Why We Love Our Team Incredible Adventures is truly made incredible by the amazing guides that we hire. Our team members join us from all over the world, from right here in our own backyard of San Francisco, to Europe, Asia, and beyond! While no two trips you take with us will be exactly alike, the common threads that hold our team together is a common love of the great outdoors, a spirit of wanderlust, and a commitment to saving the environment in both big and small ways. Our guides are some of the most knowledgeable in the industry. When they’re not busy getting acquainted with the lands they visit every day, it’s not rare to find them reading books on California history in Dolores Park. On every tour you’ll leave with a head full of fun facts, but also a full heart from the stories that they share. The excitement and enthusiasm that the Incredible team brings to each trip is contagious! Most of all, we’re one big family who loves what we do. We strive to extend that passion to all our guests to create lifelong memories and friendships.
Aiden Gallic Incredible Guide Aiden grew up thinking that the term “vacation” required, by definition, a long drive, a tent, and lots of mosquito spray. Every summer, his family would pack up their minivan and travel to different National Parks all across the US. This upbringing instilled in Aiden a passion for exploration and helped foster a deep respect… Read More read more X Aiden Gallic Incredible Guide Aiden grew up thinking that the term “vacation” required, by definition, a long drive, a tent, and lots of mosquito spray. Every summer, his family would pack up their minivan and travel to different National Parks all across the US. This upbringing instilled in Aiden a passion for exploration and helped foster a deep respect for the diversity and beauty of nature. Aiden recently graduated with a bachelor’s degree in History and English from a small school in North Dakota. During his years there, Aiden helped start and run an outdoor club while also working as an sociology researcher and as an administrative intern to a local non-profit for immigrants to North Dakota. In 2019, Aiden taught English in France before traveling solo across the Maghreb and heading down the Nile to see the Egyptian Temples he grew up reading about. When Aiden is not working, you might find him in a coffee shop deep diving on some obscure research topic or trying to write the next New York Times bestseller.
Daniel Gail Incredible Guide Daniel spent the majority of his childhood on the beautiful sunny beaches of Santa Barbara, California. Being raised in a Mexican household and even living in Mexico for a portion of his younger life, caused him to speak Spanish as his first language. Growing up he got bit by the traveling bug when he had… Read More read more X Daniel Gail Incredible Guide Daniel spent the majority of his childhood on the beautiful sunny beaches of Santa Barbara, California. Being raised in a Mexican household and even living in Mexico for a portion of his younger life, caused him to speak Spanish as his first language. Growing up he got bit by the traveling bug when he had the opportunity to travel the country with his club soccer team playing in tournaments from Seattle, Washington all the way to Germantown, Maryland with amazing cities in between. After High School he attended College for a year in Santa Barbara before realizing he wanted to explore a lot more of what the East Coast has to offer. So he packed his bags and moved to Philadelphia where he continued his education and embraced an entirely new adventure. During that time he has logged a lot of driving time! Driving from Philly all the way to Key West, Florida which is the lowest point in the continental U.S and back again. Then accomplished a cross country road trip from Philly to Santa Barbara then back to Philly. That trip influenced him to move out to San Francisco and start working as a guide!
Jay Burleson Incredible Guide This Florida boy heard the call of the mountains at an early age when his mother took him and his brother on a 2-week horseback riding trip in Grand Teton National Park. After receiving his degree in Communications, he moved to Colorado from the Blue Ridge Mountains of North Carolina to pursue his love for… Read More read more X Jay Burleson Incredible Guide This Florida boy heard the call of the mountains at an early age when his mother took him and his brother on a 2-week horseback riding trip in Grand Teton National Park. After receiving his degree in Communications, he moved to Colorado from the Blue Ridge Mountains of North Carolina to pursue his love for the outdoors. His passion for teaching and the outdoors has turned into a 17 year love affair with guiding. In addition to leading trips across North America, he also worked for 5 winters as a R-12 Bombardier driver in Yellowstone National Park and most recently worked as a wildlife guide and naturalist there. In addition to being a professional photographer and a member of the National Association for Interpretation, he was also selected as a finalist for Wanderlust Magazine’s Guide of the Year Awards in 2019. When he’s not guiding Jay enjoys backpacking, mountain biking, snowboarding, climbing, fly fishing, craft beer from Flyway Brewing and taking his Golden Retriever, Koda, on adventures.
Kate Downie Incredible Guide A southeastern CT native, Kate was born an outdoor and travel enthusiast. She has traveled all over the U.S., camping in the National Parks; dancing, tasting, and exploring the cities. Along with her love of adventure and nature, she has had many other loves. Since childhood her vocation was the theater. (This also imparted her… Read More read more X Kate Downie Incredible Guide A southeastern CT native, Kate was born an outdoor and travel enthusiast. She has traveled all over the U.S., camping in the National Parks; dancing, tasting, and exploring the cities. Along with her love of adventure and nature, she has had many other loves. Since childhood her vocation was the theater. (This also imparted her with an eclectic taste for fine wines from years for waiting tables in New York City). Like many of New York’s talented, yet failed actors, she traveled for months in India and became a yoga teacher. Back in NYC she taught not only in studios, but in the public schools, teaching academics through art, yoga, and meditation to students, teachers, and parents. In 2018 she decided she really rather just travel, climb, and backpack full time. Tour guiding was her way to combine all her great loves into one big love fest of life. During the pandemic she social distanced by living the van life and has not looked back.
Lana Haugberg Incredible Guide Lana grew up in Minnesota hiking and camping in the land of 10,000 lakes from a young age. Her parents put her on cross-country skis the moment she could walk and she also traversed those Minnesota lakes developing a love for swimming. She attended Beloit College in Wisconsin majoring in Psychology and also studying a… Read More read more X Lana Haugberg Incredible Guide Lana grew up in Minnesota hiking and camping in the land of 10,000 lakes from a young age. Her parents put her on cross-country skis the moment she could walk and she also traversed those Minnesota lakes developing a love for swimming. She attended Beloit College in Wisconsin majoring in Psychology and also studying a year abroad in Australia. After graduating she took off to see the world and has never looked back. She initially funded her travels through jobs such as teaching where she could travel seasonally but then discovered tour guiding where she can always do what she loves. She has guided for seven seasons in all 50 states and Canada and has used her winters to explore somewhere abroad that is new each year. Long distance running is her passion in her free time, which allows her to explore wherever she may be camping. Ultra marathons may not sound like fun to everyone, but Lana loves them. She has lived the van life the past year adventuring to the remote places in the states but is now ready to call San Francisco home. She loves the Bay area and has been based here for years. She is excited to continue doing what she loves again.
Mike Harding Incredible Guide Mike grew up in a red house just 5 miles from the White House in Washington D.C. His love of the outdoors got him out of the city most weekends when he was growing up and he went on to get a degree in Wildlife and Fishery Science from Penn State University. Mike guided his… Read More read more X Mike Harding Incredible Guide Mike grew up in a red house just 5 miles from the White House in Washington D.C. His love of the outdoors got him out of the city most weekends when he was growing up and he went on to get a degree in Wildlife and Fishery Science from Penn State University. Mike guided his first multi-week adventure camping tour at 24 and was instantly hooked. Since then he has guided tours all over the U.S. and Canada for some of the world’s most beloved travel companies. Mike spends his off-seasons living the vanlife and traveling to off-the-beaten-path destinations all over the country and the world. Mike is a professional photographer, produces his own history podcast, is a certified divemaster, plays the violin and runs competitive orienteering courses. Mike has visited all of the National Parks in the continental Unites States and is one of the foremost collectors of National Park Passport stamps in the world. He is an avid history buff and loves visiting historic sites and expanding his understanding of our collective past. He also has a love of tiki bars so when he has some down-time you might find him in a Hawaiian shirt sipping a Zombie surrounded by palm trees.
Mitch Brown Incredible Guide Mitch Brown was born in Duluth, MN and lived in Two Harbors along the shores of Lake Superior (a.k.a. the Norwegian Riviera). At age eight he moved with his family to Ontario, Canada, living in Haliburton and Newmarket for seven years before moving back to the US. Subsequent moves to Michigan & Massachusetts followed. Extended… Read More read more X Mitch Brown Incredible Guide Mitch Brown was born in Duluth, MN and lived in Two Harbors along the shores of Lake Superior (a.k.a. the Norwegian Riviera). At age eight he moved with his family to Ontario, Canada, living in Haliburton and Newmarket for seven years before moving back to the US. Subsequent moves to Michigan & Massachusetts followed. Extended road trips to visit his far-flung family members only sparked his love for travel. In 1991, he began to work for an adventure tour company and stayed until 2002. Mitch has met some incredible people from all over the world and has visited the most famous (and some not so famous) national parks in both the US and Canada. Hiking, rafting, biking, horseback riding and wine tasting are some of his favorite activities. Mitch moved to San Francisco in 2004 to escape winter in Minnesota and can now be found leading groups to the wine country of Sonoma & Napa and to Yosemite National Park all year long. He loves living and walking in San Francisco and sharing his favorite restaurants, pubs & bars with others. He recently visited Australia (only eight years behind schedule) and is eagerly looking forward to visiting Perth, Western Australia and Tasmania. Mitch loves getting to know his passengers and making sure that they have an “incredible adventure” that they will long remember as the highlight of their visit to San Francisco!!!
Phil Novak Incredible Guide Growing up in the greater Seattle area, Phil has always had a love of the travel and the outdoors. From a young age, you could find him hiking and camping amongst the towering evergreens of the Cascade Mountains, cycling the hills of Seattle or simply strolling the shores of the Puget Sound. He completed a… Read More read more X Phil Novak Incredible Guide Growing up in the greater Seattle area, Phil has always had a love of the travel and the outdoors. From a young age, you could find him hiking and camping amongst the towering evergreens of the Cascade Mountains, cycling the hills of Seattle or simply strolling the shores of the Puget Sound. He completed a history and politics degree at the University of Washington and then decided to see the world. After backpacking for a year around the world, doing everything from skydiving in New Zealand, rafting in Thailand to the hiking the Camino de Santiago in Spain, he decided to make travel his life. He has guided for six seasons, exploring the various deserts, mountains, shores and cities throughout all fifty States and Canada. After each season of guiding, he enjoys taking his adventures aboard, often to new and warm destinations every winter. In his spare time you’ll find him continuing to cycle, camp and hike all over the his favorite places or just enjoying a craft beer watching his beloved Seattle Mariners and Seahawks to etch out a win.
Ron Prince Incredible Guide Ron Prince took his first trip to Europe when he was 23 years old and has been traveling ever since. After graduating college, he took his second trip to Europe for a year and was hooked. The next 30 years has been spent between working and going on trips to Asia, Europe, South America, island… Read More read more X Ron Prince Incredible Guide Ron Prince took his first trip to Europe when he was 23 years old and has been traveling ever since. After graduating college, he took his second trip to Europe for a year and was hooked. The next 30 years has been spent between working and going on trips to Asia, Europe, South America, island countries and Africa. There are still many countries, places and people he wants to visit. Some of his favorite things to do on these trips include seeing different cultures and meeting interesting people. Some of his favorite activities have been scuba diving, photography and sampling all the diverse cuisine around the world. Since 1995, besides experiencing all the things above, Ron has been working and traveling throughout the United States, Canada and Mexico as a guide.