Climbing
Dave and Emma Medara own and operate Moab Desert Adventures, a leading climbing and canyoneering guide service founded in 1998. Dave began his climbing career over 20 years ago. He brings a wealth of knowledge to the company, having previously summited numerous high peaks in Alaska and more recently on the desert walls in Southeast Utah where Moab Desert Adventures now operates. Dave’s easy smile and confident style makes even novice climbers or canyoneers feel at home in less than familiar situations. Emma, originally from England, and still with her delightfully soft British accent, can coax anyone up a climb or down a drop just by virtue of her own belief in their ability. During her 15 years of climbing, she has traveled the world photographing and writing about her experiences. Emma has a laundry list of athletic accomplishments and a shy humility that so often accompanies an elite athlete. Emma co-founded “Chicks on Cracks”, a women’s instructional climbing camp held annually.
Kayaking
Les Hibbert grew up a “Big City boy” in London, England. An Outward Bound course was life-changing and led to him becoming a teacher of Outdoor Education. He received his initial sea kayak training from the legendary Derek Hutchinson in the mid 1970’s. In 1981, while on a year-long climbing and skiing tour of the US, he ran the Grand Canyon and guided river trips for 25 years. In 2001 he returned to his sea kayaking roots by forming Hidden Canyon Kayak along with his wife Helen and Dave Panu, bringing his knowledge of the outfitting business to the relatively new waters and side canyons of Lake Powell.Dave Panu is a New England transplant who has been exploring Lake Powell since 1980. His constant quest is searching for undiscovered places to add to the vast inventory of Hidden Canyon’s secret spots. A self-confessed “sun worshipper” Dave fwears many hats at Hidden Canyon. In addition to kayaking trip leader, Dave is a Coast Guard certified captain and a gourmet back country chef. In a former mundane life, he was Food and Beverage Manager at the North Rim Lodge and at Wahweap Marina where he actually was required to wear a shirt and trousers.Perhaps Dave’s finest skill lies in coaching the “guy in the back”. He is always working on his joke telling ability and delivery, to date with little progress.
River Running
Richard Quist grew up in Salt Lake City. His dad was a “Professional Scout Master”, and Richard grew up experiencing adventures in the outdoors. In 1969, Richard with brothers Bob and Clair formed the rafting company as it exists today (Moki Mac River Expeditions), but its inspiration originated nearly thirty years earlier.Today Moki Mac offers trips down the Green River through spectacular Desolation Canyon and peaceful Gray Canyon, on the Colorado River through Eastern Utah’s little gem, Westwater Canyon and through the famous rapids of Cataract Canyon.Friendly, genial and self-effacing, Richard manages to spend quality river time each season. The Quist’s have taken to heart the rare opportunity to introduce people to “their” rivers, and to show off the beautiful and wondrous wildernesses they have explored for most of their lives.
Canyoneering Travis Tomlinson has always been an avid lover of the outdoors. Born and raised in San Diego, he moved to Utah in 2002 when offered a job as a Park Ranger in Zion National Park. After visiting the area in the ‘90s he was anxious to explore southern Utah and its surroundings. Travis worked several years as a backcountry ranger and, because of his knowledge and expertise, was recruited by Zion Search and Rescue, for which he still volunteers. After working three years with the National Park Service he decided to move on and run his own climbing and guide shop. Travis is now co-owner of Zion Rock and Mountain Guides in Springdale. He enjoys many outdoor activities, especially rock climbing, biking, skiing, canyoneering, camping and fishing. His hobby, for which he is paid exorbitantly, is submitting stories to the Outdoor Utah Recreation Guide.
Cycling
Vince Bynan, born and bred in Kansas, has possessed a deep-rooted love of bikes from day one. While his hometown of Kansas City was a great place to go to college and meet his lovely wife Liz, Vince always knew that he was destined for a more adventurous life. Several years after college, a friend introduced Vince to Springdale, a small town at the heart of Utah’s canyon country. In the fall of 2000 Vince and Liz left Kansas to start Springdale Cycle Tours at the mouth of Zion National Park. Through his years in southwestern Utah Vince grew the start-up business into a successful single and multi-day bike tour company, receiving write-ups in several magazines for his unique and authentic tours of the lower 48 state’s most mysterious and unexplored region. While the desert will always hold a special place in Vince’s heart, he and Liz craved the mountains, so in the winter of 2005 the two of them packed up their 1 year old son and all their belongings and moved to Park City. While the name of the business has changed to Summit Adventure Company, and they have added a bike/snowboard shop named Park City Rides, they offer the same impressive list of tours of the desert southwest and have added bike and snowshoe tours in Utah’s Wasatch Mountains.
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