WorldWide Trekking | Meet Our Adventure Travel Staff
Our Guides' Passion for Adventure Is Contagious!
Mike Johnson
Owner and enthusiastic guide
The desire for adventure has led Mike to a variety of outdoor pursuits, and his commitment to offering the best possible trips for his clients has earned him widespread respect in the heartland. Mike has organized and led countless adventures in the past 20 years, taking clients on fantastic trips in Canada, Peru, Europe, Wyoming and Colorado.
Mike's favorite adventures are backpacking, trekking, cross-country skiing and snowshoeing. He has successfully climbed in Mexico, as well as Mt. Rainier and Gannett Peak, along with winter ascents of lesser known peaks in Wyoming. Mike is an Outdoor Emergency Care Technician and a member of the Wyoming Outfitters & Guides Association, Colorado Outfitters Association, Wyoming Outdoor Council, Medicine Bow Nordic Association, Colorado Mountain Club, and the Appalachian Mountain Club. His favorite card games are Euchre and Pinochle and he prefers to win!
"I love sharing my passion for the outdoors with others, and the satisfaction of enriching the lives those we touch by sharing our adventures.”
Laura Friesell
Experienced guide who enjoys a rousing night of karaoke
Laura is an Omaha native and outdoor enthusiast. She has actively participated in and assisted with wilderness adventures since 1998. Growing up, she learned to appreciate the outdoors through family vacations to the Black Hills, Yellowstone National Park, and areas of Colorado, California, New Mexico, Minnesota, and Wisconsin. Over the years, she has taken numerous trips to the Medicine Bow Wilderness area, Wind River, and Snowy ranges of Wyoming.
While pursuing her Master’s degree at the University of Wyoming, she also pursued rock climbing, Nordic skiing, and trail running. Since finishing her degree, Laura resides in Omaha, always ready to meet new people, and anxiously awaiting her next adventure!
Laura is a certified Outdoor Emergency Care Technician, a member of the Medicine Bow Nordic Association and National Ski Patrol and is certifiably crazy about karaoke!
"The mind is an amazing thing. If you keep a positive attitude and tell yourself you are capable of doing extraordinary things, with determination, you will be able to do the extraordinary.”
Jim Price
Newfoundland kayaking guide and adventurer
When it comes to kayaking the North Atlantic there is none more experienced than Jim. A retired Newfoundland Forester and Resource Planner, Jim has canoed or kayaked most of the major rivers in the province and has paddled much of the coast of Newfoundland and Labrador. He has run numerous rivers in the US, Mexico and Costa Rica including kayaking and rafting the Colorado River through the Grand Canyon.
Jim holds the following qualifications; Senior Sea Kayak Instructor Trainer, Whitewater Kayaking Instructor Level 2, former Senior Instructor Trainer in Whitewater Canoeing from Paddle Canada, Level 2 Kayak Instructors Certification from the Alberta Whitewater Association, Four Star Sea Kayak Certification from the British Canoe Union, and is a Senior Swiftwater Rescue Technician.
What’s Jim’s latest hobby? Paragliding, and if he does it with the same fervor and devotion to kayaking and canoeing, we’ll expect to see Jim doing a solo circumnavigation of the earth soon.
Manuel Velazco
Manuel heads up our Peruvian treks with over 15 years of professional guiding in Peru, Argentina and other South American countries. He has hiked the Inca Trail to Machu Picchu over 500 times and his knowledge of Incan history and culture is complimented by the vast experience he has gained on the many treks he has lead throughout Peru.
Born in Cusco, Manuel was has a great sense of humor love for nature and people. Manuel’s focus is always on his clients, and his great sense of humor and his love of nature is your guarantee of an outstanding adventure.
"I am very happy to be part of WorldWide Trekking and to offer to everybody the best of Peru and myself."
Greg & Anne Graves
Jovial and fun-loving, you'll often find Greg and Anne leading snowshoeing and hiking treks in the mountains around their home. They are always ready to ski, snowshoe or hike accompanied by Emma and Lucy, our very special four legged guides who never seem to get tired.
In addition, Greg and Anne provide the lodging for some of our trips. The desire to build a life in the outdoors led Greg and Anne Graves to purchase Never Summer Nordic, a unique hut system in Northern Colorado six years ago. Greg and Anne have added two new yurts as well as opened a new luxury yurt lodging facility called North Park Yurts.
At the end of a long day of hiking or snowshoeing, they like to engage in a humor filled game of Apples to Apples with our guests, and in their downtime, Greg and Ann serve as paramedics for Jackson county and the Jackson county Search and Rescue.
Brian Crosby
Energetic guide who thrives on adventure
Energetic guide who thrives on adventure Brian is an Omaha native now residing in Bend, Oregon. He has been working as an outdoor leader/guide since graduating from college 4 years ago. He has led a variety of different trips into the wilderness including backpacking, trekking, canoeing, and sea kayaking. He has worked with several organizations specializing working with at-risk youth to adults with disabilities and everyone in between. His desire to share his passion for the outdoors with others has led him to pursue a career doing just that.
Some of his favorite adventures include the Cascades of Central Oregon, High Sierra’s in California, Death Valley, Zion Narrows, the Boundary Waters and Superior Trail in Northern Minnesota, Black Hills, Grand Canyon, Tetons, Yellowstone, and countless backpacking trips in Colorado, Utah, and Nevada.
He holds a B.S. in Recreation Administration from the University of Nebraska at Omaha. He is also a certified Wilderness First Responder. His home in Central Oregon has countless opportunities for Northwestern thrill seeking adventure.
“I have literally seen nature change people’s lives, including my own. What better place to rejuvenate the mind, body, and soul than in the great outdoors.”
Home About Us FAQs Destinations Calendar Photos Videos
Newsletters Links Contact Us
Site Design by: Visual Statements