Clinic Coaches

ALAN WATSON

Alan Started skiing in 1954.  He was an alpine racer in high school and college and then continued on as alpine coach for a few years. He says that when alpine skiing became too cold is when he took up cross country skiing. He’s raced in many, many cross-country marathons, all over the world.  Alan Coached cross country at University of Utah and groomed for many years at Mountain Dell near Salt Lake City. Now, Alan mostly enjoys backcountry skiing and a few cross-country clinics. He’s a mostly-retired CPA and part-time substitute teacher and is in the process of moving to Winthrop Washington from Salt Lake City.

JACK HART

Jack Hart has been working for the West Yellowstone Fall Camp and skiing in West Yellowstone since 1982.  He began racing for the University of Montana in 1980.  As a competitive marathon runner, Jack was looking for a way to cross train and xc skiing seemed like a great thing to do in Montana.   

The US Ski team offered a coaching clinic and part of the responsibility was to help in the early days with the Fall Camp.

Jack currently lives in Bend, Oregon and spends a fair amount of time in West Yellowstone.  He is a Master’s National Champion skier.

Coaching in the Fall Camp has always been very special to Jack because the athletes that come and take the camp are really into learning about skiing and the culture of skiing.  “West has always had a feel for skiing and the community always is very supportive of the camp”.  

Jack is the MC for the fundraiser on the weekend and he continues to be amazed of how many folks turn out to support the WYSEF.  “So many people put there heart and soul into this event, Sara Hoovler, the gals at Free Heel and Wheel, the race crew and so many others that make this event the place to be every Fall”.  

CHI MELVILLE

Chi Melville lives in Alta Wyoming with his wife Rene’ and has been teaching/coaching/racing Nordic skiing for over 30 years. He was the Grand Targhee Nordic Director for 7 years and involved in PSIA (Professional Ski Instructors of America) for 20 years.

His professional certifications include:

• PSIA Certified Level 3 in: Nordic Track, Telemark, Backcountry and Alpine
• PSIA Clinic Leader & Examiner: Nordic Track, Telemark, Backcountry
• USSA Certified Level 2 Nordic Coach

As a racer at several National Master’s Championships, he has won Gold, Silver & Bronze and raced the Norwegian, American and Canadian Birkebeiners, placing 3^rd in his age group and 15^th overall at the Canadian.

“Skiing with good technique is one of the most rewarding and satisfying things, as skiing gets easier and more enjoyable when your technique improves. I’m always looking for ways to refine my own skiing and enjoy showing others things they can do to ski better, giving them the tools to improve their technique.”

“Fall Camp is the best way to start your ski season.  I love coaching at West as it’s so fun to see everyone excited to be back on snow and to show them things that’s going to make a difference in their skiing. One of the side benefits is that after a week of doing all the exercises & drills with my groups, my own skiing feels better than ever – everyone benefits from doing drills.”

SCOTT MCGEE

Scotty McGee has been on the PSIA Nordic Team since 2000, and is the current Team Coach and Senior Manager for Nordic, Guides and Training at Jackson Hole Mountain Sports School. He's been deeply involved in skiing and outdoor education since his college days, when he first instructed cross-country skiing and supervised the telemark programs for the legendary Dartmouth Outing Club. He's taught skiing and guided in the Wasatch and Teton ranges for resorts, colleges, private outfitters, and his own business.

Scott is among the most widely certified members of the PSIA Nordic Team with certifications in ski teaching, avalanche, and guiding. He is Certified Level III in Cross Country, Telemark, and Backcountry. Scott has been a regular contributor to The Professional Skier, and for SkiTrax, for whom he’s written a regular Tele Technique column for the last five years. He’s also been widely published in other ski instruction publications.

Scott’s latest passion is backcountry skate skiing, and to date he has posted over 20 trans-Teton tours on light gear, and other distance tours in other ranges. Demonstrating he is an all-season mountaineer, guides for Exum Mountain Guides, and relishes in his summer training regimen of leading climbs and peak ascents in the Tetons.

ANGELA PATNODE

Choosing to live in Bozeman, Montana, Angela spends many months of the year in snow living her passion for skiing. Angela began teaching alpine skiing in 1991 in the Tahoe area and quickly switched to nordic skiing 2 years later. She has been teaching skate, track, and telemark skiing since 1993 from the beautiful mountains of Tahoe to the high alpine area of Crested Butte, Colorado, and for the last 9 years, Bridger Bowl and Bohart Nordic Center. 

Angela has previously been the Ski School Director for Bohart, training staff and teaching popular women's programs, along with a PSIA Nordic Clinician and Examiner. She has recreationally raced in the Tahoe, Crested Butte, and Bozeman areas for fun in track, skate, and randonee races, and enjoys mountain biking in the summer months. 

Outside of winter, Angela instructs for the National Outdoor Leadership School on various course types, and ballroom dances as much as possible when she's not in the mountains. Her favorite vacation spot is anywhere the sun is shining, and nature is alive! Angela loves teaching at the West Yellowstone ski camp for the people and the beauty, there's no better place to be during Thanksgiving week!

EMILY LOVETT

Emily Lovett lives in Steamboat Springs, Colorado where manages the ski school at Lake Catamount Touring Center and is in her third season as head coach of the Steamboat Springs High School Nordic team. 

Growing up in Michigan, Emily’s love for skiing started at an early age.  After college and a few years working as a system engineer, Emily wanted to simplify life and pursue her true interests.  She moved out to Steamboat Springs in 1995.  Since then she’s been working as an instructor, coach and back country guide in the XC ski industry.  Emily jumps into citizen XC races when time allows and especially like long distance, classic events.    

Emily is a certified USSA Level 100 XC coach, has a PSIA Level III Nordic certification and is an examiner on the PSIA-Rocky Mountain Education staff.   Her other interest include hiking, biking and yoga.  In the summer months Emily guides hiking and biking trips throughout North America and Italy. 

MIDGE CROSS

Midge Cross has coached for Methow Valley Nordic and the Methow Valley Ski School for some years, at ski camps as well as weekly skill classes.  She has also coached at the West Yellowstone Thanksgiving Camp many years.  Living in the Methow Valley of Washington, with 200 km of groomed trails, she skis every day as soon as the snow flies.

During summers Midge runs, bikes and hikes as much as possible and leads the ski striding workshops in the fall months for Winthrop Fitness.

TOM MARSHALL

Tom grew up cross country ski racing in Boise, ID from junior high through high school, then for Dartmouth College.  As a racer he spent every Thanksgiving with his ski team and family in West Yellowstone enjoying the early on snow training.  Tom is in his 4th year as a member of the PSIA Nordic Team and leads clinics in both XC and Telemark.  He lives in Bozeman, MT and works in Big Sky during the ski season.

"I'm looking forward to another great start to the season in West this year."

 JUDI HULME

Judi works full time administering research programs for the University of Wyoming, School of Energy Resources but she skis every chance she gets.  Judi has coached adult ski skate and classic classes for the Medicine Bow Nordic Association for the last five seasons and also teaches private lessons at the Happy Jack ski trails outside of Laramie.  She has coached for The Nordic Link’s Steamboat Ski Clinic for many years and at the West Yellowstone Ski Festival.  She has been Nordic skiing since the 7^th grade, raced in high school in the BS era (Before Skating), and has trained with the University of Wyoming Nordic Ski Team.  She competes in citizen races, including four appearances in the American Birkebeiner.  She has also competed in the Kangaroo Hoppet in Falls Creek, Victoria, Australia and has aspirations to compete in many more World Loppet races.

Judi also enjoys road biking, yoga, hunting, and dance. 

CHRIS MAGERL