Our satisfied guests tell us that our guides define the Discover Outdoors experience. Boundlessly passionate and caring, our outstanding team of men and women strive to exceed expectations and transform great days into unforgettable adventures. Our highly-qualified leaders hold only the highest certifications, setting the standard as industry leaders. In addition to backgrounds filled with travel, outdoor education, and sports expertise, our guides hold the following credentials: New York State Licensed Trail Guide, Wilderness First Responders or Wilderness EMT’s.
Join the Discover Outdoors Team
We are accepting applications for excellent new interns and guides for 2013. Learn more >
Kirk Reynolds
Owner, Guide, Wilderness Emergency Medical Technician, Leave No Trace Trainer
Kirk aims to turn New Yorkers into hikers—- one office worker at a time. Hailing from a small Missouri town, Kirk moved to New York City pursuing big dreams and even bigger ideas. Kirk blends passion with excellence to ensure Discover Outdoors is second to none. A competitive sports enthusiast and six-time New York City marathoner, Kirk is committed to sharing his excitement for the outdoors. His worldwide adventures have informed many of his plans for unforgettable, inspiring trips. Under his leadership, Discover Outdoors offers the ability for urbanites to take part in exploration and adventure.
Max Stewart
Operations Director, Guide, WFR, L1 Avalanche, AMGA-CWI
Max is a transplant to New York City from the beautiful state of Oregon with a passion for travel and adventure. Max experienced the value of the outdoors at a very young age and believes that exploring and understanding the natural world is the best route to a fulfilling life. He is certified in Wilderness Medicine with a keen interest in high altitude climbing and mountaineering. In the same month, Max summited two of the world’s seven summits, and has climbed several of the biggest mountains in the lower 48. He is always looking forward to the next best day of his life and is excited to help others find their next best adventure.
Sarah Knapp
Adventure Programmer, Guide, WFR, L1 Avalanche, AMGA-CWI
Sarah first discovered the outdoors by doing trail maintenance in her beautiful home state of New Jersey. She loves the way that outdoor sports allow her to experience new places and people. The diversity of the American landscape inspires her and she has hiked, skied and climbed in a variety of places from Tennessee to Utah. Her international expeditions have given her the opportunity to hike in the Swiss Alps, raft down the Zambeze River, and ski in Patagonia. She thinks the best way to experience a city is to bike around it and the best way to get to know a person is to spend time outside with them.
Lucas Warton
Youth Program Director, Guide, Wilderness Emergency Medical Technician
Lucas grew up spending summers working on and hiking near his grandparents’ Andean farm in Peru. From the northern outskirts of Boston, he spent many weekends memorizing the trails of the White Mountains and routinely beating the cog railway up Mount Washington. His first official guiding experience began at Bowdoin College, in Maine, where he led wilderness trips for the outing club. Formerly on Wall Street, he left his job to cycle across country. Lucas recently completed a pre-med program while guiding and working as an EMT. He firmly believes that the best cure for the malaise of city living is a good romp in the woods.
Marc Cassone
Philadelphia Regional Director, Guide, Wilderness Emergency Medical Technician
Marc spent much of his youth hiking and backpacking throughout the Adirondacks. Marc graduated from Colgate University with a degree in International Relations and an impressive record as a varsity crew team member. He has backpacked throughout the Northeast, New Mexico, Utah, Arizona, California, Europe, and Africa. He’s guided on Mount Kilimanjaro and in the Spanish Pyrenees, and has successfully toured Mont Blanc. When Marc isn’t finding new routes to explore, he enjoys skiing, wakeboarding, competing in triathlons, and scuba diving. Most importantly, Marc loves sharing the outdoors with hikers of all levels.
Garan Mangan-Dimuzio
Guide, Wilderness Emergency Medical Technician, L3 Avalanche Certified
Hailing from the Rocky Mountains of Colorado, Garan graduated from Colorado College in 2004. He has been a lead guide for several outdoor schools where he specialized in canoeing, mountain biking, backpacking and backcountry skiing, as well as teaching survival skills to adjudicated youth. He has enjoyed countless personal expeditions, most notably hiking the Continental Divide Trail from Mexico to Canada, trekking in the Annapurna and Khumbu regions of Nepal, and skiing the 14,000-foot peaks of Colorado.
Dann Landau-Gahres
Guide; Leave No Trace Master Trainer
Dann has always loved and sought out the wilderness and looks to share that passion through guiding. Dann has a wide range of outdoor experiences both personally and as a guide, from single-day rock-climbing and caving excursions to 31-day backpacking trips. Believing the outdoors to be more than just a playground, Dann strives to use his guiding opportunities to allow others to understand the fine balance between the city and wilderness and the potential self-confidence, awareness and restoration nature can offer.
Evan Oppenheimer
Guide, Wilderness First Responder, L1 Avalanche Certified
As a senior guide for Discover Outdoors, Evan is fully in his element when exploring the world outdoors. He is a local New Yorker and an avid mountain biker, hiker, snowboarder, trailrunner and yogi. He has climbed into the world of mountaineering, completing his first big-mountain ascent in August of 2009 on Mt. Shuksan, while raising funds the youth of the Summit for Someone program. Evan holds a Masters in Counseling for Mental Health and Wellness from New York University. When not guiding for Discover Outdoors, he works at the JCCA Compass Project helping young adults with special needs find career and educational direction.
Jaclyn Shea
Guide, Wilderness First Responder
Jaclyn joined the Discover Outdoors team in 2008 and loves balancing city life with weekend outdoor adventures. Prior to living in New York City, Jaclyn taught high school music in California and led hiking and adventure tours around the country. Her adventures brought her from the depths of the Grand Canyon to hiking to the top of Half Dome in Yosemite National Park. Along with her Discover Outdoors adventures, Jaclyn is an avid yogi, musician, and full-time program manager for The VH1 Save The Music Foundation.
Katie Kerr
Guide, Wilderness First Responder
Katie joined Discover Outdoors in 2009 looking for a way to balance New York City corporate life and her desire to get outdoors while working with people. Prior to moving to New York, Katie led hiking and adventure tours in Europe, Thailand, Fiji, Tahiti, and the United States, as well as guiding for the 2006 Winter Olympics in Torino. Katie has travelled to over 50 countries including time spent living in London, Sydney, and France and she is always seeking out a new adventure. One of Katie’s favorite things about guiding with Discover Outdoors is the opportunity to escape the city on the weekends and share these experiences with others.
Pete Relyea
Guide, Wilderness First Responder
Pete may say he grew up in Brooklyn but no one seems to believe him. Teen weekends splitting wood in Pennsylvania and trips with the Boy Scouts provided a solid base for his outdoor life. After college at the Virginia Military Institute, Pete packed up and hiked the Appalachian Trail. Military school gave him ample experience orienteering and mentoring groups. He has spent time hiking and rafting in Ecuador, surfing in Costa Rica and adventuring throughout Europe. Pete has guided three successful summit treks on Kilimanjaro, climbed Mt. Meru as well as a number of volcanoes in Mexico and a trek to Machu Picchu.
David Tacheny
Guide, Wilderness Emergency Medical Technician, Certified Personal Trainer
David’s outdoor career began in Minnesota where he guided youth groups and taught horseback riding lessons. He is the founder of Proformance Atheltics, a company that seeks to foster the everyday athlete inside us all. David is a Lifestyle and Weight Management Consultant. The freedom to explore the outdoor world and share it with others is David’s passion.
Brent Campbell
Guide, Wilderness-EMT, AMGA-CWI
Though Brent loves the fast pace of New York City life, nothing gets his heart racing like a day in the mountains. A Minnesota native, Brent spent his developing years carving fresh powder in the winter and summers skydiving at his uncle’s Iowa-based drop zone. As Discover Outdoors’ tallest guide, Brent naturally reaches for the top by summiting peaks in the Adirondacks, White Mountains and the Colorado Rockies. Besides building fires and cooking for Discover Outdoors guests, Brent’s favorite part of the job is meeting new people and watching them conquer new outdoor pursuits.
Arielle Caruso
Guide, Wilderness First Responder
Arielle grew up traveling and developed a passion for exploring new cultures at an early age. Although she spends the work week at an art gallery, she spends all of her free time planning her next adventure seeking out new mountains, beaches, and jungles. Growing up on the grounds of her family’s day camp, she developed a boundless sense of adventure and a love for the outdoors. She filled her days with swimming, horseback riding, and exploring the woods. These days Arielle practices yoga daily, hikes, and snowboards. She lives for adventure and feels there is nothing more thrilling than exploring the beauty of our natural world.
Dane Bjorklund
Guide, Lifeguard, Wilderness First Responder
Dane is thrilled to live in the energy of New York but looks forward to weekends in the wilderness with Discover Outdoors. Dane was raised hiking, biking, camping, canoeing, fishing in Wisconsin. When he’s not hiking on trails, he builds them. He has worked with conservation organizations in Tennessee and Idaho. Dane seeks adventure everyday and appreciates the natural beauty found in the wild.
Simon Bogigian
Guide, Wilderness First Responder
Simon’s love for the outdoors started as a young explorer in the backwoods of southern Indiana. Now a New Yorker, Simon has the opportunity to share his passion for nature with other city dwellers. His favorite moments of living in New York come after a long day on the trails where fresh air and open views leave him rejuvenated. Simon’s hikers find his demeanor relaxing and his ardor for adventure irresistible.
Mike Wenger
Guide, Wilderness First Responder, L1 Avalanche Certified
Mike got hooked on the outdoors growing up as a boy scout in New Jersey. He caught the travel bug in college while visiting 16 national parks during a three-week road trip, climbing Mount Kenya, rafting at Victoria Falls in Zambia, hatching turtles in the Virgin Islands, and hiking volcanoes in the Canary Islands. Now that he is based in New York, he is always on the lookout for a means to escape the concrete jungle to hike, mountain bike, backpack, ski, snowboard, rock climb, wakeboard, and kayak. He is excited for the adventures to come and the amazing people he will meet along the way.
Gary Lyon
Guide, Wilderness First Responder, Level II Kayaking Instructor
Gary is originally from southern Africa, where he spent the first 36 years of his life. His career began as a wildlife safari guide in Africa, before moving to the US, where he continued to work as an environmental educator and an outdoor instructor. He has a passion for plants and their uses and enjoys sharing his knowledge. As a qualified wilderness first responder, he has come to understand and appreciate the value of careful planning and preparation, for ensuring a safe and rewarding trip for all concerned.
Marcus Brooks
Guide, Wilderness-EMT, AMGA-CWI
Born in Harlem, Marcus has never let the city keep him from enjoying the great outdoors. His passion for adventure sports include hiking, climbing, skiing and spelunking. He developed his love of the outdoors at a young age and had he pleasure of hiking the Grand Canyon while studying at Biosphere 2 in Oracle, Arizona.
Brandon Willey
Guide, Wilderness First Responder
Brandon developed his love of the outdoors while growing up in Anchorage, Alaska. Before moving to New York City, he spent time in Los Angeles, Cleveland, Chicago, and Portland (Oregon). His love of travel has taken him around the United States, Europe, and South America. He spends his free time mountaineering, backpacking, cycling, rafting, fly fishing, and snowboarding. He is thrilled to be able to share his knowledge and enthusiasm for the wild with New Yorkers as a guide for Discover Outdoors.
Jessica Wolinsky
Guide, Wilderness First Responder
Jess and her dog Bungee moved to Brooklyn from Vermont in search of new challenges and to transfer their love of adventure to the urban landscape. She is an avid backpacker and has bagged some burly peaks throughout Northeast, Oregon, Idaho, Wyoming, and New Zealand. Holding a Masters in Teaching from Brown University, Jess is a passionate educator who has taught in both indoor and outdoor school settings. Here in New York City she spends her time teaching, baking bread, rock climbing, listening to NPR’s “Radiolab,” searching for the best chocolate chip cookie, and guiding incredible weekend trips!
Ben Keene
Guide, Wilderness First Responder
Ben grew up hiking, camping, swimming, and canoeing along the east coast before ending up in New York where for years, most of his ascents involved climbing flight after flight of stairs. International travel helped him reconnect with the outdoors though, and he has since explored Europe, Asia, and Central America by foot, bike, and boat. The author of Best Hikes Near New York City, he now contributes to publications such as DRAFT, the Village Voice, Wend, Travel + Leisure Southeast Asia, Rails to Trails, and the San Francisco Chronicle. Ben is always ready to share his deep appreciation for nature and conservation.
Dan Yotive
Guide, Wilderness Emergency Medical Technician
As a New York City native, Dan’s infatuation with nature and outdoor adventure was always coupled with long-distance travel. As a kid, Dan had the privilege of hiking and exploring places like the Grand Canyon, the Canadian Rockies, and Hawaiian volcanoes. Later in life, Dan took his passion to Asia where he started one of the first English-language adventure travel companies on the East coast of China. After working for five years and a program coordinator and lead instructor, Dan returned to his family and friends in New York where he is excited to help New Yorkers explore the great outdoors.
Kevin Cafaro
Guide, Wilderness First Responder
Kevin grew up in Ohio and New Jersey in the scouts, spending his days in the woods and climbing things he wasn’t supposed to. Nowadays you can find him hiking and climbing in the Shawangunks and the Adirondacks. He also enjoys snowboarding, scuba diving and sailing in the tri-state area. He is always ready to share his experience as a high ropes instructor, and loves hitting the trail with fellow New Yorkers.
Nathan Duclos
Guide, Wilderness Emergency Medical Technician, L1 Avalanche Certified
Nathan Duclos is a Wilderness EMT and is currently finishing his Paramedic training. As a licensed EMS instructor, he teaches wilderness medicine classes domestically and around the world. Nathan has climbed Aconcagua, Mount Kilimanjaro, Mount Whitney, many peaks in Alaska. He has expertise in wilderness and search and rescue and has travelled to Haiti to provide emergency medical services to victims of the 2010 earthquakes and Tanzania to provide healthcare in rural village clinics. Outside of work Nathan teaches theater at a high school and spends his free time biking, kayaking, hiking, skiing, and playing soccer.
Ian Mangiardi
Guide, Wilderness Emergency Medical Technician
A native to New York City, Ian has grown up understanding the importance of balance between the Urban Excursion and the Outdoor Adventure. Over the past three years, Ian has trekked over 5,000 miles up both the Appalachian and Pacific Crest Trails. With a passion for Expedition Management, he started a non-profit organization to help people safely travel the world, earning satisfaction with their adventures. Possessing vast knowledge about gear, he has written for magazines, books, and websites on the intricacies of gear acquisitions. Professionally trained as a chef and EMT, Ian is prepared for anything; from rumbling bellies to tumbling hikers.
Marc Leone
Guide, Wilderness First Responder
Native to the northeast, Marc was born and raised in Southern Connecticut. As he kid he loved getting lost in the woods on missions to clean up the litter left behind by others. Now he spends his time kayaking on the rivers and lakes in Connecticut, hiking, camping, and climbing whatever he can get his hands and feet on – still carrying his trash bag for litter and determined to complete his childhood mission. He has recently hiked in Rocky Mountain National Park, camped on the gulf shore in Alabama, and backpacked through western Turkey. Marc loves meeting new people and discovering new places with others.
Marc Magnus-Sharpe
Guide, Emergency Medical Technician
After settling in New York City, Magnus took a few years to find his way back to the outdoors, and hasn’t looked back since. In the winter he ski patrols in the Berkshires and Catskills. In the spring and summer he’s paddling local rivers as a member of a national swift water rescue team. Beyond the adventures of hiking and exploring local areas, he’s guided trips to Yosemite, the Grand Canyon and bicycled across America. Committed to sustainability and an avid photographer, Magnus is eager to help others escape the city and connect with nature’s beauty.
Nancy Henning
Guide, Wilderness First Responder
Growing up in the remote suburbs of New York City, Nancy has always had an appreciation for the city’s proximity to beautiful, remote, natural escapes. After college her vacation trips quickly took on an adventurous overtone seeking beautiful, remote places which presented physical challenges and yielded outstanding scenery among its rewards. Her international summit and adventure list spans five continents and will someday reach all seven. Nancy’s love for adventure has taken her to the summit of Mt Elbrus and up Kilimanjaro twice. Here on the home front, she is excited to introduce New Yorkers to the natural beauty of her home state.
Jaclyn Palau
Guide, Wilderness First Aid
Although Jaclyn grew up in the concrete jungle of Brooklyn, she feels more at home on the trail, in the woods, and rappelling down the face of a sheer rock slab. Whether it’s canyoneering in Puerto Rico’s El Yunque Rainforest, Backpacking through the Grand Tetons or dancing in the streets at Trinidad’s Caribbean Carnival, her focus is finding her next great thrill. Her favorite aspect of guiding is helping new clients discover the outdoors and challenging them to test their boundaries in unfamiliar territory. A multi-sport athlete, Jaclyn is also experienced camping, adventure racing, biking, skiing and climbing rock and ice. Her favorite trail partner is her Cocker Spaniel, Dexter.
Dariush Ruch-Kamgar
Guide, Wilderness First Responder
Dariush grew up hiking, skiing, and exploring in the White Mountains. He enjoys sharing his passion and knowledge of the outdoors with fellow travelers of all backgrounds. He is adept at identifying wildlife and enjoys teaching those around him the habits of various fauna. He has hiked most of the highest peaks in New Hampshire and Maine, has summits in California, Colorado, and Switzerland, and has backpacked 350 miles of the Appalachian Trail continuously. Dariush also enjoys rock-climbing, mountain biking, snow-shoeing and skiing. He believes the most enjoyable trips are those where everyone comes back invigorated and exhausted, with stories to tell, and already making plans for the next trip.
Angela Bole
Guide, Wilderness First Responder
Angela moved to New York eight years ago from Jackson Hole, Wyoming (via Indiana and Iowa where she grew up and went to college). Since moving to New York, Angela has dedicated herself to bridging fellow city dwellers, particularly young people, with the amazing trails in and around the city. For five years she served as Chair of Sierra Club’s NYC Inner City Outings, a community outreach program that provides opportunities for urban youth to explore the natural world. Now, as a guide for Discover Outdoors, she’s continually inspired by how a single day in the wilderness can broaden a group’s sense of community and perspective.
Myles O’Connell
Guide, First Aid, CPR
Myles moved around quite a bit growing up, from the beautiful Northeast, to the wide open Southwest, before finally arriving in Southeast as a teenager. His love of the outdoors developed there in the vast Blue Ridge Mountains, and grew exponetially while living and hiking in the Sierra Nevadas after college. Now living in New York, he spends most weekends exploring the region where he made his earliest memories, leading hikes and meeting adventurous New Yorkers.
Elise Johnson
Guide, Wilderness First Responder
Elise grew up in Chicago and graduated from Colgate University, where she was a staff member of the Outdoor Education program for three years as well as an avid astronomer, geologist and travel junkie. It was working with Outdoor Ed that her love of the outdoors found an outlet, and she spent the next few years learning and teaching how to “leave no trace,” rock climb, ice climb, tele-ski, spelunk, and cook a delicious couscous dinner in the backcountry. Elise loves getting her fellow New Yorkers as excited about the outdoors as she is, but when she’s not hiking you can find her examining rocks in Central Park, pointing out the two constellations visible from Manhattan or prepping for her next big adventure.
Neale Batra
Guide, Wilderness First Responder
Originally from Michigan, Neale began his outdoor excursions with the scouts, learning to appreciate the woodsy charms of the Midwest. Quickly expanding his outdoor horizons, he has since guided climbing, whitewater, and backpacking trips in locales ranging from West Virginia to British Columbia to southern California. His personal expeditions include mountaineering in Wyoming, backpacking in Peru’s Cordillera Blanca, and completing first descents of remote slots in the Grand Canyon. Neale loves introducing people to outdoor activities and seeing them bring those experiences back to their daily lives. When not planning his next trip, Neale can be found preparing the Philadelphia for public health disasters or playing his violin.
Marie Siwicki
Guide, Wilderness First Responder
Marie grew up exploring the wooded landscapes of southeastern Pennsylvania. She resolutely took to the mountains during her college years in New England spending her summers and weekends exploring the White Mountains and the Green Mountains. At Brown University, she had the opportunity to lead backpacking trips for the school’s outdoors program. Her pursuit of adventure has taken her from the Himalayas to the deserts of West Africa. Her most recent endeavors involved leading trips in the Cascades of Washington and the Rockies in Montana. She is happy to be back on the East coast, and is thrilled to share experiences of new and wild places with her fellow east coasters.
Brian Gruters
Guide, Wilderness First Responder
Brian climbed many a tree as a boy in Northern Arizona, and eventually applied himself to exploring mountains and canyons in the Southwest. After crossing the country a few times as a guide, he settled in New York City, where he devotes five days a week to the nonprofit sector. He spends as much time as possible out of the City, on any of the Northeast’s imcomparably steep mountain trails.
Dan Brooks
Guide, Wilderness First Responder
Growing up in the South Jersey Pine Barrens inculcated Dan with a love of the outdoors that has followed him as he’s traversed the globe through the Americas and Europe . An avid backpacker and hiker, Dan also enjoys paddling, cycling, and has recently taken up skiing. He has led trips from New York State to Costa Rica. He returned to the Delwarare Valley in the Fall of 2012 after spending several years reveling in the alpine joys of Oregon and the Pacific Northwest. Dan loves to explore and experience remote and ignored places in both the front- and backcountry, and is an ardent Philly sports fan.
Ben Rausch
Guide, Wilderness First Responder, L1 Avalanche
Although Ben is a native of the Commonwealth of Massachusetts, he considers himself a local to the backcountry slopes of the Colorado Rockies. After spending multiple ski seasons out west, and growing up with long summer days full of hiking, camping, and boating throughout the mountain ranges of the Northeast, Ben never stops dreaming of epic powder turns and calm mornings on glassy lakes. Deep down, Ben believes more than anything in the power our natural environment has to instill the values of self-awareness and self-reliance. He believes escaping to a wilderness setting is not only an important educational experience, but essential to finding purpose and balance in ones daily life. Nicknamed Ben “Mother Bear” Rausch by his close friends and family, Ben is driven by his desire to comfort, care, and teach others as he guides them into the wild.
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