During the summer after Nathan's sophomore year of College, his father and he enrolled in a 13-day mountaineering course in the Cascade Mountains offered by Alpine Ascents. The course began with mountain skills practice on Mt. Baker, which concluded with summiting the peak. Next they headed up to Squamish British Colombia for some rock climbing, one notable climb being the skirt of the Stawamus chief. And lastly they traveled back to the US to climb Liberty Bell in North Central Washington State.