Biography:
John lives with his wife Olivia Cussen in the Bavarian themed town of Leavenworth, WA. Both IFMGA guides and AIARE avalanche instructors, the two have carved out a ski-guiding niche in a relatively undiscovered corner of the Cascades. As a full-time AMGA certified rock, alpine, and ski guide each year provides a dizzying schedule of work in the Cascades, the French, Swiss, and Italian Alps, an annual climb of Denali, as well as sporadic journeys to places as far flung as Antarctica, South Georgia Island, Argentina, Africa, Russia, and various ranges in Alaska. John serves on the American Mountain Guides Association's board of directors, and is currently sponsored by Patagonia, Petzl, Sportiva, and CiloGear. Together John and Olivia run the Northwest Mountain School and offer ski trips is the Alps, North Cascades, and Alaska. Recent ski accomplishments include the first winter ski traverse of the Chiwuakums, and guiding a group on the Shackleton Crossing of South Georgia Island on skis after an 850-mile approach by sailboat originating in the Falkland Islands.
G3 Gear Story:
When I received my first pair of G3 Alpinist Climbing Skins I was immediately impressed with how light they were, but what really won me over was the skin tool that allowed me to fit and perfectly cut the skins to fit my G3 Spitfires in minutes. The extra attention to detail that had gone into the development of the skins turned a normally irritating process into something that you could do in the last minute rush to powder that marks the start of ski season. Small details, simple design, and carefully selected modern materials are the standard for all of the G3 products I have used and tested. As a guide my gear needs to be simple, reliable, and versatile, making G3 the logical choice for skis, skins, probes, and shovels. I am looking forward to mounting the Onyx and expect the same from this long awaited binding.
