Gear and Sponsors - State Of The Backcountry

Brennan Lagasse (he/him/his)

Educator, writer, ski guide, athlete, photographer

A life-long learner, Brennan has been intimately engaged in transformational-experiential education for over two decades. Brennan is an Assistant Professor at the University of Nevada, Reno at Lake Tahoe. He holds a Doctorate in Sustainability Education, and is the owner/operator of Informed Experiences, Inc. 501(c)(3). Brennan is also a published writer and photographer, ski guide, and sponsored mountain athlete that has curated, as well as led numerous expeditions around the world. Brennan acknowledges that he lives, skis, and works on the current and traditional territories of the Washoe Tribe. He is an active partner, supporting the ongoing work of WZGT, and the Washoe Youth Outdoor Expedition Program.

Guiding

Brennan has been skiing since the age of 2. Sharing his love and respect for the mountains, while climbing up, then skiing down, is a life-long passion and pursuit Brennan hopes to share with you.

Informed Experiences

A holistic, creative thinker, Brennan continues to focus on the dynamic platform inspirational educational opportunities provide. Believing in the many teachable moments of any given day, he understands that a memorable experience can change a life for the better, forever. Through Informed Experiences, Brennan believes participants will receive an unforgettable experience, one that will help support them on a path of individual enlightenment, and community-oriented global stewardship.

State of the Backcountry

ORIGIN STORY

In the early 2000’s I was a dirtbag backcountry skier living the dream, sharing backcountry skiing conditions and news as my daily craft. The column needed a name. My offering was commentary on the state of the backcountry, locally in the Sierra, and on the road wherever I was traveling in the lower 48, Alaska, or abroad. The vision was always to be as local, authentic, and communitycentric as possible. Today, the handle remains the same, and media shares flow in the same spirit, although the frequency of reporting and the content itself has evolved. The writing, photography, guiding, and work as an athlete has been woven together with years spent in transformational educational spaces. That progression is best understood and crystalized through Informed Experiences, but as you’ll see throughout the site, backcountry skiing remains the source; the original departure point from where it all began in the first place. It’s a constant reminder of the simple joy of going outside, breaking trail, skiing pow- and a crucial reminder of doing something worthy with all of the good energy the mountains give to us.

Work Experience

Education / Certifications

B.A. Colgate University, N.Y.
M.A. and Two Graduate Credentials, Humboldt State University, CA
Ph.D. Sustainability Education, Prescott College, AZ
AIARE Level I and II Avalanche Certifications
CPR Certified
Wilderness First Responder 2009; Recert 2012, 2015, 2018
Advanced Crevasse Rescue and Glacier Travel, Rope Works Training; 2012, 2014, 2015
Leave No Trace Certified

Work

Education Past: Sustainability Program Chair, Assistant Professor, Sierra Nevada University

Education Present: Assistant Professor, University of Nevada, Reno at Lake Tahoe

Freelance Writer/Photographer: Skiing, Travel, Action Sports, Music, Activism, Sustainability

Ski Guide: Points North; Ice Axe Expeditions; 40 Tribes; Homewood; NASTC

Biocultural Innovator: Regenerate Media

Arctic National Wildlife Refuge Field Work:

Arctic Village cross-cultural field courses- 2014, 2015, 2016, 2018, 2019, 2022, 2023

Kaktovik field work-2017 ski expedition support, 2018 river/ski expedition, 2019 3D IMAX Film

Washington D.C. lobbying with Sierra Club and Alaska Wilderness League May, 2018, and with Protect Our Winters May, 2019

Numerous slideshows, activist workshops, and action events

Fairbanks Conversational Storytelling/Narrative Inquiry and Action Workshop-2021

Imago Initiative participant, Wilderness Society, 2022

Peters Lake Expedition, 2023

Presenter:

Conferences: The Association for the Advancement of Sustainability in Higher Education (2015; 2016); 11th International Conference on Environmental, Cultural, Economic and Social Sustainability (2015); California Avalanche Workshop (2014); South Lake Tahoe Sustainability Symposium (2009), North Coast Regional Conference and Education Summit (2005; 2007), Wild and Scenic Film Festival (2004)

Slideshows: Chugach, AK (2011 The Backcountry, 2012 Alpenglow Sports); Svalbard (2013, Alpenglow Sports); Greenland (2014, Tahoe Art Haus & Cinema); Kullu Valley, Gulmarg Kashmir, Indian Himalaya (2015, Tahoe Art Haus & Cinema); Iceland (2016, Tahoe Arts Haus & Cinema); Arctic National Wildlife Refuge (2017, 2018, 2019 Alpenglow Sports; 2018, 2019 Mammoth Lakes Adventure Series); Indian Himalaya (2017, Tahoe Arts Haus & Cinema); Arctic National Wildlife Refuge (2020, Patagonia-Reno, Friends of the Inyo, Bishop, CA; Tahoe Arts Haus, 2023)

Advocacy: