 Formerly known as Sam Speerstra, and a Fulbright Scholar who had worked as a professional skier, Shyamsundar was accompanied by his wife, Malati Dasi, and their baby daughter, Saraswati.Also among the six devotees was Shyamsundar's friend from Reed College, Mukunda Das – formerly Michael Grant, a New York session musician and pianist with jazz saxophonist Pharoah Sanders – and Mukunda's wife, Janaki.In October 1966, Shyamsundar and Malati had been working for the US Forest Service in Oregon at a fire lookout post when Mukunda and Janaki visited them and awakened their interest in Prabhupada's Gaudiya Vaishnava teachings.