Team

Kaitlyn was born and raised in California, where rivers first captured her heart. She chased the summer for a few years guiding in New Zealand before making her way to the gray, glacial waves in Alaska. She planned to continue chasing summers, but got eddied out by the best people and wildest places Alaska has to offer. She can’t imagine living anywhere else and loves sharing this place with others.

Kyle Milne was raised in Cooper Landing, Alaska by two loving parents and the many lovable characters employed at his family’s guided rafting and fishing lodge on the Upper Kenai River. He first dipped his toe into guiding at the age of 12, rowing trips down glacial river waters, and wisely avoiding telling clients his age until the trip was underway and there was no escape. His travels have taken him wide and far, but he has yet to find anywhere he loves more than Alaska. In the summers, you can find Kyle guiding trips from Southeast Alaska to the North Arctic Coast; in the winters you can find him sleeping quite a bit more and working as a Program Coordinator for an adaptive skiing clinic in Girdwood. Ask him about the difference between Arctic Char and Dolly Varden, if you dare. 

I was fortunate to grow up in a family that valued time spent outdoors, and preferably in the wilds of Washington state. When I took my first summer job working as a naturalist guide in Denali National Park, my father said “My only concern is that you may never leave Alaska.” Over twenty years later, Alaska is still very much my full time home. I’ve enjoyed exploring this inspiring state from the sea ice of the Arctic Ocean to the rainforests of Southeast. As much as I relish in experiencing all Alaska has to offer, sharing the land, lifestyle, culture and wonder with others is equally inspiring. Watching people light up at the discovery of orchids on the tundra, the sight of a golden eagle overhead, or when taking their first steps off trail on the tundra has me falling in love with the place all over again. Traverse Alaska allows me the opportunity to make a real connection with visitors who are seeking to understand and truly experience my home.

I had a family friend tell me about Alaska from his experiences being here in the 1950’s.  So when I finished my high school biology teaching in 2001, I loaded up the truck and headed north along the Alaska highway to see for myself.  Everywhere I looked was a new place I just had to explore! I came back to be a naturalist guide in the Denali area for over a decade and did as much exploring as I could under the midnight sun.  The incredible scenery and wildlife sightings bring me such pure joy. There have also been so many wonderful people on my journey that have shared their love and knowledge of this amazing place with me. There is nothing I like more than passing that on to the next intrepid and curious travelers.  So let’s get out there! 

In 2008 I knew nothing about Alaska; only that I had to see it. I found a summer job and spent my free time hiking and tripping over my jaw. I had never been anywhere so vast, and I was in complete awe of the wilderness and wildness. In short, I fell in love. I came back in 2009 for "just one more summer." That summer, I met the person I would eventually marry. We gradually began to arrive earlier for our summer jobs, and to stay longer before we left. Eventually we wanted to see what the winters were like, and somewhere along the way, Alaska became our year round home. Over the last thirteen years, we've had incredible opportunities to explore Alaska together by boat, bike, boot, and ski. The single greatest lesson Alaska has taught me is that there is always something new to learn. Whether you've lived here for years—or you're visiting for a week—Alaska rewards the curious.

A week after graduating from college I got my first taste of Alaska. I had flown, hitchhiked, and ferried to Kodiak to spend the summer commercial fishing for salmon. That initial feeling of freedom and adventure inspired me to travel the world and ultimately spend time on all seven continents. I fell in love with whitewater rafting while working as a river guide on the New and Gauley rivers, not far from my mother’s childhood home in West Virginia. Life on the river captivated me and steered me west to work on the rivers in Idaho and Arizona; the Lochsa, Salmon, Snake, and the Colorado. The idea to return to Alaska came to me during the eight months I worked in McMurdo Station over an Antarctic winter. In 2003, I packed up my van and drove north to Alaska for just another adventure and never left. When I’m not working on the home my husband and I built in the woods or guiding multiday trips in Alaska and Grand Canyon, I can be found skiing, bicycling, backpacking, or kayaking in my backyard and beyond. I delight in sharing new adventures in the Alaska wilderness with folks eager to observe, listen, and learn from the natural world.

Nan lived and worked throughout the Yukon and Northwest Territories of Canada as a biologist and naturalist guide for seven years, before finding her home in Alaska more than 30 years ago. She resides in the Denali National Park area year round with her family, which includes a team of sled dogs. When not birding, hiking, canoeing, dog sledding or conducting botanical surveys in the wilderness of Alaska, Nan works as a science instructor, trainer and bird guide for Denali area outfits and organizations.  

I moved to Alaska from Minnesota to work as a sled dog handler at a small family kennel in Denali Park and have been loving every minute of the adventure. In my free time I like to go skijoring, packrafting, hiking, canoeing and biking – trying to explore as much of my new backyard in as many ways as possible! Before moving to Alaska I lead 10-40 day canoe trips on remote rivers in Northern Minnesota and as far north as the Arctic Ocean in Canada. I love sharing my passion for reveling in wild places with those around me. Alaska is an incredible untamed place to explore. I enjoy the freedom of being able to take off in any direction and immerse myself in wilderness whether it’s discovering a patch of sweet cranberries, rinsing my face in a glacial stream, smelling the aroma of Labrador Tea or spotting other wildlife that call this place home.

Mountains have felt like home for as long as I can remember. I have worked as a guide on and off for more than ten years, sharing my passion for the backcountry with people by foot, ski, and climbing rope.

I grew up exploring the wooded hills of New England. A passion for nature took me west. After 6 years of summers in Denali and winters in Colorado, I ended up with a Ph.D. in environmental philosophy  and a love for the 49th State. I now teach philosophy as an Assistant Professor at Alaska Pacific University and use the outdoors as my ‘thinking laboratory’—doing research and writing on the ethics of conservation and environmental change.

My experience in the mountains includes ascents of Denali (20,310ft), Pico de Orizaba (18,491ft), over 60 summits of Colorado’s ‘14ners’ (several in winter, and several by ski descent), expeditions to the Alaska Range, the Canadian Rockies, the Cascades, South America, and beyond. In my free time, I am an avid backcountry skier, climber, nature photographer, writer, and wonderer of wild places.

Migrating songbirds are what initially brought me to Alaska in the early summer of 2006. After spending most of the summer on the Denali Highway—I knew I had found my home. 

Growing up in Pennsylvania, I spent most of my time outside in the woods, but always wished for more snow, and longer winters. Most of my jobs in Alaska have provided the opportunity to explore and adventure while studying birds, wolves, coyotes, and bears. Also like many people who want to experience the Alaskan winters, I started learning about winter while caring for and training sled dogs. I’ve spent at least fifteen years of my life devoted to training sled dogs each winter. The natural rhythm of Alaska’s landscape and wildlife continues to captivate me to this day. Each hike through the boreal forest, trek across the alpine tundra, or float down a remote waterway—each adventure has something new to offer. I feel very fortunate to share these experiences and connections with you, and hope that after spending time here, you will head home with the same appreciation for this incredible place.

I mostly grew up in Alaska, after my folks retired from army life when I was in middle school. Fun fact: one of the #1 high school sports in Alaska is Nordic skiing, which is now my sport de jour. 

I studied Wildlife Biology at the University of Alaska in Fairbanks for my undergraduate program, and have a masters in teaching from the University in Southeast Alaska. 

Blending those two concepts has led me to guiding hikes for the last two decades. Continuing the “Jill of all trades” theme, I’ve dabbled in dog mushing, Park Ranger-ing, bus driving, and have a personal passion for long distance skiing and hiking adventures, especially when my husband wants to provide snow machine support (that’s snowmobiles for those not in Alaska). 

What are you passionate about? I’m hoping we can find mutual ways to turn our passions: mine for Alaska and yours for (fill in the blank!) into a powerful and positive experience in Denali.

Dog mushing first brought me to Alaska in 2015 for a winter patrolling with the sled dog kennels at Denali National Park. A job opportunity then beckoned in the lower 48, but after that first season traveling in the shadows of the most stunning mountains I'd ever seen, I knew I'd be back some day. It was my love of dog mushing that again brought me north in 2019 and inspired me to make Alaska my permanent home, in the land of the Ahtna and Dena'ina peoples.

My passions include adventuring through life with my quirky family of sled dogs, pursuing deep connection with wild landscapes & waterways, and building a community that is dedicated to just & authentic expression for all. As a guide, I am passionate about sharing my reverence for the land & waters and the stories that they hold. Traveling together through this beautiful landscape is a potent way to build connections—to the land, to each other, and to ourselves—and I look forward to sharing that with you!

I grew up in the suburbs of Houston, Texas, as a kid obsessed with nature. Although this passion was nurtured and encouraged by my parents, I always felt that there just wasn’t enough around me. So, after graduating from Texas A&M with a degree in Zoology, I ran away to South Africa where I lived and worked as a photographic safari guide in various parks for almost 9 years. After the pandemic rattled the tourism industry, I felt ready for a new adventure. I found a job posting for a seasonal hiking guide position in Denali, Alaska for the summer season, and decided to take a chance. At this point in my life, I felt like no stranger to wilderness… but Alaska was different.  Here, there is a lifetime of adventure to be had, and endless lessons to learn. Needless to say, the Alaska bug bit hard and I moved here permanently in February of 2023 to explore with a hungry curiosity. My prior guiding experience taught me patience, and to let nature do the talking. What I love most about Alaska is that the land tells its own story, and that we just need to adjust our focus to the little things in order to read it properly. I hope to share my passion for exploring and my love and respect for wilderness in the years to come with any and all intrepid travelers.

My first opportunity to experience the allure of Alaska was in 1989 when I was hired as a raft guide on the Nenana River in Denali. I arrived in Anchorage on summer solstice and ventured out to find the notorious celebration of the longest day of the year. I meandered for a while, and after finding no one around I happened to notice a clock that displayed the local time of 2:37am. Apparently, the party was over for that evening—but the adventure had only just begun. 

When I left my hometown of Durango, CO, the Animas River was running a meager 500cfs—frustratingly low water for mid-June. My first day on the Nenana River, the water was running around 15,000cfs—exhilaratingly high water for a rookie guide in Denali. The rest is history as they say.  After operating my own whitewater outfitting business in Denali for 26 seasons, I have thoroughly enjoyed getting back to my roots by guiding trips with Traverse Alaska and sharing my 30+ years of experience, knowledge, and love for these amazing local rivers and all that Denali has to offer.

I arrived in Alaska in 2009 for a photography job for a summer. One summer in Denali spiraled into the next, and summers spun into winters, and before I knew it, I became a year-round Alaskan. My work experience in this wild landscape includes Author of “Hiking Alaska”, directing and guiding week-long educational programs, guiding small-group photography courses, photographing river rafting adventures, and writing/photographing stories for a range of media outlets across Alaska. I spend most of my time exploring Alaska by human power—biking, hiking, skiing, and packrafting—always with a camera in hand to document experiences along the journey. Every day I feel lucky to witness this untamed frontier and love learning about its natural history, culture, and impacts on the future. Alaska’s wild landscape has a way of grabbing you in a way few other places do, and I look forward to sharing those elements that make this environment so captivating.

I came north from Kentucky in 2007 to play outside in the wildest mountains I could find, and decided to make Alaska my home.  Since I arrived in Alaska I’ve been guiding visiting family, friends and clients through this wild and amazing territory and I’ve always taken pride in knowing they’ve experienced some of the best Alaska has to offer. You have to get out and play.  Being a part of the land of the Far North for even a moment is an incredible experience. My initial plan, when I first stepped foot in Alaska, was to “check it out” and after all these years, I’m still “checking it out”.

You don’t have to be a world-class outdoors person to go on a trip with me, however, you must have an adventurous spirit, enjoy being active in the outdoors, and have a positive attitude.