Our Guides

Guides are often the key to any successful outdoor adventure. Our guides are highly skilled outdoor enthusiasts who are passionate about sharing the beauty of the natural world. These knowledgeable and fun loving individuals make your adventure unforgettable by sharing sides of Tahoe few people see. Feedback from our guests has been clear: Our guides make the difference.

Trip leaders who work for Tahoe Adventure Company are truly special people. We hire only the top 10% of all applicants who apply. Because the Tahoe area is so beautiful, and our trips sound more like fun than work, we find ourselves with piles of applications. We are fortunate that we draw experienced guides from a variety of interesting leadership backgrounds: Outward Bound instructors, NOLS course graduates, river guides, sea kayaking guides, professional mountaineers, environmental educators, teachers and teambuilding facilitators.

Most of our staff members are long time locals in the Tahoe area, offering local insight on secret spots and little known lore and history. All trip leaders and assistant guides are CPR and First Aid certified while many have earned EMT, Wilderness First Responder, and Lifeguard certifications. Our rock climbing instructors boast American Mountain Guide Association certification as well.

Guide training: Our leaders are constantly learning and perfecting the skills necessary to lead great trips. We offer many hours of training to our guides through Trip Leader mentoring, focused in-services and ongoing staff training sessions for all the activities we offer.




Name: Kevin Hickey - Owner/Director
Years with TAC: 20

Leadership Experience:
Kevin is the Founder and Director of Tahoe Adventure Company. His goals from the start have been to offer the highest quality adventure trips and tours with a focus on the natural and human history of the Tahoe/Truckee area.

Education: Bachelor of Arts

Kevin has over 20 years of Guiding and Outdoor Education experience throughout the U.S. and Abroad. He spent many years teaching wilderness education, backpacking, rock climbing and sea kayaking. He has also worked as a naturalist, ropes course facilitator, and developer of custom teambuilding programs. Additionally, he has worked as a ski patroller and on the logistics and medical teams for various adventure races around the globe.

Kevin has a passion for sharing the outdoors with guests and especially enjoys working with youth and school groups. He holds EMT, CPR, Avalanche Level II, and Leave No Trace Trainer certifications.

Favorite Adventure Trip: A 3 week trip to the Himalayas with his wife. Each and every scuba diving trip he has ever been on.

Favorite TAC Trip: On the water, SUP Tours; On land, any mountain biking tour.

Favorite Sports: Telemark Skiing in the backcountry or at the resort.
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Name: Katie Hickey - Operations
Years with TAC: 17

Leadership Experience:
Katie manages and oversees the operations, marketing and bookkeeping at TAC. In addition to previously managing the operations for a small international travel company, Katie has experience working with different populations teaching Environmental Education and Home Health in California as well as abroad.

Education: Bachelor of Arts, Environmental Studies, UC Santa Barbara

She holds WFR, CPR and First Aid Instructor, and Avalanche Level I certifications.

Favorite Adventure Trip: Scuba diving in the Galapagos Islands with Kevin.

Favorite TAC Trip: Thunderbird Lodge Kayak Tour and Lodge to Lodge Kayak.

Favorite Sports: Alpine and cross-country skiing, stand-up paddleboarding, mountain biking, running, gardening, cooking, and chasing her kids.
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Name: Kate Clabeaux - Guide and Office Coordinator
Years with TAC: 3

Leadership Experience: 8 years working as a guide, outdoor educator, and ski instructor/trainer

Education:BS Environmental Science, UC Berkeley

Favorite Adventure Trip: Thru-hiking the PCT or Rafting the Grand Canyon, its hard to decide

Favorite TAC Trip: Full Moon Kayaking Tours

Favorite Sport: Skiing and Mountain biking

Other than guiding: When Kate is not guiding, she likes to ride her bike, take her dog for hikes, and weed her garden.
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Name: Emma Hoffman - Guide and Office Coordinator
Years with TAC: 4

Leadership Experience: Guiding and coordinating outdoor adventure trips including, kayaking, hiking, snowshoeing, backpacking, teambuilding events, and whitewater rafting for about 8 years.

Education: Bachelor's Degree – Outdoor Adventure Recreation & Business management

Favorite Adventure Trip: Whitewater rafting on the Zambezi river in Zambia, Africa.

Favorite TAC Trip: Full Moon Kayaking

Favorite Sport: Skiing and River Kayaking

Other than guiding: When Emma is not guiding she enjoys skiing, backpacking with her dog, traveling in her converted ambulance and playing guitar.
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Name: Jill Johnson - Field Coordinator/Lead Guide
Years with TAC: 2

Leadership Experience:Outdoor adventure guide for past 5 years, Teacher, Backpacking guide, Manager

Education:: Masters in Special Education, Undergrad in Elementary Education, 200 Hour Yoga Teacher Certification, Reiki 1 Certification, The Art of Living Certification, Wilderness First Responder, Leave No Trace Certification

Favorite Adventure Trip: : Her first solo backpacking trip in Oregon. So many lessons learned and so much excitement and beauty.

Favorite TAC Trip: Sunset Kayak

Favorite Sport: Hiking

Other than guiding:Hike, Backpack, Yoga, read, crochet, find dogs to pet.
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Name: Mike Trombetta
Years with TAC: 5

Leadership Experience:
-15 years running a kitchen staff as chef or sous chef.
-Tail Guide at Pacific Crest Snowcats
-Guide at Alaska Rendezvous Heli Ski Lodge
-4th Grade Educator for Winter Wilderness Survival Program

Education: New England Culinary Institute, Winter Weather Forecasting, WFR, CPR, Level 3 American Avalanche Institute

Favorite Adventure Trip: Every year I am lucky enough to go back to Valdez, its a dream come true. But my favorite may be one of the times my wife and I hiked the Kalalau Trail on the Napali coast. Se cliffs, rivers, waterfalls, amazing beaches, beachfront camping, and incredible people!!

Favorite TAC Trip: Kayaking out of Sand Harbor on Lake Tahoe

Favorite Sport: Snowboarding/Skiing

What do you do when you're not guiding for TAC? Skiing/snowboarding, snowmobiling, mountain biking, hiking, camping, swimming, fishing, bocce, or anything else that gets me outside with my family. I also work springs in Alaska working as a guide for Alaska Rendezvous Heli Ski Lodge and I am a team member of the Tahoe Nordic Search and Rescue.
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Name: Tim Bogardus
Years with TAC: 5

Leadership Experience:
- Seven years teaching skiing at Alpine Meadows. I've guided off-piste Alpine Excursions, and I've taught hundreds of kids and adults from beginners to experts.
- Teaching and guiding SUP lessons and trips on Lake Tahoe (and other waters) since 2013.

Education: BA at the University of Maryland and MA at the University of North Carolina

Favorite Adventure Trip: Stand-Up Paddling across Lake Tahoe the long way (22 miles), Day-Hiking along the Sierra Crest, Off-Piste Powder Skiing

Favorite Sport: Skiing, SUP, Golf

Other than guiding (what do you do when you're not guiding for TAC): Photography, golf, writing, and hiking.
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Name: Trevor Husted
Years with TAC: 4

Leadership Experience:
- 5+ years of international guide experience
- Mountain/Ski Guide
- Tahoe Nordic Search and Rescue
- Achieve Tahoe Adaptive Program – Volunteer
- Freelance Writer

Education: Bachelor of Arts – Communication, Washington State University. Master of Arts – Teaching, Sierra Nevada College

Favorite Adventure Trip: Annapurna Circuit, Nepal

Favorite Sport: Ski/Snowboarding, Mountain Biking, Surfing

Other than guiding (what do you do when you’re not guiding for TAC): Climb, play guitar, cook, yoga, read, write, SUP, camp, travel, everything music!
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Name: Tyler Post
Years with TAC: 6

Education: Arizona State University, Physical education; St. Mary's College, Health, Physical education and recreation

Leadership Experience: Head sophomore baseball coach, assistant varsity baseball coach, supervisor on ski trips, outdoor education trips and athletic events with high school students; National Ski Patroler at Squaw Valley; running a ropes course; and being a big brother!

Favorite Adventure Trips: Too many to say: hiking the John Muir Trail; bike touring Highway 1 from Oregon to Los Angeles; road trip to all 50 states; volunteering at an animal refugee farm in Namibia; and trying to summit all the high points in the states (currently at 35).

Favorite Sport: backpacking, mountain biking, skiing, wake boarding, running, swimming, SUP paddling, skate skiing, biking, scuba diving and kayaking.

Favorite TAC Trip: Sand Harbor: clear waters, big boulders and white sands never gets old.

Other than guiding: New experiences and new people are what makes me get up and go. Nature and the outdoors are my church.
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Name: Peter Nocka
Years with TAC: 4

Leadership Experience: Guiding Kayak Tours in Portland, Oregon. Two seasons of guiding backpacking trips in Yosemite National Park

Education: Bachelors in Economics from Lewis & Clark College

Favorite Adventure Trip: Six week canoe trip through northern Ontario to Hudson Bay.

Favorite TAC Trip: North Shore Tour

Favorite Sport: Rock Climbing!

What do you do when you’re not guiding for TAC?: In the winter I teach skiing at Heavenly Ski Resort in South Lake Tahoe.
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Name: Erica Schwoegl
Years with TAC: 2

Leadership Experience: Guided Outdoor hiking and camping trips. Rock climbing director for kiddos at camp. Recreation supervisor work and now we are here!

Education: Bachelor's Degree

Favorite Adventure Trip: Puerto Rico

Favorite TAC Trip: To Be Determined

Favorite Sport: Skiing

Other than guiding: Rock Climb, swim, anything outside with fun people!
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Name: Jake Carpenter
Years with TAC: 2

Leadership Experience:Jake has worked at Naturalists at Large running school programs throughout California, several expeditions led with Adventure Treks, and collectively 12+ years working at summer camps.

Education: BS in Kinesiology from Chapman University

Favorite Adventure Trip: Backpacking anywhere in the Sierra! Especially around Desolation Wilderness in the Spring.

Favorite TAC Trip: It’s his first season so he is excited to find out which one his favorite is!

Favorite Sport: Skiing, Packrafting, and Backpacking

Other than guiding: traveling throughout the west and teaching outdoor education for schools.
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Name: Lisa Roginson
Years with TAC: 2

Leadership Experience: Lisa has dedicated nearly a decade teaching young children and coaching people with disabilities. Ranging from the east coast of the US to Thailand.
After taking a leap out west she fell in love with outdoor education and has been guiding for the past four years. Leading international clientele on an experience a lifetime. Guiding multi-day and multi-sport excursions. Teaching/leading anything from snowmobiling to long hikes/camping trips in the sierra.

Education: Wilderness First Responder
Holistic Life Coach Certified
Sustainable Travel Certified
Associates Degree in Applied Science

Favorite Adventure Trip: There's too many favorites! Backpacking the Na Pali Coast in Kauai and exploring Banff National Park.

Favorite Sport: Snowmobiling, snowboarding, surfing, backpacking, almost any motorsport, mountain biking, kayaking, rock climbing, running, muay thai, yoga.
Other than guiding:
Exploring a new place and sprinkling good vibes into the community.

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Name: Tom Brunner
Years with TAC: 2

Leadership Experience:Tom started on the east coast leading Boy Scout groups at summer camp with some time the environmental consulting world before moving to the bigger western landscapes. Since leaving Pennsylvania, he's been a ski patroller for 15 years in Colorado and California with a bonus season in New Zealand.

Education:BS in Environmental Resource Management from Penn State, OEC, CPR, NAS-Pro 1

Favorite Adventure Trip: Round the world lap through China, SE Asia and Europe. First backcountry ski experience at Tuckerman’s Ravine, NH.

Favorite TAC Trip: He is looking forward to finding out!

Favorite Sport: Making Happy Pow Turns

Other than guiding: Skiing anything, ride mountain bikes, cook, eat Mexican food, yoga, reading a book somewhere outside, travel to see new places and people

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Name: Will Esposito
Years with TAC: 1st season

Leadership Experience: He has guided rafting trips in Germany, Instructed rock climbing in Mammoth Lakes, and taken groups backpacking through the Sierra Nevada’s

Education: Self educated through many years of travel and adventure, a passion for learning about the natural world, and a life of endless curiosity.

Favorite Adventure Trip:A month solo backpacking the three passes in the Everest region of Nepal.

Favorite TAC Trip: Moonlight tours for sure, nothing more magical than the forest lit up by the moon!

Favorite Sport: White water kayaking

Other than guiding: When Will is not guiding he enjoys his work in Truckee with the Tahoe Ability Program. Snowboarding, backpacking, surfing, and swimming in Lake Tahoe.
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Name: Zach Vanderbush
Years with TAC: 3

Leadership Experience: REI Adventure Lead Guide for 3 years

Education:Soil and Watershed Management, Natural Resource Management from Grand Valley State University

Favorite Adventure Trip: Backcountry skiing on the East Side of the Sierras

Favorite TAC Trip: Loves hiking Shirley Canyon

Favorite Sport: Skiing is his obsession

Other than guiding:Zach spends his free time skiing, running, working on his home garden, and trying his best at being a handyman.
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