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Our Staff
The most important element of any Telluride Adventure is our skilled, dedicated and caring staff. Every San Juan Outdoor School staff member is a highly qualified technical instructor, a knowledgeable and experienced teacher, and a nurturing leader. Safety is our number one priority and our staff will work with your individual needs to create a course that is comfortable for even the most timid guests.

Each of our staff members retain several of the following certifications:

- Wilderness Emergency Medical Technician
- Wilderness First Responder / First Aid Certification
- Low to High Angle Rescue
- Outdoor Emergency Care Technician
- CPR for the Healthcare Provider / Professional Rescuer
- Avalanche Courses Level I -III
- AMGA Certification & Membership
- American Avalanche Association Professional Membership

Josh Butson- Owner, Lead Instructor /Guide
Josh is the owner of the San Juan Outdoor School (SJOS) and the director of the San Juan Field School (SJFS). He has been one of the San Juan Outdoor School's premier guides for the past five years. Josh has been guiding year round for a living for almost 10 years. He possesses a strong knowledge of the San Juan Mountains and feels that the Telluride area has endless outdoor recreation opportunities. Josh grew up in the White Mountains of New Hampshire where he was introduced to climbing, paddling, mountaineering, and skiing. From an early age he made it a point to find new places to explore. Some of his favorite destinations are Joshua Tree, Zion, Red Rocks, the Adirondacks, Acadia, Cascades, China, Ecuador, Argentina and Bolivia. Josh has a love and appreciation for the natural world, which makes him passionate in sharing this love with others. He feels that it is the SJOS's responsibility to help pass on an appreciation of all of the areas local cultural and natural history.  Josh's education includes a B.S. in Adventure Based Recreation Program Management and an Associates in Outdoor Recreation. Some of his certifications and training include American Mountain Guides Association (AMGA) Top Rope Certification, AMGA rock instructor course, The American Institute for Avalanche Research and education (AIARE) Level II professional avalanche training, (AAA) Level II avalanche training, Wilderness First Responder (WFR), and CPR for the Health Care Provider. Josh lives in Telluride, Colorado with his wife Tara, their dog, Jasmine and Cat Grizz.

Tara Butson - Operations Director, Instructor Guide

Tara has a variety of experience in the outdoor industry. Her most recent experience was with Alternative Youth Adventures a wilderness therapy program with the department of youth and corrections. She worked as their medical director for two years giving her a strong knowledge of risk management and emergency protocols. Some of her other experience include working for a wilderness therapy program in Main as a team leader guiding land and water based activities for several years. Tara has been guiding for over 10 years and brings alot to the San Juan Outdoor School. She has also been a Wilderness Education Association instructor, interpretative guide, and a paddling instructor. Tara's education includes a B.S. in Adventure Based Recreation Program Management and an Associate in Outdoor Recreation. Some of her certifications and training include WEMT, (AIARE) Level 1 avalanche training, and CPR for the Health Care Provider.

Jason Kroll - Instructor Guide
Jason Kroll has over 11 years of experience working in the outdoor industry in a variety of realms. He is an accomplished climbing and mountaineering guide as well as a certified Top-Rope Site Manager by the American Mountain Guides Association (AMGA) and Wilderness First Responder. He has worked for a variety of outdoor programs throughout the United States including the Chadwick School, Prescott College, Azure Adventure Professionals, and the Athenian School. Jason excels at working with people of all ages and abilities and enjoys doing so. As a former owner and lead guide for Rubicon Outdoors in Prescott, Arizona, Jason guided backpacking, rock climbing, mountaineering, wilderness therapy, and adventure travel for youth, adults, families and groups. Jason currently lives in Mancos, Colorado.

Ben Clark - Instructor Guide
Ben Clark has summitted 29,035' Mount Everest from the hallowed technical North ridge and sponsored athlete, representing Mountain Hardwear and Garmont. Clark has climbed on 5 continents and is a veteran of multiple seasons in the Himalaya, the Andes and the Alaska Range, as a guide and as an explorer. Clark feelsThe Colorado Rockies and especially the San Jauns offer the diverse terrain necessary to continue learning and practicing the skill set that makes forays into the great ranges all the more enjoyable.
Sharing the experience with those who are just begginning or looking to build on previous knowledge is a joyous experience. After almost seven years of guiding this rings true for Clark for many reasons, but primarily because after all his experiences and expeditions, he says"The sense of wanderlust in the beginners eye is the same expression I see in myself, trip after trip, climb after climb!" There is no greater joy than experiencing that in the mountains and at the crags and Ben looks forward to counting you as a partner and as a student to both teach and learn from.

Sarah Pratt - Instructor Guide
Sarah was born in Chicago, IL and has been residing in Telluride, CO for past year. She has been refining her climbing and guiding skills over the past Seven years.  She has taught rock climbing all around the United States. Sarah has quickly become one of the San Juan Outdoor School’s top female guides. She has been guiding for the San Juan Outdoor School for the past three years, proving herself to be a premier guide. She has instructed and guided for The Wilderness School, Prescott College, Athenian, Chadwick School, and Rubicon Outdoors.  Sarah currently holds a Top Rope Certification from the American Mountain Guides Association (AMGA), Wilderness First Responder (WFR), CPR and professional avalanche training through the American Avalanche Association (AAA). Sarah’s education includes a Bachelors degree in Adventure Education from Prescott College. In her free time, Sarah enjoys climbing, hiking and knitting.

Travers Mitchell - Instructor Guide
Travers is a Telluride resident who has been a strong member of the San Juan Outdoor staff for the past Two years. Travers has a BA anthropology from Colorado State University and is fluent in Spanish. He is also an exsperenced rock climber with a strong knowlage of the local craigs. Travers when he is not climbing gives much of his time to civic involvement as an Telluride Adaptive Sports Volunteer and as a spanish interpretor for the latino populaiton in the area. Some of Travers other talents include being a Potter, snowboarder, and skier . Travers has a strong interest in the importance of traveling and international volunteer work making him a well-rounded instructor/Guide.

Eric Larson - Instructor Guide
Eric Larson's superior alpine mountaineering skills come from ten years of teaching climbing for a variety of companies and schools. Although much of his guiding and instructing has been in Colorado, he has also worked in the Himalaya, Alaska, the Cascades, and throughout the United States . Eric is a member of the Snow Safety Team for the Telluride Ski Patrol and spends his winters studying and mitigating avalanche hazard for the ski area. As a guide for Alpine Ascents International, Eric travels to Alaska each spring to serve as an Expedition Leader on Denali or to climb the Moose's Tooth, Gargoyle Wall, Mt. Barrell, Kahiltna Dome, Frances, Crosson, among others. Most recently Eric summited Cho-Oyu, the world's sixth highest summit (8201 meters) as the leader of a successful 2003 expedition. Eric makes his home in Telluride where he lives with his wife, Kat.