Meet Our Guides

Tim, one of the founders, has been guiding and operating SWS Mountain Guides for over 40 years. He has over 100+ summits on Mt. Shasta and over 100+ on Mt. Whitney. As an avid backcountry skier, he has logged countless ski ascents on Mt. Shasta, Mt Lassen, and several Trans Sierra Ski crossings and various climbing and skiing routes in the High Sierras. Tim’s high altitude experience includes ascents and 40 plus international expeditions in Mexico, Ecuador, Peru, Bolivia, Argentina, Tanzania, Nepal, and Russia.

• AMGA Alpine Guides Course
• AMGA Certified Single Pitch
• Professional Climbing Instructor Guides Institute Certified Top Rope Guide
• Wilderness First Responder
• Certified American Avalanche
• Association Avalanche Instructor
• Pro 2 Avalanche Training
• Certification, Graduate from the
  National Avalanche School
• Leave Not Trace Certified Trainer
• Membership in the American Alpine Club since 1997.
• BA in Geography from Humboldt State University
• Tim speaks Spanish, is married to Emily White-Keating, and has a 22-year-old son; Joshua plays college baseball.

David is one of the principal owners of SWS Mountain Guides and has over 25 years of managing & guiding experience for SWS Mountain Guides. Dave is a veteran SWS guide, having over 100 summits on Mt. Shasta to his name. In addition, Dave has high altitude experience and International expeditions in Ecuador, Bolivia, Russia, and Argentina. Dave’s true passion, however, is climbing in the Palisades on mixed routes. A little-known fact about Dave is that he is a fantastic backcountry chef and can cook a mean couscous burrito. Dave is a graduate of the 10-day AMGA Alpine Guide Course, AMGA Single Pitch Instructor, holds a Wilderness First Responder (WFR), and is a graduate of the National Avalanche School and Avalanche Level I & Level II. In addition, he graduated from Humboldt University with B.S. Degrees in Biology, Zoology, and Oceanography. Dave lives in Mt. Shasta with his wife, Alana. They have three children Jarrod, Mariah, and Jesse.

Born and raised in Mérida, Venezuela, Kique grew up scrambling up 4,000mts peaks. Summers saw him taking 72hr bus trips to explore the Andes in Colombia, Ecuador, Peru, Bolivia, and Argentina. After graduate studies in Switzerland at the ETH and in California at UC Berkeley, Kique completed a 15 yr career as a Program Manager at Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory while leading 15 expeditions to South America. Since then he has joined SWS and his organizational skills, attention to detail, AMGA training, and in depth knowledge of the Andes have allowed him to tailor highly successful expeditions at all experience levels. Kique is fluent in English, Spanish, German, and Japanese. He is a certified IFMGA guide having accreditation with the AMGA as a Rock Guide, Alpine Guide, and Ski Guide.

Dr. Emily Sagalyn-Brown is Board Certified in Emergency Medicine and holds the internationally recognized Diploma in Mountain Medicine (DiMM)

Dr. Emily Sagalyn-Brown is Board Certified in Emergency Medicine and holds the internationally recognized Diploma in Mountain Medicine (DiMM) training in glacier, high altitude, avalanche, and helicopter rescue. She is also the faculty of the DiMM program through the Wilderness Medical Society (WMS). Emily received her B.A. from Columbia University in New York, NY. She received her medical degree from the University of Massachusetts in Worcester, MA. She completed her Emergency Medicine residency at the University of Pennsylvania in Philadelphia, PA, and a fellowship in Wilderness Medicine and EMS at the University of Utah. While in Utah, she also completed her MPH. She serves on the board of the Wilderness Medical Society and earned their Fellowship of the Academy of Wilderness Medicine (FAWM). Emily has been the consulting physician for SWS Mountain Guides since 2010. She has provided wilderness medical care at the Kunde Hospital in Nepal, the medical clinics in Big Sky, Montana and Jackson Hole, Wyoming, and various locations throughout Utah.

Tony started climbing in MT in 1997 after moving there for college. From then on, all he wanted to be was a climber. Tony started guiding in 2004 and became an AMGA certified rock guide in 2007. He has climbed fairly extensively in the American west and has found success on a few trips to Europe. Tony is a full time science teacher and is raising two children that will be better rock climbers than he is in short order. 

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Winston Mueller – As a southern Oregon native, Winston has built his experience climbing rock and mountaineering in Oregon’s Cascade range and high desert crags.  Winston has been guiding with SWS since the 2021 season and plans to continue developing his skills and education through the PCGI all while guiding Mt. Shasta and rock climbing around the west.
PCGI Single Pitch Rock Guide / Rock Apprentice
A3 Avalanche Level 1 & 2
A3 Avalanche Rescue
 Wilderness First Responder (WMTC)

The volcano enthusiast with a passion for snowboarding down peaks and catching waves. Jackson has made it his life’s mission to climb volcanoes, prioritizing those with the added bonus of descending on his snowboard. When the snow melts, you’ll find him chasing waves with the same enthusiasm that fuels his alpine adventures.

Beyond his alpine antics and coastal pursuits, Jackson is a trained photographer, capturing the breathtaking moments of his adventures. You can catch a glimpse of his escapades on his Instagram account.  He’s not just about peaks, catching waves, or capturing the perfect shot. He’s an incredible guide, and more importantly, an amazing person. His easygoing nature instantly puts others at ease, making every expedition not just an adventure but a shared experience with a friend.

Having explored outdoor spaces around the globe, Jackson finds his true home in the shadow of Mt. Shasta. It’s not just about the landscape for him; it’s about sharing the importance of these spaces with others. A talented guide, he encourages those he leads to not only appreciate the surroundings but to embark on their own explorations.

Jackson is more than just a nice guy with a passion for volcanoes and surfing; he’s a beacon of enthusiasm, guiding you not only through the mountains but inspiring you to seek out the wonders of the outdoors.

Bec is a passionate and skilled educator and has taught at all ages in public and private sectors. She has completed the triple crown, traveled a 500 mile exploratory route through the desert of Nevada, California and Southern Oregon. She has completed alpine routes in Yosemite, the Wind River Range, Inyo Mountains, Elkhorns, Steen Mountains, the L2H Route, and several volcanic circumnavigations. She has hiked well over 10,000 miles and spent hundreds of nights in the backcountry. More recently her passion has transitioned into the winter high alpine. Bec has climbed and skied every volcano in the Cascade Arc, and many in the Chilean Ring of Fire. She guides because she is determined to pass on knowledge to people who love, or will grow to love, the outdoors as much as she does. 

• Avalanche Level Pro 1
• WFR (Wilderness First Responder)

Hannah currently resides in Bend, Oregon where she constantly (maybe obsessively) pursues her passion for snowsports. An avid splitboarder, alpine climber, and competitive freeride snowboarder in the recreational realm as well as a snowboard patroller and snowboard instructor in the professional realm, she is always finding ways to be on snow (as of November 2023, she’s at 25 consecutive months of snowboarding every month).

Her close secondary passion is teaching and sharing the things she loves with others, and working to eliminate the educational and financial barriers that keep people from experiencing the outdoors. She has worked in wilderness therapy, outdoor education, and guiding since joining SWS in early 2023. 

Meet Colin, our guide with a heart as vibrant as his canvas. A true happy soul, Colin finds joy not only in guiding but also in the world of art. When he’s not leading adventures, Colin can be found wielding a paintbrush, adding color to the world as a dedicated painter. Additionally, he shares his passion for skiing as an instructor at Heavenly Mountain Resort in South Lake Tahoe, where he calls home year-round.

Originally hailing from Necedah, Wisconsin, Colin made the journey West in pursuit of the great outdoors. His goal is clear – to immerse himself in the beauty of nature as much as possible. Beyond the slopes, Colin has developed a profound love for rock climbing and slacklining.

What sets Colin apart is not just his expertise in guiding or his artistic talents, but his infectious attitude towards life. Always ready to infuse an element of fun, Colin is more than a guide; he’s a companion who elevates the entire experience. It’s this magnetic quality that draws people to him, making every adventure not just memorable but genuinely enjoyable.

Kory, a Tahoe native whose love affair with skiing started on the crystal-clear shores of South Lake Tahoe at the age of 3. While he initially carved his path as a ski racer, high school saw him trade the slopes for the basketball court in pursuit of a professional career. Fate, however, had different plans, and after earning a degree in Biochemistry from Southern California University, he found himself drawn back to the mountains.

For the past four years, Kory has been a member of the ski patrol at Heavenly. His passion for the mountains extends beyond ski descents or delving into the intricacies of snow science.

When he’s not immersed in snowy environments, he spends his summers on the shores of Lake Tahoe as a water ski coach and boat captain between guiding. Always in search of those life-changing moments on skis, or rock.  Kory makes each moment you share an adventure and memory to cherish. 

Coming Soon!

Coming Soon!