Next in our guide-spotlight round-up is someone who recently joined our team for the remainder of the summer:
𝗦𝗘𝗔𝗡 𝗨𝗡𝗗𝗘𝗥𝗪𝗢𝗢𝗗
Atlanta raised, Alaska tested: Iditarod finisher, fisherman, and wilderness guide.
𝙒𝙝𝙚𝙧𝙚 𝙖𝙧𝙚 𝙮𝙤𝙪 𝙛𝙧𝙤𝙢?
Atlanta, GA
𝗪𝗵𝗮𝘁 𝗱𝗼 𝘆𝗼𝘂 𝗹𝗼𝘃𝗲 𝗮𝗯𝗼𝘂𝘁 𝗴𝘂𝗶𝗱𝗶𝗻𝗴 𝗶𝗻 𝗔𝗹𝗮𝘀𝗸𝗮?
I like that Alaska speaks for itself, I don’t have to convince people how epic it is here.
𝙒𝙝𝙖𝙩 𝙙𝙤 𝙮𝙤𝙪 𝙡𝙤𝙫𝙚 𝙖𝙗𝙤𝙪𝙩 𝙜𝙪𝙞𝙙𝙞𝙣𝙜?
I like how dynamic guiding can be. You can have quite the spectrum of experiences and you get to experience them with people from different places and backgrounds.
𝙒𝙝𝙖𝙩 𝙖𝙧𝙚 𝙮𝙤𝙪 𝙢𝙤𝙨𝙩 𝙥𝙖𝙨𝙨𝙞𝙤𝙣𝙖𝙩𝙚 𝙖𝙗𝙤𝙪𝙩 𝙨𝙝𝙖𝙧𝙞𝙣𝙜 𝙬𝙝𝙚𝙣 𝙞𝙩 𝙘𝙤𝙢𝙚𝙨 𝙩𝙤 𝘼𝙡𝙖𝙨𝙠𝙖?
I love chatting about wildlife management, specifically the Bristol Bay salmon run
𝙃𝙤𝙬 𝙬𝙤𝙪𝙡𝙙 𝙮𝙤𝙪 𝙙𝙚𝙨𝙘𝙧𝙞𝙗𝙚 𝙮𝙤𝙪𝙧 𝙜𝙪𝙞𝙙𝙞𝙣𝙜 𝙨𝙩𝙮𝙡𝙚?
I like to let the experience come to you. I have no set topic I want to talk about but Im happy to talk about any topic that a guest would like to talk about. I enjoy getting to learn about people’s journeys and what interests them.
𝙄𝙛 𝙮𝙤𝙪 𝙘𝙤𝙪𝙡𝙙 𝙝𝙖𝙫𝙚 𝙤𝙣𝙚 “𝙨𝙥𝙚𝙘𝙞𝙖𝙡” 𝙞𝙩𝙚𝙢 𝙤𝙣 𝙖 𝙗𝙖𝙘𝙠𝙥𝙖𝙘𝙠𝙞𝙣𝙜 𝙩𝙧𝙞𝙥, 𝙬𝙝𝙖𝙩 𝙬𝙤𝙪𝙡𝙙 𝙮𝙤𝙪 𝙗𝙧𝙞𝙣𝙜?
A deck of cards
𝙒𝙝𝙖𝙩 𝙞𝙨 𝙮𝙤𝙪𝙧 𝙛𝙖𝙫𝙤𝙧𝙞𝙩𝙚 𝙩𝙧𝙖𝙞𝙡 𝙨𝙣𝙖𝙘𝙠?
Fancy chocolate treats
“We spent several days in Denali with Vicki as our guide, and we were so grateful to have her with us!
She took time to get to know our family--our interests, our ability levels, and helped build activities based on those. She was an absolute joy to be with, sharing so much insight into the Denali area! Our 3 kids, aged 19, 17 and 15 all adored her.
We enjoyed our rafting trip as well! Buckwheat, Joe, and Louise gave us our best rafting experience thus far.
Finally, when our family had to split up for a couple of days to take care of a lost passport issue, everyone at Traverse was incredibly kind and helpful, making a stressful situation run so much more smoothly!
I would HIGHLY recommend Traverse to anyone wanting to visit Alaska!”
— Nichole O. / Google 5-star review
Continuing with our guide introductions… this is someone who is apart of our behind the scenes team AND has boots on the ground (or trail):
𝗞𝗔𝗧𝗘 𝗢𝗥𝗟𝗢𝗙𝗦𝗞𝗬
Naturalist. Storyteller. Guide to experiencing Alaska at the pace of awe.
𝙒𝙝𝙚𝙧𝙚 𝙖𝙧𝙚 𝙮𝙤𝙪 𝙛𝙧𝙤𝙢?
I grew up on Wabanaki homelands in what is now known as Surry, Maine.
𝙒𝙝𝙖𝙩 𝙙𝙤 𝙮𝙤𝙪 𝙡𝙤𝙫𝙚 𝙖𝙗𝙤𝙪𝙩 𝙜𝙪𝙞𝙙𝙞𝙣𝙜?
I love creating shared experiences rooted in presence, curiosity, and connection. Every trip is an opportunity to slow down, notice the little things, and experience awe together. I also love hearing people’s stories - what brought them here, what inspires them, and what they’re dreaming about.
𝙒𝙝𝙖𝙩 𝙖𝙧𝙚 𝙮𝙤𝙪 𝙢𝙤𝙨𝙩 𝙥𝙖𝙨𝙨𝙞𝙤𝙣𝙖𝙩𝙚 𝙖𝙗𝙤𝙪𝙩 𝙨𝙝𝙖𝙧𝙞𝙣𝙜 𝙬𝙝𝙚𝙣 𝙞𝙩 𝙘𝙤𝙢𝙚𝙨 𝙩𝙤 𝘼𝙡𝙖𝙨𝙠𝙖?
I love sharing Alaska’s seasons - especially the magic of winter - as well as its incredible wildflowers, berries, and the resilience of the plants, animals, and people who call this place home. More than anything, I hope people experience Alaska at the pace of awe: slowing down enough to notice, to listen, and to discover the quiet that creates space to connect with themselves.
𝙃𝙤𝙬 𝙬𝙤𝙪𝙡𝙙 𝙮𝙤𝙪 𝙙𝙚𝙨𝙘𝙧𝙞𝙗𝙚 𝙮𝙤𝙪𝙧 𝙜𝙪𝙞𝙙𝙞𝙣𝙜 𝙨𝙩𝙮𝙡𝙚?
Calm, attentive, and curiosity-driven. I love creating space for people to ask questions, laugh, slow down, and discover things for themselves. I believe some of the best moments happen when we stop rushing and let the landscape lead.
𝙄𝙛 𝙮𝙤𝙪 𝙘𝙤𝙪𝙡𝙙 𝙝𝙖𝙫𝙚 𝙤𝙣𝙚 “𝙨𝙥𝙚𝙘𝙞𝙖𝙡” 𝙞𝙩𝙚𝙢 𝙤𝙣 𝙖 𝙗𝙖𝙘𝙠𝙥𝙖𝙘𝙠𝙞𝙣𝙜 𝙩𝙧𝙞𝙥, 𝙬𝙝𝙖𝙩 𝙬𝙤𝙪𝙡𝙙 𝙮𝙤𝙪 𝙗𝙧𝙞𝙣𝙜?
A small watercolor paint set. I love using water from the landscape I’m exploring to paint. It feels like the place becomes part of the painting itself. If we’re talking wild dream items, though, I’d love if someone could invent a portable boot dryer!
𝙒𝙝𝙖𝙩 𝙞𝙨 𝙮𝙤𝙪𝙧 𝙛𝙖𝙫𝙤𝙧𝙞𝙩𝙚 𝙩𝙧𝙖𝙞𝙡 𝙨𝙣𝙖𝙘𝙠?
Wild blueberries or cloudberries whenever they’re in season!
Q: Will we see wildlife on our trip with you in the Denali area?
A: We can’t guarantee seeing wildlife during your visit to the Denali area. However, we often see tracks and signs of wildlife on many of our adventures.
Your best opportunity for viewing wildlife is going on a bus trip on the Denali Park Road, or going deep into the backcountry in the Denali area.
If bears are a high priority for your trip, another option is to include a bear viewing specific trip on your Alaska itinerary, flying into an area where there are a high concentration of bears. These fly-in day trips leave from Anchorage, Homer, and other areas, and have a very high probability of viewing bears.
🐻
A number of our clients went on bear viewing specific trips and were 100% successful in viewing bears in their natural habitat. Contact us to learn more.
(This photo is from a fly-in bear viewing trip in @lakeclarknps )
#traversealaska #privatepersonalcustom
📸 @mollieofdenali
Our next featured guide is someone who is new to our full-time guiding team, but certainly not new to Alaskan adventures:
𝙏𝙞𝙢 𝙍𝙚𝙞𝙙𝙮
From the rapids to the ridgelines: Tim turns every trek into an expert-led Alaskan adventure.
𝗪𝗵𝗲𝗿𝗲 𝗮𝗿𝗲 𝘆𝗼𝘂 𝗳𝗿𝗼𝗺?
I was born and raised in South Detroit.
𝗪𝗵𝗮𝘁 𝗱𝗼 𝘆𝗼𝘂 𝗹𝗼𝘃𝗲 𝗮𝗯𝗼𝘂𝘁 𝗴𝘂𝗶𝗱𝗶𝗻𝗴?
The outdoors have taught me adaptability, resourcefulness, independence and resiliency. Guiding allows me to share those teachings with others from all over the world and in the process brings a great sense of pride and reward while facilitating with their own transformative experiences.
𝗛𝗼𝘄 𝘄𝗼𝘂𝗹𝗱 𝘆𝗼𝘂 𝗱𝗲𝘀𝗰𝗿𝗶𝗯𝗲 𝘆𝗼𝘂𝗿 𝗴𝘂𝗶𝗱𝗶𝗻𝗴 𝘀𝘁𝘆𝗹𝗲?
I consider myself an empathic, adaptable guide/leader. Over the years I have learned that guiding isn’t one size fits all. It’s important to listen and learn to the individual members of the group before assuming a certain plan is going to work for everyone. It’s also important to never forget the idea that you yourself weren’t immediately an expert at any one thing. Everything we do isn’t rocket science. The only difference between us and our guests is that we have dedicated an incredible amount of time in our lives to practice the skills we need to have to do what we do. Maintaining this perspective has proven invaluable to assure successful outcomes of the trips I’m leading.
𝗜𝗳 𝘆𝗼𝘂 𝗰𝗼𝘂𝗹𝗱 𝗯𝗿𝗶𝗻𝗴 𝗼𝗻𝗲 𝘀𝗽𝗲𝗰𝗶𝗮𝗹 𝗶𝘁𝗲𝗺 𝗼𝗻 𝗮 𝗯𝗮𝗰𝗸𝗽𝗮𝗰𝗸𝗶𝗻𝗴 𝘁𝗿𝗶𝗽 𝘄𝗵𝗮𝘁 𝘄𝗼𝘂𝗹𝗱 𝘆𝗼𝘂 𝗯𝗿𝗶𝗻𝗴?
My go to item would be an Ultimate Frisbee Disc. It’s surprisingly versatile! On our last trip up Curry Ridge it was our dog bowl, our playing surface for Uno and “Pass the Pigs”, it served as a platform to stabilize our camp stove on uneven surfaces and of course was awesome to throw around and play catch during some epic Alpine Tundra Disc while Denali was out in full display!
𝗪𝗵𝗮𝘁’𝘀 𝘆𝗼𝘂𝗿 𝗳𝗮𝘃𝗼𝗿𝗶𝘁𝗲 𝘁𝗿𝗮𝗶𝗹 𝘀𝗻𝗮𝗰𝗸?
Beef jerky for the win!
Q: "What is your most popular day trip?"
🏔️
A: Our Private, Custom Hike & Raft Adventure.
This adventure is an exclusive multi-sport, full day of adventure combining hiking and river rafting in the Denali area. You and your group will have your own private, hiking guide, and private River team throughout the day. Private Transportation to/from your lodging and to/from the river.
🌊
Check out our FAQ page of our website for more helpful travel tips.
#traversealaska #privatepersonalcustom
Our next guide in the spotlight is:
𝙅𝘼𝙉 𝙏𝙊𝙈𝙎𝙀𝙉
Marathoner. Mountaineer. Expert at making you feel at home in the Alaskan wild.
𝗪𝗵𝗲𝗿𝗲 𝗮𝗿𝗲 𝘆𝗼𝘂 𝗳𝗿𝗼𝗺?
Earth. I’m a military brat who moved to Alaska at age 4.
𝗪𝗵𝗮𝘁 𝗱𝗼 𝘆𝗼𝘂 𝗹𝗼𝘃𝗲 𝗮𝗯𝗼𝘂𝘁 𝗴𝘂𝗶𝗱𝗶𝗻𝗴?
Sharing knowledge and moments of connection with groups. I’m a generalist with over 20 years experience guiding in Denali, but I’m amazed how every day leaves me with new insights into this place, seen through the eyes of our visitors!
𝗪𝗵𝗮𝘁 𝗮𝗿𝗲 𝘆𝗼𝘂 𝗺𝗼𝘀𝘁 𝗽𝗮𝘀𝘀𝗶𝗼𝗻𝗮𝘁𝗲 𝗮𝗯𝗼𝘂𝘁 𝘀𝗵𝗮𝗿𝗶𝗻𝗴 𝘄𝗵𝗲𝗻 𝗶𝘁 𝗰𝗼𝗺𝗲𝘀 𝘁𝗼 𝗔𝗹𝗮𝘀𝗸𝗮?
Walking away from our day out together with a sense of inspiration. You might feel more connected to the people you came to Alaska with, to the natural world, and to a passion for something you’re pursuing in life after a day in the mountains or on the river or in the woods! I want to share that sense of inspiration.
𝗛𝗼𝘄 𝘄𝗼𝘂𝗹𝗱 𝘆𝗼𝘂 𝗱𝗲𝘀𝗰𝗿𝗶𝗯𝗲 𝘆𝗼𝘂𝗿 𝗴𝘂𝗶𝗱𝗶𝗻𝗴 𝘀𝘁𝘆𝗹𝗲?
Exploratory! Traverse does a wonderful job of tailoring and accommodating guests in their physical needs, and it’s our job as guides to also curate the curiosity and moments of joy! So whether we come across the remains of “CSI Denali”, where we ponder what has eaten a Ptarmigan bird, or there’s the opportunity to look just around the next bend, it’s always a joy to experience these moments as groups!
𝗜𝗳 𝘆𝗼𝘂 𝗰𝗼𝘂𝗹𝗱 𝗵𝗮𝘃𝗲 𝗼𝗻𝗲 “𝘀𝗽𝗲𝗰𝗶𝗮𝗹” 𝗶𝘁𝗲𝗺 𝗼𝗻 𝗮 𝗯𝗮𝗰𝗸𝗽𝗮𝗰𝗸𝗶𝗻𝗴 𝘁𝗿𝗶𝗽, 𝘄𝗵𝗮𝘁 𝘄𝗼𝘂𝗹𝗱 𝘆𝗼𝘂 𝗯𝗿𝗶𝗻𝗴?
A love note or words of encouragement I can read over and over.
𝗪𝗵𝗮𝘁 𝗶𝘀 𝘆𝗼𝘂𝗿 𝗳𝗮𝘃𝗼𝗿𝗶𝘁𝗲 𝘁𝗿𝗮𝗶𝗹 𝘀𝗻𝗮𝗰𝗸?
YES.
📸Jan Tomsen
#traversealaskaguides #traversealaska
We love flying with @denali.air on our Private, Custom Fly & Hike trips! 🏔️🛫
🎥: @mollieofdenali
#traversealaska
For our first guide-highlight of the year, in her fourth year with Traverse Alaska, we are happy to be (re)introducing:
𝙑𝙄𝘾𝙏𝙊𝙍𝙄𝘼 𝘽𝙐𝙍𝙈𝘼𝙉
Or “Vicki” to her friends, family, and fellow nature lovers.
𝗪𝗵𝗲𝗿𝗲 𝗮𝗿𝗲 𝘆𝗼𝘂 𝗳𝗿𝗼𝗺?
Houston, Texas - specifically the Spring Cypress Area!
𝗪𝗵𝗮𝘁 𝗱𝗼 𝘆𝗼𝘂 𝗹𝗼𝘃𝗲 𝗮𝗯𝗼𝘂𝘁 𝗴𝘂𝗶𝗱𝗶𝗻𝗴?
I used to think that I wanted to be a guide because I love nature and being outside, but honestly you can have all that by yourself! What I love most about guiding is meeting people who are seeking a special experience and trusting their guide to lead them there. There’s a huge amount of responsibility to facilitate lifelong memories for someone else, and guiding people through their specific curiosities is always an adventure!
𝗪𝗵𝗮𝘁 𝗮𝗿𝗲 𝘆𝗼𝘂 𝗺𝗼𝘀𝘁 𝗽𝗮𝘀𝘀𝗶𝗼𝗻𝗮𝘁𝗲 𝗮𝗯𝗼𝘂𝘁 𝘀𝗵𝗮𝗿𝗶𝗻𝗴 𝘄𝗵𝗲𝗻 𝗶𝘁 𝗰𝗼𝗺𝗲𝘀 𝘁𝗼 𝗔𝗹𝗮𝘀𝗸𝗮?
What I love most is surprising people with unexpected stories of the world around them, and showing them how everything is connected. Obviously our guests come here with a “check-list” of things they’d like to see or experience, but I really hope to be apart of something they see as a special bonus, like the flowers, birds, and berries right at their feet, or hiking to a secret waterfall and not seeing any other traveler!
𝗛𝗼𝘄 𝘄𝗼𝘂𝗹𝗱 𝘆𝗼𝘂 𝗱𝗲𝘀𝗰𝗿𝗶𝗯𝗲 𝘆𝗼𝘂𝗿 𝗴𝘂𝗶𝗱𝗶𝗻𝗴 𝘀𝘁𝘆𝗹𝗲?
Adaptable and engaging. I like to meet people where they are at, not expect them to adhere to my “program”. On a hike, instead of reciting a lecture on the natural history of the area around us, I prefer to encourage my clients to be a part of the conversation and ask about what catches their eye. You’d be surprised what stands out to some and not others!
𝗜𝗳 𝘆𝗼𝘂 𝗰𝗼𝘂𝗹𝗱 𝗵𝗮𝘃𝗲 𝗼𝗻𝗲 “𝘀𝗽𝗲𝗰𝗶𝗮𝗹” 𝗶𝘁𝗲𝗺 𝗼𝗻 𝗮 𝗯𝗮𝗰𝗸𝗽𝗮𝗰𝗸𝗶𝗻𝗴 𝘁𝗿𝗶𝗽, 𝘄𝗵𝗮𝘁 𝘄𝗼𝘂𝗹𝗱 𝘆𝗼𝘂 𝗯𝗿𝗶𝗻𝗴?
If I have the space, I like to bring a tiny little trail chair.
𝗪𝗵𝗮𝘁 𝗶𝘀 𝘆𝗼𝘂𝗿 𝗳𝗮𝘃𝗼𝗿𝗶𝘁𝗲 𝘁𝗿𝗮𝗶𝗹 𝘀𝗻𝗮𝗰𝗸?
Potato chips! Hopefully they don’t get crushed in my pack!
📸 @victorialeighwild
#traversealaskaguides #traversealaska
We are dedicated to supporting organizations that keep Alaska wild.
✨
This spring we submitted donations to a few of our non-profit partners that are doing valuable work for Alaska lands, wildlife, and people.
🏔️
Follow these organizations to stay connected on important Alaska issues:
@keepalaskawild
@thenortherncenter
@alaskatrails
@greatlandtrust
📸 by @victorialeighwild
Happy Summer Solstice!☀️
Currently in Denali, our sunset time is 12:28am and our sunrise time is 3:49am, giving us 20 hours and 40 minutes of daylight!
📷: @mollieofdenali
Sitting on a mountain ridgeline soaking up the mountain-top views after a full day of hiking and exploring. Summer is right around the corner—and we couldn’t be more excited!
📸 @victorialeighwild
#traversealaska #privatepersonalcustom
Our Exclusive Raft Trips are an excellent way for family and friends of varying ages and physical abilities to enjoy a customized adventure together on the river—at the same pace. Similar to all of our adventures, our River Trips are Exclusive, meaning it’s just you and your group, with our safe, professional and experienced River Team. Private transportation to/from lodging and to/from the River.
We offer a variety of River Trips:
• Exclusive 2-hour Raft
• Exclusive 4-hour Raft
• Private Hike & Raft
• Private Ride & Raft
• Private Packrafting 1.5 Day Adventure
Check out our website to learn more! 🌊
📸 @jacobgaposchkin
#traversealaska #privatepersonalcustom #friendsandfamilyrafting
“We were led on an amazing, backcountry hike and overnight by Jacob Gaposchkin, who helped us cook and camp, reach breathtaking vistas, and experience scree skiing, an alpine lake, and more. Jake’s knowledge of the animals, geology, and ecosystem were an additional benefit.
In all, a wonderfully curated trip to Alaska with lots of help from Mollie who helped make sure everything went smoothly, including our ride to the airport with lucky photo ops of Denali, a visit to Talkeetna, and an ice cream stop.
A wonderful way to experience the true nature of the area with pros.”
— Whitney C. / TripAdvisor review
📸 @jacobgaposchkin
#traversealaska #privatepersonalcustom
As the top 10 dog mushers of the Iditarod cross the finish line in Nome, we wanted to share some photos from the archives.
From 2019-2025 Joe was involved as the Checkpoint Logistics Director for the Iditarod. He handled all kinds of logistics before the race, during the race, and for weeks after the 1,000-mile race was done.
Here are some photos we wanted to share from traveling the Iditarod trail during the race.
We love this time of year!
Summer days like this… 🤩
📸 @mollieofdenali
🛶 @alpacka_raft
🏔️ Denali
#thisispackrafting #traversealaska #denali
