Core Team
Todd Mckibben
Co-Founder, Lead Guide, Executive Director, Expeditions Director
John Winton
Co-Founder and Board President
Angie Schmeltzer
Co-Owner, Lead Guide, and Director - Operations, Marketing, Programming
Our Expedition Guides
Ellie Engle
is an Idaho native, having grown up adventuring on the local ski mountain, playing soccer, and enjoying the beauty of Sandpoint, Idaho. Though she spent her time outside as a kid her family wasn’t super outdoorsy. She didn't really get involved working in the outdoors until after college. Ellie first dipped her toes into the guiding world as a raft guide on the Snake and Salmon Rivers. She fell in love being on the rivers everyday and showing people life outside their doorstep. Ellie’s passion is to provide opportunities for people to become their healthiest selves. She teaches yoga and dabbling in herbal medicines in between guiding adventures that take her into various areas across the Pacific Northwest. Ellie is an avid dog lover, mountain biker, snowboarding backcountry guide in the winter and backpacking guide in the summer.
Ellie is a certified wilderness first responder, level 1 guide alpine guide, AAIRE level 1 and 2, and swift water rescue.
Monica Mckibben
grew up in the beautiful state of Utah with a big family. She found the desert landscape to be her passion for finding her strengths and happiness. In 2000, Monica began instructing and guiding in the outdoor industry through her work in wilderness therapy programs supporting teens and families and then on to additional programs and schools that allowed her to expand her experience to supporting groups in a variety of settings. Monica’s strengths are patience, nurturing, providing strong leadership for those feeling outside of their comfort zones. Monica continues to work with private clients and groups as well as supporting local communities with her multiple talents. She enjoys helping others find their passions and find more awareness of themselves and the natural world around them.
When Monica isn’t off trekking in the woods or paddling a body of water, you can find her enjoying her life in a beautiful yurt with her kids and husband. Monica enjoys skiing, gardening, building, and practicing her massage therapy.
Monica is certified in CPR and Wilderness First Aid.
Ricky Harris
Originally from Connecticut Ricky joins us guiding a variety of Breakwater Expeditions trips. He’s always had a passion for the outdoors that was cemented when he was a teenager experiencing the power in being outside and in the backcountry with his peers, carrying a backpack, sleeping in a tent, watching sunsets, and star gazing was the catalyst for him to make big life changes. Ricky continued to show up in the outdoors as he began working with youth at risk in a variety of different programs leading younger generations on multi-day expeditions and mentoring youth to be the best versions of themselves. Ricky now lives in San Diego with his wife, 3 kids, cat, and dog. Ricky owns and operates a personal training center where he continues to inspire and support people from all walks of life to reach their goals and dreams. Ricky leads both teen trips and adult trips with us throughout the year.
Ricky is certified in CPR, Wilderness Medicine, and EMT services.
Cassie Likens
has lived her life in the outdoor industry ever since she graduated college in 2014. From leading trips in China to guiding international trips with adventure companies, her pursuit to spend as much time outdoors and have others experience nature has been a constant drive.
With her extensive knowledge and background in the outdoor industry, you’d never guess she grew up in the humble cornfields of Illinois on the outskirts of Chicago.
Having traveled across the US multiple times guiding groups for work or for her own enjoyment, she’s comfortable setting up camp for the night pretty much anywhere.
Eventually, she’d like to complete a trek across Borneo and would like to complete a Pan-America motorcycle trip.
Certifications: Wilderness First Responder, Adult/Child/Infant CPR; Red Cross Lifeguard; Leave No Trace Master Educator; PADI Advanced Open Water Diver
Megan Campbell
is passionate for the outdoors, environmental awareness, and service learning. Her passions have brought her to teaching yoga in India, working in Nepal with children and families, and being a sea kayaking guide in Alaska. Most recently, Megan spent 4 years in Durango were she was a Master Senior Guide for Open Sky Wilderness Therapy. When not working, you can find her either on her mountain bike, surfing or dreaming of the next adventure.
Erin Phillips
Erin lives in Sandpoint, Idaho and has pursued a life within the outdoor industry since taking a three month long NOLS Outdoor Educator semester course in 2017. That course forever changed her relationship with herself and opened up the possibilities of building deep relationships with natural landscapes. She has worked wilderness therapy programs in Utah and Montana, and was a sea kayaking and glacier guide in Alaska. She is also a yoga teacher, photographer, and writer for publications such as Outside, Climbing and Yoga+Life. She is a Wilderness First Responder, as well as educated in Stress Injury for Outdoor Professionals, and Crisis De-Escalation and Prevention.
A few of our Family Mentors
We are a team of educators, psychologists, social workers, coaches, and family counselors who have years of experience working with families in and out of wilderness settings.
(MS, LCPC, NCC) is a licensed clinical professional counselor in Montana and credentialed as a National Board of Certified Counselors as well as the owner and founder of Open Routes Adventures. She specializes in relationship counseling and coaching working with clients to reduce reactivity, build inner awareness of thoughts and emotions, and deepen connection. In addition to counseling, Blair is a writer, speaker, and guide. Her writing has appeared in Ski Magazine, Mountain Outlaw, and Rocky Mountain Bride. She facilitates prevention programs for couples, families, and groups in a variety of settings to support growth in relationships. She draws on her education and training, personal discovery, and professional experiences to travel alongside others to explore new terrain—be it external or internal. Blair is deeply connected to the mountains and spends her free time adventuring with her significant others.
Dan Horseman, a certified Professional Life Coach, whitewater kayak instructor, team building facilitator, and workplace culture consultant has a B.S. in Outdoor Education and Psychology. Dan believes in experiential learning and strives to bring that approach into all aspects of his professional and personal life. The simplest terms of this approach is sharing in experience, reflecting on what happened, and then deciding what to do with the new self-awareness. Dan has spent many years working in adventure therapy supporting teens and families through their journeys together. Dan is an expedition guide and family mentor for Breakwater Expeditions having gone into many of our destinations with groups, private clients, and for personal fun with his family and friends.
When Dan is not paddling whitewater or working, you can find him spending time with his wife and their new son Brooks.
Dan is certified as a AMGA Single Pitch Climbing instructor, Wilderness First Responder, CPR, Swiftwater Rescue, Leave No Trace Trainer, Wilderness Lifeguard.
Robby Bradbury, a licensed clinical social worker, believes strongly in the power of the wilderness to guide us towards our most authentic self. He graduated with an Masters of Social Work from Portland State University in 2009. Robby worked in Wilderness Therapy as a field guide, primary therapist, family therapist, and program director before starting Granite Bridges in 2014. He has facilitated over 150 three-day Family Expeditions and has over 1,000 days in the field since 2004. All of this experience allows him to quickly identify family patterns, unravel convoluted dynamics, and provide customized support for a complex population. Before starting Granite Bridges, Robby has developed Family Expedition programming for a variety of different organizations prior to starting Granite Bridges. He independently contracts with programs providing family therapy, staff coaching, and family program curriculum.
Sommerville Johnston, LPC, SEP is a licensed professional counselor and Somatic Experiencing Practitioner as well as wilderness instructor and founder of Aspen Roots Collective. She is passionate about facilitating opportunities for individuals and groups to connect with the natural world, to explore their inner-landscapes, and to discover within themselves a strength and beauty more powerful than they previously knew. She has worked in the mental health field since 2010 and in the outdoors since 2000, incorporating curiosity, humor, deep compassion, and respect into her various roles. Sommerville enjoys exploring the rock and water of her home in Western North Carolina, as well as continuing to learn from new places and people around the world.