Tim was born and raised on Cape Cod, Massachusetts. He has now been living and adventuring in the mountains of the Gunnison Valley since 2011, which is where he found his passion for mountain guiding. Tim has had the opportunity to travel and work at some of Eleven's global properties which has enhanced and inspired his guiding further. You can count on him to show you a safe, enjoyable time doing mostly anything except fly fishing! Tim is a WEMT, Single Pitch Instructor, CSGA Level 1 certified, & ACA Swift Water Rescue Certified guide. In his free time you can find Tim in the mountains of Colorado skiing and snowmobiling powder, and exploring the alpine on anything with two wheels!
Meredith Massey
Sales and Operations Specialist
Kyle discovered the Gunnison Valley and his love of the mountains by way of Western Colorado University. He graduated with a degree in Recreation and Outdoor Education, though he’ll tell you that the most formative aspects of his time at Western were instructing for Wilderness Pursuits and participating on the Western Mountain Rescue Team. Both programs introduced him to his closest friends and laid the foundation for his careers in guiding and mountain rescue. When winter work became available after graduation, he began his professional ski career with four seasons of full-time ski patrolling and then began teaching and guiding for Irwin in 2020. In the summer months Kyle has guided whitewater rafting, rock climbing, and mountaineering in Colorado, Alaska, and Washington. He tries to spend as much time as possible in Crested Butte, but is pulled to the northwest each summer by a coveted position as a Climbing Ranger on Mount Rainier. In this role he is one of few civilian helicopter rescue technicians in the US and executes high altitude technical rescue on the glaciated terrain of Mount Rainier. He’s always found search and rescue to be his way to give back to the mountain community that he loves so much. Kyle does have some free time every now and then and enjoys spending it on hut based skiing trips, overnight rafting trips, and music festivals. Kyle is an IFMGA Mountain Guide, AIARE Course Leader and EMT-IV.
Whitney is a splitboarder originally from Little Rock, Arkansas. After graduating from Pepperdine University with a degree in Sports Medicine, she went on into mountain guiding. However, she quickly found that her passion was Avalanche Education and began pursuing the AIARE curriculum and has been instructing Avalanche courses for 4+ years. In the summer she loves mountain biking and trail running. She has been in Crested Butte for 8 years and lives in CB south with her husband Will.
Billy has been an outdoor professional since 1992 when he arrived in Crested Butte with his focus on guiding and education. He began with Outward Bound and NOLS in 1994 and has led mountaineering, river, sea kayaking, and canyon courses in Colorado, Utah, Mexico, and Alaska. Billy was an avalanche forecaster for the Crested Butte Avalanche Center for 10 years and was on the board of directors. He worked for 10 years on the Crested Butte Professional Ski Patrol and previously worked as a snowcat ski guide for the old Irwin Lodge. He is a certified Pro 2 Avalanche Practitioner, a certified AIARE Avalanche Instructor, and also works for AIARE as an instructor trainer and on their pro instructor team. Billy is a Wilderness Emergency Medical Technician and teaches wilderness medicine for Desert Mountain Medicine and is the owner and lead instructor of Intuition Consulting. Billy has a wonderful wife Erin, two lovely children Revi & Vasey, and when he's not guiding you can find him with his kids in the wild having fun and learning about the wonders of nature. Billy has stood on the summit of Denali and has rafted and kayaked down through the Grand Canyon on seven different trips.
Reed graduated from Central Michigan University and moved immediately west in 2002. While in college, Reed fell in love with traveling to new mountain ranges like the LaSals, the Appalachians, and the Porcupines. Reed loves sharing his passion and experience with others through backpacking, rock climbing, canyoneering, mountain biking, running rivers, and backcountry skiing. He has worked in various elements of the outdoor industry, such as admin and guide staff, since 2000 including Central Michigan University’s Outdoor Program, Outward Bound, Trailhead Wilderness School, Adaptive Sports Center, and Rim Tours. Reed Joined Irwin Guides in 2009. He is a certified Level 1 Mountain Bike Instructor and guide through the International Mountain Bike Association (IMBA) and is working toward furthering his certifications in the guiding world. Specialties: Mountain biking, hiking, backpacking, rafting and stand up paddle boarding.
Ian Havlick is a Colorado native who cut his teeth in the mountains west of Boulder, Colorado. After captaining the University of Utah’s Nordic Ski Team from 2007-2011, he returned to Colorado to guide mechanized cat and heli skiing in Crested Butte and Telluride. Ian achieved full UIAGM/IFMGA Mountain guide certification in 2019 and has guided extensively in Alaska, Canada, Norway, Iceland, Mexico, and the Central European Alps. In winter, Ian leads the public outreach efforts for the Crested Butte Avalanche Center. When not working as a guide, Ian tries to keep up with his wife and two young kids biking, fishing, and gardening in the backyard.
“Minnesota is a great place to be from but you don’t need to stay there.” Aaron took this motto of the ironic Minnesota Alpine Club to heart. Growing up in a steady diet of lake fishing, canoeing, and nordic skiing Aaron then left the Northstar State and spent nearly 10 years working as a guide and ski patroller throughout the Western US and Alaska. After a hiatus to earn his doctorate in chiropractic, Aaron is glad to be guiding again. He is a Wilderness First Responder, AIARE Course Instructor, BICP Mountain Bike Instructor, AMGA Single Pitch Rock Instructor, and is consistently progressing toward further AMGA certification in the Rock and Ski disciplines. Based in Crested Butte with his wife and son, Aaron also works as a chiropractor and serves on the Board of Directors for the non-profit High Country Conservation Advocates. He loves to share the Gunnison Valley and is particularly drawn to teaching new skills in this beautiful outdoor setting. Aaron teaches rock climbing, mountain biking, backcountry and nordic skiing, splitboarding, avalanche education, and is always happy to take a long walk in the woods.
Dave has been guiding all over the American West and throughout Europe since 1999. He has directed well-established outdoor programs in Colorado and Germany. He is a certified AMGA guide, AIARE Course Leader and an ACA instructor in multiple disciplines. He has a masters degree in Education and loves to use it while educating his students. Dave loves sharing the outdoors with his clients.
Eli was raised exploring the wild spaces that surrounded the San Francisco Bay Area. It was not until a semester NOLS course in the Rockies, that he seriously considered a career in the outdoors. Before completely immersing in the outdoor lifestyle, Eli studied Psychology and Neuroscience at Tulane University in New Orleans. While in NOLA, he took great lengths to feed his passion for skiing, rock climbing, and backpacking. Soon after graduating he moved to Crested Butte, where he has guided skiing, rock climbing, and mountain biking for Irwin Guides over the past several years. As an EMT-B and Wilderness First Responder, Eli is an enthusiastic educator in the field of wilderness emergency medicine for Desert Mountain Medicine. In the winter he splits his time between Crested Butte Professional Ski Patrol and the Eleven Experience cat skiing operation at Irwin. Eli is working towards his AMGA ski guide certification so that he can chase powder skiing internationally. When he is not guiding, you can catch Eli playing music with his friends, starting an impromptu dance party in the street, or riding his bike to jump in the river!
Ben grew up in Colorado and has been playing in the mountains since his parents stuck him on skis at age 2. He studied Biology and Chemistry while at college in Gunnison, served as both the Training Coordinator and a Mission Coordinator for Western Mountain Rescue Team, and guided college students on climbing, skiing, and mountain biking trips for Wilderness Pursuits, where eventually he became the Assistant Manager. For several years, Ben was a full-time Ski Patroller in the winters, and in the summers guided climbing in the Pacific Northwest and Alaska, including multiple ascents of Denali and Mt. Rainier, as well as many peaks in the North Cascades. Ben now lives in Crested Butte year-round, and guides full-time for Irwin Guides, creating personalized experiences for people interested in climbing, biking, rafting, or skiing in his backyard mountains. Occasionally he still guides a large expedition, a technical route on a Colorado 14er, or one of his many favorite routes in the Northwest. Ben is an AMGA Certified Alpine Guide, a Wilderness EMT, and holds a Pro 2 Avalanche Certification. When he isn't guiding, you'll likely find Ben rock climbing in the sun, skiing his favorite powder stash, or on a remote rafting trip with his wife and their dogs.
Born and raised in Vail, Colorado, Lani has lived for mountain pursuits for most of her life. After racing as a Division I Collegiate nordic ski racer at Middlebury College while she studied Environmental Science and Geography, she swapped her skinny skis and immersed herself in the world of backcountry skiing and mountain biking. Racing as a professional enduro mountain biker and adventure bikepacker allowed Lani to live on the road for four years straight, getting to ride in nearly every state and almost every continent. The freedom of mountain biking, trail running and sleeping out under the stars makes her think summer is her favorite season, until the snow falls and skiing takes the limelight. Lani is entering her fifth season guiding full time for Irwin’s Cat Skiing Operation. She works as an AIARE Avalanche Instructor and nordic ski coach. Most recently, she joined the Denali Patrol as a volunteer ranger. She skis for Salomon and is supported by Patagonia and Revel Bikes, helping to allow her to travel immensely when not guiding. You can find some of her writing and film projects on Salomon TV, in the Patagonia Journals and Backcountry Magazine. She absolutely loves Crested Butte. It’s not often to catch her without an enormous smile and eager to share her favorite trails and powder stashes.
Megan is a veteran Lead Guide and Operational Manager at Eleven Experience. She has worked 20+ years guiding, patrolling and adventuring in the highest reaches of the mountains she calls home. She holds her EMT, AIARE L3, Colorado Blaster License and clocks in annually as Lead Forecaster for the Elk Mt. Grand Traverse Snow Safety Team. Megan believes in making genuine connections and taking time to unravel from the daily stressors of life with the simple pleasure of skiing. She is passionate about life and sharing beautiful experiences together in beautiful places. Megan stays busy raising her two spirited young boys, who are always up for an adventure. When the snow melts, her inspirations from nature help fuel creativity for her landscape design business. She looks forward to the next adventure with old and new friends at her side, Pura Vida!
After graduating from college, Mars quickly swapped the Northeast for the mountains of Colorado, diving headfirst into the snow industry. With a background as a ski instructor, patroller, and now as a winter ski guide at Irwin Guides, she’s made herself at home in some of the state’s most stunning terrain. Her favorite places to ski include the West Elks north of Crested Butte, the San Juans and the Zirkel Wilderness up in northern Colorado. Her passion for recreation also fuels her career in public lands management, where she spends the off-season working for a local land trust. She’s also actively pursuing the AMGA Ski Guide track, with a focus on exploring glaciers for her Advanced Course. You will always find her with a smile and stoking you stoke as you ski the great pow our terrain at Irwin Guides offers.
HBaumm brings three decades of deep mountain experience to his role as a ski guide for Eleven at Irwin. Originally from Ocean Point, Maine, he’s spent the last 30+ years in Crested Butte, where he worked on the professional ski patrol and built an unmatched knowledge of snow safety and backcountry terrain.
Since joining Eleven in 2021, HBaumm has been showing guests the remote beauty of Irwin—one of Colorado’s most legendary powder stashes. Whether it’s chasing late-season powder or taking in the vast views from Scarp Ridge, he’s passionate about helping guests experience the magic of these remote, snow-filled mountains.
When he’s not guiding, you’ll find him exploring far-off trails, riding desert singletrack, or simply soaking up the stillness of wild places. His dream Eleven moment? Floating through late-season powder turns at Irwin, where the terrain, the snow, and the stoke all come together.
Bel is a Crested Butte native with a passion for the outdoors. Bel’s parents put her on skis before she could walk, fostering an endless love for sliding on snow. She graduated from Fort Lewis College in Durango, CO with a degree in Tourism and Hospitality and a certificate in Ski Resort Operations. Bel studied abroad in the French Alps to expand her knowledge of hospitality. She travelled across Europe with her skis, immersing herself in the legendary culture. During college, she was the president of the Keeping Women Wild Club, focused on empowering Women in the outdoors. Bel is a certified raft guide, Wilderness First Responder, and has her AIARE Level 1 & Companion Rescue. Bel loves to ski, ride snowmobiles, mountain bike, raft, climb, and enjoy the wildflowers. She is stoked to be back in the valley helping people get outside with Irwin Guides!
