Meet your Guides

Jake and Katie Briggs have been married since August of 2022... But have been best friends for nearly a decade. They bonded over the years for both their love of art and their hunger for adventures in the backcountry. Our goal together is get people outside and to learn how to paint & draw in the backcountry.

Katie Briggs, Painting Instructor/ Backcountry Guide

Katie is a 6th generation Colorado Native who loves everything Colorado has to offer.  Growing up in the Rockies, Katie fell in love with playing in the dirt, snow and wildflowers but always found those activities better paired with a sketch book in hand. After relocating to the San Juans in 2022 with her husband Jake, art finally took the main stage in her life.  She is currently juggling being a full time artist as well as the Executive Director of Lake City Arts.  Through exploring her new career, she has fallen in love with educating people how to capture the beauty of our landscape on their canvas.  Oil has been Katie’s go to medium when doing Plein Air.  Watercolor is a close second.  Each trip Katie will determine which medium is the better fit for the adventure you will embark on together.

Jake Briggs, Backcountry Guide/ Photography Instructor

Jake Briggs has an insatiable hunger for backcountry guiding and photographic expression that was born out of his lust for adventuring and a deep respect for the wilderness, with his primary focuses being splitboard touring and astrophotography. Growing up in Boston, it was early on that Jake felt a pull toward the west, and fate landed him here in the late 90’s as a thirsty teenager with an appetite for creativity. Documenting and guiding experiences that illuminate a unique gratitude for off grid exploration has become his life’s pursuit. Jake and his wife Katie live remotely in Powderhorn, CO and aside from solitude they hold their friends and family above all else.