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RANCH HANDS
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Kirsten Knechtel - General Manager Having grown up in Banff Alberta, Kir had mountains and climbing in her blood from a young age. By the time she was 18 she had climbed many of the classic peaks in the Canadian Rocky Mountains, giving her a head start on becoming a mountain guide. At the age of 25, Kir became the fifth woman and youngest fully certified mountain guide in Canada. Kir has been a part of the Island Lake Resort Group for over 10 years. In 2000 she took over mountain management of Powder Cowboy Catskiing and is now the operations manager. Her mountain experience is matched only by her love of people and guiding. |
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Chad Rigby - Operations Manager Chad is truly a master of all trades. He has worked as a millwright, ACMG assistant Alpine & Ski Guide, level 3 Canadian Ski Instructor and founded Alpine Precision Tree Services, an arborist service in Canmore Alberta. Chad began working for Powder Cowboy as a guide and cat driver in 2001. Now we are happy to have him on the mountain to put all his skills to use as our supervising road builder and Piston Bully technician. Chad & Kir met in 2000 at Abbots Pass in the Rocky Mountains and were married in 2004. They have been adventuring & working together in the mountains ever since. |
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Jamie Whiteside - Guiding Manager Jamie was riding horses well before putting on his first pair of downhill skis. The call of deep powder and the wild mountains was too strong for this cowboy, and he traded his saddle and headed to BC for adventure guide training. An avid paddler, climber, and skier, his work and play has taken him around the world. Most recently he has guided in Patagonia, the Himalayas and the High Arctic but rarely strays far from the great BC powder for long. Jamie brings a broad range of skills and experience to powder cowboy and manages the guiding team. If he's not on the mountain or in the guides room you may catch him by the fireside paying homage to the past with his well loved six string. |
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Sandra Da Costa - Lodge Manager Sandra discovered Fernie in 1998 during a road trip from Ontario, with intentions of staying for only one winter season! Now 10 years later, after experiencing the beauty of the mountain culture and the deep “pow”, she is here to stay. Sandra has been a member of the Island Lake Resort Group for the last 9 years. She brings to Powder Cowboy 12 yrs of hospitality experience. Her skills and expertise lie in guest services where she enjoys meeting, working and leading people. She is inspired by the outdoors and enjoys snowboarding, fishing, hiking and most recently mushing. Sandra is looking forward to another season of cat skiing! |
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Liby Olson - Assistant outside operations Libby grew up in the pastoral community of Cherryville BC. Soon after finishing highschool she headed out to Fernie to see what was on the other side of the mountains. Within the first 6 hours of living in Fernie she found Island Lake. A few months later she became a proud member of the Island Lake building services team. To make long story short, 8 years, 2 roommates, 50+ boyfriends, and a 130km move later, she still works for the company. More recently, her current position at Powder Cowboy is as the Assistant Outdoor Operations Manager. That title was acquired through hard work, dedication, and unparalleled sandwich eating skills. Libby now lives in Kimberley with all her cats. She spends her summer operating her own landscaping company, where she hires people to do her work so she can downhill mountain bike as frequently as possible. |
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Josh Knechtel – Head Chef Josh is originally from Ontario, but now calls the Rocky Mountains home. He first ventured to Whistler BC in 1998 and then to Jasper & Banff in 2005. His Hospitality career began in ’92 and as a Professional Chef in ’94. He has worked at numerous upscale restaurants throughout Canada including resorts in the Muskoka’s, Alberta and BC. Since being in the Rockies he has worked with different wild game foods and enjoys bringing the flavours they provide to his plates. Josh loves the mountains and when not creating in the kitchen he can be found on top of a mountain or on a trail enjoying all of the beauty and peace that nature has to offer. In the off seasons Josh loves to travel around the globe and has been to 5 continents so far. “One of the reasons I love to travel to different countries is to experience the food and cultures of new places. I gain inspiration from traveling and bring that to my art in the kitchen. The uniqueness of the Powder Cowboy experience allows me to get away from the traditional “a la carte” style menu and create a different menu every night. Being able to cook in the mountains and breath the fresh air is also highly motivating.” |
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