Wyoming Modern Explorers
Modern Explorers
What They’re Made Of.
Wyoming is home to the bold, and the quietly courageous. The dreamers and the outlaws. They push themselves forward. And discover new paths. Because you don’t go west to compromise. Or make yourself more comfortable. In Wyoming, there’s more than enough room to take that chance. And that’s just what these Modern Explorers have done. Maybe it’s time for you to do the same.
Aaron Mulkey
Ice Climber & Founder of The Wyoming Ice Festival
“When I’m outside, I feel much more connected to myself,” says Aaron Mulkey. “Especially ice climbing. It takes 100% of your focus. When you’re out there, you’re not thinking did I send that email?” It’s the kind of focus that has inspired his quest to conquer 300 first ascents. But it’s also the type of mindset that he believes just about anyone in need of a little balance can benefit from.
Elyse Guarino
Rafting Guide & Educator
While pursuing a big-city, corporate career, Elyse Guarino knew she needed a change. And after her first packrafting trip in the West, she knew her life would never be the same. On Wyoming’s wild waters, the co-founder of Wyoming Rivers Co-op found a perspective she couldn’t wait to share with others. Learn why she believes a white-water run is never just a wild ride but a chance to connect with communities—and the world—all around you.
Arvid Aase
Paleontologist & Museum Curator
When Arvid Aase looks out across the landscape of southwestern Wyoming, he sees beyond the fragrant flora and vivid red ridges deep into the state’s prehistoric past. The Fossil Butte National Monument ranger and museum curator believes it’s the thrill of discovery that keeps curiosity alive in future generations. Which is why he works to create that experience for as many new explorers as possible.
Jimmy Chin
DIRECTOR, PHOTOGRAPHER & CLIMBER
Whether he’s directing an Academy Award-winning film or centering himself on the face of near impossible climb, Jimmy Chin constantly pushes himself to explore deeper into the unknown. Discover why after countless expeditions around the globe he still chooses to call Wyoming home. And why he believes it’s more important than ever to protect our wild spaces for generations to come.
Jess Oldham
WILDLIFE RESCUER & RANCHER
What’s wild isn’t without vulnerability. So when Wyoming’s wild horses need refuge, Jess Oldham and his family work to ensure they have more than enough room to run at the Wind River Wild Horse Sanctuary. Learn how this ranching family founded a safe space for one of the most iconic symbols of the American West.
Taylor Thoman
FIFTH GENERATION RANCHER
When your grandmother is a Wyoming Cowboy Hall of Fame cowgirl, you’re born with your boots on and ready to ride. Discover how 12-year-old Taylor Thoman, a formidable firebrand in her own right, continues to buck expectation as she takes up the family business. Because there are some traditions that can’t be broken.
Tim Trites
ZERO-WASTE DISTILLER
You don’t start a zero-waste distillery because it seems easy. You build it because you want it to last. Learn how Tim Trites, owner and master distiller at Pinedale’s Cowboy Country distilling, struck out from the corporate world to honor his craft in the best way he knows how. Whisky distilling and cattle ranching might be more intertwined than you think.
Do you know a Wyoming Modern Explorer?
They push their limits. They go a little further. And they always want to know what’s on the other side.
Tag them and tell us how they’re a Modern Explorer using #WYModernExplorer.