Chuck Cross - Sailor, Adventurer, Photographer

Chuck spent years climbing and exploring the Northwestern US, Canada and Alaska. Before becoming involved in the adventure travel business, Chuck was in the ski and outdoor sports industry. When his good friend Dick McGowan asked him to work for him at Mountain Travel in 1990, Chuck jumped at the chance. It gave him an opportunity to get involved with customer service, sales, guiding, consulting and program development. His extensive knowledge of the outdoors and equipment, combined with his adventure travel experience, gives Chuck a unique advantage of one that works in your favor as his client.

"Because of my years of sailing experience, I was offered the chance to co-head the Antarctica/Arctic program. It was great. I created new itineraries, developed equipment and clothing lists, and worked onboard as an expedition leader, zodiac driver and safety officer. I've been lucky enough to participate in over 40 expeditions to Antarctica and the Arctic."

Whale of a Tale

Chuck’s first love is the sea:

My first serious wildlife encounter was paddling a river kayak off the San Juan Islands, years ago, before sea kayaks were popular or even in existence. I was already scared (the kayak waddled like a duck and I didn't want to do an Eskimo roll in a kelp bed) when my paddle hit something solid. My boat bumped like it ran aground. A huge school of angry salmon was heading under me and around me in the opposite direction. Hot on their tails was a pod of Orcas, dorsal fins at eye level. Ole Evinrude would've been proud, as you could've water-skied behind my kayak as I powered to shore.

Since then, I've learned a lot about whales, especially Orcas. I've seen pods spy-hopping ice floes, checking out seals and even chasing them from floe to floe in the Lemair Channel. Southern Orcas are very secretive and avoid ships, but when I worked a tour ship in Antarctica I saw them chase and devour a Minke whale in the Gerlache Straits...but that's another story!