Michael Abel
BACKCOUNTRY Ski & Spliboard GUIDe
AIARE COurse Instructor
Michael grew up snowboarding in the Appalachian mountains of Virginia before moving to Boulder in 2011 to start school at the University of Colorado. After a rigorous four years studying Environmental Science (cum laude) and Evolutionary Biology, Michael decided to move away from lab work and focus on what truly made him happy: the outdoors. Since then, he has become an avid splitboarder, boater, and backpacker. His outdoor resume includes descents of many classic Colorado ski lines, a thru-hike of the Colorado Trail, time spent on the Weminuche and Wind River high routes, and trips down Lodore Canyon, Yampa Canyon, Desolation Canyon, Westwater Canyon, Labyrinth Canyon, Stillwater Canyon, and Cataract Canyon. Michael holds American Avalanche Association Pro 1 and 2 certifications, a Snow, Weather, and Avalanche Technician certificate, an AIARE instructor certificate, a Wilderness First Responder certificate, a swift water rescue certificate, and is a graduate of the Colorado Mountain College Avalanche Science Program. When not outdoors, you can find Michael getting down to live music.
Certifications:
American Institute for Avalanche Research and Education (AIARE) Instructor
American Avalanche Association (A3) Pro 1 Certified
American Avalanche Association (A3) Pro 2 Certified
Bachelor's Degree: Environmental Science (cum laude) and Evolutionary Biology, University of Colorado
Avalanche Science Program Graduate, Colorado Mountain College (CMC), Leadville
Snow, Weather, and Avalanche Technician Certified
Wilderness First Responder (WFR) Certified
Swiftwater Rescue (SWR) Certified
