Travis and his siblings were blessed to have grown up in Durango with the natural areas of the Four Corners as their backyard. In 1993, two months after acquiring his drivers license, Travis attended his first Level 1 avalanche seminar with the Silverton Avalanche School. This experience set the stage for a lifetime of exploring the backcountry on skis. After high school, Travis eschewed college and chose to pursue certification as a Grand Canyon River Guide, a role he enjoyed for over a decade. When he wasn’t on the river, Travis worked winters as a ski patrolman. This lifestyle provided him ample time in the shoulder seasons to enjoy traveling and other pursuits of passion in the outdoors.  

In 2005, Travis completed a front range based nursing program and circled back to life in the Four Corners. For the past 9 years, Travis has blended his personal passion for the outdoors with his professional excellence as a flight nurse with Flight For Life Colorado. His remarkable journey; from ski patroller to nursing student, from backcountry rescuer to hospital work, has provided Travis with an amazing education and deep well of experience that benefits SAS students. When he’s not teaching, Travis and his wife's passion for the outdoors continues to grow as they introduce their two wild boys to all things nature.