is a graduate of Plattsburgh State College's Outdoor Education and Environmental Science program. Jimmy has worked as an Americorps Youth Leader for two years and continues to work in the field of wilderness therapy for youth at risk in northern New York. This is Jimmy's fourth year as a Deer Hill field leader. His love for the backcountry is contagious to both his students and peers alike.

was a member of the U.S. National Slalom Kayak team in 2002 and was an alternate in 2004. She is currently studying Kinesiology and Psychology at the University of Colorado at Boulder. She is a graduate of a National Outdoor Leadership School semester and is entering her fifth year as a field leader at Deer Hill. She loves to tebe on the river and to help her students make connections with the natural world.

is a graduate of Ohio University’s outdoor program. Ryan has been a Deer Hill field staff leader for three summers both in the Southwest U.S. and Costa Rica. He is a licensed Utah River Guide and a certified Wilderness First Responder. Ryan has professionally guided kayaking and rafting trips on the Arkansas River in Colorado, and the Gauley River in West Virginia, and has kayaked in Costa Rica and Ecuador. He currently lives in Steamboat Springs, Colorado where he loves to ski and snowboard.

is a graduate of Fort Lewis College in Durango, Colorado, with a degree in Humanities. She is a native of the Southwest and has worked as a kayak and river guide in this area for over 7 years. Laurel was a Deer Hill participant for 3 years and is now looking forward to her fourth season as a field leader. Her favorite aspects of Deer Hill are the great people and interactions with native cultures. She is currently attending the United Nations' Peace University in San Jose, Costa Rica. Her warmth, genuine compassion, and sense of humor are highly valued by everyone at Deer Hill.

lives outside of Telluride, Colorado, in a solar home built with materials from two recycled barns. He is a Wilderness EMT and board advisor for the San Miguel Search and Rescue Team. Tim is certified in Helicopter Aquatic Rescue, High and Low Ropes Rescue, and Swiftwater Rescue. He has led ropes courses for Outward Bound, attended a National Outdoor Leadership School semester in Patagonia, and trekked through the Himalayas. Tim leads our Mountain Skills Staff Training each spring. As a student of Philosophy and Folklore, Tim has infused each of his groups and new staff at Deer Hill, with his passion and insights into life well lived.

graduated from Deer Hill's Wilderness Leadership program in 1996 and has been a member of Deer Hill's field staff since 1999. She attended Whitman College, where she earned a degree in Politics. Anna completed a NOLS Semester in the Rockies and spent 40 days backpacking and reflecting in the Arizona desert. Each spring semester, she works for The Traveling School, leading high school girls through Ecuador, Peru, and Bolivia while teaching them Spanish and local history. Anna recently returned from an extended stay in Mali, West Africa.

a self-described "Colorado Boy, lover of snow, mountains, and animals," lives in Silverton, Colorado, where he works as a ski patroller and backcountry skiing guide. He loves to be in the mountains and he loves to share his enthusiasm for the natural world. Michael, a past Deer Hill participant, is in his sixth summer as a field leader. His philosophical views and humorous thoughts are greatly appreciated by students and staff alike.

is a native of Colorado and has spent a large portion of her life backpacking in the mountains and rafting the rivers of the Southwest. She has traveled throughout the U.S. and has competed internationally in professional kayaking events and downriver races. This is Eleanor's fourth year as a field leader, and third year leading Costa Rica Exploradores. Eleanor is currently studying Cellular and Molecular Biology at Fort Lewis College in Durango, Colorado. When not in class, she enjoys hiking in the mountains, telemark skiing, and kayaking Colorado's steep creeks!

a graduate of Fort Lewis College in Durango, Colorado, is a competent backcountry field leader. Cara has worked for several outdoor education programs but calls Deer Hill her home. This summer was Caras 4th year leading expeditions for Deer Hill. She loves sharing challenging and unique experiences in the natural world with young people. This school year Cara is in South America teaching for the Traveling School. But the landscapes and recreational opportunities in the Southwest have captured Caras heart and she will return to rock climb in the desert and ski in the mountains.

has been spending her summers at Deer Hill since she was a sophomore in high school. An alumna of three Deer Hill programs, she worked at Basecamp for three seasons and has been a field leader for two. A graduate of Vassar College with a focus in Native American studies, Caroline spent the spring semester of her junior year attending Diné College, the community college of the Navajo Nation. Caroline is also a Utah River Guide and is certified as a Wilderness First Responder. She loves the versatile landscapes of the Southwest, from climbing 13,000-foot peaks in Weminuche Wilderness, to exploring the canyons and rivers of Southwest Utah.

has been living and working in southwestern Colorado for over 13 years. Nicole received her two bachelor degrees in Sociology and Spanish from Fort Lewis College in Durango, Colorado. For the past six years, her teaching expertise has helped her students gain the confidence and knowledge required to succeed in school, continue their higher education, and learn life skills. As a Deer Hill leader, her kind and competent manner has helped foster an appreciation and a respect for nature while building on positive group dynamics. Fluent in Spanish, Nicole led Deer Hill’s Costa Rica Exploradores last summer. Since her mother is a native Costa Rican, Nicole has the unique blessing of being a ¨tica-gringa¨!