MSC Backcountry Field Observations Team
Craig Sheppard
MSC Program Director & Lead Forecaster
CAA Operations Level 3
Wilderness First Responder 80 hrs
CSIA Level 2
Craig comes to Australia from beautiful Banff Alberta where he worked as an Avalanche Forecaster (at the Lake Louise Mountain Resort), Avalanche Educator for the Canadian Avalanche Association and Apprentice Ski Guide through the Association of Canadian Mountain Guides.
He now calls Jindabyne home and serves the MSC as the Program Manager where he co-ordinates the Backcountry Field Observations Teams, conducts training, and ensures the daily Backcountry Condition Reports are delivered to the highest standard.
Kyle Boys
MSC Forecaster
CAA Operations Level 2 & Professional Member
CSGA Level 2 with Touring Module 1
Wilderness First Responder 80 hrs
Snowboard Anwärter (Instructor - Austria)
Kyle has worked with MSC since 2019 and has been a forecaster since 2022. A professional guide, forecaster, and educator, he is the owner of Blizzard Academy and teaches avalanche awareness and mountain courses when not guiding backcountry tours.
He started as a snowboard instructor in Austria for two seasons and then served as a heli, cat, touring guide and AST1 instructor for Hokkaido Backcountry Club in Japan for four winters. In Australia, he gained experience as a backcountry guide for Thredbo Guides and Alpine Access Australia, where he also worked as an AST1 instructor for five seasons. He’s worked in Canada for Skeena Cat Skiing and Backcountry Snowcats, is currently a lead guide at Big Red Cats and is working towards the CSGA Level 3 to become a supervising guide.
Alex Sinickas
MSC Forecaster
CAA Operations Level 2
Wilderness First Responder 80hrs
Registered Engineer, Engineers Australia
Alex is an engineer with a masters in applied snow science and engineering. She took her Avalanche Operations II after working as a ski patroller in Lake Louise and as an avalanche researcher in the backcountry in Canada. She has contributed to alpine risk management and engineering of mountain operations in Canada and helped to develop the MSC observation practices.
Alex lives in Bright, and enjoys the local mountains with her husband and kids.
Art Hodder
MSC Field Observer
CAA Operations Level 1
Senior Ski Patroller, Ski Instructor & Guide
You can rearrange his name to spell 'rather odd'. That's a decent personality summary.
Art has been patrolling since 2012 in Australia, Canada, Japan and the United States. In this time he has developed a strong interest in snow science and safety. He is a fan of powerful stances and monoskiing. Art spends his spare time in the backcountry, the ocean and at the dog park.
Owen Lansbury
MSC Field Observer
CAA Operations Level 1 & Avalanche Practitioner
Wilderness First Aid
APSI Level 3 (ISIA stamp)
Owen loves sharing his stoke for the mountains, whether it’s taking guests out in his role as Head Guide at Thredbo Backcountry Tours or being open with his time and knowledge off the slopes. Starting life as a skier with a 20 year diversion into snowboarding, he’s been back on planks in the backcountry for the past decade spending most spare moments hunting snow at home and abroad. He also volunteers on MSC’s organising committee.
Lachlan Short
MSC Field Observer
CAA Operations Level 1
NZ Avalanche Stage1 (Level 5)
NZ Certified Ski Patrol
Wilderness First Aid 80 hr
APSI Level 2
Diploma of Outdoor Leadership
Growing up in Far North Queensland was always a fine place to learn the fundamentals of snow science. It’s taken quite some time and lots of hard years of work but Lachlan is most happy sliding on ski’s or working professionally in the outdoors. Splitting his time between outdoor education, guiding, and snow science you will most likely find Lachlan this winter in the Victorian Alps following a formative season in New Zealand.
Mimi Gee
MSC Field Observer
CAA Operations level 1
CAA Intro to Weather
CSGI level 1
ASPI level 1
Occupational First Aid 3
Starting in Japanese backcountry 6 years ago, Mimi began what she hopes will be a lifelong journey as a ski guide. She loves to share the beautiful Australian alpine with guests through her work as Thredbo Backcountry Guides’ team coordinator. Mimi also has experience tail guiding for a cat skiing operation in Canada along with working on the Fernie’s professional Ski Patrol team.
Drew Jolowicz
MSC Field Observer
CAA Operations 1
Professional Skier
Having spent his entire life in the mountains of North-East Victoria, Drew and his family call Hotham home during in the winter months where he loves exploring the surrounding backcountry. Drew’s passion for skiing has taken him all around the globe in search of adventure with memorable destinations including Canada, North America, Japan and New Zealand.
As Australia’s backcountry community continues to grow and prosper Drew is a strong advocate for safe backcountry travel. A CAA Operations 1 certificate holder Drew is a member of the Victorian Field Observations Team for MSC and is looking forward to sharing the stoke of the mountains with everyone!
Tyson Millar
Alpine Weather Expert
With over 20 years of alpine weather commentary, Tyson is a seasoned backcountry enthusiast and photographer. His interest in alpine weather began in online forums, gaining and sharing knowledge, eventually leading to dedicated research and studies at the University of Tasmania (UTAS) in Antarctic Marine Science and Climate Change. He shares his expertise on The Snowstack, offering bi-weekly insights into global and Australian alpine weather and consults with MSC’s forecasters on issues affecting the daily Backcountry Conditions Reports.
Kelly van den Berg
MSC Field Observer
CAA Operations Level 1
Wilderness First Aid
Expedition Medicine UTAS
Kelly is a mountain and wilderness enthusiast that loves building community and bringing people together to enjoy the outdoors. She is passionate about education, safety and fun whilst dividing her time between Mt Hotham and her farm in Sth Gippsland. In the summer she works as an outdoor educator and guide as well as enjoys whitewater sports, surfing and operating an equestrian coaching and sports mindset coaching business.
Taylor Rogers (Tay)
MSC Field Observer
CAA Operations Level 1
ASPA Emergency Care
ASPA National Ski Patrol Certification
Remote & Wilderness First Aid
To Tay, backcountry evokes all the best things: pure stoke for a big line, satisfaction from a tough ascent, mental clarity from a long sunny-day skin and a special connection to the Australian Alpine landscape. Having patrolled and guided, Tay values safety and responsible decision making in risky environments. He believes the more we know about the environments we are in, the safer we can play. Tay looks forward to sharing knowledge about the places he goes and the info he gathers, while also promoting respect and inclusivity among Australia's awesome BC community.
Alex Parsons
MSC Field Observer
CAA Operations Level 1
Wilderness & Remote First Aid
Cert III Outdoor Recreation – Alpine Guiding
APSI Level 2
Alex is a splitboarder on a mission. Since her first backcountry trip in Japan in 2015, Alex has been entranced by life beyond the boundaries and wants to share it with as many people as possible. With a background in marketing, professional writing, guiding and instructing – you’ll find her writing articles, featuring in films, creating social media and backcountry guiding. She’s excited to provide observations for MSC and help usher in a culture shift of safety, environmental protection and inclusion in the Australian snow community.
Dylan Robinson
MSC Field Observer
CAA Operations Level 1
CSIA Level 1
Wilderness First Aid 80 hr
Documenting our mountains while learning about them is what has driven Dylan to build on his career as a seasoned photojournalist and filmmaker. Upskilling and becoming a well-rounded, mountain dweller has led him to pursue a snow safety and guiding pathway that only further piques his curiosity for the backcountry. Now aspiring towards ski guide qualifications, Dylan is also actively doing field observations for MSC. His passion for cameras will never die and the constant creative train rolls along, working on personal projects as well as with Arc’teryx and ski resorts such as Hotham Alpine Resort and Whitewater Ski Resort in British Columbia.
Joe Deppeler
MSC Field Observer
CAA Operations level 1
ASPA Advanced Emergency Care
Victoria Police Patroller Steep Snow & Ice Course
Joe began ski touring near Red Mountain, Canada in 2012. Ever since then he has been captivated with the remoteness, skiing untracked snow, the personal responsibility and the endless learning associated with being in the backcountry.
He now calls North East Victoria home and spends the winters ski patrolling at Mt Hotham and skiing in the nearby backcountry.
He loves the sometimes challenging touring conditions in Australia which really makes you appreciate the good days when it all comes together.
Claudine Talbot
MSC Field Observer
CAA Operations 1
Occupational First Aid 3
APSI Level 2
Ski Patroller, Ski Instructor, Ski Bum
Retired Australian XC ski athlete, Claudine has now fully transitioned to the dark side and is sliding down hills. Our newest and youngest MSC observer has spent the past 2 years in Canada honing her avalanche and backcountry knowledge whilst patrolling and instructing at Fernie Alpine Resort. She’s stoked to provide observations for MSC and encourage as many people at possible to safely play in the beautiful, untouched playgrounds in the Australian backcountry scene.
Lou Sander
NZ Avalanche Risk Management Level 5
NZ TPP Ski Patrol
Pre Hospital Emergency Care (80hr)
ASPA
APSI Level 1
Lou is a kiwi outdoor enthusiast working within both New Zealand and Australia as a ski patroller, and as a lead cat guide in Hokkaido, Japan. He froths all aspects of backcountry skiing missions, canyoning, and adventure sports. Lou is fortunate to have the mountains as a big chalkboard to learn from and share risk management strategies to be able return to the activities he loves over and over again.