Arden Bailey: Owner of Yellowstone Expeditions: Arden began working in Yellowstone in 1979 and started Yellowstone Expeditions in 1983. He has spent several summers working for the National Park Service as a park naturalist and also as a research geologist. In more recent years he has spent the spring, summer, and fall working as a geologist for engineering and environmental firms, working the last several summers in Alaska. Arden is a PSIA (Professional Ski Instructors of America) Nordic ski instructor and PSIA backcountry ski guide. He has completed the Red Cross Advanced First Aid as well as the American Avalanche Institute avalanche safety and forecasting courses. His goal is to share his knowledge and love of Yellowstone with our visitors.
Erica Hutchings: Office Manager: Erica began working in Yellowstone as a tour guide and bus driver in 1987 and has been with Yellowstone Expeditions since 1989. She has summered as a National Park Service ranger in Grand Teton, Yellowstone, Sequoia and Kings Canyon National Parks. She is an EMT (Emergency Medical Technician) and has completed the American Avalanche Institute backcountry avalanche safety and forecasting course. Erica is a PSIA (Professional Ski Instructors of America) backcountry ski guide and Nordic ski instructor. Erica manages our office and reservation system as well as helps out at the skier's Yurt Camp.
Cat Hickman: Camp Chef: Cat's motto is "feeding extraordinary people in extraordinary places' and that she has done. Cat graduated with honors from Le Cordon Bleu Institute of Culinary Arts and then went on to be a chef for many years at McMurdo Station and at the WAIS Divide Field Camp in Antarctica. She was also a chef at the Summit Camp on the Greenland Ice Sheet (Our guide Cody also works at the Summit Camp as a carpenter). Cat believes that a snowcoach delivering food to the yurt camp every week is an absolute luxury as her other locations involve monthly deliveries of supplies by C-130 Hercules Aircraft.
Nadia Garbaj: Yurt Camp Manager and Senior Photography Guide: Nadia's love for Yellowstone runs deep, and it's no surprise she has discovered the magic of living and working in this incredible landscape. She traded in her desk job for a life of adventure and excitement and has never looked back!
Working in Yellowstone has opened a world of opportunity for Nadia. She brings a wealth of knowledge and experience to our operation with 10 years of Yellowstone experience, a Wilderness First Responder Certification, American Avalanche Association Level 1 Avalanche Course Certification, and Certified Interpretive Guide training. Nadia is committed to providing an unforgettable Yurt Camp experience, complete with epic adventures, a wealth of knowledge, a focus on safety, and endless laughs.
From Alaska to Yellowstone, Nadia thrives in the great outdoors and loves sharing her passion with others. When she isn't out exploring the park, you may find her chatting with guests all about Yellowstone's history, flora and fauna or cracking jokes and keeping things light-hearted back at Yurt Camp. With her infectious energy and sense of humor, she has a way of making every experience fun and memorable. For Nadia, Yellowstone isn't just a job - it's a way of life.
Kirsa Shelkey: Guide: Kirsa is a University of Montana Law graduate with expertise in Federal Indian Law, Environmental Law, and Water Law. She takes enough time off during the winter months to guide skiers in Yellowstone. Kirsa has backbacked and skied hundreds of miles of the Yellowstone backcountry and thoroughly enjoys sharing the wonders of Yellowstone with our guests.
Cody Brundidge: Guide: With 15-years of experience in Yellowstone, Cody brings a deep understanding of itsunique landscapes and ecosystems to his role as an backcountry ski guide. Cody's experience and certification as a NOLS intructor enchances his ability to lead and teach outdoor skills safely and effectively. His worldly adventures have taken him around the globe, including skiing on the Greenland icecap and working in both the Arctic and Antarctic for the National Science Foundation.
Cody has climbed several 20,000 plus foot peaks and has biked across America, further enriching his well seasoned outdoor expertise. He is passionatge about sharing his love for adventure and the stunning beauty of Yellowstone with others.
Brandon Beshears: Guide: Brandon first moved to Yellowstone in 2017 after a reorganization of the South Dakota state government department where he worked left him unemployed. He spent five years working as a guide in the winter and spending his summers in the Xanterra maintenance department working as a carpenter on historic preservation projects. Brandon only left Yellowstone because he was hired full-time as a preservation carpenter at Mount Vernon, George Washington's Virginia home on the Potomac River and a designated National Historic Landmark.
Brandon has returned "home" to Yellowstone in order to once again experience the solitude and beauty of the Park - a big change from Washington DC.
Macee Hussey: Guide: Macee has worked the last few years as a Sea Kayak Guide where she has lead multiday/overnight sea kayaking trips into Prince William Sound out of Valdez, Alaska. Macee has also conducted research on the Great Barrier Reef in Australia to determine the impact of changing benthic environments on the health and abundance of specific fish species and how reef degradation will affect benthic and fish abundance on the reef.
Macee is certified as a Wilderness First Responder, trained in First Aid and CPR and has completed the Avalanche Level 1 training and certification. She may be new to Yellowstone, but just like in her other guiding jobs, she always prioritizes keeping clients safe, satisfied, and thrilled in extreme conditions, while making sure they leave with amazing memories from the trip of a lifetime.
Autumn Ruskell: Guide: Autumn has spent ten years as a Dog Sled Tour Guide in Wyoming, has guided float trips, kayak trips and ice climbing in Alaska, and has been a hunting guide and wrangler for several years. She is trained and certified as a Wilderness First Responder, Swiftwater Rescue level 1, is Avalanche level one and two certified, and is proficient in Spanish. Autumn has summited Aconcagua in Argentina. Aconcagua is the highest mountain in the Americas, the highest mountain outside Asia, and the highest in both the Western Hemisphere and the Southern Hemisphere with a summit elevation of 6,961-metres (22,840-ft).
Autumn has a degree in Fisheries biology and wildlife management from the University of Wyoming. She has spent her recent years conducting wildlife research in Colorado and Wyoming. We first met Autumn deep in the Yellowstone backcountry where she was conducting wolverine research. She loves to share the Yellowstone backcountry and her first-hand knowledge of the wildlife that lives there with our guests.
Sarah Hardy: Guide: Originally from the granite hills of New Hampshire, Sarah has spent the past several summers guiding multi-day backcountry trips through the wild terrain of Yellowstone. Drawn by a deep love for wild places and the challenge of remote guiding, she made the leap to experience Yellowstone in a whole new light - winter. That journey brought her to YE, where she now leads guests through snow-covered landscapes that few ever get to see.
Sarah is a certified Wilderness First Responder and holds her Avalanche Level 1 certification, bringing both safety and expertise to every trip. Off the trail, she's a talented artist, capturing wild scenes of nature and wildlife in her vibrant, expressive paintings. Whether she's guiding through a quiet stand of snow-dusted pines or painting the glow of a Yellowstone sunset, Sarah brings a deep appreciation for the beauty and power of the wilderness to all she does. Sarah's art can be found at https://www.sarahhardystudio.com
Nick Pugh: Guide: Nick brings a wealth of global guiding experience to our team, having led adventures in some of the most rugged and remote corners of the world. His calm demeanor, easy smile, and steady presence make him a natural in the backcountry and a favorite among guests. Whether navigating challenging terrain or sharing stories around the fire, Nick has a gift for making people feel at ease.
He joined Yellowstone Expeditions and quickly fell in love with cross-country skiing, discovering just how special it is to explore the park's winter wilderness on skis. Nick is a certified Wilderness First Responder and holds his Avalanche Level 1 certification, ensuring every trip is as safe as it is memorable. Above all, he's driven by a deep care for people, always going the extra mile to make sure every guest has the best experience possible. With Nick, you're in great hands, and likely to leave the trip with a few new stories and a few new skills.
Rebecca Gormley: Guide: With a guiding career that has taken her around the world, Rebecca brings a wealth of experience, curiosity, and calm confidence to every adventure. Her impressive background in outdoor education has made her a trusted leader in wilderness settings from remote mountain ranges to rugged coastlines. It was the call of Yellowstone's quiet, snow-covered beauty that drew her in this time - seeking something new, she followed her instincts and found herself here at yurt camp, exploring the magic of winter in the park.
We managed to pull Rebecca off her split-board just long enough to introduce her to cross-country skiing - and now she's hooked. She's quickly discovered that gliding through the silent forests and open meadows of Yellowstone is the most intimate, rewarding way to experience the magic of winter here. Rebecca is a certified Wilderness First Responder and holds her Avalanche Level 1 certification. When she's not leading trips, Rebecca is a gifted artist, capturing the soul of wild places through her vast artistry. She brings both deep experience and a fresh, creative perspective to every journey.
