About

Mission

Blue Ridge Hiking Company's mission is to make the outdoors accessible and enjoyable to all.  We believe that the trail is there for everyone at every phase of life.  This means that we welcome all hikers regardless of their background or ability level.

Blue Ridge Hiking Company strives to foster a positive relationship between people and the outdoors. We do that by providing safe experiences on the trail with engaging, knowledgeable, and well-equipped guides.

We embrace and encourage diversity on the trail, including but not limited to race, age, gender, ethnicity, religion, sexual orientation and special needs. We are an LGBTQ+ friendly business, and provide a safe and inclusive environment on all of our trips.  

Blue Ridge Hiking Company's guides and groups also follow the principles of Leave No Trace so as to set an example and educate on the importance of enjoying the outdoors responsibly. 

Our Team

Lindsey Barr, Manager and Lead Guide
Lindsey grew up in central North Carolina, where she developed a love for the outdoors and earned her Girl Scout Gold Award.  In 2012, she left her career in engineering behind to follow her dream of helping introduce others to an active outdoor lifestyle.  When she isn't at work, she is exploring area trails and dreaming of her next adventure.  In addition to hiking and backpacking, she enjoys trail running, cycling, rock climbing, paddling, fly fishing, knitting, and sewing.

Tina Currin, Assistant Manager and Lead Guide
After Tina sold her first home in North Carolina, she made a life-altering decision: Hit the highway and explore every state and national park possible. Whether climbing in the Rockies, bushwhacking through Arctic backcountry, hiking rim to rim in the Grand Canyon, or thru-hiking the Appalachian Trail she discovered the variety of experiences one can have in our wild spaces.  She enjoys sharing what she has learned with others — no matter where they are in their own journey.

Tara "Candy Mama" Dower, Appalachian Trail-er Caretaker
After a spontaneous climbing/camping trip with friends after graduating from East Carolina University in 2016, Tara abandoned her career path and realized her passion for nature and adventure. This passion motivated her to work at a gear shop, become a climbing guide and zip line instructor and eventually thru-hike the Appalachian Trail in 2019. With a love for backpacking and the Appalachian Trail, Tara can not wait to guide trips and maintain the “Trail-er” this summer.

Matt "Gnome" Dobson, Lead Guide
Having moved around the world pursing other professional interests, Matt has decided Western North Carolina is the place for him and helping to expose others to our natural world is the perfect way to spend his time. With over 12,000 trail miles on his legs, many of them have been in Southern Appalachia. Matt has a Plant Sciences degree from the University of Tennessee and has spent many of his hours in nature studying its science and history.

Jenn "One Day" Gift
Jenn grew up in Central North Carolina and spent her summers enjoying the state’s beaches. It wasn’t until she attended college in Western North Carolina that she fell in love with the mountains. She has worked in Wilderness Therapy since 2010 and has hiked over 5,500 miles on the Appalachian Trail, Pacific Crest Trail and the Camino de Santiago! Currently in pursuit of her master's in counseling, she approaches the wilderness with curiosity and creativity. You’ll often find her cheesin’, cause smiling’s her favorite!

Nicole "Bear Pop" Harper
With a degree in conservation biology from Clemson University, Nicole has snorkeled with school groups over coral reefs in the Florida Keys, collected data on humpback whales off of Cape Cod, and interned as a ranger in the mountains of Shenandoah National Park. She found her true passion when she hiked from Virginia to Maine on the Appalachian Trail in 2017. Nicole is also a certified yoga teacher and enjoys incorporating her training into her guided hikes.

Allen Law
Allen came to Asheville for a weekend and has been here for 6 years now. He has guided with The Hunger Tours, the Biltmore Estate, Sierra Nevada Brewing Co., and LaZoom Comedy Tours. A frequent performer at local theaters, he is happiest onstage and outdoors. Allen's favorite tree is the sycamore and he will talk your ear off about trees and rocks if you'll let him. After the hike, he'll point you in the direction of your new favorite brewery or a lively local performance!

Lexie "Curls" Lanfrank
Lexie grew up in Northern New Jersey and spent a lot of her outdoor time at the beach or in her backyard.  During college, she found her love for the mountains after a few backpacking trips, and she completed a thru-hike of the Appalachian Trail in 2018.  She plans to hike more long trails in the future, but is happy to call Appalachia home.  When Lexie isn’t doing school work for her graduate program or enjoying Asheville, she spends her time cooking, doing yoga, traveling, and waiting for the next adventure.

Christine "Dormouse" Martens
Christine grew up in Virginia, where she fell in love with the Appalachian Mountains.  She thru-hiked the Appalachian Trail in 2010, and then fell in love with long distance hiking.  She's hiked the Pacific Crest Trail, as well as long distances trails in Europe, New Zealand and many in Southern Appalachia.  She has worked as a guide for Blue Ridge Hiking Company since 2015, and loves to share stories from her adventures and her knowledge of local plants and animals with others.

Francisco Miller
Francisco grew up in Ohio, where he developed a love for the outdoors. After graduating college with a Marketing degree, he went on to work in Chicago, France, and Spain before realizing the fast paced life of sales wasn’t cutting it. He sold his belongings and thru-hiked the Appalachian Trail in 2014, the Pacific Crest Trail in 2015, and the Continental Divide Trail in 2016. After moving to Asheville, he knew that sharing his passion for life and the outdoors as a guide was the way to go.

Lauren Smucker
Lauren has been exploring Appalachia for over 30 years. Originally a Pennsylvania native, she moved to Western North Carolina after leading trail building crews with Americorps. After hiking Vermont’s Long Trail in 2017, she went on to thru hike the Appalachian Trail the following year. Lauren enjoys creating sculptures, growing food, and identifying flora & fauna in the mountains she calls home.

Tamera Trexler
Hello! I am Tamera and I have been backpacking, hiking, biking and kayaking the regions of Western North Carolina for 30 years. I love long distance hikes: Appalachian Trail; West Highlands Way of Scotland; Foothills Trail; Glacier N.P.; Yosemite NP; the Long Trail; sections of the PCT, Mount Rainier NP and many more to come. I would love to share the waterfalls, peaks and pinnacles and forests of WNC with you!

Lindsay Dunn
Before moving her family to Asheville 10 years ago sight unseen, Lindsay spent her life in the Adirondack mountains, the beaches of Florida, and the concrete jungle of New York City. Experiencing the beauty of the mountains and beaches, the lack of nature in NYC and a whole lot of travel makes it impossible for her NOT to explore nature. Outdoor adventure and exploration feeds her soul, and she’s never met a stranger. She thrives when she can share her passions for adventure, wellness and travel with others.

John Haffner
John is originally from New York. He loves to hike with people of all skill levels. He has a degree in Ecology and has hiked the entire Appalachian Trail and Pacific Crest Trail as well as extensively in New Zealand. He loves to share his knowledge of local plants and animals with others turning an ordinary walk into safari. Go on a hike with him and he will show you the mountains he calls home. He also is an avid juggler.

Andrea "Caboose" Hasselbacher
Andrea grew up in New England, but moved here in 2016 to be closer to the mountains she loves. She completed a thru-hike of the Appalachian Trail in 2014, and has hiked the Wonderland Trail, in New Zealand, Patagonia, and Europe.  She is a Pharmacist, an Herbalist, and an avid plant lover and forager, excited to teach others about the woods and trails she loves here in Asheville.
 

Leah "Eagle Eye" LaRocco, Guest Guide
Leah received her certification as a Southern Appalachian Naturalist from Great Smoky Mountains Institute at Tremont, and loves exploring nature on the trail whenever she gets a chance.  Growing up in the northeast, she developed a passion for the outdoors by camping and hiking in Vermont.  When away from work, you can find her adventuring in places like the Smokies, Rocky Mountains, Yosemite, Tetons, Scotland's West Highland Way, and the Appalachian Trail.
 

Company History