Austin Adventures Guide in Alaska

David is a Wilderness Emergency Medical Technician (WEMT), Leave No Trace Educator (Level 2), adventure guide and trip leader, and has always had the wanderlust and a love for wildlife, nature and adventure. So far on his journey he's lived in four countries, visited 35, and has experienced over half of the nation's greatest treasures — our national parks.

He has a passion to share what he finds to be extraordinary and beautiful about the natural world -- all while bringing along others to adventure responsibly, ethically, and in the most fun ways. The magic and connection he experiences out in nature is something he joyfully shares. He loves guiding newbies into the wilderness just as much as traveling with the most experienced day hikers and backpackers all across the US and abroad. There are adventures out there for all of us! 

What's your favorite travel destination? 

Japan! However, one of my new favorites is the Philippines.

What's your favorite adventure activity? 

Backpacking and white water rafting.

What has been your most inspiring adventure experience? 

My sisters and I do an annual siblings backpacking trip and this last year we did the West Coast Trail on Vancouver Island in British Columbia. It was an eight day trek and we ended our trip in a town called Nanaimo, where our grandmother grew up. The trail had the most wild life I've ever seen on any excursion I have done, including a gray whale that played for hours amongst the waves at our second night campsite. We wove between lighthouses, native lands, fog banks, rains, over giant roots and through stunning forests together. Treating three patients while on the trail, I put my WEMT skills to use while I bonded with my dear sisters.

What's your favorite Active Adventures trip, and why? 

"The trip I'm on with you!"

When did you first get the travel bug? 

When he was a child, David's mother would take him and his sisters up through British Columbia and Alberta — particularly into the Great Outdoors — and those trips left a lasting impression on his psyche.

Why did you want to become a guide with Austin Adventures?

While earning his Wilderness First Responder Certification in Nepal, David trained alongside a guide from Austin Adventures. Hearing about the company’s passion for adventure and commitment to quality sparked his curiosity — he knew he had to check it out for himself!

What destination would you most like to travel to (that you haven't been to yet)?

Samoa, Tonga, and the Cook Islands.

Do you have any favorite hobbies or special talents you could tell us about?

David loves dogs, travel, backpacking, gardening, whitewater rafting, video games, and musical theater.