Years Guiding: Been guiding in Yellowstone for the past 5 years.

What Drew You to Yellowstone: Moved to Bozeman from California with my family in 1991 and never looked back. I grew up in Bozeman and have been out here for the last 30+ years. I enjoy being outside, whether that be hiking, fishing, camping, hunting, skiing, or snowmobiling.

Favorite Part of the Park: Exploring through Lamar Valley, trying to spot and watch wildlife. I have a fervent passion for animals in general and am the proud owner of a 10-year-old dachshund named Benji and a 20-year-old cat named Mr. Smith.

Experience: I have played a variety of sports throughout my life and enjoy doing anything athletic. Currently, I am mastering the art of bowling.  Although I love being outdoors, I also like keeping up with pop culture—including popular movies and TV shows. I also have a love for playing guitar and listening to music.

Years Guiding: 6 years

What Drew You to Yellowstone: I would come out west to ski and fell in love with the landscape. Hiked the Grand Teton on my 50th birthday and went to Yellowstone for 3 days on my western visit from Florida. Moved to the Bozeman area 5 years later.

[I like to hike] and have visited Canyonlands, Zion, Glacier, Tetons, and the Badlands.

Favorite Part of the Park: I love rocky areas, so Barronette Peak, Firehole Canyon, and Yellowstone Canyon. Tower Junction area for the bears and Lamar Valley for the Bison herds. I like it all!

Experience: Visited Yellowstone National Park over 400 times

Years Guiding: 4 years (since 2021)

What Drew You to Yellowstone: My fondest childhood memory is of my family road trip out west when I was 7 years old.  We stayed at a dude ranch, where I rode my first horse and even learned how to lasso. We visited a rodeo in Cody, Wyoming, where I won a cowboy hat by catching a ribbon on a calf’s tail. And, of course, exploring the many trails of Yellowstone.

Favorite Part of the Park: Canyon area, or anywhere in the backcountry where you can find peace and quiet and witness nature in its truest glory.

Experience: I grew up in Northern Minnesota, exploring the Iron Range of Lake Superior and the Boundary Waters Canoe Area. I knew at a very young age that I wanted to travel and explore more of the world. Since then, I have traveled to more than 40 countries and lived in 7 different states, including deep within the backcountry of Denali National Park in Alaska—where I learned much about bears, wolves, and other important animals. Yet the Yellowstone area was always in the back of my mind until I officially moved here in 2016, working winters with Big Sky Ski Patrol, where I obtained my EMT and fell in love with the mountains of Montana! 

Years Guiding: I've been a guide for 3 years now, and have been visiting the park obsessively for the past 25 years.

What Drew You to Yellowstone: My family and I went through Yellowstone in 1994 on our way to start a new life in Bozeman, Montana. I had never seen such immense beauty. Being an adventurer at heart, I knew my parents moved me to the right place. You never know what is around the corner in Yellowstone! Every single thing about Yellowstone draws me in. The wildlife, the history, and the fact that I am standing on one of the world's largest super volcanos is one of the most humbling and exciting parts of Yellowstone for me.

Favorite Part of the Park: I can't get over the Grand Prismatic Spring! It's fun to explain the thermophiles and the natural phenomenon of light reflection that creates such spectacular color. I just love people's reactions to the view from the overlook.

Experience: I have a good deal of knowledge in the field of Geology and rock/mineral/fossil identification. I have 25 years of self-taught experience, including reading books, listening to college lectures, going to rock and mineral shows, and collecting specimens in the field.

Years Guiding: I have been a guide for over 6 years and an inhabitant/visitor to the park for nearly 30 years.

What Drew You to Yellowstone: My mom loved the park, and my dad loved fly fishing, and that was enough to get them to move up here, and I followed. Studied geography in school and was fascinated by the movement of wildlife and that was what initially led me to a role as a guide.

Favorite Part of the Park: The backcountry is where I thrive. Having spent over a year of my life living in tents in the backcountry, I can be found stand-up paddling remote shores of the park’s lakes, backpacking its trails, or fishing in remote streams. Though Lamar Valley and anything in the northern sections of the park is arguably the most special place in the world.

Experience: Studied Geography in school and have been backpacking, hiking, paddleboarding, fishing, etc. in Yellowstone for years. Also, I am a published outdoors writer for various publications; recently self-published a book, Paddling with Porpoise: a 1,000-Mile Standup Paddle Journey Down Baja Mexico’s Sea of Cortez, about the plight of a species of porpoise that lives along these shores.

Years Guiding: 12 years (since 2013)

What Drew You to Yellowstone: Originally from New England, I came to the area for high-caliber skiing in the Tetons, hiking, backpacking, etc. Been in the greater Yellowstone area for over 35 years; living and working in Jackson Hole for roughly 10 years and in Bozeman for the last 25 years.

Favorite Part of the Park: Northwest corner for its remote mountainous terrain and dense concentration of wildlife. My second favorite is Yellowstone Lake, for the expansive views and tranquility that can suddenly turn to treacherous storms coming in off the lake.

Experience: I always have had a passion for plants, history, and the outdoors. I have been backpacking and backcountry skiing since I moved to the area, getting to see some of the most remote places in the Rockies. I was a backcountry firefighter for roughly 10 years. As a Crew/Engine Boss, I led teams into remote forests to fight wildfires. This experience gave me a great deal of knowledge about the cycles of our western forests and the problems we face with fire in the greater Yellowstone ecosystem. I have also taken many relevant classes over the years: Teton Science School, Yellowstone Forever, and Wilderness First Responder. I was also an EMT-B for a few years.

Years Guiding: 2 years

What Drew You to Yellowstone: I have never been one for office life; I love being outside and exploring, so being able to share the amazing beauty of the park with others, educate them on the history, animals, and features, and take them on a build-your-own adventure every day, guiding just feels like a great way to encompass all of that.

Favorite Part of the Park: I love being the first person on the scene for a less commonly seen animal sighting! There’s a fun hype around the energy people get when they crowd up trying to see what you’re pointing out and pride in knowing you can show people something they might not have seen or noticed on their own.

Experience: I grew up the oldest of six children in a large extended family and have several years of childcare experience, so working with big families and children on tours is a big joy of mine and brings a built-in ability to engage in park content and stories that all ages can enjoy and feel engaged in. I have an extra understanding/adaptability to work around the limitations that such a diverse group of people and ages brings to the table.

Years Guiding: 2 years

What Drew You to Yellowstone: The abundance of large predators that still exist in this ecosystem, as well as the incredibly diverse geology.

Favorite Part of the Park: My favorite part of Yellowstone is Lamar Valley; it is so expansive. I love seeing all the baby ungulates when spring rolls around, and the baby bison calves have so much playful energy.

Experience: I studied Environmental Science and Anthropology in college. I enjoy learning more about the native people who lived and worked with the land within the great Yellowstone ecosystem. My passion for nature stems from an ongoing curiosity about interconnectedness; so many things within this ecosystem rely on each other, and that is beautiful to witness. I also worked for a few years doing avian biology; pointing out the different birds and their habitats within the park is always a favorite. I am an avid hiker and hold a Wilderness First Responder certification.