Max's dedication to understanding mountain environments predates his guiding career. He holds a degree in environmental science with a focus on glaciology and climate change. During his studies, research projects took him to Denali, Iceland, and the Cordillera Blanca in Peru. He is listed as the second author of a peer-reviewed paper titled, "Is the East Antarctic Ice Sheet Stable?"

Max's guiding and outdoor education career began in the White Mountains of New Hampshire. Where, as a guide, he honed his skills in both summer and winter. He became an EMT in 2012, working for an emergency response ambulance service. He also volunteered with the local Mountain Rescue Service, becoming a team leader coordinating technical mountain rescues and backcountry avalanche response. Notably, he was the only rescue team member capable of making initial contact with victims on the mountainside through the ambulance and transferring their care directly to hospital staff.

As his guiding career progressed, he moved west to work on Mount Rainier and in the North Cascades. Eventually, he relocated to Boulder, Colorado in 2017 and completed his American Mountain Guides Association rock guide certification that same year. His alpine guide certification followed in 2019.

In 2020, he founded Alpine to the Max, now an AMGA-accredited guide service with over a dozen guides operating on the Front Range of Colorado and beyond. In summer, he guides in Eldorado Canyon State Park and Rocky Mountain National Park. In winter, he teaches and oversees recreational avalanche programs in Rocky Mountain National Park. During his spare time, he can be found traveling to climb and ski with friends, sharing his passion for the mountains.