One of our best-loved leaders, Seth is a calm, focused presence on the river, at service, and in the mountains. When it’s time to relax and have fun though, he’ll admit that he’s often the center of attention. At 25, Seth has experience and maturity beyond his years.

How long have you been guiding?

I’ve been guiding/instructing young people for 5 years, teaching rock climbing and facilitating ropes course workshops in Vermont, New Hampshire and Maine and instructing on Deer Hill courses for the past 3 summers.

What inspired you to become a guide?

Growing up in the hills of upstate New York I spent every opportunity I could playing outside and learning about the environment and have always had a passion for recreating in the outdoors. I believe that interacting with the natural world can be so rewarding, offering great learning and growth for individuals. Guiding is also simply my way of engaging in these outdoor experiences with others. We have a lot of good times.

What do you think makes a good leader?

A good leader is one who is humble and compassionate, offers guidance and direction, is flexible and adaptable to social and physical environments and is constantly acting with the intention of achieving 3 simple goals; safety, fun and learning. My favorite part about working Deer Hill programs is observing the positive human interaction that occurs while working with a group in these unique settings.

What has been your most rewarding moment leading Deer Hill programs?

The most rewarding experience for me was being with a group that got off track and behind schedule on the last day of a backpacking trip, which added some miles onto our route. We finally reached our destination as it was getting dark. It was so rewarding because of the intense challenge that it presented to the group, yet we all persevered and worked together to stay positive and work through it with confidence and ease. It seemed to make the experience much more rich because we turned a potential failure into a great success. The food that the Deer Hill staff had waiting for us when we arrived back at Basecamp late that night was truly incredible and easily one of my top 5 all-time meals.

What do you do when you aren’t at Deer Hill?

When not at Deer Hill I lead a pretty nomadic lifestyle, traveling around to whatever destination me and my long-suffering Chevy Malibu happen upon, snowboarding and climbing as much as possible along the way. Over the past few years I have travelled in Europe, and I have also been to Nepal for climbing and the cultural experience – amazing! This year I will be spending the winter in South America, seeing as much as possible while working as a volunteer on organic farms.

What advice would you give to someone before their first Deer Hill trip?

It’s an incredible opportunity, so give some quality time and thought into what you are looking to achieve while you’re here and be ready to give it everything.