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Forecasters for the Mount Shasta Avalanche Center

Nick Meyers, Forecaster


A Northern California native who grew up in Graeagle, CA, Nick Meyers started as a seasonal climbing ranger when he was 19 years old in 2002. He applied for and received the Lead Climbing Ranger and Director of the Mount Shasta Avalanche Center position in 2010.  As of 2023, Nick will have worked for 20 years with the US Forest Service on Mount Shasta. His career on the mountain began as a summer internship in 2002 while attending Feather River and Western State College for a degree in Recreation Leadership and Business. Rick Stock, Matt Hill and Eric White were some of his early mentors.  Nick’s mountain sense and technical skills have developed and evolved much from his own personal lust for adventure. Whatever the season, Nick's got something in the adventure quiver. Climb, bike, moto, ski, paddle, surf, sail...Nick is in.  His fearless spirit for adventure and democratic leadership style commands a team of rangers in the high stress and high risk operations on Mount Shasta. And randomly, Nick somehow landed the front cover of Popular Mechanics a few years ago. From that, a couple articles ensued... and a lot of teasing from his friends. Click on the links below to check them out and learn more about Nick!

From that, a couple articles ensued. Click on the links below to check them out and learn more about Nick!

http://www.fs.fed.us/faces-of-the-forest-service/meet-nick-meyers

http://blogs.usda.gov/2015/05/07/lead-climbing-ranger-thrives-on-his-job/#more-58299

Eric Falconer , Forecaster


 

Eric grew up as a Colorado native in the Front Range. At age three, he started skiing and has never looked back. Eric's fascination with avalanches began while he attended Prescott College, and he then went on to become and adjunct faculty member instructing their intensive avalanche one block courses. As an educator for Prescott College and the Montana Wilderness School, Eric has also worked as a guide in Yellowstone National Park and on Mount Shasta. Having tasted the many flavors of the outdoor world, he is super excited to drop into a new line with the MSAC and climbing rangers, where he can keep his hands in the snow. When snow does not exist, Eric can be found playing music, harvesting hay on his fiances family ranch, riding his horse in the mountains, or attempting to trail run.

Sam Clairmont, Forecaster


 

Sam grew up and attended college on Oahu where he studied Geology and Geophysics at the University of Hawaii at Manoa. Shortly after graduating, Sam moved to Utah where he learned to ski and joined Snowbird Ski Patrol in Little Cottonwood Canyon. Spending time in that canyon with complex avalanche conditions has provided incredible insight into the avalanche and climbing profession. Sam has taken his AIARE PRO 1 and a Advanced Winter Weather Forecasting course.  Between winter seasons, Sam has worked with the Forest Service as a full-time climbing ranger on Mt. Hood in Oregon. Sam has been an EMT for 4 years, having worked for ambulance services, volunteer SAR organizations, Ski Patrol, and federal wildland fire crews. Sam is now a full time Mt. Shasta Avalanche Center forecaster and climbing ranger. When not working, he spends his time rock climbing across the United States, or searching for good surf on the west coast or Mexico.

Cory Beattie, Forecaster


Cory joined the MSAC forecasting team in the winter of 2023-24. Born and raised in Northcentral Montana, he built a connection to the land while skiing, hunting, and fishing in the nether regions of the state. While working wildland fire out of Missoula, he earned a B.A. in Environmental and Climate Change Studies from the University of Montana in 2020. Since then, he has worked in Recreation for the Forest Service in Montana, Utah, Wyoming and now California. Cory looks forward to educating and connecting with all the backcountry snow recreationists of Northern California.