Why Good Trip?
Our guides are local experts, and our service is world-class.Meet the Company
Good Trip works with career guides who are experts in their fields and lead thousands of adventurers each year. We provide world-class experiences for all trippers – from first-timers to experienced travelers. We’re not just a local operator, we’re a national company that ensures consistent experiences of the highest quality.
And the best part? Regardless of where you come from, every experience with Good Trip Adventures will be not only good to you, but good to others, and good to the planet.
Good Trip is an inclusive and accepting operator. We value diversity and respect for all humans and land and ask that our guests do the same. All travelers who book with Good Trip agree to show this respect by practicing Leave No Trace principles and following all park rules and regulations. We have a zero tolerance policy for hateful or threatening speech or for discrimination based on race, religion, sexual orientation, gender identity, or place of origin.
Meet the Team
Good Trip guides are professionally licensed. We are vetted thoroughly, trained often, and prepared for the unexpected. But most importantly, we love what we do.
Our team is made up of Master Naturalists, Wilderness First Responders, rock climbers, thru-hikers, kayakers, conservation volunteers, scientists, inspiring storytellers, and Master’s in outdoor education, environmental education, and sustainability education. We regularly volunteer with local non-profits to improve trail conditions, remove invasive plant species, and improve wildlife habitat.
Megan Kennedy
She/Her
Chief Adventure Officer &
Senior Guide
Megan got her start in the travel industry as a kayak guide at an eco-lodge in Wales. After returning to the States, she continued leading day hikes for New Yorkers. Day hikes became multi-day trips in the Northeast, which turned into week-long adventures around the world. During this time, she also began working on the logistics side of travel – creating itineraries, booking vendors, and building partnerships.
In 2017, she headed to the University of Edinburgh to pursue a Master’s in Outdoor Education. After completing her degree, she headed to Montana to become the Regional Manager of a tour operator.
Megan is a passionate environmentalist who uses her experience to run a more sustainable and inclusive outdoor travel company.
Tyler Tennant
He/They
Director of Operations &
Senior Guide
Tyler is a professional, full-time guide with years of experience leading and educating the public. With seasons of personal and professional experience in Yellowstone, the Sierra Nevadas, and the Pacific Northwest, Tyler is more than comfortable in the backcountry. Tyler has administrative, operational, and managerial expertise in his field, a Master’s degree in Outdoor Education, and is certified a Wilderness First Responder, and Master Naturalist. His passion for outdoor recreation and exploration is matched only by his desire to educate about and preserve the beauty of the natural world.
Lauren Skonieczny
Director of Strategic Planning & Senior Guide
Lauren has been a professional guide since 2013, leading groups of diverse backgrounds to destinations such as Yosemite, Mount Rainier National Park, New England, the North Cascades, and Mount Kilimanjaro. An extremely capable leader, Lauren has worked several years at the director level in the travel industry, training and managing guide teams and overseeing brand growth from a local to national level. Outside of work, Lauren sits on the board as secretary of the United States Australian Football League and plays with the local women’s club. She also volunteers as an EMT with Pacific Northwest Search and Rescue, teaches wilderness medicine, and learns important life lessons as a mom of a toddler
Alex Wehrle-Garsh
She/They
Southwest Regional Manager & Senior Guide
Alex is an Outdoor Advocate and professional Recreation Therapist. Beyond passionate about the outdoors, she loves helping others see their abilities, and say yes to any outdoor adventure. She’s usually found with the biggest of smiles laughing at the cheesiest of jokes.
You’ll usually find her with a trash bag in hand, always leaving the trail better than she found it. A legacy member of the Granite Gear GoundsKeepers team, Alex has personally removed over 2500 pounds of litter from outdoor spaces. Motivated to inspire the community to do the same, she is Masters Certified in Leave No Trace and regularly facilitates LNT training and clean-ups.
Most days you can find her hiking, camping, doing yoga, or biking, and her favorite adventures include the ones before the sun is even up. She believes there is nothing like being the only one at the summit watching the sunrise.
Mallory Fischer
She/Her
Engagement Officer & Senior Guide
Mallory grew up playing outside with farm animals, birdwatching, and exploring her family’s farm in Northern Illinois. This rural upbringing instilled a passion for wildlife and nature in her, which led to earning a bachelor’s degree in Fisheries and Wildlife Management and a master’s degree in Conservation Biology. Mallory’s academic adventures took her to Brazil, Mexico, Mongolia, and Namibia to study the impact of climate change on various communities and ecosystems while also helping to develop environmental education resources, scientific research, and community-based conservation efforts. As her career evolved, she spent time working as a naturalist and environmental educator whose goal is to help others see the value in caring for the environment while simultaneously building connections that work to ensure a healthy, sustainable future. Mallory is a Certified Interpretive Guide through the National Association of Interpretation and has previously worked for the Greater Yellowstone Coalition, the National Park Service, Walt Disney World, an AZA accredited zoo, and various other government and nonprofit conservation organizations. She is an experienced naturalist guide who loves to hike, camp, kayak, observe wildlife, and provide an inclusive and welcoming experience for anyone who joins her on an outdoor adventure.
Colin Snider
He/Him
Operations Assistant & Senior Guide
Colin grew up in the rolling hills of southern Indiana, hunting, fishing and foraging for mushrooms with his family. His affinity for the outdoors as a child encouraged his parents to enroll him in an outdoor adventure summer camp which he attended for fourteen summers as everything from camper to camp director.
His time at camp instilled a lifelong
passion for protecting the environment and sharing it with others.
Colin holds a Bachelor’s Degree in Outdoor Recreation, Parks, and Human Ecology from Indiana University and a Master’s in Environmental and Sustainability Education from the University of Edinburgh in Scotland. He is a Montana Master Naturalist, AMGA Apprentice Rock Guide, Wilderness EMT, and holds his Avalanche Professional 1 certification. He is a full-time, year-round guide! In his free time, Colin is a die-hard skier and climber.
Beau Reed
They/Them
Lead Guide
Beau grew up in the wilds of rural Tennessee. They spent their summers as a kid camping, fishing, jumping in muddy swimming holes, catching fireflies, and spending hours a day with their horse out in the woods. As an adult they now live on occupied Duwamish territory (aka Seattle, WA) and have grown to love backpacking, rock climbing, mushroom hunting in the northwest and saying yes whenever an opportunity arrives. They have trekked across Scotland, many National Parks, California, and sections of the Appalachian Trail. They have dedicated their life to educating and instructing others so they too can enjoy the backcountry.
Malorie Javier
They/She
Lead Guide
Malorie’s outdoor adventures started at a young age, learning to boogie board from 4 years old to camping religiously with her pops down in remote & isolated parts of the Baja coast. She loved anything that got her in or close to water. It wasn’t until her first trip to Redwoods that her love affair with forests truly sparked, seeing the beautifully preserved old-growth trees lit a fire in her soul. From then on she has enjoyed day-hikes, ziplining, swimming & meditating in: Michoacan, Mexico, between the Pyrenees & Massif Central mountain ranges in France, throughout the Doi Wiang Kaeo Forest in Northern Thailand, the Virginia side of the Appalachians, PNW, California, Nevada & Zion. In her spare time she volunteers at a community garden and with a group to reduce single-use plastics from LA eateries. Having minored in Sustainability and being adventure hungry, it’s become her life’s mission to guide others to experience this planet with the same excitement & passion she’s had.
Savannah McCauley
She/Her
Lead Guide
Savannah’s love for the outdoors began in her backyard in Northern CA. A lush and vast Redwood grove gave life to her love for all things outside. In 2018 she jumped head first in to the life of multi-day backpacking, hiking, guiding, and outdoor photography. She loves the strong yet gentle environment the outdoors gives to everyone and the mental and physical change that emerges from spending time in it. Her favorite places to backpack include the Northern Cascades, Escalante and by far the Wind River Range. Savannah now works full time as a professional photographer in the outdoor realm and strives to create a safe, exciting, and all-welcoming environment in all spaces within the outdoors. She currently lives both on the East Coast in Brooklyn, as well as the West Coast in Seattle. Savannah always has her trusty pup sidekick Sequoia by her side as well as a camera in her hand. No doubt you’ll find her either up on a wall, out in the ocean, or deep in the backcountry.
Emma Capulong
She/Her
Lead Guide
As a AMGA Apprentice Rock Guide and Mayo Clinic trained & Board-Certified Health and Wellness Coach, Emma Capulong (pronounced like a cup of oolong tea: Cup-Oolong) helps clients explore nature within and outside. Emma loves getting to know her clients and helping them reach their goals. Whether you want to climb a mountain or explore the National Parks with your family, Emma meets you where you are. Since 2014 Emma has been guiding individuals, groups, children, and families through every season with transformative coaching, mindfulness education, and outdoor play.
Diana Proemm
She/Her
Lead Guide
Diana started her outdoor adventures with skiing at an early age. Skiing, mountain biking, hiking, trekking, and white water paddling have carried her to places she would never have imagined. She took her love of the mountains to explore Montana and Alaska, spending time camping, exploring, and biking. Traveling for months alone as a woman in the 90’s was not the norm, but it helped her expand her love for adventure and grow confidence and resilience along the way. Learning how to navigate her way safely during solo travels slowly blended into her personal life. Eventually, she headed back to school to become a Recreational Therapist. She has led backcountry adventure programs, taught and directed adaptive outdoor adventure programs, and retreats in the great outdoors. Currently, she keeps busy in her off time by climbing mountains, rolling downhill on her mountain bike, or floating the river.
Shauna Baron
She/Her
Lead Guide
Shauna Baron holds a B.S. in Biology, and a M.S. in Science Education. She has had over 25 years of experience as an outdoor educator. In her early academic years, her studies focused on large and small carnivores, including wolves, bears, fishers and bobcats. Shauna saw her first wild wolf while volunteering with the Yellowstone Wolf Project in 1996, and she has been hooked on wolves ever since.
Over the years, she focused her career on predator conservation, working as an educator for the Colorado-based captive wolf program at Mission: Wolf, a field biologist and outreach coordinator for the
U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service Red Wolf Recovery Program in North Carolina, and a forest carnivore researcher for the University of Vermont. Shauna spent 13 years as a resident instructor for the Yellowstone Forever Institute, where she specialized in creating outdoor education programs for disabled veterans, inner-city and at-risk youth, as well as autistic youth groups. Today, she is working as a naturalist guide in Yellowstone National Park, where she continues to share her love and in-depth knowledge of wolves and the outdoor world, inspiring a sense of wonder in students, both young and old.
Matt Bloomfield
He/Him
Lead Guide
Born and raised in the Midwest, Matt’s fascination with the outdoors started on a family road-trip from Indiana to Colorado, New Mexico, and Arizona. Already an avid geological enthusiast and rock collector, the experience of seeing a diverse landscape of mountains, canyons, cliffs, and deserts sparked an even greater desire to leave the farmlands of the midwest.
Several years later, at the age of 23, he moved to Flagstaff, Arizona to earn his bachelor’s degree in Geology from Northern Arizona University. While studying geology and partaking in as many outdoor activities as possible, he stumbled upon a desire to capture and share all the amazing landscapes he so frequently experienced. Matt’s love for photography blossomed and he now specializes in shooting landscape and adventure photography, with a focus on the southwestern US. His goal is to share his passions with others by teaching them the skills they need to explore and appreciate the natural world, educate them about geology and its role in shaping the world they see today, and photograph their incredible journey along the way.
Lærke Nielsen
She/Her
Lead Guide
Lærke is a professional guide, instructor, and outdoor educator with global experience. Growing up in the woods of Scandinavia, Lærke decided to turn her love for the outdoors and environmental stewardship into a full-time career, and she now holds a postgraduate degree in Outdoor Education, is a certified Wilderness First Responder and Mountain Leader, and has worked trips and expeditions out of Norway, Scotland, Greenland, and the US Southwest. Lærke’s main guiding passion is sharing that perfect combination of exhilarating adventure in and meaningful connection to the landscapes we journey through. Having worked a few good years in Scotland as a climbing instructor and wilderness therapy guide, Lærke has just relocated to Southern California, where she finally gets to experience the joy of being able to climb under the sun all year round.
Nathan Duclos
He/Him
Lead Guide
Nathan grew upon in New Hampshire hiking and climbing in the White Mountains. Since that time he has gone on to climb across the globe submitting many of the worlds highest peaks. Nathan has lead expeditions in Argentina, Nepal, Iceland, Peru, the Alps, Mongolia, Alaska and beyond. He is a Wilderness Paramedic and licensed EMS instructor, he teaches wilderness medicine classes domestically and around the world. He is also a mountaineering instructor and has focused much of his time understanding and treating high altitude illnesses. He has established backcountry hospitals in remote areas of Africa, Haiti and Panama. His other passions include ocean kayaking and road biking.
Michelle Zizian
She/Her
Lead Guide
Lori Taylor
She/Her
Lead Guide
Lori grew up adventuring in the Pacific Northwest and Colorado. After raising a family and spending some years in Florida taking groups on expeditions into Georgia, North Carolina, and Tennessee, she chased her dream to be a professional guide by moving to North Carolina and starting Mountain Treks, LLC. At Mountain Treks, she creates custom experiences for individuals and groups seeking adventure, renewal, and personal challenge. She believes trekking through wilderness opens pathways to live great stories. With a Doctorate in Spiritual Formation, as well as training as a NOLS Outdoor Educator and Leave No Trace Master Educator, Lori has a passion to combine wilderness education with personal character and group development through transformational wilderness experiences that are inclusive, supportive, and fun.
Kimberly Rivers
She/Her
Lead Guide
Kimberly was born and raised in North Carolina, and grew up hiking along the Appalachian Trail. On her first backpacking trip out west, through Glacier National Park in Montana, she fell in love with the wild and varying landscapes of the opposite coast. She has spent the past several years exploring parks all over the south- and northwest, and is excited to lead tours in some of her favorite places! She is a Wilderness First Responder and an avid landscape photographer. She is passionate about combining her interests in sustainability and environmentalism with her love of backpacking and climbing. She is based in southern California with her two adventure pups, Ande and Lucy.
Lydia Kopecky
She/Her
Lead Guide
Lydia is a deep lover of all things outdoors. An avid climber, mountaineer, and backpacker, Lydia loves to help push others to their limits and see what they’re truly capable of. From the Annapurna range in Nepal and the top of Kilimanjaro in Tanzania, to the eastern Sierras and the Alps, Lydia loves to help others explore and revel in the beauty of our natural world. Lydia has been an outdoor guide since 2012 and is a mentor for Young Women Who Crush, a climbing and leadership program for girls in New York City. Lydia is a member of the US Fencing Team and potentially too much in love with her two cats, Spoon and Canoe. She’s based in Brooklyn.
Alexis Krauss
She/Her
Lead Guide
Alexis is a longtime lover of the outdoors and teaching. Alexis has been guiding adventures in the outdoors since 2016 and especially loves sharing the transformative power of nature with youth. She is an outdoor educator for Wild Earth and a Wilderness First Responder. An avid climber she recently passed her AMGA Single Pitch Assessment and is a NYS licensed climbing guide. She is co-founder of Young Women Who Crush, a climbing and leadership program for New York City girls. Alexis is a working musician and one half of the band Sleigh Bells.
Marc Leone
He/Him
Lead Guide
Marc was born and raised in the northeastern US. He has always felt at home in the woods and believes that the beauty of every outdoor landscape, even city parks, must be preserved so future generations can benefit from the healing power of nature. Marc spends his free time in the mountains of upstate New York, but the Canadian Rockies are his favorite place to explore. He loves dedicating time to honing his naturalist skills and enjoys helping others cultivate their own appreciation and respect for the natural world. Marc has been guiding groups of hikers since 2012 and lives in New York City.
Jason Linguanti
He/Him
Lead Guide
Jason grew up in New York State, spending most of his childhood exploring the outdoors (barefoot!) and camping with his family. He got more into backpacking while travelling through Thailand, Australia and New Zealand on an extended adventure. Since then, Jason has worked for NOLS and Outward Bound leading wilderness expeditions in the Everglades, Wind River Range, and Blue Ridge Mountains, teaching skills in backpacking, white water canoeing, rock climbing, and marine canoeing. He has hiked all over the world: from the tall peaks of Mexico’s volcanoes to the deep canyons of Namibia. Jason is passionate about bringing folks outside and helping them to develop a sense of wonder towards nature and outdoor activities.
Erin Quinley
She/Her
Lead Guide
It is the pleasure of a lifetime to discover that one can make a living hanging out with nice people, outside. “Life is to be enjoyed” and Erin insists on having fun! To that end, Erin has been an outdoor educator since her first ropes course facilitation and team building gig, in 2006. Since then she has talked countless people into stepping off platforms and trusting a zip line, climbing up a rock face and trusting me and a rope, and walking through the woods and trusting that if we encounter a bear we’re still going to be alright. Erin believes that we are all “outdoorsy” because we are made of the same stuff as a tree, and the water in our bodies has been part of the earth’s story since its beginning; we can’t make anything without a natural source so even if we “don’t like going outside”, the items inside our homes are just extensions of the natural world! Erin has found during her years of camping, backpacking, rock climbing, and hanging out in trees that the walls we build up to separate ourselves from nature and each other can’t resist the gentle force of opening provided by time spent outside. We are so lucky to have National Parks established to provide access to those life changing experiences, and she cannot wait to be there with those who choose to get outside with us this year.
Sam Combs
He/Him
Lead Guide
Sam considers himself very fortunate to get to spend his time guiding adventuresome outings in astonishing places with people from all different walks of life. A lifelong student of the natural world, Sam does his best to infuse all of his guided journeys with opportunities for deeply immersive learning experiences. Holding space for groups and individuals to connect with themselves and the people and places that they are visiting is an intrinsic part of Sam’s mission on any excursion, and he’s going to have a blast fulfilling that objective. Sam has been guiding professionally for the better part of a decade, and when he’s not plying his craft on the trail, he’s helping to manage a retreat center and permaculture farm in Belize, where he makes music, movement and chocolate with his growing family.
Justine Horton
She/Her
Lead Guide
Justine was born and raised in New York City, but since childhood has found great joy and peace in the outdoors. Growing up, she was fortunate to spend her summers in the Catskill Mountains, where she first began hiking and backpacking. Since then, Justine has gone on to become an avid outdoorsperson: she has hiked the Pacific Crest Trail, the Long Trail, vast sections of the Appalachian Trail, and has completed many shorter backpacking trips in Alaska, New Zealand, Myanmar, Iceland, and Tanzania. While her passion is backpacking, she also enjoys rock climbing, trail running, snowboarding, cross-country skiing, car-camping, and hiking interpretive trails. Justine believes that time spent outside can have a truly meaningful impact on an individual’s life, and that learning the skills one needs to succeed in an outdoor pursuit can be incredibly empowering and rewarding. As an outdoor educator and guide for teenagers and adults, she works to ensure that everyone has the opportunity to safely, intentionally, and responsibly engage with the outdoors.
Marc Cassone
He/Him
Lead Guide
Marc is an ER Physician and outdoor guide who grew up hiking and paddling in the Adirondacks of upstate NY (46-er!). He has worked as an outdoor guide since 2010 leading multi-day trekking trips across the US, Alps, Pyrennes, Andes, Morocco and two ascents of Kilimanjaro as well as bike touring trips across the US and Europe. His next big goals are to summit the highest points of all fifty states (30/50!) and complete the Winter Haute Route. He’s passionate about wilderness medicine, global health, outdoor sports (you name it!), crossword puzzles and sharing the outdoors with new and veteran adventurers.
Jade Chimo
He/Him
Lead Guide
Jade is an enthusiastic outdoor adventurer, he has been guiding fly fishing and hunting trips in Montana for 3 years. A true Montana native he has lived in the state enjoying all it has to offer for the last 23 years. During the summer months he spends his time teaching people the art of casting a flyrod, however frustrating it might be.
Molly Brennen
She/Her
Lead Guide
Molly grew up in Michigan where she fell in love with the outdoors at a young age. Molly got her start in the conservation world after she graduated from Western Michigan University and joined a conservation corps doing trail work where she found a passion for protecting, preserving and respecting the environment. Since then, she has gained both personal and professional experience in the outdoors: she was a Conservation Educator for youth where she taught outdoor education and led backpacking trips and a Park Ranger with the Bureau of Land Management where she enjoyed leading a variety of different groups on interpretive hikes in Northern California. In her free time she loves exploring, backpacking, camping, kayaking. During the winter, Molly enjoys sports such as snowboarding, cross country skiing, and ice skating. Molly finds joy and enthusiasm in connecting with people and the environment through interpretation and is looking forward to more opportunities to do so!
Humsini Acharya
She/Her
Lead Guide
Humsini was born and raised in Boulder, CO. Her relationship with the outdoors bloomed from weekend hikes with family and friends that always ended with a delicious Indian potluck in the park. Her first summer after high school, she went backpacking in Zion and scuba diving in Guadalupe to see the great whites. Those experiences gave her the confidence to step out of her comfort zone and pursue adventure where it finds her and solidified her love for the outdoors. She enjoys hiking, backpacking, rock and ice climbing, and scuba diving. (Though she doesn’t get to do a ton of that in Colorado.) Having grown up as a first-generation Indian/Asian-American, she is passionate about equity and diversity within the outdoors space and allowing people of any background to enjoy nature, find adventure, and push what they thought was possible for themselves.
Ally Petrilla
She/Her
Lead Guide
Ally grew up in the Cumberland Plateau of east Tennessee. With Appalachia as her backyard, she learned from an early age to love and enjoy the outdoors biking, hiking, backpacking, and studying the local flora and fauna of her hometown. A multi-sport athlete, Ally started her career in the outdoors as a fitness and cycling coach and is certified by the American College of Sports Medicine. While earning her Master’s Degree in Global Public Health she coordinated and led outreach trips in Latin America, which expanded her love of travel, trip leadership, and advocacy. In 2015 she shifted gears in order to marry her passion for the outdoors with her education in public health and became a professional bicycle tour guide. She has led multi-day excursions in locations around the globe including Ecuador, Spain, Costa Rica, and National Parks across the U.S. On her own, Ally enjoys bikepacking, hiking, and camping with her dog Chevy and her partner Jeremiah.
Taylor Fairman
He/Him
Lead Guide
Taylor was born and raised in the Lake Tahoe Basin where she grew a deep love for the natural beauty of high alpine lakes and rugged forestry. She grew up hiking, backpacking, mountain biking, boating, and skiing throughout the greater Lake Tahoe and Sierra Nevada Mountain ranges. Taylor got her start in the outdoor recreation industry as a Ski Patrol for a local resort in Lake Tahoe. As she gained more experience, she decided to move to Montana to explore the great plains of the West. While in Montana, she continued her Ski Patrol career and attended Montana State University. This move allowed her to indulge and immerse herself in the wild and jagged promises of the Rockie Mountains.
Taylor has now lived in Montana for going on five years and has explored the vast majority of the state in one fashion or another. Taylor currently holds two Bachelors of Science, her EMT license, and various outdoor recreation certifications (ranging from backcountry skiing to international water’s captain’s licenses) which enable her to turn her passion for getting outside and being active into a full-time career. Taylor hopes to complete the Pacific Crest Trail in the near future and travel / backpack in international locations such as Europe, Argentina, and Costa Rica.
She is excited and eager to learn, is dedicated to the outdoors, and is motivated to share experiences, stories, and knowledge with others. Her hope is to reach as many individuals as possible to create a larger impact through outdoor recreation and healthy habits!
Justin Carter
He/Him
Lead Guide
Justin is an explorer. He aims to know something about everything in our physical and natural world. Growing up in the suburbs of Philadelphia, he spent summers traveling, camping in national and state parks across the US. During the school year, he pestered his teachers, particularly his science teachers, with question after question after question.
Chris West
He/Him
Lead Guide
Chris grew up exploring the fabulous public lands the US has to offer. Family vacations eventually grew into dedicated road trips and backpacking trips to some of the most spectacular places in the country. His life of outdoor exploration has made him equally at home from montane forests to lowland deserts, from tundra to tropical rainforest. When he was 19, he started guiding in Southern Arizona, which quickly grew and expanded to lead tours all over the US and Latin America. Between tours, he has worked, among other things, as a naturalist, ecologist, and National Park Ranger. Interested in all parts of the natural world, his tours include stories and tidbits of information in subjects ranging from geology, ecology to cultural and natural history, and background of scientific names and the people who named them. He loves knowing the whys of things and teaching them to others. When he’s not guiding, you can find him exploring forgotten trails to hidden waterfalls, high peaks, and deep canyons around the world.
Amy Sleeper
She/Her
Lead Guide
Amy is a life-long outdoors enthusiast. Growing up in the woods of Vermont and the Adirondacks she spent her free time hiking, biking, skiing, boating and just plain exploring. After college a few years in the Rockies reaffirmed her love of adventure and she took everything up a notch – conquering many of Colorado’s famous 14ers, completing Century bicycle rides, and spending all winter on the slopes. Now Amy spends her free time recreating in the Olympic Mountains, usually with her adventure pup by her side!
Bailee Doman
She/Her
Lead Guide
Bailee has been guiding in Montana for the last several years. She grew up in Washington State and fell in love with the natural beauty of the Pacific Northwest as a young child. She moved to Missoula to complete a bachelor’s degree in Parks, Recreation, and Tourism Management at the University of Montana. She has led large groups of adults and teens on backpacking trips for hundreds of miles throughout the great state. Bailee has experience working with youth and young adults groups since 2017. She loves hiking, canoeing, rafting, camping, backpacking, and getting to explore the hidden places left in the world. Her favorite places include Flathead Lake, The Rocky and Cascade Mountain Ranges, and the National Parks in Washington, Montana, Utah, and Arizona. Bailee is a savvy guide who will bring excitement and passion for the outdoors on your next adventure.
Troy Miller
He/Him
Lead Guide
Troy grew up in the glacial carvings of upstate New York. An Eagle Scout, he spent his early years romping around the Adirondack’s, avoiding bugs and bears alike. He moved out West in search of adventure and boy did he find it! Across the country, Troy has been a kayak guide, a lifeguard, a parasail mate, jet ski guide and a mountain guide. An avid learner, Troy will stop mid hike to identify trees and flowers, describe geological history and processes, and speculate over various animal stools. In his spare time, he white water kayaks, rock climbs, bikes, backpacks, skis, anything really to seize the day.
Ashleigh Bicknell
She/Her
Lead Guide
Ashleigh is always looking for and planning her next adventure. As a lover of all things snow, rock, and nature, you can find her teaching skiing and yoga in Salt Lake City, UT, sea kayak guiding in Alaska, and ski touring all across North America. She is always running up the nearest mountain, scrambling ridgelines, doing headstands in front of glaciers, being distracted by a young spruce tree, and finding any place she can to sleep outside. One of her favorite things is getting to know new areas and new people, which is why she loves to spend time working with individuals in the outdoors.
Nicholas Swatz
He/They
Lead Guide
Nicholas was born in rural Michigan and got his love of “outdoorsing” from his grandparents when they started taking him camping at a very young age. By 2012, he had officially marked off 48 of 50 states in camping excursions, including a summer-long exploration to Alaska! Over the years, through camping, exploring and ranking through Boy Scouts of America, Nicholas began to turn his career focus towards life-long memory-making in the form of adventure elopement photography. He believes that by capturing images of our beautiful world, we can live by Chief Seattle’s wise words, “Take only memories, leave only footprints.”
Zo Talkin
They/Them
Lead Guide
Zo’s childhood spent hiking, camping, and cavorting in wild places on the east coast inspired a fondness for time outdoors spent with community, a curiosity about our vibrant ecosystems, and an enthusiasm for physical challenges and exploration. After years of seeking weekend escapes from city life, Zo relocated to Utah in 2020 to work as a wilderness therapy guide. Since 2021, Zo has worked as an outdoor educator, guiding backpacking courses in Utah, Wyoming, and the Adirondacks. A Wilderness First Responder and LNT Master Educator, Zo is excited to facilitate hiking, camping, and backpacking experiences in the West. Zo seeks to connect travelers with their own deep and innate sense of wonder for the wild places we visit by offering interpretations of the landscape, connections to its history, and a sense of adventure.
Max Ginkel
He/Him
Lead Guide
What Max loves about being on trail is the ability to slow down and notice the details. A naturally curious person, he finds joy in learning as much as he can about the history and wildlife of whatever surrounding he finds himself in. He is also extremely passionate about educating and inviting all people into outdoor spaces. With a professional background in the film industry, the outdoors have always been an escape and he’s excited to share that love with other people. Max is also an avid cook, both on trail and off, and loves to test backcountry recipes with anyone willing to try!
Lia Rabellino
She/Her
Lead Guide
Lia grew up on the central coast of California, but has a love for the desert that keeps her enjoying life in Salt Lake City, Utah. From a young age Lia was encouraged to explore and adventure. She took her first solo trip shortly after high school, and since then has sailed in the Caribbean, hiked in the Olympus massif, and explored the Australian outback. Someday, she hopes to complete a through-hike of the John Muir Trail. Her professional experience includes facilitating corporate teambuilding events, being a lead guide for a wilderness therapy program, and leading wildlife tours on a historic ranch. She is a certified CA Naturalist and is nearly finished with her first bachelor’s degree, with focus on biology and environmental management. Lia loves to help people find ways to enjoy nature, whether it’s simply appreciating a caterpillar on a leaf, discovering the satisfaction of keeping warm in the snow, or foraging for a wild salad. If she’s not studying, Lia could be found hiking or climbing, playing in her garden, or finding ways to reduce, reuse, and recycle.
Sierra Mahoney
She/Her
Lead Guide
Sierra found her love for the outdoors in the Adirondack Mountains of Upstate New York where she grew up as an avid hiker and rock climber. Eager for a new adventure, in 2017 she moved out to San Diego to attend college where she now holds a Bachelors’s degree in Recreation and Tourism Management from San Diego State University. Her love for nature and environmentalism alongside her experience working as a ropes course guide inspired her to want to pursue this career path. Sierra loves adventure and is always searching for ways to help others find new ways to enjoy the outdoors. She currently lives in San Diego and loves to spend her free time traveling, hiking, and photographing the outdoors.
Derek Esposito
He/Him
Lead Guide
Derek started his guiding career leading climbing and mountaineering courses for NOLS while pursuing a career in the solar industry. He has been guiding full time for the past 5 years and now calls the Cascades home where he happily pursues adventures on ice, rock, and snow throughout the year. Derek has taken AMGA courses in the Rock, Alpine, and Ski disciplines along with Wilderness First Responder and Avalanche Pro 1 certifications and has traveled extensively to guide clients in Nepal, Ecuador, and Alaska.
Ash Harris
He/Him
Lead Guide
Ash was born and raised in the shadows of Southern Arizona’s rugged rocky mountains, and at a young age fell in love with the West and America’s National Parks. He spent his childhood hiking and backpacking in Coronado National Forest and Saguaro National Park, exploring the many trails and secluded canyons of the mountains around the Tucson Basin. As he grew older Ash pushed further away from home and went on to explore every corner of Arizona, and into California, Colorado, and New Mexico.
Ash loves visiting archaeological and abandoned sites across the state, from ancient ruins to mining camps and everything in between, the further of the beaten path, the better. He also loves visiting vast untouched wilderness, seeing nature flourish absent of human life. At the drop of a hat, he will go anywhere for any reason, all for the promise of a little adventure. He is down for anything and embraces side tracks and uncertainty.
Ash is a history nut and loves everything Arizona. Currently studying Archaeology, Ash hopes to spend his career everywhere but behind a desk, uncovering lost stories of humanity’s past.
He is a Wilderness First Responder and has over eight years of experience in Arizona’s backcountry. He is honored and blessed to be able to share his love of the outdoors with others.
Fox Stoddard
They/Them
Lead Guide
Fox was raised in the deserts of the Southwest and enjoyed many camping trips to some of the classic spots in North America. Early in their working career, Fox became passionate about experiential and outdoor education. They have worked for multiple environmental education centers, a Montessori school, as well as NOLS. When it comes to outdoor recreation, Fox is a backpacker and rock climber. They have been fortunate enough to backpack and climb in so many beautiful places across the “Lower 48”, as well as Tanzania and Alaska. They have summited two of the seven summits (Kilimanjaro and Denali). Fox feels an ineffable connection to the planet when climbing and living in the backcountry. They are excited to share that energy with folks as they set out on their various adventures. Fox hopes to facilitate intentional experiences for others to absorb the majestic and glorious energy this magical planet generates.
Justin Chan
He/Him
Lead Guide
Justin grew up in the Pocono Mountains of Northeast Pennsylvania. He spent his twenties working with his hometown fire department and learned the importance of community, team building and safety. He graduated from East Stroudsburg University with a bachelors in LRTM Hospitality (Lodging, Restaurant and Tourism Management). He managed several different restaurant concepts throughout the rest of his twenties and then decided to take his adventures west to Boulder, Colorado. There in the beautiful Rocky Mountains he began diving deep into backpacking and camping excursions that developed his love and appreciation for the outdoors. His desire to learn from the outdoors challenged him to take on the John Muir Trail in the High Sierra’s of California. This multi-week thru-hike fueled his interest in learning new cultures and he found himself traveling overseas to New Zealand. He remained abroad for two years learning sustainability, permaculture, backpacking and vanlife. Upon returning to the United States, Justin moved into Wilderness Therapy with companies based out of Utah and the Big Island of Hawai’i. There he developed a love working in direct care with adolescent teens and teaching outdoor education from a therapeutic approach. Based out of Salt Lake City, Justin has been in the guiding industry for 5 years. He continues his passion to travel, learn and share experiences all while guiding throughout the American Southwest. You most likely will find him hiking or camping throughout the desert or mountain wilderness and spending time with his husky pup Ziggy
Ben Greene
He/Him
Lead Guide
Ben Grew up closely connected to the outdoors, coming from northern Vermont he started his exploration hiking, skiing and mountain biking at a young age. This curiosity about the natural world brought him to Montana to study environmental science. Ben enjoys constantly learning about nature and being able to pass that knowledge onto others. He believes the best friendships are created through exploring the outdoors.
Proud Member of the Adventure Travel Trade Association
