Alec Strassman
President
Born a flatlander, Alec moved out to Cascadia in the autumn of 2009. It was then than he began practice of picking up a new outdoor hobby every 6 months. Finally settling on skiing (backcountry & downhill) and hiking (scramble-bagging & backpacking) as his main activities, he will also, at times dabble in kayaking, rock climbing, and car camping.
Moving everything that isn’t hiking or skiing to November since 2009.
Matt Harlan
Safety Meeting Leader
Every winter Matt grows out his beard. He then spends the months of November-June shredding the snow we know locally as cascade concrete. The moist snow mixed with the cool air combines to create the ultimate ice beard on powder days (or when he flies face first into the snow). In the off season Matt fills his days with hikes and nights spent under the stars in the backcountry.
Ice Beard - It’s for the People.
Jess Koski
Director of Safety
Born from Ice, Jess grew up exploring the wilderness of New England. Her desire for even more mountain adventures eventually led her to the Pacific Northwest, trading the ice of the North East for tree rain of the North West. These days, she climbs rocks in ski boots. As Director of Safety, she is always reminding us: “Don’t fall off!”
Dustin Wittmier
Technical Director
Born a hill person, Dustin is the rare Pacific Northwest native. At the age of 14, he had not yet begun to peak and made the classic mistake of climbing to the rim of Mt. St. Helens, but did not touch the true summit. By age 30, he had returned to the true summit, completing at least one ascent up every Cascade Volcano in the US. He is currently keeping his dream alive, guiding clients up glaciated peaks in the summer, and riding around in his van year-round climbing and skiing.
Clyde Strassman
Club Mascot
A rescue from Asia, Clyde is a mix of breeds. However, it’s clear that he is primarily a decedent of the Formosan Mountain Dogs of Taiwan. He lives up to his name and has already bagged a few Cascade peaks well before reaching the age of 1 (or 7 if you’re counting in dog years). The questions we are now asking are: What is his limit on a hike? When does he tire out? He may just be the most athletic member of the Tree Rain Alpine Club.