The wonderful people who have committed a portion of their hearts and souls to the dream

Founder / ‘Taco’s Dad'

"Hi, I'm Steve, Chulitna Lodge has been a special place to my heart since my first visit at the age of 3 on the land once inhabited by the Dena’ina people.  It is a pleasure to share this picturesque and magical location.  I invite you to join us in the tranquility and community only found in such places as this."

Steve Silber has an MFA from Rhode Island School of Design; a BFA from University of Colorado, Boulder; is a certified Massage Therapist; USMC veteran; and went to high-school at National Sports Academy in Lake Placid, where he began his love of the outdoors with a career in skiing as a ski racer.  Most recently, Steve has pursued an MA in Clinical Mental Health Counseling with an emphasis in Nature-Based Counseling at Naropa University. Steve currently works part-time at Alaska Behavioral Health in Anchorage and also spends his time cultivating plants, building his new music venue in Kennicott, Alaska, hiking with his dog Taco, and working on his cookbook.

On-Site Manager

Taylor is a visual artist and arts administrator with a useful set of background experiences in both outdoor recreation and tourism. Her artistic practice is rooted in drawing and printmaking, using nature and the landscape as her muse. 

At Chulitna, Taylor can be found tinkering in the wood shop or walking down the beach with her dog and cat, Penny and Pearl. In the off-season, Taylor spends her free time working on her artwork, caving or climbing, and relaxing in the sun. 

Development and Community Engagement Coordinator (aka: our most friendly internet-self)

Kristen is a creative storyteller and science communications specialist based in Anchorage. Raised between Western New York and Minnesota, she developed a deep passion for both communications and conservation in an effort to share and preserve the northern environments she cares for. Her draw to explore the intersection of environmentalism, research, and storytelling led her to Middlebury College, where she received a BA in Environmental Studies. Kristen’s work spans photography, graphic design, social media, and video production. In her free time, Kristen can be found watercoloring in the sun, searching for wildlife to photograph, listening to live music, or making new Linocut stamps. 

Lead Maintenance & Guide (aka. fixer-of-things & blazer-of-trails)

Lee was born in Austin, TX and worked in IT for 10 years before finding rock climbing and changing careers to work in outdoor recreation in 2017. His hobbies have included fencing, scuba diving, floorball, and disc golf.

When not in Alaska, Lee can be found in Chattanooga TN. He excels at tackling those random surprise problems that nobody ever would have dreamed of, and he's not afraid to get into a messy situation to fix something (ask about the time he was shin-deep in sewer backup). Quick thinking, adaptable and level-headed under pressure, he'll make friends with anybody in any situation.

Our Tropical Chef

Teon was born and raised in Jamaica, moved to Atlanta as a teenager, and now resides in New Orleans when he is not gracing our Chulitna Lodge summer kitchen with his amazing spice blends. Teon runs his own catering business focused on Jamaican cuisine, as well as helping other New Orleans Chef's with their projects.

Summer 2025 will be Teon's fourth summer at Chulitna! Our guests are always surprised at the variety and world flavors that end up at each meal -- unique for Alaska!

Deckhand (aka. lifter-and-fixer-of-things)

El is a carpenter and creative living in Denver, Colorado. They have several years of experience in facility maintenance and construction. They spend the off-season on the road working between Colorado, Texas and Hawaii. In their free time they enjoy clothes mending, trail running, and tattooing their friends. 

Garden Steward (aka: our fairy gardenmother)

Ellie was born and raised in Chicago, where she developed a lifelong appreciation for the Great Lakes, good food, and the changing seasons. She loves walks with her dog through forests and groves, most especially when wildlife makes an appearance along the way. Ellie has a deep love for nurturing the earth and spending time amongst the trees.

Housekeeper (and our Knower-of-Things)

Gary is a creative writer and digital artist who is living wherever life takes them. They are a jack of all trades, with many years of experience in service positions and an education in graphic design. When they're not working, they enjoy rock climbing, writing poetry, and learning about the universe. Their life goal is to consume knowledge indiscriminately until they ascend to godhood. 

Director

Giver of Warm Smiles and Morning Hugs

"Dancing on mountaintops or in a foggy dive, doing yoga on the beach, art making in the forest, camping on cliffs, biking down Esplanade Avenue, unknotting knots - these are a few of my favorite things."

Mara Bartlett Asenjo graduated from The College of Wooster with a major in Psychology and minor in Studio Art.  Since, she has been exploring, living and working around the world on various social justice, education, and arts projects. She currently calls New Orleans home when she is not living off-grid in Alaska. 

Maker, Fixer, Undercover Plumber
(Basically Schneider from One Day At A Time)

"By no fault of his own, Justin Richards grew up in Texas.  While living in New Orleans as a student of architecture, he discovered a passion for woodworking, which has remained his primary interest for over fourteen years. He often refers to himself in third person, though not while he was writing this."

Justin has Architecture degrees from Tulane University and Cranbrook Academy of Art.  His past work incorporates computer-aided design and fabrication techniques, but his recent immersion in the Alaskan wilderness has welcomed a necessary shift in process and aesthetic.

Garden Keeper

Travelling from Australia, Em fell in love with Chulitna on a family holiday in 2019. Finding homage for the Alaskan wilderness, Chulitna has become her home on the other side of the ocean. You will find Em tending to our beautiful flower beds and vegetable gardens as she returns for her second season at the lodge.

While in Australia, Em spends majority of her time on the ocean working as a boat captain, scuba diving instructor and Yoga teacher.

Guest Services, Hiker Extraordinaire

Coco hails from the midwest, but has traveled the world as a performer, musician, writer, sculptor and educator.

Summer 2023 will be his third summer at Chulitna, and if you're lucky he will be your guide around Lake Clark! Combine his zest for learning, storytelling and humor and you are in for the best day! 

Housekeeping

What would we do without these two special souls? We love having Adam and his sweet dog, Rockefeller around to lift our spirits. 

Groundskeeper, food-grower + Nina's Mom

"Hey all! My name is Miranda and pictured is my dog, Nina. We like adventure just as much as we like downtime, from hiking, climbing and swimming to eating sticks and collecting rocks. Nina loves the people in her crew and will probably love to give you a hug and lots of kisses!"

Deckhand / Maintenance Assist / resident fisherman

Brian Moody grew up off the Blanco river in the Texas hill country, just 45 minutes south of Austin. He enjoys long walks on the beach in steel-toe boots, freezing his butt off while catching fish, and heavy guitar riffs. Climbing, hiking, birdwatching and kayaking are a part of his weekly to-do list... usually followed by a tasty beverage. Brian currently lives in Phoenix, Arizona where he has hung his hat for the last 6 years. 

"Writing, composing, 3D modeling, and digital art, I like 'em all so long as I get to be creative. Fueling that fire - Inspiration, happiness, adventure, and comradery - all things I found here in Alaska. Back in Texas, expect to find me on a run, playing frisbee, or spending time with my greyhound.  "

The Chef

"Tobias Womack started his long journey on the wilds of the Oregon Coast. His 9th great grand Father Thomas Rogers sailed on the Mayflower and was a signature of the Mayflower Compact. He has 16 ancestors that fought for American Independence."

"This is why we are here:

To measure time in fish caught, laughter shared, the act of putting one foot in front of the other

To watch a storm roll in from the top of Kijik Mountain and remember we are not beyond grace

To wake every morning to little wings & the sound of water And let that be enough."

- Excerpt from "Kijik," by Jenny O'Connell (Written at Chulitna Lodge)

Eliot Park is an artist, curator, and furniture maker working in Portland, Oregon after graduating from the MFA Applied Craft + Design program. He makes installation work using ceramic, wood, and found objects about the relationship of personal identity through object relationships.

The Gardener

"Angel Benedetti is a textile artist and sculptor. She loves to create, international travel, and melt into yin yoga poses."

World Chef - Life Force Consultant - Composter

"I can spend days dissecting your mental anatomy, or make you salivate using molecular gastronomy.  If your pangs are banging or you're feeling like an emotional extremist, I'll feed your mind with some heart because I'm a modern cuisinist."

The Baker & Candlestick Maker

"It's Phebe. That's right, no 'o'.  I love playing outside from beer league kickball to climbing or triathlons, and almost anything in between." 

Photo Geek

"I l-o-v-e gear!  The only thing better than buying a new gadget is making one of my own.  I get excited by adventure, and am down for any new journey, inward or outward.  I'm an outdoors fanatic and enjoy climbing, mountaineering, and moto-bikin'.

Sarah Schwab has a degree in photography from Colorado Mountain College, She currently lives and works in Telluride, CO.

Chancellor of Maintenance

"My name is A.J.  If I am not taking photos, I am probably on my snowmobile, skiing, or out in the woods with my dog Alex."

AJ Smollen 'Sweetie Pie' grew up in Carbondale Colorado and is a photographer, focusing mainly on outdoor lifestyle portraits.  AJ graduated from the Hallmark School of Photography in 2009, and has been working at his parents bakery 'Grana Bread' since he was old enough to work the dough.

Baroness of the Shovel

"Yo, I'm an east coaster and recent transplant to Vancouver, Canada.  Chulitna Lodge has saved me from summers of folding t-shirts in Nantucket while dreaming of mountains.  Now I cant get enough of Alaska and Chulitna Lodge."

Caroline Filler is studying environmentally sustainable economies at  University of British Columbia.  She was born in western Massachusetts.  Her passions are skiing, hiking, keeping it real. and being X-TREME!!!

Brutus in Training

"Hello, my name is Marcus Lively. I encourage anyone to seize the opportunity as I did, and retreat at Chultina Lodge; a place where I was able to find just the right amount of solitude."

Chief Cook and Bottle Washer

"We serve the best Omega-3s on the planet, right out of our own front lake, and the view's not too bad while doing all that choppin'!"