanche educational programming. She holds an American Avalanche Association professional level 1 and a Master of Environmental Education and is incredibly thankful for any day spent teaching or playing in the snow.
Teal Gayner
Teal was born and raised in Whitefish where she enjoys skiing, rafting, sailing, and camping with her friends and family. She studied geosciences at The University of Montana and works locally as a geologist in the geotechnical engineering field. She found a love for snow science as she worked for 5 years on ski patrol at Whitefish Mountain Resort and has helped run The Patrol Fund and avalanche education courses since. She has a passion for educating and providing learning opportunities to our community.
Jamie Burkholder
Jamie developed a love for winter and snow sports at an early age in his home state of Vermont. After a brief stint in the "real" world, he began down the path of seasonal employment. In the late 2000's he began working as a professional ski patroller in Vermont, then off to Utah and now Montana. The love of all things winter continues as he helps guide his daughters through their early years. In the last couple of years, he began formally instructing in the avalanche education world and looks forward to many more years of traveling in the mountains.
Morgan Goetting
Morgan Goetting moved to Whitefish in 97/98 for the winter, to spend some time in the snow before moving on and getting “A Real Job”. Whitefish has been home ever since. Morgan is a professional ski patroller at Whitefish Mountain Resort during the winter months and has a landscape gardening business the rest of the year. Morgan still enjoys spending time in the mountains be it snow or dirt.
hannah farrell
Hannah has been an avid skier since she was a little scutter in Washington. She has patrolled at Big Mountain for five seasons and stepped into the ED role for the Patrol Fund in 2024. When she’s not skiing every month of the year, you can find her brapping, baking, mountain biking, or hanging out with her dog.
KoDY Coxen
Oregon native Kody Coxen has lived most of his life with the goal of being outdoors. With that in mind, he moved to the Flathead in 2016. He began ski patrolling at Big Mountain in 2018 and, when not working, he can be found skiing the backcountry. After years of backcountry skiing around the mountains of northwest Montana, he started teaching avalanche courses in 2021. He enjoys teaching people that are looking to expand their snow safety knowledge. During the other three non-winter seasons, Kody works managing natural spaces as an ecologist and enjoys rock climbing, backpacking, and hunting in his free time.
guy zoellner
Guy has worked for the Flathead Avalanche Center for the last 11 years as a professional observer, forecaster and instructor. He continues to work for the Forest Service in the summer months running trail programs in the Bob Marshall Wilderness. When not working he can be found on the sidelines of his kids soccer matches across the state of Montana or skiing on WMR with his family. A method is still the best trick you can do on a snowboard.
addie elm
A Flathead Valley native, Addie has been playing on Big Mountain since she was a tiny tot. After working in various roles on the mountain, she found her passion in ski patrolling. When the snow isn’t falling, you can find her boating, fishing, mountain biking, or chasing her puppy around.
JAMES YOUNG
Originally from the East Coast, James found his love for skiing on the icy hills of New Hampshire and Vermont, as well as Tuckerman's Ravine on Mount Washington. After graduating from the University of New Hampshire with a degree in Outdoor Education, he and his now wife decided to move west for deeper snowpacks and longer winter seasons. James began his avalanche education by taking his rec level one with The Patrol Fund the first winter he lived in Montana. Since then, he has gone on to getting his professional avalanche certification and has made working in the snow his passion. You can find him in the winter working as a ski patroller at Whitefish Mountain Resort.
Jackson george
Jackson has spent most of his life learning from and being humbled by the mountains. Originally hailing from the southwest, Jackson earned his chops in the San Juans Mountains while completing a Geology degree at Fort Lewis College. After graduating in 2014, he traded sunscreen for fog lights and landed in Columbia Falls, Montana.
He presently splits his time between the Flathead Valley and Sandpoint Idaho, where he is working as an Avalanche Forecaster for the Idaho Panhandle Avalanche Center. He began teaching courses with the Patrol Fund in 23/24 and hopes to be a part of the program for many years to come. In the summertime, you might find Jackson swinging a pulaski for the Trail Crew in Glacier Park, or more ideally, shooting the breeze on the river with his wife Clare.
PAUL FOTTER
Paul has been an avid skier since he was a middle school kid learning to ski in Maine. He moved out to the Flathead Valley to work in Glacier National Park back in 2016 as a Red Bus Driver and eventually as a Ranger. In addition to his work with The Patrol Fund, he is an AMGA Single Pitch Instructor, Fireline EMT, and instructs Wilderness Medicine courses. He is an avid rock climber, enjoys trail running and all things outdoors in the Flathead Valley.
riley elgerd
Originally from Colorado, Riley grew up skiing competitively in the IFSA Junior Freeride tour. His love for bigger and more interesting skiing led him into the backcountry as a teenager. He began working in the industry as a ski coach and ski instructor, and eventually found his way to Ski Patrolling at Whitefish, where he is now. He is looking forward to instructing Avalanche Education classes this year with the Patrol Fund.
jeremy primmer
Originally from Wisconsin, Jeremy moved to the Flathead Valley in 2015 after studying biomedical engineering. He has spent his winters working as a ski patroller at Whitefish Mountain Resort and as an avalanche forecaster for the Colorado Avalanche Information Center. He has been teaching with the Patrol Fund since 2023. When Jeremy is not ski touring or climbing across the west, he is at home gardening and cooking.