Tolman L.

Tolman grew up in the Napa Valley and attended the California Maritime Academy thinking that he wanted a career in the merchant marine industry. After a short stint working on tugboats in Alaska, he realized that he needed to follow his dream of working as a backcountry guide. From Boy Scout backpacking trips to a NOLS Patagonia Mountaineering course, inspiration came from a young age to spend as much time as possible in the wilderness. In 2014, he finally took a big step towards his goal and took an interpretive guiding and bicycle tour job at the South Rim of Grand Canyon. Initially thinking this would be a single-season gig, he ended up living and working in the South Rim Village for five years. He fell in love with the canyon like so many before him, and he still has a hard time believing that he gets paid to share with others the wonders of such a place. With plans to settle permanently in the area, he purchased an off-grid property 25 miles south of Grand Canyon and is currently building a tiny home.