About Tyler

Ty has chosen to make a career out of his enthusiasm and respect for the outdoors by studying Earth Science at Montana State University with the ultimate career goal of becoming a professional skier and mountain guide. Ty shares Peter’s drive to test the limits of human physical and mental endurance in a wide variety of extremely challenging outdoor adventure sports including skiing, ski mountaineering, rock climbing, ice climbing, and wind surfing.

Like Peter, Ty enthusiastically uses his knowledge and interest in science to feed his healthy addiction to outdoor sport. In addition to meticulously studying snow pack structure to avoid getting caught in an avalanche, this past winter Ty constructed a 25 foot ice wall in his backyard to practice his ice climbing skills.

Ty exhibits a wonderful combination of outrageous risk taking behavior with remarkable intelligence, expertise and leadership skills. One of his teachers explained to the scholarship committee that while on a teleski trip to Tuckerman’s Ravine not only did Ty “pull five laps on the headwall with a torn ACL”, but also played an instrumental role in the rescue of a skier who had fallen into a crevasse. In addition to all of this, Ty is clearly well loved among his ORHS teachers and peers.

We congratulate Ty Guarino for winning the 2008 Peter Grant "Wild Ride" Adventure Scholarship!

Ty's Application Essays:

Describe a time when your confidence led you to do something you never would have tried if you'd stopped to think about it.

Leading Confidence

"What have I gotten myself into," I thought as I dangled 30 feet off the ground. My friend and I were trad climbing and I was the leader. I was stuck under a roof that had almost no options for protection. My strength was running low so I finally settled with 3 marginal anchors all holding different directions. I then sat back in my harness to rest.

"I should not be doing this. I can barely climb a 5.10 in the gym, why an I trying to lead it?" I thought to myself. "This is stupid!"

"I can't do it, I just don't have the strength, " I admitted to my climbing partner. I turned around and saw him looking back at me with no expression on his face.

"You can do it, just get past this move and you'll be cruising."

Without thinking anymore, I took a deep breath and committed to the move. I found my hold and stuck it clean. I can't remember the rest of the climb but the best memory I have is the feeling of mutual confidence in teamwork to overcome that 5.10 pitch.

Describe the last time you redefined your limits

Redefining my limits

"Wow, this is it," I thought to myself. My heart started to throb out of my chest, and my legs quivered. "You need to calm down, " I told myself once again. I tried to think, tried to move, tried to relax, but I couldn't. I was stuck, rooted to the cornice I was edged into. Breathing was a chore; I was conscious of every breath I took. What lay in front of me was one step further. I inevitably knew this was the point of no return.

With a quick pole plant, I hopped my skis down the hill, jumped off the cliff and committed to my back flip. Before I knew what happened I landed perfectly on my skis in disbelief.

I am not really sure how long it has been going on for, but for the past couple years, I have dedicated my life to being a professional skier. Ever since I have been focused upon this goal, I feel that I have pushed my limits almost infinitely. Every weekend I force myself to do something on skis that scares me to death. By redefining my limits, I have progressed further than I would have ever guessed.

What is a scientist? Are you a scientist?

The science of snow

A scientist is a person who has expert knowledge of a natural or physical science. Scientists aren't just people in lab coats studying reactants of two chemicals, but they could be anyone who has intimate knowledge of their surroundings. One who works with nature to find answers, to me, is the most powerful scientist of all.

Through my backcountry experiences as a mountaineer, I have learned the importance of reading my surroundings. The only way to predict what can and will happen in the mountains is to study the snow. This must be done by digging a snow pit and examining the snow pack structure. To anyone, the cross cut of a snow pit would look like a blank wall of snow. But to a mountaineer, it has a story to tell. One can tell how much it snowed in the past 3 storms, what the temperature was last night, and even if the snow has the potential to avalanche. Avalanches are any skier's worst nightmare, and it is a real possibility every time you make turns outside the resort boundaries. Luckily, my experience and judgment as a scientist has never brought me to an avalanche, and hopefully it never will.