Nicholas grew up in Milwaukee, Wisconsin, and earned his bachelor’s degree in Geology and Music from DePauw University in Indiana. He has studied cello for 18 years. Nicholas has spent the past two summers working for the National Outdoor Leadership School (NOLS) in Lander, Wyoming, where he assisted student field evacuations and coordinated in-town operations. While living in Lander, he spent many weekends hiking and climbing in the Wind River and Teton Ranges. The fall after graduating college, he headed south for a six-month kitchen contract at McMurdo Station in Antarctica. Between long shifts washing thousands of dishes, he saw emperor penguins and got to drive snowmobiles on the Ross Ice Shelf. This will be his first season with Cascade Raft & Kayak, and he’s excited to spend the summer out West, exploring and getting to know the Payette River.