Our Guides
Lisa Nelson
Lisa first discovered her love for the outdoors in 1978 at the age of 16. She spent 5 months attending an incredible Outdoor School! She learned backpacking and navigation skills, rock climbed, zip lined, and experienced 24 hour solos while doing trips in the Sierras and Santa Cruz Mountains. Lisa has been a rafting guide on the Green and Arkansas Rivers. She has also guided many women and youth trips down the Deschutes River. She has 2 grown children, Tyler and Emily who are accomplished backpackers as well as Mason 12 and Marlie 10 both who are amazing on and off the trail! Lisa enjoys many outdoor activities such as mt. biking and sailing, but helping kids develop a love for and confidence in the outdoors is her passion. Lisa is also First Aid and CPR certified. Margi Bolstad
Margi Bolstad has been backpacking for 30 years. She began alpine mountaineering after college at age 21. She fell in love with it! She then attended medical school and became interested in wilderness medicine. She has 2 children, Maddie, 13 and Gordy 19. She has traveled with them, trekking and climbing in The Alps, Canada, and Mexico. She has summited many peaks in the Northwest including Mt Rianier, Mt Hood, and Mt Adams as well as Mt. Blanc in the Swiss Alps. She feels the knowledge she has gained from the European and Canadian guides has been priceless. Margie resides in the Columbia River Gorge where she practices medicine and enjoys backpacking, climbing, cycling, and windsurfing.“Backpacking will change your life”
Margi Bolstad
John Bloomster
John grew up in Sekiu, Washington, a small town on the tip of the Olympic Peninsula, where he spent most of his free time outdoors. He had the opportunity at age 12 to be involved in an outdoor program which deepened his love and knowledge for the wilderness. He spent time backpacking. He learned extensive survival skills, and snow cave building. He became proficient at fire building and wilderness navigation with the map and compass.John spent 10 years managing and buying for a major outdoor store where he continued backpacking with diverse groups, improving upon his skills.
He is now raising his 2 kids, Mason 12 and Marlie 10. They have been backpacking since the age of 4, and are now knowledgeable, confident nature lovers!
John has traveled and extensively explored the mountains and desserts of the Baja Peninsula. He has a deep passion for the outdoors and spends as much time as possible mountain biking, surfing skiing, boat sailing, windsurfing, and skate boarding! John is also First Aid and CPR certified.