Earl taught High School Vocational Agriculture for six years in Ontario and Dallas Oregon. After he was an administrator and teacher at Treasure Valley Community College for twenty years. He also wrote grant proposals for the college and got three federal grants approved. He taught wildflower identification, cross country skiing, and backpacking. His last administrative job was Dean of Vocational Education.
After thirty years of teaching, he retired. He and his wife, Betty, began traveling the world with the Elderhostel program. They took thirty trips with Elderhostel and later took ten trips with a local company called Oregon West.
They lived in Bend for six years. While there, Earl led plant identification hikes for the Forest Service.
Earl and Betty moved to Lebanon, OR to escape allergies to Juniper trees and while in Lebanon, Earl spent time climbing mountains with family and friends. He climbed Mt. St. Helens twice, South Sister twice, Middle Sister, Mt. Thielson twice, and Mt. Rainier.
In 2005, they downsized their home and moved to Sublimity. At that time Earl started leading hikes in Silver Falls State Park and began serving on the Friends of Silver Falls Board. He continues that today, as well as volunteering in the Nature Store.
Earl likes to make people smile and enjoys finding out where people are from and why they come to Silver Falls. He is also fond of telling visitors that he and the park are the same age.