Meet Our Team

Owners

Hannah and Trent met, fell in love, and married in Seward and are endlessly grateful to call this little slice of Alaska home. Both spent many years guiding internationally from New Zealand to Uganda and consider Seward and the surrounding area one of the most beautiful places in the world.

Hannah grew up exploring the hills, ponds, and dirt roads of rural New Hampshire. Her passion for the outdoors led her to Colby College, where she received a BA in Environmental Science. Trent originally hails from Southern California and spent his college years in Vermont obtaining a BA in Adventure Education and Wilderness Leadership.

They’re passionate about regenerative tourism, keeping tourism dollars in the Seward community, and taking good care of their guests and guides. You can find them answering calls in the office, hosting the Seward Farmers Market, walking their sweet 16 yo pup, Miss Jones, around town, or most recently, stumbling along the path of new parenthood with their incredible daughter, Nara.

Guide

Laban grew up at camp in central Pennsylvania.  Having thousands of public forested acres around him, his childhood was spent in exploration with his two brothers. After a confusing few years studying saxophone, he spent his 20s in NC growing food in a horticultural therapy program and working operations at an outdoor ed center in California. Most recently, he’s worked natural resources at Anza Borrego Desert State Park.

Laban loves the classic Type 1 fun: biking flowy singletrack and climbing wild scrambly peaks, though he often comes back to that gentle space of peacefulness and awe that comes from slowly exploring, birding, or just sitting in the desert sun playing music.

Having spent 15 years sharing the outdoors with youth and adults, Laban believes connecting with ecological systems of which we are part is a joyous experience that thrives with our innate senses of wonder and curiosity. That when we explore these spaces together, we become a community of reverence and gentleness.

Guide

Abby has loved playing outside for as long as she can remember. She has been lucky enough to roam all over the US, living and working in St. Louis, Boston, the mountains of Utah, coastal North Carolina, Louisiana bayous, and most recently, coastal and interior Alaska. With a degree Biology & Environmental Studies from Boston College and experience in biological research, outdoor & backcountry exploration, and environmental education, Abby has dedicated herself to learning about the natural world in every way she can.

When Abby is not guiding, she is geeking out about pacific salmon as a Marine Biologist at University of Alaska Fairbanks; she hopes to publish her Master’s thesis this coming Fall 2025. When Abby isn’t working, you’ll find her trail running and hiking with friends, backcountry skiing, or enjoying a quick dip in Resurrection Bay. On more mellow off-days, she’s likely enjoying an iced quad latte at Res Art, working on her latest creative writing piece, or reading and soaking up any bits of sun on the porch. 

Abby is excited to bring stoke, passion, knowledge, and experience to every tour that she gives this season. In just a couple of years, Alaska has quickly become the love of her life, and to her, there is no better way to love a space than by sharing its beauty, joy, and wonder with others.

Logistics Coordinator

Kaelyn grew up in the suburbs of Minneapolis, but escaped to the Northern shores of Minnesota to get her adventure fix growing up. She attended college at the University of Wisconsin- Madison where she got a degree in Psychology with minors in Environmental Studies and Global Health. While in college, she spent a summer in Alaska and fell in love with the state and incredible outdoor opportunities, and since has been determined to come back. Her love for the outdoors expanded upon moving to Utah in 2020 to become a wilderness therapy guide. 

Since living in Utah, Kaelyn has spent countless nights sleeping under the stars, exploring the deserts and mountains the area has to offer. She has continued to work in the mental health field over the past couple years, working with programs that offer outdoor adventure as a means of healing. To escape the hot summers in Utah, Kaelyn has gone north to Montana and Washington to guide outdoor adventure camps for youth that include back packing, horse packing, rafting and sea kayaking. She is looking forward to focusing her skills on sea kayaking this year, and furthering her passion for the diverse landscapes of Alaska.

When Kaelyn is not guiding, she enjoys snowboarding, rock climbing, hiking, paddling, reading, making art, and cooking.

Ryan has spent much of his life nor-dorking around — fishing, farming, kayak guiding, fumbling with skis, and generally managing mildew in the fjords of Alaska and Scandinavia. Why is he once again uprooting himself from his home amidst the dry soaring granite and friendly mules of the Eastern Sierra to spend the best parts of the year smack in the middle of the earth’s largest temperate rainforest? From experience we know that Ryan actually loves putting his extensive glove & jacket collection to work. But more importantly, we also know that he — like us — has an abiding appreciation and enthusiasm for the connective potencies which can be realized through experiential learning.

Ryan has been an environmental educator for almost 30 years and continues to be passionate about the capacity this work has to cultivate and create strong and earthly ways of knowing ourselves, one another, and of course the more-than-human. Guiding, tourism, and community organizing in these dynamic glaciated landscapes presents a powerful opportunity for us to build the necessary, new, and creative sense — and response — abilities, to our human ecology.

As a logistics coordinator this summer, Ryan is looking forward to contributing to the high level of guest and guide care that makes Kayak Adventures such a familial and generative organization.

Guide

Dustin Newman (Unignax “Blueberry”) is Unangax and Deg Hit’an Athabascan. He grew up in King Cove, Alaska a small fishing community along the Alaska Peninsula. Dustin is a traditional kayak builder, storyteller and Alaska Native Artist.  In the off season Dustin works for his regional non-profit corporation in youth prevention services tying cultural activities to healthy ways of living.

Guide

When asked what her preferred mode of transportation is, Sarah immediately exclaims “canoe.” Sarah was born and raised in Buffalo, New York and grew up recreating on the Ontario side of Lake Erie. The still waters of Northern Ontario sparked a love for paddling that has led her to adventures almost everywhere between Seward and New York. She doesn’t mind having cold hands gripping her paddle; fitting given the warmth that resides in her heart during both adventure and leisure time.

Sarah also enjoys past times that take her well above sea level, including rock climbing and ski touring. This gal makes a motif out of frigid fingers in the name of a good time in the outdoors. In between time exploring and bluegrass concerts, she enjoys darn near all things adventure-nerd. She is an avid student of weather and snow science, has a recent past as an engineer, and can kick your butt in any board game.

Guide

Anna grew up in the suburbs of Chicago, walking around primarily with her face in a book. One of the few things that could always make her look up was when her family would announce they were “Taking the scenic route!” on their road trips to various national parks. 

She discovered a passion for the environment on these trips, which lead her to major in Environmental Studies and Public Health at Tulane University. After college, she worked in Ecuador on a rainforest reforestation project, where she figured out she wanted to work outdoors, helping the planet. This desire took her to Alaska, where she is incredibly excited to be doing that by guiding with KAW this summer!

When not reading or kayaking, Anna can be found going for runs, jumping into freezing bodies of water, or drinking as much coffee as is humanly possible.

Guide

Tony grew up in Michigan playing soccer, trumpet and spending most of his free time in the waters of Lake Huron and running through the forests behind his childhood home. He carried his love for music into college playing in the marching band while he considered a degree in music- but after a summer working at Bryce Canyon National Park and joining water rights and environmental activist group, his focus shifted and he studied environmental science. The following summers were spent with a conservation corps deep in the Sierra Nevada and working part time on a community supported market farm- both of which had profound impacts on his perspective of the environment and the importance of community. Tony spent several years passionately working on market farms in Colorado and eventually made a shift to local food production with Zingerman’s Coffee Co. back in Ann Arbor.

Since then, Tony has made it a priority to see the world through multiple lenses. First building a van and working seasonally in Oregon as a wildland firefighter. He is also an experienced backpacker and thru-hiker having completed long distance trails in the US and New Zealand. His passion for kayaking draws on all of this and feeds into his excitement for educating others about the environment, the importance of clean water to our precious planet and his commitment to living a life of adventure.

Guide

After getting a taste of wilderness in the Delaware Water Gap as a child, Cooper has made an effort to spend time away from his hometown in the suburbs of New Jersey, and in the wind-blown trees and towering peaks of the North American West. Using a solo bicycle trip through the Canadian Rockies as a guide, Cooper learned the advantages of living simply. How moving through the world with everything you need on your back, or in this case on your bike, is a freedom like no other. While exploring the soaring peaks of the Kenai Peninsula, Cooper began to grasp the importance of reading the landscape and listening to its signs; which are sometimes barely decipherable. He believes that an unspoiled and wild space is worth protecting, for it has much to teach about ourselves and others, both human and more than human.

When Cooper’s not kayaking or peak bagging around Seward, you’ll find him enjoying the simple pleasures in life. Finishing an adventure novel. Baking 30 minute brownies in 20 minutes. And most importantly, enjoying a long nap on a quality couch!

Guide

Born amongst the flat land of central Minnesota, Abby grew up hibernating through the sub zero winters and chasing the summer sun along the north shore of Lake Superior. She spent her last summer in the midwest section hiking 300 miles of the Superior Hiking Trail, taking breaks to bathe in the frigid water of her native lake and photosynthesize on its rocky shores.

Leaving Minnesota, she followed the call of the ocean and a Mediterranean climate that led her to Southern California where she discovered a passion for kayak guiding. Between the tide pools, caves, and deep ocean trenches filled with large migrating mammals, she fell in love. Most evenings you could find her kayak surfing into the sunset or sipping a Modelo on the cliffside.

Always taking the scenic route and stopping to smell every body of water, Abby found herself far upstream on the western slope of the Rockies where she spent her next few summers whitewater rafting on the Colorado River through Glenwood Canyon.

The grandeur of Alaska drew her north. Here she’s able to further cultivate a deep flowing joy to share the beauty that our planet provides, while teaching others how to conserve the one earth we have. On her off days here in Seward you may see Abby showing her cat what the ocean is, running very slowly through town, berating a fellow guide to take her out climbing, challenging her partner to a game of cribbage at Resurrect Art or walking barefoot to keep herself grounded.

Guide

Charlie is originally from Detroit, but moved to the Upper Peninsula of Michigan four years ago to pursue her studies at Northern Michigan University, where she earned her B.S. degree. She is currently working towards a Master’s in Administration in Outdoor Recreation and Nature-Based Tourism.

Her passion for the outdoors truly began when she started living in the Upper Peninsula of Michigan and started working as a sea kayak guide at Pictured Rocks National Lakeshore on Lake Superior. She valued the opportunity to share the beauty of nature with others, and over time, she began co-leading ice climbing trips, continuing to advocate for the lands and spaces where people recreate and share the enjoyment of the natural areas she loves.

In her free time, Charlie enjoys practicing yoga, kayaking, climbing, and immersing herself in a good book. She thrives on new opportunities to connect with people and explore the outdoors. Her ultimate goal is to create meaningful outdoor experiences that inspire a lasting love for adventure and a respect for nature.

Guide

Abi loves compost! She is proud to be an Aquarius. She recently learned to throw clay, though she’s not very good at it (she says that’s what makes it fun). She’s into cooking, seaweed, and mindful movement. She’s excited for another summer spent communing with Alaska’s wildflowers – there is always someone new to greet and she has loved getting to know them all!

Abi grew up in a small ski town in northwest Colorado, in a place with easy access to the outdoors where she spent her youth swimming in the river and skiing at the local hill, when she wasn’t reading or playing volleyball. She had the chance to study abroad in high school in southern Spain, and went on to study Latin American History and Spanish as an undergrad in Montana. After finishing school, Abi moved back to Spain to teach English and work on her Spanish. Abi is passionate about sharing language, culture, and experiences with people from all backgrounds.

After her time abroad, she found her way to Alaska, and has been lucky enough to experience a few different corners of this expansive and varying landscape we get to call home. She is proud to say she has made it through her first winter up north! Abi is looking forward to the return of the summer sun and the start of a new season of shared experiences in the outdoors. She is a firm believer in the power nature has to remind us of our humanity and to bring us back to what really matters.

Guide

Lexi grew up in Denver, Colorado, as an avid rock collector, explorer of local creeks, generally water addicted, and eventual cetacean-obsessed being, with a high affinity for being outside. Being so lucky to have grown up in personal and educational environments geared toward the outdoors and stewarding our natural world – Lexi has always had a deep love for tending to our planet. After graduating with a degree in Ecosystem Science and Sustainability, Lexi found herself pursuing her love for environmental advocacy and education, through working at a nonprofit based in Denver. Whilst educating youth about our wonderful urban nature, and providing greater access to the outdoors for all, Lexi loved sharing nature with the people of Denver, and advocating for the River she grew up with.

Beyond Lexi’s education and environmental accessibility, Lexi’s passions include; family, live music, oceans, friends, and Orcas, her absolute favorite animal – to name a few. And in her free time you can find her spending time with friends, getting into cold bodies of water, hiking, hammocking, or giving her brother, Cole, a hard time for not being a black belt like her.

Lexi is excited to be immersed in the wonders of Alaska and share her love of environmental education, and marine life to create meaningful experiences for all. Whether navigating the breathtaking waters of Alaska, spotting wildlife, or leading engaging discussions on conservation, she is dedicated to helping others connect with and appreciate the wild beauty of our planet.

Guide

China Ray grew up in Northern California— as a kid, wandering foggy coastal redwood forests, cold cobbly beaches, and rolling hills of golden grass and sage brush. She feels especially inspired by and connected to these ecosystems, and grateful to feel at home in them. She also feels at home in a kayak! From an early age, she began floating the inlets and bays of the CA coast in a tandem sea kayak with her dad, and sometimes her begrudging older sister (most siblings who have tandem-ed can probably relate). Raised in a family of desert boaters on one side and proud island folk on the other, being on the water feels particularly homey.

In college, where she studied Environmental Science and minored in writing, China began leading backpacking and rafting trips all over California. She also started spending her summers hauling a packraft and other science equipment across the Sierra backcountry, sampling remote alpine lakes and catching tadpoles (for science). Convinced that she works best outdoors, mentored by many amazing scientists, naturalists and educators along the way, and motivated by the idea that she might inspire a more expansive notion of what it means, and looks like to be outside, she is so excited to have found herself in Alaska.

In her free time, she likes biking, painting, and making dinner with friends. China loves a mocha that’s mostly chocolate, taking shaky pictures through binoculars, and surfing very small waves. She also loves her cat, named Toad.

Guide

The eldest of 9, Zach grew up in the rural hills of Minnesota, and – in an effort to escape the 5th flattest state of the US – has led a handful of multi-day backcountry backpacking trips to the mountains of the Bighorn and Bridger-Teton National Forests.  He’s also spent many summers counseling cabins at a summer camp near the Boundary Waters in Northern Minnesota.

In the fall of 2023, Zach hitchhiked from coast to coast in Iceland, embarking on one of the most transformative experiences of his life. Of Iceland, he says, “I met so many sights of wonder, awe and beauty – as well as people of the same ilk… ” – and, of hitchhiking, he says, “I was allowed a window into the lives of so many beautiful people – for little intervals along the coastal highway as it chopped through the devastated beauty of the rough Icelandic countryside.”

A love of Alaska was born out of a rainy trip with a friend to Fairbanks in 2023, and a love of both mountains and oceans led Zach to discover that you can have both – at the same time – in Seward.

When not exploring nature, Zach dives into the arts and spends his time drawing, painting, reading, writing and playing music.  He plays guitar (sometimes with a violin bow), bass, drums, and has released two full-length studio albums as a solo singer/songwriter.

Guide

Meet Maggie, your guide with a passion for peach rings, chocolate chip cookies, and Cheerwine. All the way from Columbia, South Carolina, Maggie’s love of nature began in her childhood days spent chasing soccer balls and darting through the woods with neighborhood pals.

Her journey truly took off when she started backpacking with her dad in middle school, immersing herself in the beauty of the Great Smoky Mountains National Park. Family vacations were often to unique locations like the Smokies and Ocracoke Island. These experiences ignited a lifelong passion for helping others experience the outdoors.

Fueling her passion further, Maggie pursued higher education at Clemson University, where she earned both her bachelor’s and master’s degrees in Parks, Recreation, and Tourism Management. During her time at Clemson, she honed her skills as the driving force behind Clemson Outdoor Recreation and Education’s trip program, guiding and inspiring students through trips like rafting, backpacking, and mountain biking. Now, she’s gearing up for her next chapter as the Coordinator of Outdoor Adventures at Duke University in North Carolina, where she’ll continue to share her expertise and love for the outdoors with college students.

When she’s not paddling the waters, you’ll find Maggie exploring trails with her loyal canine companion, enjoying really long bike rides at a leisurely pace, or challenging you to a round of Bananagrams.

Guide

Freddy grew up on the Central California Coast exploring tidepools and jumping into waves. During high school he spent most of his time on a football or baseball field tossing a ball around. After graduating Freddy decided to head north to Oregon where he studied Geology and Outdoor Education at the University of Oregon. While in Oregon he fell in love with the outdoors and spent as much time as possible exploring the hiking trails, mountains and rivers all around the state. He soon became a leader for the UO Outdoor Pursuits Program where he took fellow students on multi-day backcountry trips and learned outdoor education and technical rescue skills.

During summers Freddy went further north to Glacier National park in northwest Montana where he drove tour boats and climbed as many mountains as possible. Glacier is where he fell in love with bringing people into the outdoors and guiding them towards a meaningful experience in the backcountry.

On his days off you might find Freddy climbing, skipping rocks or exploring the woods for the best possible spot to read in his hammock.