Sam Nofziger grew up in the Seattle area and now calls Hood River, Oregon home. By day he works for Oregon's Department of Human Services; in every other available moment, he's in the mountains. He led an expedition up Denali while in university, has climbed with friends across France, Sweden, Peru, Canada, and the American West, and has run several ultramarathons along the way. He holds an AIARE Level 2 certification and a Wilderness First Responder credential. Off the mountain, Sam holds a bachelor's in International Studies and a master's in community and economic development, is fluent in Spanish, and hopes to continue his postgraduate education in Switzerland. His one non-negotiable piece of gear: his Julbo Shield sunglasses, which he wears everywhere from glaciated summits to the office.