About Us

Friends of Berthoud Pass is a grassroots collective of backcountry enthusiasts committed to preserving the legacy of public recreation at Berthoud Pass. Founded in 2003, we are a non-profit 501c(3) tax exempt organization managed by a volunteer executive board and supported by a diverse and active member base. Membership is by donation with a suggested donation of $25 per year.

In its short history Friends of Berthoud Pass has endeavored to fashion a new paradigm in winter recreation on public land. We have successfully mobilized public involvement in lobbying the US Forest Service to incorporate the needs and wishes of winter backcountry users in redevelopment plans and positioned ourselves as a key stakeholder in the public policy process.

The Friends of Berthoud Pass avalanche education curriculum has expanded from two classroom sessions in 2004 that reached 100 people, to a 2009/2010 roster of 12 classroom lectures educating more than 1,400 individuals in basic avalanche awareness and more than 150 participants in an on-snow practical course. Both classroom and on-snow sessions are lauded by neophytes and veterans alike.

The Skiers Behind It

Shan Sethna – Executive Director

Shan SethnaShan handles FOBP’s marketing, promotions, development, sponsor and media relations, event coordination, and general administration. A Colorado College graduate and a die-hard telemark skier, Shan has worked and traveled around the world and across the West as a writer and media consultant. He has been exploring Berthoud Pass and the Colorado backcountry since 1987.

John Strand – President

strandBorn in San Francisco, Calif., John — who just as often goes by “Strand”– started skiing the Sierras at the ripe age of 5. While attending the University of Oregon he honed his windsurfing skills in the Columbia River Gorge and skiing on the flanks of Mount Bachelor. John was a former director of the Berthoud Pass ski patrol and now lives in Durango, Colo. where he rafts the Animas and shreds the San Juans with his wife Robin.

Adam Hevenor – Vice President

13Adam is FOBP’s Vice President and also manages all facets of the website including e-commerce and database administration. Adam started skiing Berthoud Pass in 1998 as a student in computer science at the University of Colorado in Boulder, Colo. An independent IT consultant, Adam is as passionate about tearing up BMX freeride jumps and singletrack as he his is about backcountry skiing. Check out his blog for more about his adventures.

James Drewett – Treasurer

11 (1)As Secretary/Treasurer, James  is responsible for FOBP’s accounting and documentation, and was instrumental in setting up the avalanche education program. James grew up skiing the rugged Connecticut highlands where he honed his skills as a ski racer. He’s been skiing Colorado’s backcountry for 15 years, sometimes right from the front door of his home inspection business in Fraser, Colo.


Bob Tomsky – Lead Avalanche Instructor

bobskiHeadshotOur Lead Avalanche Instructor is Bob Tomsky, aka ‘Bobski’, the former Berthoud Pass ski patrol avalanche training director. Bobski has been a snow educator since 1980, and holds advanced certification in both telemark and alpine ski instruction, as well as advanced avalanche education. He holds a master degree in adult education and we are very fortunate to share his expertise. Check him out online at skinutt.com.


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