About
Everyone loves an adventure in New Hampshire! I have owned/operated OENH since 2003. Our handful of guides share a passion for helping people get into New Hampshire's nature with safety, fun, and learning. Custom private adventures, lessons, tours, and multi-day packages are offered statewide year-round. Activities include: Hiking and backpacking on trails for all abilities, canoeing and kayaking on lakes, rivers, and seacoast, backcountry camping skills, primitive survival skills and bushcraft, target archery, mountain biking lessons and cycling tours, snowshoeing, cross-country and backcountry skiing, winter camping, regional scenic driving tours, and moose tours.
All adventures include an educational aspect such as skills improvement and/or local history and nature interpretation, plus a chance of spotting wildlife and scenic views. Meals, equipment rentals, tailoring for special needs, and lodging/camping options are available for a complete package for you, your family, or group.
I love outdoor living here in New Hampshire. We get to smell the mossy boreal forest, run the swift rapids, view hundreds of mountain peaks, cook awesome meals outdoors, see and informally study wildlife and habitats for moose, loons, eagles, beavers, bear, edible plants, and wildflowers, wheel up and down singletrack trails, glide over the snow under our own power, start a fire with sticks, and wake up in a cozy warm sleeping bag when it's 4 degrees Fahrenheit outside the tent.
The best thing for me, thought, is the opportunity to get who is interested-- especially kids, families, and women--into nature.
Outdoor ESCAPES New Hampshire, LLC is the only woman-owned guide service in New Hampshire that offers statewide, year-round custom adventures for so many different recreational activities.
Reviews
Monique L.
Frequently asked questions
What is your typical process for working with a new student?
Since we customize each ESCAPE, when we receive a request for our services, our guides discuss participants' interests and abilities and then plan, prepare, and implement the best experience(s) at the most suitable location(s) in New Hampshire. We provide a pre-trip pack list for participants and work hard to ensure safety, fun, and learning for the duration, whether it is for two hours or two weeks.
What education and/or training do you have that relates to your work?
Our lead guides each have 25 years of experience guiding and teaching outdoors and are trained as Wilderness First Responders.
Do you have a standard pricing system for your lessons? If so, please share the details here.
Our responses to requests for ESCAPES (lesson/tour) are planned and priced according to participants' interests and abilities and usually come with options and prices to choose from. The final price depends on a variety of things including what activities are chosen, duration of experience, the distance our guides need to travel, and any options included such as meals, equipment rentals, and lodging or camping.
How did you get started teaching?
Most of us guides started teaching at a young age, such as skiing in winter and canoeing and hiking at summer camps. We are at home in the wilderness and love helping people enjoy their time in peaceful natural environments. The big picture? Getting to know nature creates a love for our real world. We believe we can change the world one trip at a time.
What types of students have you worked with?
We have worked with tourists from about 40 different countries, as well as local families and groups--Scouts, church groups, homeschoolers, and corporate outings/teambuilding. We also have some resources to help those with special needs and disabilities. No matter what walk of life people come from, we believe that spending time in nature is critical to human health.
Describe a recent event you are fond of.
One recent event we are fond of...leading a group of teachers into the headwaters of the Connecticut River. Three days of hiking and canoeing to prepare them for future trips with their students that live near the mouth of the river near Long Island Sound.
Another one was guiding a couple on a snowshoe hike up to a scenic view. Ten weeks prior to the trip, the man had a knee replacement. They were glad that we were able to ensure a successful first hike after decades of disability.
Also, one Scout Troop from Florida enjoyed an entire week with us. Half of them went hiking and the other half did canoeing and all of them earned many badges along the way.
Lastly, group of three adults from Germany took a day off from their motorcycle tour and joined us for some kayaking on Squam Lake. They also enjoyed a picnic rock where they dove into the water, basked in the sun, and ate a delicious lunch.
What advice would you give a student looking to hire a teacher in your area of expertise?
The best advice we can give when participants are hiring a wilderness guide/outdoor educator is for to make sure they are someone with lots of experience and who have previously explored the area they will take you. Hire them, trust them, and you will not only survive your adventure, you will have wonderful memories and stories to tell loved ones back home.
Now, paying for an adventure doesn't mean your guides will do all the work. There are participant responsibilities that come with the territory.
Children and adults are expected to adhere to guide's decisions--with consideration of your safety, fun, and learning of course (that's what you're paying for).
Please come prepared with everything on our pack list. This will prevent delays, problems, and early termination of your experience.
Also, please be honest about yourself when we ask if there's anything your guide should know about to help plan and prepare your ESCAPE, and especially on the medical form.
What questions should students think through before talking to teachers about their needs?
Please have the answers to these questions in mind before contacting us:
Your name (and organization if any)?
Your contact info?
How many people in your group?
What is everyone's age?
What lesson/guided activity/activites are you interested in (scenic tour, hike, nature walk, backpacking, mountain biking, target archery, canoeing, kayaking, moose tour, snowshoeing, cross country skiing, backcountry skiing, primitive survival skills, backcountry camping skills)?
Duration (half-day/full-day, multi-day, or regular series)?
Date(s) (list 2 or 3 dates so we can check for availability, it helps us if you designate a start and end time of ESCAPE)?
Location (if you know, or it can be up to guide)?
Any inclusions (meals, equipment rentals, lodging, camping, etc.)?
Other concerns (food restrictions, allergies, phobias, disabilities or limitations, special needs, time restraints, etc.)