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Tour Leaders and Staff
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A fun personality is a major qualifier for Escape leadership, but a strong sense of responsibility backed by years of experience is just as important. Our professional tour guides are trained extensively in wilderness first aid and CPR, bicycle handling skills and maintenance, local geography, and outdoor gourmet cooking. With Escape Adventures, the details are covered, and the adventure is yours.
We asked the tour leaders and staff here at Escape to fill out a questionnaire loaded with questions that would show our interested guests their true personalities. As you will see, we are comprised of many personalities, each one a pleasure to have on tour.
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Heather Fisher - President
Rides: Santa Cruz Superlight
If I'm not riding I'm ... running or swimming
Material possession I value most: My violin, family photo albums
I used to be ... a wimp
I love ... my boys (Jared, Orion, Dakota and Phoenix), sunsets and frogs
I want ... more time
I need ... a clone
My favorite type of trail ... uphill or sandy
Favorite trail ... Powell Point, Escalante Mountain Singletrack
Best Escape memory: Watching a thunderstorm wind its way back and forth through the Grand Canyon beneath our camp on the rim.
Words of wisdom: Aspire higher
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Jared Fisher - Tour Director
Rides: Ellsworth Dare
Tires: Kujo 3.0 for 24" wheels
Name of your bike: The Pig
Why I bike: I don't like to run
Road Ride? Only when I want to make myself think I might be fast
If I'm not on tour I'm ... eating ice cream at 2am
I hate ... being cold and sweaty simultaneously
I need ... 6 more hours in a day
My favorite type of trail ... is usually the kind that other people dislike
Favorite grub box item: Gummy worms
Best Escape memory: Developing the Bryce to Zion tour in 1992 with Heather
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Jacques Hadler - Tour Leader
Rides: Ellsworth Moment
Tires: Anything I don't have to pay for
Miles logged in a season: More than you
Material possession I value most: The music
If I'm not on tour I'm ... at the beach
I used to be ... a punk rocker
I love ... french accents and sunsets
I hate ... cows, snow and weak coffee
Favorite type of trail: Long, long, long, long ones
Favorite trail: Goose Creek, New Mexico Singletrack
The other guides will say I'm ... a hippie
Most likely to find in my guide pack: Plastic tire levers - my favorite
Always carry ... a good book
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Marc Landblom - Tour Leader
Calls home: Dickenson, ND
Winter sport: Pheasant hunting
Rides: Ellsworth Moment
Drives: 1996 Ford 3/4 ton diesel with a gooseneck ball in the box
Won't go on tour without: My toolbox
I used to be a ... heavy equipment mechanic and truck driver
I love ... the smell of diesel engines running in the morning
I hate ... sitting still
Favorite tour: The Maze
The other guides will say I'm ... 100% Redneck
Favorite grub box item: Blowpops and hot tamales
Advice for guests new to Escape: It's not a race, it's vacation. Have fun.
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Nicole Maurer - Tour Leader
Rides: Ellsworth Truth
If I'm not riding I'm ... knitting
Off-season gig: Web Designer
Material possession I value most: My blanket
I used to be a ... corporate American over-achiever
I love ... a good echo
I want ... everyone I know to see the Southwest the way I have
Favorite type of trail: Uphill, buff singletrack
Favorite trail: Deadwood Ridge, Idaho Hotsprings
The other guides will say I'm ... miserable in the morning
Best Escape memory: Riding little bikes in Vegas
Advice for guests new to Escape: Wake up 45 minutes after I do, and you'll never know the difference.
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Nancy Morlock - Tour Leader
Rides: Ellsworth Moment, Maverick ML7, Kona Road, Specialized Globe "Townie"
If I'm not Riding I'm: Spending Money on parts
Off-season gig: Nanny for hire
Plans for the future: Go for a ride, shower, make dinner…
What I drive: 1990 Volvo Wagon aka the Silver Bullet
I used to be a ... hostess
I love ... halloween
Won't go on tour without: music.
Freeride or Cross Country? Freeride, preferably lift access
Favorite type of trail: all of them as long as it doesn't involve a road climb.
Favorite Tour: Mt Hood and The Maah Daah Hey
Most likely to find this in my guide pack ... metal tire levers
Advice for first-time guests: Expect the unexpected
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Erik Klausen - Tour Leader
Rides: Ellsworth Dare
If I'm not on tour I'm ... eating sushi and trying to get buff
Off-Season Gig: Personal Trainer
Worst Crash: Face plant on the Cowboy trails
Material possession I value most ... my bike
I used to be an ... cross country weenie
Favorite tour: Bryce to Zion
Won't go on tour without: lots of diet soda
The rest of the guides will say I'm ... addicted to soda, carrots and salsa
Most likely to find this in my guide pack: secret ferret-food stash
Advice for guests new to Escape: Bring warm cloths
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Anne St. Clair - Tour Leader
Rides: Ellsworth Epiphany and Specialized Allez
First car: '88 Volvo station wagon--rest in peace
Off-Season Gig: Ski bum in Breckenridge, CO_
Miles logged in a season: More than I drive
I used to be an ... national champion gymnast
I love ... live music, brie cheese, mountains
Favorite trail: Hazzard County as an out and back
Favorite type of trail: The kind that requires at least two sandwiches
The rest of the guides will say I'm ... official now that I like hot sauce
Best Escape Memory: a spontaneous game of alligator tag on the Green River
Words of wisdom: "There's no such thing as bad weather, only bad clothing" -Nancy's mom!- (well said, Mrs. Morlock)
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Stacey Donahue - Trip Leader
Calls Home: Corvallis,OR
If I'm not riding I'm… pining for my border collie named Lonely
Worst Crash: pavement faceplant while dialing cell phone
What you Drive: 50 miles to the gallon Chevy Metro: aka Pregnant Roller Skate
Material possession I value most ... reconstructed knee
Won't go on Tour Without: escape adventures
I used to be ... badass
I love ... reading
I hate ... bad coffee
I need ... more pink bike clothing
Favorite Tour: Bend Singletrack
Most likely to find this in my guide pack: Audobon guide to the Southwest
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Calls home: Wherever my bike is
Rides: Whatever is working
If I'm not on tour I'm ... working in Vegas
Favorite vacation spot: Santa Fe
Material possession I value most: My pictures
Won't go on tour without: Flip-flops
Freeride or cross-country? I don't like labels
I used to be a ... quiet guy
I love ... low population density areas
I hate ... urban sprawl
Favorite type of trail: Flowy single track with chunky stuff
Favorite tour: Bryce and Zion National Parks
The other guides will say I'm ... a pedal masher
Most likely to find this in my guide pack: A valve stem remover
Best Escape Memory: Riding my single speed in Red Canyon
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Kurt Horack - Tour Leader
Rides: Ellsworth Moment, Torrelli road bike, Stumpy Single Speed, and Modified Trials Bike 20"
First bike: Monty T-219 Trials Bike
If I'm not on tour I'm... fixing your bike
Plans for the future: Build an Observed Trials park near Las Vegas
Worst Crash: Following Jared down the Pinocchio Drops at the Cowboy Trails
I used to ... worry about the weight of my bike
Won't go on tour without: A smile on my face
Favorite type of trail: As technical as it can get
Favorite trail: Purple Trail at Gooseberry Mesa
The other guides will say I'm ... way laid back
Always carry ... a spare rear derailleur and a crescent wrench
Best Escape Memory: Almost falling off a 1000 foot cliff following Jared. (Don't Follow Jared too close)
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Favorite Vacation Spot: Anywhere on Lake Ontario
Rides: Cannondale Jekyll
Why I bike: More efficient than rollerblades or skate boards
First Bike: Fisher Price: Big Wheels
What I Drive: 37 mpg
Road Ride ... As a means of transportation.
Puke or Surrender? Puking is surrender
I love ... The outdoors.
I hate ... Cubicles
Favorite type of trail: Rolling, sticky, vegetated.
The other guides will say I'm ... new
Always carry ... a camera
Most likely to find this in my guide pack: Peanut M&Ms
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Name of your bike: Moosejumper
Rides: Specialized XXL, 29er, full suspension, Fox forks.
Why I bike: It gives me a sense of freedom
Freeride or Cross Country: ...whatever….just look out and get out of my way!!! A Moose is on the loose!
Road Ride ... Uh, No! That is like sustained misery!
I love ... The stillness of the outdoors, being so far out in the wilderness that cell phones don't work, cars can't drive…….and I am all alone, or sharing the area with my family.
I want ... People to wake up and realize how insignificant we are in regards to our time on Earth, and how important it is to care for Mother Nature for future generations. John Muir said it best "Most people are on the world, not in it."
Favorite trail: Any one that I am alone on, or sharing with just my family. One that is litter free, and free of vandalism.
Best Escape Memory: Finally realizing that this is what I do for a living. I get to ride and hike everyday, teach guests about the history and environment of Las Vegas, and hopefully they will leave with a healthy outlook on the importance on living life to the fullest and how important it is to take care of Mother Nature!
Favorite Day Tour: They are all great…any chance to get away from the Vegas strip and out to the "better side of Vegas" is a great time!!
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Gera Sivak - Tour Coordinator
Calls Home: Pittsburgh and Youngsville, Pennsylvania and Vegas (I have lots of places I still think of as home….)
If I'm not at Escape I'm… spending time with Zander
Favorite Vacation Spot: for weekends, Zion. For big trips Ireland or New Zealand.
Rides: Funny….I am more of a hiker.
I used to be a: Hippy
I love… plants, dark chocolate, coffee, good beer, traveling, wine, and my family.
I hate… snakes, smog, overpopulation, pollution, hummers …
I want… to see my family more often
I need… more sleep
The rest of the staff will say I: over think things…
Always carry ... the baby in the sling
Advice for first time guests: Read the detailed itinerary, check the weather before leaving for your trip, and relax everything will be great!
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Barbara Goff - Tour Coordinator
Favorite Book: God on a Harley
If I'm not at Escape I'm… Drag Racing with my Husband (I'm the crew chief) Comp Eliminator
Rides: Used to Mtn Bike daily in Northern California
Why you bike: Now…. to get around the drag strip
Worst Crash: brushed against a tree and went head first into the creek
I used to be a ... Firefighter
I love… My Husband, Poot and Dink, Dolphins, The Ocean, Sunsets, the Seattle Seahawks
I need… my coffee every day and my friends (you know who you are)!
I want… to win the lottery and move to Oregon
Always carry ... Your ID, cell phone, a bottle of water
Advice for first time guests: Have fun and bring a camera
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Johnny Hymas - Moab Cyclery
Rides: Everything
Tires: Kujos for DH, Larsin for XC, Michelin for road
If I'm not riding I'm ... chasing my kids
I love ... Jen, my kids, and riding new trails
I hate ... when days go by without getting to ride
Material possession I value most ... my house. You should see my yard
Favorite vacation spot: Rossland, British Columbia
Road Ride? It's still riding
Favorite trail: I don't play favorites
Best Escape memory: All the staff rides! Too much fun.
Words of Wisdom: Go really fast and if something gets in the way - jump it!
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Joel Flores - Moab Cyclery
Rides: Foes
If I'm not riding I'm ... Changing diapers and playing X-Box
Why I bike: It keeps my spirit free
Puke or surrender? Pickles are a bad idea before a ride.
I used to be a ... Punk Rocker
I love ... Walking on two legs
I hate ... the smell of cat pee
Favorite type of trail: Downhill
Favorite trail: Porcupine Rim
Always carry ... water and zipties
Why I love bikes: Man powered transport rules!
Words of Wisdom: Padding saves bones, helmets save brains.
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