Our Guides

Owners/Guides

Co-owner Jeff Jung has been professionally skiing in the Tetons since 1994 as a lead patroller at Grand Targhee Resort and as a backcountry guide for Rendezvous Ski Tours. Jeff has skied extensively throughout the western United States, with exploration spanning from Alaska's Chugach Range to the Sierra Nevada of California, throughout British Columbia and Wyoming's Teton Range where ski descents include Buck Mountain and Mt. Moran as well as Mt. Rainier in Washington and Mt. Logan in the Canadian Yukon.

Jeff is certified as an Outdoor Emergency Care Technician and an EMT. He holds a Level III Guides Avalanche Certification from the American Avalanche Institute in Wilson, WY, and has been trained under the guidelines of the AMGA participating in the Ski Guide course in Wyoming and the Ski Mountaineering Guide Course in Valdez, Alaska. In addition to free and fixed heel ski mountaineering, Jeff is an avid rock climber and mountain biker.

Co-owner Diane Verna has been a professional backcountry ski guide in the Tetons since 1996. She holds a Bachelor's Degree in Environmental and Outdoor Education from Prescott College in Arizona. Her studies combined natural history interpretation with outdoor recreation skills. She has worked for Outward Bound as a Field Instructor in Montana's Beartooth Mountains, in the Adventure Education Department for Prescott College as a Backcountry Skiing Instructor, and has instructed Nordic skiing for various institutions.

Diane is certified as a Wilderness First Responder from the Wilderness Medical Associates of NOLS and has been an EMT for Teton County, Idaho. She is certified in Nordic Instruction from the Professional Ski Instructors of America and has studied Avalanche Forecasting under Jerry Roberts on Red Mountain Pass in the San Juan Mountains of Colorado. Diane has participated in the AMGA Ski Guide course in Wyoming and the Ski Mountaineering Guide Course in Valdez, Alaska. In the summer months, Diane guides interpretive day-hikes and backpacking trips in the Tetons.

Ski & Snowboard Guides

Wes Bunch has been an Exum guide since 1994 and has spent many years ski mountaineering in the Tetons. Ski descents include the Grand Teton, Gannett Peak, Mt. Moran and Mt. Rainer as well as ski traverses of the Alps, Tetons, Wind Rivers and in Alaska. Wes guides on Aconcagua in South America and he is also a
Ski Mountaineering Instructor in the Tetons. He enjoys randonee skiing and backcountry snowboarding and is Level III Avalanche certified from AAI. Last winter, Wes guided on climbs on Aconcagua.

Derek Ellis has been exploring the backcountry of the Tetons since 1993 and is always excited to share his knowledge of the terrain and snowpack with our clients.  Derek spent 8 years traveling the West and Alaska broadening his knowledge of mountain weather and risk management as a wildlands firefighter in the summers and returning to Teton Valley for the winters.  He now pairs ski guiding with native plant restoration, making his home year-round in the Tetons.  With over a thousand days of skiing in the Tetons, Derek is still amazed at the powder stashes hidden throughout the range.  He is a fan and advocate of the telemark turn and loves sharing big floating tele-turns with his powder-hound Nellie and the new friends he makes through backcountry ski guiding.

Erika Eschholz has been an outdoor educator in the Western US since 1990.  She has worked as a backcountry ski instructor/guide in the Tetons since 1997. She is presently a senior instructor for the National Outdoor Leadership School where she teaches skiing, avalanche education, winter camping, mountaineering, leadership and natural history skills. Erika has also worked for the US Antarctic program where her field camp manager role took her to the Trans Antarctic Range, South Pole and the Dry Valleys. Besides recently leading a climbing trip in the Nada Devi region of the Himalayas, Erika has spent time playing and guiding in the Southern Alps, NZ, the Brooks Range, AK, Coast Range, BC and throughout the Rockies of North America.  Erika is a PSIA certified Nordic Instructor,  she holds a Masters Degree in Outdoor Education and is a certified Wilderness First Responder and Avalanche Level II.   Erika enjoys sharing the wonders of winter and the bliss of skiing with her students and clients.   

Eric Henderson has lived and skied in the Tetons since 1996 where skiing has remained his passion and profession. Eric is a level III certified PSIA telemark instructor and has taught telemark skiing at Jackson Hole Mountain Resort since 1995 . Currently Eric is also acting as an alpine guide for the Resort. Eric’s commitment to the avalanche community is shown through his teaching of avalanche courses, co-founding the Jackson hole local avalanche bulletin (www.jhsnowobs.org), attaining his level III American Avalanche Institute certification and his level I Canadian Avalanche Association Certification. Eric’s guiding career also spans to the Purcell Mountains of British Columbia where he has worked as a tail guide and snow slave. Most recently Eric’s accomplishments include a telemark descent of the Grand Teton, first descents in the Altai mountains of northern China, and a telemark first descent of Chenzen peak (7,000 meters ) in the Everest region of Tibet.

Tony Jewell grew up in the suburbs of California, but once he visited the mountains of Wyoming, he realized where home really was! Tony has been backcountry skiing since the mid seventies and loves sharing his passion with others. In 1980 he started working for the National Outdoor Leadership School (NOLS) and is one of their most senior instructors with over 450 weeks in the field. Many of these weeks involve extensive winter expeditions. Tony is a dedicated telemark skier and  has been a Nordic ski instructor for over 25 years including 14 seasons at Grand Targhee.   Tony has traveled, climbed and led trips in many mountain ranges around the world including Alaska, Canada, Pakistan, India and New Zealand. He lives in Victor, Idaho with his wife Deb and son Logan.

Scott Jones Scott Jones has been backcountry skiing in the western U.S. since 1994. He has enjoyed ski-touring in the Tetons with over 100 days per season since 1999. In his quest to perfect the ski guiding craft, Scott trained formally with UIAA certified Swiss guide, Ruedi Beglinger, as well as UIAA certified and current AMGA guide examiner, Freddy Grossnicklaus. Scott takes equal pleasure in skiing from a difficult summit as he does watching a beginner making his or her first successful powder turns.

Glenn Vitucci, the original founder of Rendezvous Ski Tours, has been ski-guiding in the Tetons since the late 1980's. Glenn was recently certified by AMGA as a backcountry ski guide. He is proficient in telemark skiing, parallel (downhill) skiing and snowboarding. He enjoys sharing his many years of experience with clients while teaching and guiding in the backcountry. He is interested in videography as well, and frequently brings his camera into the mountains to videotape skiers and riders.In the summer months, Glenn is an avalanche forecaster outside of Portillo, Chile.

Lynne Wolfe is a long-time resident of the Greater Yellowstone area. She is the editor of The Avalanche Review, which is published 4 times a year. She is a Certified Avalanche Instructor through the American Avalanche Association, and teaches a variety of avalanche courses throughout the winter. Lynne loves to ski fresh powder deep in the backcountry with her husband Dan Powers and black dogs Pancho and Chili. She can be found drinking strong coffee or dark beer, and will always accept chocolate from anyone.  Lynne enjoys breaking trail to get to great powder skiing and she will help you refresh your avalanche  skills in the Teton backcountry.