"Murph" AKA Michael Murphy has spent 47 of his 53 years enjoying what Mount Rainier and the outdoor environment of the Pacific Northwest have to offer.  He started skiing at Paradise at age 6 when it was the only ski area in Washington.  His attachment to the mountains morphed into something of a spiritual need to spend as much time as possible in contact with them.  This led to a lifetime of climbing, skiing, and hiking throughout the Cascades, Olympics, Wasatch, Alaska, and the Sierras.  A successful but highly stressful career in construction developed a realization that life is far too short to die with dollars rather than pennies on your eyes.  This in turn prompted him into some form of retirement thus making time for the opportunity to guide.  This decision could not have been made without the support of his loving wife and four fantastic but never perfect kids.  He was honored and humbled in the fall of 2002 by being inducted into the legendary Sherpa Climbing Club whose heritage is renowned in the Pacific Northwest backcountry.

Climbing Resume
75+ summits of Mount Rainier by 6 different routes (14,410')
3 expeditions with 2 summits of Mount McKinley (20,320')
Mt. Fairweather, Alaska (15,300')
Cascades summits 6,000' to 11,000' to numerous to list individually
Olympics summits 5,000' to 9,000' to numerous to list individually
Miscellaneous climbs in Utah, Colorado, Oregon, and California
12 years guiding/instructing skiing for professional conferences at Snowbird and Alta, Utah
REI guest lecturer "Preparing for Mt. Rainier"
American Alpine Club member
Sherpa Climbing Club member
Ski instructor