The classic mountain guide that is both understated about his achievements and incredibly adaptable to unforeseen situations—Seth Waterfall is the textbook example of that description. Growing up in Colorado and California, Waterfall took to the outdoors early on, due to the influence of his parents and grandparents. After earning a degree in Mathematics from the UC Santa Barbara, he followed the path less taken, earning his way up the mountain guide ranks with strong aerobic fitness and an unshakable demeanor. He now spends his favorite season, winter, guiding backcountry skiing and teaching avalanche safety courses in the Washington Cascades. He spends his summers as a Climbing Ranger on Mount Rainier.

An accomplished ski mountaineer, Waterfall has skied from the summit of Denali, skied the unrepeatable first descent of the Nisqually Ice Cliff on Washington’s Mt. Rainier, and led the First Ascent mission to ski Canada’s Mount Waddington. He was also part of a ski expedition that ticked numerous first descents in the Caucasus Mountains in the Republic of Georgia. A certified AMGA ski guide, Waterfall works for Pro Guide Service of North Bend, WA, leading trips and tours in his home turf of Crystal Mountain backcountry and at Snoqualmie Pass.

When Waterfall lands at home, he can be found skiing weekday powder, trail running, or building strength and fitness with burly gym workouts for the next alpine mission. He was enlisted as one of the original six guides that developed the First Ascent line and has been on the Eddie Bauer program since 2007. Waterfall has tallied over 200 summits of Mt. Rainier and has climbed Mt. Everest three times. He's an avid hat collector and is a diehard Seahawks fan.