Our Mission

Founded in 2010, the Bridger-Teton Avalanche Center Foundation is the non-profit organization that helps fund the operations of the Bridger-Teton Avalanche Center. Each year, the Foundation helps raise 70% of Bridger-Teton Avalanche Center (BTAC) funding through private donations and grants. Wyoming State Trails, Grand Teton National Park Foundation, and many volunteers provide critical support to help achieve our collective goal of providing avalanche and weather information to recreationalists around the region. The Foundation works tirelessly to raise awareness of the BTAC’s essential contributions of daily, detailed avalanche forecasts, snow and weather data, and avalanche awareness education for Northwest Wyoming.

Each year, over 70% of the Avalanche Center’s funding is derived from community donations or grants from the State of Wyoming.

If you are a winter backcountry skier, snowboarder or snowmobiler, and value the free, scientific, decision–guiding information the BTAC provides, please help support our work.

BTAC US Forest Service Forecast team

Frank Carus

Frank started with the US Forest Service at the Mount Washington Avalanche Center in 2011 and has been the Director of BTAC since 2021. Frank worked as SAR team leader or Incident Commander for many avalanche and mountain rescues in New Hampshire and has investigated more avalanche incidents and fatalities than he would like. Frank is a trained Critical Incident Stress Peer Supporter and a member of the Teton Interagency Peer Support group. He has an obvious passion for learning and has taken the AMGA Alpine, Ski, and Ski Mountaineering guide courses and has worked as a mountain guide and rescue instructor since 1996. The human relationship to risk-taking is an endless source of fascination for Frank.

frank@btavy.org

Alex Drinkard

Alex grew up near Spokane, WA where his fascination for mountains and deep powder snow began. His career with the USFS started in silviculture/forestry while obtaining a BS in Environmental Sciences from Portland State University; where he collected water quality data and wrote grants for non-profit organizations. He pursued wildland fire after college to chase the ‘ski bum’ lifestyle. This enabled him to spend winters in the British Columbia backcountry blending his passion for snow study, splitboarding, and snowmobiling. Since 2020, he has worked on the Bridger-Teton NF during the winter months. When Alex isn’t digging pits, tracking layers, or cataloging avalanches he enjoys gliding downhill sideways on a piece of wood.

 

Noah McCorkel

 Noah grew up on the Front Range of Colorado as the child of two talented rock climbers. He was exposed to the mountains at a young age and first climbed the Grand Teton at age 13. This was a formative experience for Noah and ultimately led him to return to the Tetons for good after graduating from the University of Colorado in 2017.

Noah is passionate about all forms of skiing and climbing and has pursued them at a high level from South America to Alaska. A bit of a dual personality, Noah also enjoys science, obtaining a MS in Geospatial Information Science and Technology from the University of Wyoming in 2023. Most of all, Noah loves teaching and sharing his excitement for the mountains with those around him.

Mike Rheam

Mike works as the avalanche hazard reduction leader for Jackson Hole Ski Patrol and as a forecaster for the Bridger-Teton NF Avalanche Center. Mike is the coordinator and lead instructor for the JH NAS Field Session. He has had extensive experience heli-ski guiding and forecasting and is currently a guide and snow safety consultant for a backcountry lodge in the Alaska Range. Mike floats, fishes, hikes, and skis with his wife and daughter, both of whom ski better than he does.

 

Aaron Diamond

Aaron grew up in the Pocono Mountains of Pennsylvania and after a short stint in Canada and Alaska landed in Jackson Wyoming in 2010. During that time he has held numerous rolls in the guiding and avalanche education world including Winter Chief Guide for Exum Mountain Guides and Lead Instructor for the American Avalanche Institute. Aaron also works as the head Denali and Alaska Range Ski Guide for Mountain Trip Alaska and has guided skiers off the top of North America numerous times. When not working in the snow you can find Aaron spending time with his partner Amy, swimming alongside his packraft, eating ice cream, climbing, and reading.

 

Joey Manship

 Joey grew up in West Yellowstone and Bozeman, Montana exploring the mountains skiing, biking, hunting, and snowmobiling. After finishing high school, he moved to Salt Lake City, Utah where he studied at Westminster College. After college Joey continued his drive to be in the mountains by finding a career where he could do what he loves, being outside, and showing the mountains to other people. Joey began working for the Utah Avalanche Center in 2020 and moved on the BTAC in 2025. He loves the focus on educating, serving the community, and sticking his nose in the snow. You will find him skiing, snowmobiling, or cruising the desert when not working for the BTAC or guiding

Dan Nagy

Daniel grew up with a deep passion for the outdoors, leading him to earn a BS in Earth Sciences at UC Santa Cruz. He began his dedicated career in snow safety and winter operations as a Ski Patroller at Sierra at Tahoe before moving to the Tetons. Daniel worked as a ski and bike patroller for 14 years, mostly recently working as an Avalanche Hazard mitigation lead and forecaster at Grand Targhee. 

Living in Teton Valley, Idaho, Daniel stays busy working as an arborist, training working dogs, and spending time in the backcountry on both sides of the Tetons with his wife, daughter and fur children.

BTAC Foundation Staff

Liz King, Executive Director

Liz began working in the winter industry as a ski patroller after graduating from the University of Montana in 2008. After becoming a NOLS instructor in 2010 she soon led winter expeditions for the school and taught Level 1 Avalanche Courses. As a Senior Instructor for NOLS, Liz worked on curriculum development and implementation, risk management, and instructor development. In 2016, she stepped into the Program Supervisor position and spent three years supervising instructors, helping to manage the winter programming at the school, and coordinating logistics.

Liz has worked as a Backcountry Ski Guide & Avalanche Educator at Yostmark Backcountry Tours for nearly a decade, guiding clients and teaching students in and around Jackson, Wyoming. In 2019, she joined the AAI Instructor Team – leading both Recreational and Professional courses. That same year Liz took the position of Preventative Search & Rescue Manager at the Teton County Search & Rescue Foundation. In that role, she spearheaded the Wyoming Snow & Avalanche Workshops and oversaw the Backcountry Zero community outreach initiative – a Jackson Hole community vision to reduce fatalities in the Tetons. She also served as Associate Director and Interim Executive Director of that organization before stepping away at the end of 2023 to get back into winter work. Most recently, Liz has served as the Education Chair on the Board of Directors at the American Avalanche Association and worked as a public avalanche forecaster. She lives in Victor, ID with her husband, shaggy dogs, and horses.

Foundation Board Members

  • Paul D’Amours, Chair
  • Jesse Stover, Vice-Chair
  • Stewart Johnson
  • Mark Snell
  • Chris Leigh
  • Chris Harder
  • Jesse Stover
  • Jen Reddy
  • Lynne Wolfe
  • Karen Wilbrecht
  • Patricia Campbell
  • Scott Guenther
  • Bill Maloney, Emeritus and BTACF Founder