My name is Yael and I’m originally from New Jersey. I love to travel around America and hope to eventually visit all 50 states (I’m at 36 right now!). I’m currently a graduate student studying school psychology and I work in research with preschoolers and their parents. I love to bake cookies for my friends and go hiking and bowling. I’ve worked as a counselor in overnight and day camps, and as an intern at a farm-based school where I helped students take care of their favorite farm animals, like llamas, sheep, cows and even an emu. I had an amazing time as a trekker on the NYC-Montreal trip when I was younger and I returned to Teen Treks to lead 2 awesome trips last summer. I’m excited to help guide an incredible, safe and fun experience this summer! I can’t wait to meet everyone, load up the bikes and hit the road on a new adventure!
My name is Kyle and I’m from River Vale, New Jersey. I’d say I’m a bike ride away from New York City, but I’ve learned biking distance can mean Canada with Teen Treks. I’ve been a camper with Teen Treks for the last 4 years, completing 5 treks including Across America, Pacific Northwest, and Lake Ontario. I can’t wait to be on the other side of things and get to experience being a Trip Leader. Outside of Teen Treks I have travelled around Scotland, as well as other cities in Europe, the New River Gorge in West Virginia, and Salt Lake City, Utah. When I’m not biking, I like to ski, rock climb, cook, camp, sing, and I even write my own stand-up comedy. I can’t wait for another awesome summer traveling with Teen Treks!
There’s a journey between point A and point B often missed in a car. We throw our stuff in the passenger seat, hit the gas and quickly get to our planned destination without ever noticing the scenery, take in the smells or interact with the world around us. That’s what I absolutely love about bicycling. The journey. On a bike, you can have random conversations with pedestrians at stoplights, notice the frenzy of birds flying overhead and feel the morning chill quickly awaken tired eyes.
My name is Katie and this will be my third year leading for Teen Treks. Every year I meet some of the most hilarious, wonderful kids you’d ever find. I love watching their love for biking evolve, sharing warm meals together after a wild day, and finding cool swimming holes on the ride and jumping in no matter how cold. These trips fuel my adventurous spirit, and knowing I’ve gotten to have those experiences with some great kids gives me a lifetime of memories.
Though I wish my every-day life could be spent bike-touring, I try to keep life as adventurous as I can. I’m a program director for a community tennis association in San Antonio, Texas, where the weather stays warm enough to bike to work almost year around! I’m also a writer, covering topics on social equity, health issues and my favorite form of writing- telling stories about fascinating people I meet! I try to be outside pretty much any time I am not sleeping, so you might find me running local trails with my four-legged partner, swimming in the river, or creating my own weekend bike tours!
I’ve travelled to many countries, mostly to meet people and write stories, and lately, I’m finding there is so much more of America I’d like to see. The itch to explore strikes me almost daily, so I can’t wait to get on the road again, to meet another wonderful crew of teens and see where the journey leads us!
My name is Amanda. I was born in New York but will forever be a Florida girl. I moved to North Florida when I was three then to South Florida to attend FAU. There I studied Art Education and have been working with kids of all ages ever since. Currently I am a 6th grade math teacher and absolutely love my job. One of the many reasons I love my job are the opportunities I get to travel. I traveled and lived in Taiwan for 6-months teaching English as a second language. While I was there I got to travel to the Philippines, Hong Kong and many different parts of Taiwan.
I knew I wanted leave town for part of my summer break and my first thought was to be a camp counselor somewhere in the mountains. Though, a Florida girl I love the mountains. My family had a vacation home upstate New York where we spent the winters and summer, skiing and hiking. In my search for a camp consoling job I stumbled upon Teen Treks and was eager to apply. I thrive on physical activity and I am super eager to lead this summer!
In my spare time I like to use my creative side by making eco-friendly household materials, paintings, jewelry, and anything else I can come up with. I also enjoy being active very much, especially outdoors. I love to go on long runs down the beach, snorkel, paddle-board, and casually ride my bike.
I’m looking forward to an amazing and adventurous summer!
Hello trekkers! My name is Elliott and I am from Buffalo, New York. I’m very excited to have this opportunity to get out on the open road with you all, clear our minds, and see all the sites our route has to offer. I have traveled quite a bit, not only in the United States but internationally as well. My family is very spread out throughout the states which provide me with great opportunities for adventure when I get to visit them. Additionally, I’ve traveled to many of the Latin American countries for service trips through my college and a handful of European countries for backpacking adventures. My hobbies include biking (obviously), hiking, camping, backpacking, and in the winter months, snowboarding. Throughout college I’ve led numerous hiking and backpacking trips to both the Adirondacks and Catskills with fellow students. I look forward to our adventures together and the ability for us to detach ourselves from the hustle and bustle of everyday life. This can be done so easily by putting down our phones and experiencing the world around us. This is my second year as a Teen Treks Leader and couldn’t be more excited to do it all over again! See you all soon!!
My name is Lauren and I’m from Buffalo, New York. It’s still cold here, but I can’t wait to break out my bike and hit the open roads! I’ve had a certain fondness for bike travel ever since my bike became my primary method of transportation back in college. Neither rain nor snow stopped me. I miss those days, and love relying on my own 2 legs to get me places. I also enjoy running, singing along to my favorite music, camping, and road trips. Since graduating from college last spring, I have kept myself busy teaching high school and middle school Spanish and also coaching track. I’ve visited a lot of really cool cities over the past year, and am looking forward to building my sightseeing resume this summer with other adventurers (that’s you!)
Another amazing adventure filled summer has come to an end! This summer we bicycled together up and down hills, along scenic seaside bicycle paths, through pastoral valleys, along old rail lines re-purposed as tree lined bicycle paths, and on roads next to pastures of sun bathing cows – all the while reveling in the spontaneity of adventure travel.
Along the way we explored new places!
NY – Montreal Trekkers outside the New York State Capital In Albany, NY
We climbed to new heights!
Pacific Northwest Trekkers celebrating their 17 mile climb to the top of the world at Hurricane Ridge
We Maine-ly spent all our time together!
Maine Coast Trekkers taking a break somewhere in Maine
Practiced levitation???
European Grand Tour Trekkers taking a beach day in the Netherlands
We had some truly in-tents experiences!
New York Montreal Trekkers enjoying the thrills of camping in upstate New York
And amidst the thrill of adventure, we took time to get to know ourselves.
New York Montreal Trekkers enjoying small town New York
We had some unforgettable meals together!
Niagara – Toronto Trekkers along the calm shores of Lake Ontario
We became the closest of friends …
Niagara – Toronto Trekkers after eating their fill of wild black raspberries
making goodbyes at the end of our trips all the more difficult 🙁
Pacific Northwest Trekkers during their final group hug of the Trek
We also learned about local history, visited art museums, ate ice cream to cool down on those unbearably hot and humid summer days, visited alpaca farms, explored national and state parks, wandered through country antique stores, visited iconic big city landmarks, and relaxed on beautiful beaches from the Dutch coast, Lake Champlain and Lake Ontario to the Puget Sound. Not all kids can say they’ve accomplished so much in such a short amount of time, but our Trekkers sure can! Keep an eye out for our trip schedule for summer 2019 to help you plan out next summer’s adventure! See you then!
Yesterday marked the last day of biking as we biked from Balsam Cove Campground to a Quality Inn in the town of Bangor. The day started by waking up and loading our bikes for the day ahead. The morning started off very difficult with many hills on the route we took. However the road eventually flattened out and we finally made it. People went to the pool and ate Chinese food as our last night together as a group.
Today, we awoke in the rain. It poured and there were thunderstorms all night. We left Acadia National Park and headed for Orland. We had bike troubles along the way which caused some hiccups. Our afternoon riding was under clear skies and went smoothly and we made it to our campsite. Our leaders cooked us a nice meal for our final night of camping. And we had whoopie pies for dessert! Whoopie!
Another great day in Acadia National Park!! After a hearty oatmeal and fruit breakfast at the camp, we took advantage of the free Island Explorer shuttle bus to catch a ride into Bar Harbor. The group did some more exploring, and ate lunch at an ocean view park before enjoying delicious ice cream at Ben and Bills, home of the Lobster ice cream. We visited Jordan Pond next, taking in the beautiful views of the crystal clear water and hills. The bus took us back to camp for a large campfire and delicious meal of mac and cheese. The group is sad to leave Acadia tomorrow but eager to make our way to Bangor!
