James Perkins
Owner, Lead Guide
My passion for spending time outside started early, spending most days exploring the forest around my childhood home. In my teenage years my adventures in the mountains developed with a few montain biking trips in north Georgia. My connection with nature grew through attending primitive and wilderness survival skill classes. My experience grew with weekly trips to the to go backpacking after a first overnight hike on the Coosa Backcountry Trail. It wasn't long until I desired an extended backpacking trip. In June of 2014, with a close friend, I set off and completed the 290 mile Benton MacKaye Trail. This was the start of a new life for me. I quickly realized that I couldn't think of any better next step other than thru-hiking the Appalachian Trail the following year. It was on that long walk from Georgia to Maine where I met Marcus in the Great Smoky Mountains National Park. Since my completion of the AT in 2015 I have found community in the various forms of recreation that I began using to further my connection with the outdoors. In my free time I enjoy trail running, rock climbing, and mountain biking with friends. My home life consists of laughing and growing with my lovely wife Hunter and our three-legged sidekick Huckleberry.
Marcus Welker
Lead Guide
Born and bred as a North Carolina native, I was fortunate to be introduced to the mountains at a young age by my parents. In April 2015 I set out to hike the entire Appalchain trail. Five months and 2,189 miles later I completed the trail along with my new friend James Perkins that I had met in the Great Smoky Mountains. Since that life changing hike, I have gone on to pursue over 10,000 miles of long distance thru hikes. Those hikes include the Mountains to Sea trail of NC, the Benton Mckaye trail, the Pacific Crest trail and the Contiental Divide trail. Beyond my passion to hike I found an intimate connection with ultra running, rock climbing and mountain biking. My pursuits have led me to placing in top 10 finishes of multiple ultramarathons, summiting big alpine peaks across the United States and Mexico, and grinding deep into the backcountry on long distance bikepacking routes. Over the past 8 years my career has stayed in line with my passions. Between thru hikes and climbing trips I have worked as an REI gear specialist and taught classes on thru hiking and backpacking. I am an AMGA certified Single Pitch Instructor and trained in Wilderness First Aid and CPR. When i’m not guiding you can find me trail running or biking with my trusty trail dog Luna, or enjoying a summit sunset after a day of climbing.