Our Dreamland Guides

Ben grew up on a farm in central Massachusetts, where he spent his days training thousand-pound donkeys and catching frogs in the local creeks. After playing college volleyball, he fell in love with hiking and backpacking through the stunning White and Green Mountains, which eventually led him westward. Now residing in Kanab since 2020, Ben thrives on exploring the desert landscape and canyoneering its hidden gems. In his downtime, he crafts unique furniture and knife handles from reclaimed juniper and purple rocky mountain juniper in his woodworking shop. Ben is a certified Wilderness First Responder.

Shane spent most of his life in Southern California surfing, skateboarding, and scuba diving. There, he ran his own dog boarding and training business and became a certified dog trainer before moving into the outdoor world at REI, where he outfitted campers with the gear they needed for adventure. Drawn back to Kanab—a place he had lived briefly before—he now calls the desert home. Shane loves creating safe, memorable experiences for his guests and is always learning more about the region’s landscapes and skies to share with them. Shane is a certified Wilderness First Responder. 

Katherine grew up outside of Buffalo, New York, spending much of her time exploring the High Peaks of the Adirondack Mountains. After living in New York, Boston, and Philadelphia, she moved west and left the corporate world, where she worked as a product manager. Now, as a guide, Katherine now focuses on creating unique, meaningful experiences for her guests. She feels grateful to work across a variety of landscapes, gaining an intimate understanding of each. To date, she has guided in the Yellowstone backcountry and the Desert Southwest, and this year she adds the Eastern Sierra to her list. Katherine is a certified Wilderness First Responder. 

Paula came to Kanab the long way — born in Colombia, she worked as a correspondent for French TV, radio, and international outlets before living in Spain, France, and Vietnam. Her travel instincts run deep: she began solo travel in 2008, and in 2017 traded breaking news for a backpack, crossing Southeast Asia and continuing overland to France — by bus, train, and the Trans-Siberian Railway — over six months, documenting the journey at viejaqueviaja.com. She arrived in southern Utah, fell in love, got married, and found in guiding a way to keep doing what she does best: telling stories, asking questions, and showing people places worth paying attention to. She guides in English, Spanish, and French. Paula is a certified Wilderness First Responder. 

Paulie grew up in northern Illinois, most of his free time was spent exploring and playing in the nearby woods. He climbed trees, built shelters, and pretended to be Tarzan and Grizzly Adams. Over time he was filled with a passion for the wilderness and outdoors.  After hiking many miles on the Appalachian trail, a full solo navigation of the Mississippi river, and many other adventures, he found his way to Utah in 2013. For over a decade he lived and worked with at risk teens on the Grand Staircase. There he learned to survive in the desert as the Puebloans once did while helping the children find their paths through trauma, learning differences, and anger issues. Paulie is also an artist, craftsman, writer, and most of all, a day-dreamer. Paulie is a certified Wilderness First Responder. 

“Two roads diverged in a wood, and I, I took the one less travelled by, and that has made all the difference.” – Robert Frost

Tom grew up on the East Coast but got hooked on living in the West after his first trip out. After working and going to school in Colorado, Tom has moved around – and had adventures all over the western United States. After a brief stint back on the East Coast, Tom moved to Kanab in 2005 from Brooklyn, NY – and has not looked back. Tom’s career has allowed him the opportunity to travel and explore all over the western states, and he is excited there is still a lifetime’s worth of exploring to do in this area alone. Tom is a certified Wilderness First Responder.

Karin is a desert enthusiast who can’t get enough of hiking through arid landscapes. With a background in photojournalism that’s taken her from major newspapers to children’s books, Karin now channels her creative energy into helping adventure-seekers find their next thrill. As a content strategist, SEO specialist, and user experience (UX) enthusiast, she combines her eye for storytelling with her knack for digital optimization. From coordinating tours to crafting engaging content and fine-tuning user experiences, Karin enjoys every facet of her role while always dreaming up the next big adventure.

Dasher is a Siberian husky mix who came to Dreamland as a rescue from Best Friends. She loves people (particularly kids!), squirrels, lizards, exploring the desert, road trips, tug of war and peanut butter – but most of all she loves snuggles.

Dasher often hangs out at the Dreamland Office and, upon request, may be able to join you for a day of adventuring if you book one of Dreamland’s private tours. As a husky, she doesn’t love the summer’s hottest months here in Kanab – but she’d be delighted to accompany you on your adventure during the fall, winter or spring.

Dasher may have attended several Wilderness First Responder Courses over the years, but she has not yet succeeded in getting certified.