Mountain Man

I met David Bowers late one afternoon in early March. He’d had the day off, but that didn’t keep him from time outside. He’d just come from south of Jackson and had been scanning the Wyoming and Gros Ventre ranges to see if snow had been sloughing or if it had begun to settle after recent storms. David was scouting the area for a multi-day, backcountry ski trip with his wife. Adventure is always nearby for David Bowers.

David is a climbing guide for Exum Mountain Guides in the warmer months, and he patrols Jackson Hole Mountain Resort in the winter. On days off, he skis or climbs in the valley’s surrounding mountains. 

David was born in Chattanooga, Tennessee, and grew up in Lafayette, Georgia. There he learned to climb. David said, “I wrestled in high school, and I didn’t like it. But it was my wrestling coach who first took me climbing and taught me to rappel.” From there, David was hooked.

He moved to Colorado as a young man because of the Rocky Mountains and, there, he began to explore the backcountry on his own. From the Front Range, David spent time in Cheyenne and then moved to Jackson Hole in 1989. Nine years later, David was invited to join the team at Exum Mountain Guides.

“In the early ‘90s, I was living in the mountains,” David said. “They were not as busy then.” Even though there were not many backcountry enthusiasts at the time, David kept encountering the same people, so he ran with this group and climbed and skied. One member of the group encouraged David to talk to Al Reed, Exum’s owner, about a job there. David wasn’t sure he was ready, but with strong referrals from fellow climbers, Reed offered him a job. 

It was the Exum mentorship program that led David to being a world class climbing guide. Working with veterans like Rod Newcomb, Reed, Dick Doorwood, and Kim Schmidt taught David to hone his climbing approaches and methods. These senior guides showed David the ins, outs, and escapes of challenging routes and, most importantly, Exum’s safety protocols. David said, “It was an honor to be involved with these North American mountaineering pioneers.”

David exudes the professional demeanor of an Exum Mountain guide. He is calm and thoughtful, open and warm. For three years he served as Chief Guide at Exum, a responsibility he earned through years of safely and successfully guiding clients to the summit of the Grand Teton. In this role, David served as the liaison between the organization’s management and the guides, and he became a mentor for others and applied what his mentors taught him. 

Climbing, of course, involves risk. The vertical environment calls for meticulousness, clarity of mind and, of course, fitness. Over the years, David has had to make important decisions about whether to proceed on a climb or return to the trailhead with the peak left behind. Weather is almost always the deciding factor. David said, “Clients might become frustrated when we have to turn around for one reason or another, and it’s happened only a handful of times, but their drive and goals have no bearing on my decisions about safety. Whether we’re summiting or rapidly descending, I’m here for the client.”

While exploring so many mountainscapes, David became a photographer so he could capture the beauty of these awe-inspiring places. Since high school he’s carried a camera. First, he shot wildlife and landscape photos. He was later asked to take portraits for private clients and photos of commercial spaces for advertising. With demand for his work and a desire to become a better photographer, David attended the Rocky Mountain School of Photography in Missoula, Montana. There he learned more about lighting, portraiture, and the business of photography. Browse past editions of JHStyle and David’s website and you’ll see his stunning images, evidence of his expertise.

David has been climbing for 45 years and guiding for almost 30. He still seeks adventure and this spring he skied for several weeks in Norway, his fourth ski mountaineering trip to the country. When asked about his favorite expedition, David said it was a month-long traverse of Baffin Island from mid-April to mid-May, 1999. With Dave Moore and Rick Sievers, the three pulled 100 pound sleds on their self-supported trek. “It was the hardest trip I’ve ever taken,” said David. There were 100 mile per hour sustained winds, blinding whiteout conditions, and their gear stood up to the conditions. I asked David about photos from Baffin. He said, “The only time I took pictures was when I could see,” which was not often. 

Asked about what is next in his career, David said, “I’m trying to cut back. I’d love to return to the Himalayas to explore lesser traveled routes and move through the mountains in a natural flow. I want to enjoy the remoteness and the culture of the region there. In the mountains I discovered myself and I’d like to continue doing that. My goal is to balance life’s perceptions with reality. But how will I know if I ever do?”