Our Guides

All of the guides at Chatter Creek are trained and certified by the Association of Canadian Mountain Guides. They have also completed training and certification with the Canadian Avalanche Association and hold advanced first aid qualification. Tail guides have completed training and certification with the Canadian Avalanche Association and hold advanced first aid qualification.

 

Josh Milligan
Mountain Operations Manager

Josh has been guiding for 18 years and has worked at Chatter Creek since 2004.

Josh has been working at Chatter Creek since 2004. Over the past 18 years he’s guided cat skiing, heli skiing and ski touring throughout western Canada and in Europe. In addition to ski guiding he’s had the opportunity to work as a mountain safety consultant on a variety of projects including; Olympic athletic training, industrial risk management and ski media production. He’s actively involved with both HeliCat Canada and the Canadian Avalanche Association as a member of the Accreditation Committee and the InfoEx Advisory Committee. Josh lives in Nelson BC where he spends the summer months exploring the Kootenays. “Nothing beats deep powder snow and a backcountry lodge.”

Peter Willott
Guide

Mr. Willott is Chatter Creek’s good time’s ambassador and began working at Chatter in 2001.

Mr. Willott is Chatter Creek’s good time’s ambassador. Pete began working at Chatter in 2001. In the summer he works for Parks Canada fixing up the hiking trails in Banff and Yoho National Parks. When not working Pete likes to play outside and dance as often as possible. “Hopefully we will do both your next trip. See you out there!”

Chatter Creek Stefan Kreuzer
Guide

Stefan started skiing at the age of four and has been in love with the best winter sport ever since.

Stefan started skiing at the age of four and has been in love with the best winter sport ever since. His professional ski career began in 1984 when he began teaching skiing in Quebec. Soon enough the mountains were not big enough, and he relocated to BC to find great snow and big mountains and moved from teaching skiing to ski patrolling and eventually ski guiding for the last eighteen years. He is fluent in English, French, and German and also speaks a little Spanish. Stefan is looking forward to skiing the best powder available with you in a relaxed yet safe atmosphere.

Steve Konik
Guide

Steve has been working in the ski industry for almost 20 years.

Steve has been working in the ski industry for almost 20 years. He began his guiding work as a ski patroller and has spent many years guiding in the backcountry, cat skiing, and heli skiing. Steve started working at Chatter Creek in 2009. In the summer months, Steve can be found kayaking Haida Gwaii where he leads expedition kayak trips. When Steve is not guiding in the mountains or on the ocean, he can be found at home in Canmore, Alberta with his family

Kevin Hjertaas
Guide

Ski mountaineering has always been his passion but powder skiing is his number one distraction!

Kevin has been a skier since age 6. He grew up skiing tiny hills in Central Alberta and moved to the mountains as soon as he could. His ski bum affliction took him to mountain ranges around the world for Freeski Tour contests and magazine/television shoots. Ski mountaineering has always been his passion but powder skiing is his number one distraction!  When not working at Chatter, Kevin operates a guiding service with Martin Lefebvre, MTN Guides.

Brodie St. Julian
Guide

Born and raised on BC powder, Brodie has spent the better part of his winters on skis.

Born and raised on BC powder, Brodie has spent the better part of his winters exploring the mountains on skis. Brodie is looking to share his passion for the sport with others. In the summers you can find him hanging off a rope on one of the many peaks of the Canadian Rockies or working as a wood crafter from his home in the Blaeberry.

Yuji Akiyama
Guide

Yuji came over to Canada from downtown Tokyo Japan in 2002.

Yuji came over to Canada from downtown Tokyo Japan in 2002.  He planned to stay in Canada for only one year to check out the mountains but he’s still here.  Seems he was trapped in Canadian deep pow and can’t get out!  Yuji started working at Chatter Creek in 2012.  When you don’t see him at Chatter, he’s likely guiding ski touring in the Rockies or Japan.  Yuji spends the summer months guiding Japanese hikers and backpackers in the Rockies.  He lives year round in Canmore with his wife and two daughters.

Martin Lefebvre
Guide

Martin was lured by the call of bigger mountains and deeper snow.

Martin grew up in Montreal and learned to ski in the rolling hills of the Laurentians just north of the city. Like many other transplants to this side of the country Martin was lured by the call of bigger mountains and deeper snow. After a few ski bum seasons he started working in the ski industry and never looked back. His passion for ski mountaineering has taken him all over the world in search of classic and first descents. When not working at Chatter, Martin operates a guiding service with Kevin Hjertaas, MTN Guides.

Jordan Farquharson
Guide

Jordan moved west for bigger mountains and deeper powder over a decade ago.

Jordan learned to ski in the small hills of Ontario but moved west for bigger mountains and deeper powder a decade ago. Prior to guiding Jordan spent his winters as a ski patroller and avalanche technician at Panorama Mountain. When the winter ends, he spends most of his time planting trees or rock climbing around his current home of Invermere, BC.

Miles Bate
Guide

Loves powder skiing, loves bacon. A match made in heaven!

Originally from Agassiz BC, Miles started his outdoor career at a young age in the BC logging industry.  He worked his first shift at Chatter in 2006 and has been back every year.  When not skiing at Chatter, he can be found on the alpine race circuit with his son and daughter who are avid skiers, which is no big surprise given he met his wife when she was a guest cat skiing. Miles is also a passionate mountain biker and happy to engage in a discussion regarding his favourite mountain biking terrain in western Canada.

Matthew Garner
Guide

Matt will use almost anything as an excuse to spend time outside in the mountains.

Matt has been part of the Chatter family since 2007. He has cooked your food, spotted your landings, and maybe even tried to give you one of his signature massages. He is excited to be returning this year, out front, leading the charge. When he is not choking on Chatter’s delicious powder, Matt lives in Nelson BC. He keeps himself amused with dirt bikes, skateboards and chainsaws. Matt will use almost anything as an excuse to spend time outside in the mountains.
Bryan Anderson
Guide

Bryan Anderson’s first trip into Chatter Creek to guide was in 2011.

Bryan Anderson’s first trip into Chatter Creek to guide was in 2011. He grew up water skiing and surfing on Vancouver Island and moved to the Rocky Mountains to ski patrol in 1992 where he met his future wife who was also a patroller. His first winter guiding cat skiing was in 1998 and has been heli, cat and touring folks in the mountains every winter since then. Bryan lives in Golden with his wife and two kids. Days off in the winter are spent chasing his two young kids through the trees at Kicking Horse Resort. He spent his summers as a whitewater rafting guide until retiring (except for the odd cameo) 10 years ago to work full time in his other trade as a Journeyman Carpenter. Spare time in the summer is spent loading up the dirt bikes, hooking up the trailer, ski boat, toys and heading to a lake with his family. He looks forward to his warm water surf and sand castle building vacation before his winter starts every year.

Tim Collins
Guide

Tim resides in Golden where he spends time burning fossil fuels and calories.

After a hiatus of several years Tim is back at Chatter Creek.  Tim resides in Golden where he spends time burning fossil fuels and calories.  When he’s not exploring the mountains on his skis or bike he keeps busy being a dad and running a painting business.

Rachel Brown
Tail Guide

Downtown Rachel Brown, all the way from Labrador via St John’s Newfoundland.

Downtown Rachel Brown, all the way from Labrador via St John’s Newfoundland. Before Chatter Creek Rachel spent 17 years in Lake Louise where she worked as an avalanche forecaster and ski patroller. Deep and soft snow lured her to the west side of the Rockies in 2006 and she hasn’t looked back. Rachel now lives in Nelson BC where she spends her summers working on the garden and enjoying the West Kootenays.

Diana Christianson
Tail Guide

Diana grew up playing in the Rockies.

Diana grew up playing in the Rockies. After travelling and living in all corners of the province of BC in search of high places and open spaces, she is happy to be back in this neck of the woods and looking forward to her fourth season at Chatter. Diana has been working in the ski and avalanche industry for the last 8 years and is as passionate about her work as ever. In the summertime you will find her wandering in the wilds of northern British Columbia whispering to bears and hunting poachers.

Nic Hamilton
Tail Guide

Nic is looking forward to sharing some amazing turns with you on your next trip up to the lodge. Let it snow!

After a couple seasons of warming the bench as a part-timer, Nic is stoked to get bumped onto the starting line-up and all the glorious powder skiing that entails. A lifetime athlete, Nic had the opportunity to race road bikes professionally for nearly a decade prior to “seeing the light” and trading carbon wheels for sending sticks. He resides in Canmore and spends his summers travelling through the mountains climbing and biking. He is looking forward to sharing some amazing turns with you on your next trip up to the lodge. Let it snow!

Kat Beets
Tail Guide

With her personal motto being “No bad days” she’s generally an upbeat personality.

Born in New Zealand, Kat made the journey north in 2006.  For the past 18 years she’s worked as a ski patroller and avalanche technician with 13 seasons being at Lake Louise.  Living in Banff she spends summers working for Parks Canada on trail crew and riding her mountain bike.  With her personal motto being “No bad days” she’s generally an upbeat personality.

Dave Schenkhuizen
Tail Guide

Dave is stoked to be back at Chatter Creek where he’s working a split shift of tail guiding and cat driving.

Dave is stoked to be back at Chatter Creek where he’s working a split shift of tail guiding and cat driving. Dave loves skiing and more than that, just sharing time in these beautiful mountains! When he’s not tail guiding or driving a cat up and down the mountains he can be found ski touring around Golden or explaining how to pronounce his last name. If there’s no snow on the ground he’s most likely clamouring up rock in BC or the Canadian Rockies.
Chris Skinner
Tail Guide

Chasing the dream and the cold smoke.

Chris aka “Skinner” hails from Ontario and moved west many moons ago to work as a lifty.  Nearly 20 years later he’s still here chasing the dream and the cold smoke. Hiking Guide in the summer and ski bum in the winter, Invermere is his home base for all the adventures.
Kelly Cytko
Tail Guide

Part hillbilly, part adventure queen, and all class, all the time.

Kelly grew up in the mountains of SW Alberta where she spent most of her days riding caballos. That all changed when she moved north and found true love: climbing and skiing. When she’s not at Chatter she can be found traveling the world with WestJet Airlines or guiding multi-day trips in the Rocky Mountains. She is part hillbilly, part adventure queen, and all class, all the time.