Our satisfied guests tell us that our guides define the Outdoor Bound 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 Outdoor Bound Team
We are accepting applications for excellent new interns and guides for 2012. 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 Outdoor Bound is second to none. A competitive sports enthusiast and five-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, Outdoor Bound offers the ability for urbanites to take part in exploration and adventure.
Max Stewart
Operations Director, Guide, Wilderness First Responder
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.
Garan Mangan-Dimuzio
Youth Program Director, Guide, Wilderness Emergency Medical Technician,
Hailing from the Rocky Mountains of Colorado, Garan is an integral part of the Outdoor Bound team. Garan pursued his education and undying lust for the outdoors at Colorado College, where he graduated in 2004. Since then, he has worn many hats in the outdoor world. 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. Garan has worked as a member of the Telluride Ski Patrol for the past five years where he maintains his Wilderness EMT and Outdoor Emergency Care certifications as well as his Avalanche Control license.
Dann Landau-Gahres
Guide; Leave No Trace Master Trainer
Dann has always loved and sought out the wilderness. He has been able to share that passion with others by guiding trips for over six years. 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. He has had extensive Wilderness Medical Training and currently holds certification in First Aid and CPR for the professional rescuer. 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
As a senior guide for Outdoor Bound, Evan is fully in his element when exploring the world outdoors. He is a local New Yorker and is 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, and in the process raising funds to benefit at-risk-youth served by the Big City Mountaineers Summit for Someone program. Additionally Evan holds a Masters in Counseling for Mental Health and Wellness from New York University. When not guiding for Outdoor Bound, 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 Outdoor Bound 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 Outdoor Bound 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 Outdoor Bound 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 Outdoor Bound 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 as well as 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. Since working as a guide, Pete has led two successful summit treks on Kilimanjaro, climbed Mt. Meru as well as a number of volcanoes in Mexico. When not hiking, Pete can be found walking his dog or biking in Prospect Park.
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 First Responder
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 Outdoor Bound’s tallest guide, Brent naturally reaches for the top by summiting peaks in the Adirondacks, White Mountains and the Colorado Rockies. Brent also enjoys rock climbing, wakeboarding, biking, and camping. Besides building fires and cooking for Outdoor Bound 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. She has an enthusiasm for life and looks forward to sharing it with those she meets.
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 Outdoor Bound. 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.
Jon Robak
Class V River Guide, Wilderness First Responder, Swift Water Rescue Technician
Jon has taken a lifelong hobby and turned it into a way of life. Growing up camping and backpacking throughout Michigan, Jon was a natural leader for guiding trips at Michigan State University’s Outdoor Program. By the age of 19, Jon was a licensed Class V river guide. He’s guided river excursions in Colorado, Utah, Arizona, New Mexico, West Virginia, the Yukon, Alaska, and Morocco. When Jon isn’t leading hikes or rafting down a river, he explores the world. Jon proudly has navigated fifteen countries including India, Nepal, Morocco, Costa Rica, and Nicaragua.
Marc Cassone
Guide, Wilderness Emergency Medical Technician
Marc spent much of his youth hiking and backpacking throughout New York’s 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 New Hampshire’s White Mountains, New Mexico, Utah, Arizona, California, Europe, and Africa. He’s climbed Mount Kilimanjaro, guided trips throughout 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.
Simon Bogigian
Guide
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.
Lucas Warton
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 and breaks 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. Now Lucas is enrolled in 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.
Ali Lee
Guide, Wilderness First Responder
Born into the wilderness, Alaska native and Minnesota grown, Ali, finds the quality of being connected to the earth a decision of whether or not we want to engage our minds, bodies and nature to the fullest. After a yak trek in the remote Alaska bush, rebuilding trails in the El Yunque rainforest, living on the Ruth Glacier, and spending hours flying through Denali National park she continues to hike, climb and explore every chance she gets. Adventure is in her family’s DNA where she has learned her natural wisdom first and foremost. With a background in the arts, she finds the same organic energy breathing in her work as she does when leading a trip. To Ali, guiding is to share in an experience, one that has been lived, and her respect for people and the outdoors will always chief the trip itself.
Lauren Caselli
Guide, Yoga Instructor, Wilderness First Responder
A native to New York State, Lauren grew up taming the wild suburbs of Rochester with her three siblings. Due to frequent family road trips throughout the New England area, she was bitten by the travel bug at an early age. Lauren left her job in corporate event planning and set off for three months of backpacking through Southeast Asia with just her hiking boots and a huge sense of adventure. From summiting the second highest peak in Indonesia to diving the deep reefs of Cambodia to surfing pretty much anywhere there was a wave, Lauren returned to New York with an even greater respect for different climates and cultures around the world. Nowadays, Lauren quells her wanderlust by dragging her skis to Vermont, her surfboard on the subway to Rockaway Beach, or even just her running shoes up to Central Park for a few loops. If she’s not outdoors, you can probably find her hiding out in a coffee shop in Williamsburg scheming how to check the next adventure off of her bucket list or writing articles for a yoga lifestyle site.
Dan Chow
Guide, Wilderness First Responder
Growing up in the suburbs of New York City may not seem like a recipe for an outdoorsman. However, expeditions around the world backpacking, canoeing, rafting, cycling and skiing acted as a catalyst as he chose rural Vermont for his college studies. After years away from the city life, which included adventures in the Western and Northeastern United States, Canada, Costa Rica, Fiji, New Zealand and Africa, Dan returned to the Big Apple to pursue a job in the environmental field. As part of the Outdoor Bound team, Dan is thrilled to have the chance to introduce an integral piece of his life to others who are excited to get out into the fresh air.
Mike Wenger
Guide, Wilderness First Responder
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 Emergency Medical Technician
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 Outdoor Bound.
Ben Keene
Guide, Wilderness First Responder
Ben grew up hiking, camping, swimming, and canoeing along the east coast before eventually 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. A frequent runner, occasional musician, and aspiring surfer, Ben is eager to help instill his fellow New Yorkers with a deeper appreciation for nature and conservation.
Chase Smiegiel
Guide, Wilderness First Responder
A native of the San Francisco Bay Area, Chase spent any and all free time as a child exploring the natural wonders that line the California coastline. Chase’s love for the outdoors was reinforced at an early age, as he spent months at a time with his family in the woods and mountains of Idaho during his early summers. As an undergrad at UCLA, Chase began to guide for the school’s outdoor adventure program where he led outdoors trips from Big Sur to the Grand Canyon. An avid climber, hiker and backpacker, Chase spent his undergraduate summers working in Yosemite National Park for the City of Berkeley hosting families for a week at a time in the beautiful Tuolumne Meadows. A recent transplant to the east coast, Chase now spends his weekends guiding with Outdoor Bound.
Dan Yotive
Guide, Wilderness First Responder
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 5 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 get out of their comfort zone and into the great outdoors, both locally and abroad.
Kevin Cafaro
Guide
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
Nathan Duclos is a Wilderness EMT and is currently finishing his Paramedic training. He is a licensed EMS instructor where he teaches wilderness medicine classes domestically and around the world. Nathan has climbed Aconcagua, Mount Kilimanjaro, Mount Whitney, many peaks in Alaska and is headed to Mount McKinley in the spring. 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 in Maine and spends his free time biking, kayaking, hiking, cross-country skiing, and playing soccer.
Betsy Priem
Guide
As a child of the corn, Betsy does not feel right without the outdoors in her life. A farmer’s daughter, Betsy is no stranger to nature and a hard day’s work. She is an adrenaline junky and an adventure seeker. Her experiences include white-water rafting, kayaking, hiking in South Africa and Costa Rica, pony trekking through Lesotho, and countless canoe and camping trips throughout the great state of Minnesota. She loves chocolate milk and bungee jumping, but not together. In her non-wilderness time, Betsy dabbles in youth development and looks for cheap flights for the next excursion to help quench her thirst for adventure. She is ecstatic to get to share her passions with the big city folk.
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