Shawn Lyons lives a life of many parts. As a professional classical guitarist, he plays dinner music every Thursday through Saturday at Villa Nova Restaurant in Anchorage. When not playing guitar at Villa Nova, Shawn gives private guitar lessons at the University of Alaska in Anchorage. There he also teaches Music Appreciation, English Composition, and Literature. Most know him, however, as an avid hiker and hill scrambler. So much so that after many long hikes through many a valley and over many a summit, many consider him the hiking guru of South Central Alaska. In addition, as an ultra-athlete, he has won the Iditashoe wilderness snowshoe race times, and the 100-mile Coldfoot Classic, held each year on Halloween above the Arctic Circle, three times. For many years Shawn's narratives about his hikes and races often appeared in a weekly hiking/climbing column that he writes for The Anchorage Daily News.
