Biography

Mr. Byars serves as the Outdoor Education coordinator at the Upper Campus, organizing and leading more than 30 outdoor trips that include climbing, backpacking, sea kayaking, rappelling, canyoneering, whitewater rafting, mountain biking, and hiking. Mr. Byars earned his bachelor’s degree from Trinity University in Texas and has previously taught World History and U.S. History. This fall, he will teach Geology while continuing to apply his teaching talents to instruction in outdoor activities including swift water rescue and wilderness medicine.

What students call me

In the past it was Mr. Z or Mr. B. A lot of my swift-water rescue students referred to me as “The River Otter.”

Favorite place to climb in the world

Yosemite Valley. There are endless slabs of granite.

One thing students don’t know about me

I play the mandolin, and was once a mandolin player for a Rock ’n’ Roll band!

Favorite book and why

Undaunted Courage, which is Stephen Ambrose’s chronicles of the diaries and journals of Lewis and Clark during their 1803-1805 journey through the Louisiana Purchase. It was newly acquired land, and their exploration brought a lot of new contact. They traveled along a lot of rivers I have guided on, so I have some personal history in those area. Oh, and I also read the Game of Thrones series before it became super popular.