Kyle Fredrick

Kyle was born and raised in Durango, Colorado, and received his Bachelor's Degree while on a soccer scholarship at Fort Lewis College. Skiing and spending time in the mountains have always been integral in his life, helping fuel his passion for the outdoors. After graduating from college in 2006, Kyle knew he wanted to pursue skiing more seriously and had heard Alta was a great place to do so. The hype about the skiing proved true, and the community and the people exceeded his expectations. He quickly formed some of the most meaningful relationships and lasting friendships in his life. He also quickly realized he wanted to be a part of the Alta Ski Patrol and started working toward that goal. Getting hired was tough, as the turnover was low, so he spent a year patrolling in Big Sky, Montana. Fortunately, the following year there was an opening in Alta, and Kyle was able to return to the place he had grown to love.

Through being a part of this incredible group, he met his wife, Liz, and continued to develop more lasting friendships. From becoming the Lead Gunner for the howitzer program to training an avalanche dog, ski patrolling has consistently provided Kyle with learning and growing opportunities. He looks forward to continued growth and providing these same opportunities to others through mentorship on the Alta Ski Patrol as well as Amazing Ski and Snow People.

Andrew McCloskey

Andrew grew up in Roanoke, Virginia, not really an ideal place for an aspiring skier. He moved to Clinton, New York, to attend Hamilton College, where his endearment for the outdoors allowed him to grow his love for skiing and snow in the Adirondack Mountains. Andrew spent the winter of ‘03-’04 working at the Alta Lodge, where he quickly realized that being a ski patroller in Alta was his true dream. His passion for skiing and snow forged an intense pride for Little Cottonwood Canyon, the place and the people. Over the last dozen years working as a patroller, Andrew has made it his goal to try to continually make Alta a better place through his actions. The opportunity to help create this amazing nonprofit is a further step he is enjoyably taking to support his community.

Amelia Praggastis

Amelia Praggastis was born and raised in Salt Lake City, Utah. She received her Bachelor’s degree from the University of Utah in Exercise Sports Science and Physiology. For 10 years, she worked with Wasatch Adaptive Sports, a local nonprofit that supports individuals with special needs in leading active lifestyles. Her love for the snow, mountains and specifically Little Cottonwood Canyon made her curious about snow science and the world of ski patrolling. Amelia currently is in her 5th season on the Alta Ski Patrol. She is excited to be a part of Amazing Ski and Snow People and to give back to the community that helped shape the person that she is today.

Dan Collins

Dan Collins grew up in Salt Lake City and was raised skiing in Little Cottonwood Canyon. He moved to the Sierras and ski patrolled in Mammoth, California, but a dry winter drove him back to Utah in the winter of ‘91, and he started working at the GMD. He started working for the Alta Ski Patrol in 1993. Dan started working year-round for Alta in 1997. He worked for Alta in summers and winters until 2001. During that time, he worked on important projects such as building the Alta Ski Patrol building at the top of the Collins lift.

In the Summer of 2001, Dan started college as a 31-year-old freshman with the support of Alta Ski Area through the Alta Education Grant. He studied biology and graduated with a Bachelor of Science. Dan began medical school at the University of Utah in 2005. His internal medicine residency was completed at the University of Vermont and he completed a gastroenterology fellowship in Charlotte, NC. Dan returned to Utah in 2015 and began working as a gastroenterologist for Intermountain Healthcare and resumed his favorite job, working with the Alta Ski Patrol. Dan is honored to be a member of Amazing Ski and Snow People’s Board of Directors.

Greg Miller

Greg was born and raised in New Jersey, not exactly a place known for powder snow and skiing. However, his family would routinely make the seven hour pilgrimage to northern Vermont to ski. He attended St. Lawrence University in northern New York where he majored in Geology and skied, kayaked and became an Outdoor Guide. During his summers, he worked as a guide for a raft company in Montana. After visiting Alta during a 4+ foot storm, the choice for a winter job was easy. Greg’s childhood dream job was to be a ski patroller and there is no better patrol than the Alta Ski patrol. Being a nonprofit board member was not planned, but he is proud of being part of the amazing community around Alta, and hopes to help foster the traditions that make Alta so special.

Chris Cawley

Chris grew up in Concord, New Hampshire, skiing at Pats Peak and rambling in the White Mountains. Though he wouldn't realize it until years later, his fate as an Alta guy was sealed at a young age when we would walk to the general store to rent the movie "Ski Patrol," over and over again. Chris didn't make it to Alta for the first time until a college spring speak in 2003, but he's barely left in the meantime. Besides being on the Alta Ski Patrol since 2008, he's also worked at the Rustler, the Alta Lodge, the Shallow Shaft, and Friends of Alta, and since 2014 he's been a full-time, year round employee of the Town of Alta. Now a just another "some-timer" on the ASP, Chris is excited to join the board of Amazing Ski and Snow People to spend more time with the patrol and to help the organization grow into it's own unique role in the Alta community.

Brett “Korps” Korpela

Korps was born and raised in Great Falls, MT. Korps received a degree in International Business from University of Montana, but mostly studied skiing and ski patrolling at Marshall Mountain outside of Missoula. The move to Alta in 2002 was an easy choice as his best friend had moved the year before and was constantly updating him on the powder skiing.

After a few years of working as a liftie, cook, and bartender, Korps realized that he wanted to rejoin the patrolling community. Patrolling, digging in the snow and leading the Howitzer crew for three years led Korps into a spot on the UDOT Little Cottonwood avalanche forecasting team where he is currently still working alongside the Alta Ski Patrol every winter. He and his family are lucky enough to get to return to Montana every summer to spend time at their off grid permanent hard walled yurt near Glacier Park. He loves being able to assist with the ski patrol community by being a part of this great group of people brought together by Amazing Ski and Snow People.

Janice Gardner

Janice Gardner’s first introduction to skiing was on the tiny slopes of Powder Mills State Park in western New York. Post college, she found her way to Utah to census endangered animals, which then led to winters skiing Alta. Professionally, Janice is a wildlife biologist for a non-profit conservation organization. While she has no skills in snow safety or outdoor emergency care, she is an expert in grant writing, strategic planning, and fundraising. The work of Alta Ski Patrol has allowed her to have countless "best day evers" and she is honored to give back to this community by serving on the Board of the Amazing Ski and Snow People!