Mike Bauman, owner

I grew up in the Mohawk Valley of upstate NY where I first camped as a boy scout, ran on my high school cross country team, skied both downhill and x-country, and learned to snowboard on homemade snowboards.

I also worked as a bike mechanic in the late 1980’s & 1990’s when I raced both road and mountain bikes at USCF & NORBA events. I continued to ride as an avid cyclist throughout the years, but my interests became more focused on touring and exploring.

After graduating RIT in 1996 I moved to Vermont in the late 1990’s and found an interest in mountaineering, rock climbing, and ice climbing which became a big part of my life for the next 20 years. I traveled every chance I could to climb mountains all over the US and in places like Nepal and Peru. I have been a rock climbing, ice climbing, and mountaineering guide since 2005 and a backcountry ski guide since 2018. I also volunteer with the DEC SAR team in the Adirondacks.

I got my first motorcycle when I was 9 years old and have been a life-long motorcycle enthusiast. In 2013 I took an interest in adventure motorcycle touring, leading me on trips from Labrador to Mexico, sometimes for months at a time.

In 2023 I completed my first Ironman in Lake Placid, NY and followed that with a number of marathons and another Ironman in 2024. This sparked an interest in ultra distance adventure running throughout the wilds of the Adirondacks.

With a Master's degree in Mechanical Engineering from Rochester Institute of Technology I have been working professionally as an engineer for over 25 years and have experience developing and testing products ranging from industrial equipment to military weapons to consumer products.  I’m a machinist, a welder, a mechanic, a craftsman, and also a pilot with extensive knowledge of how to make things and how they work.

My curiosity for learning about new things and enthusiasm for adventure keeps me active in pursuing life changing experiences. I enjoy sharing what I have learned from my experiences with other people and hope that I can help to inspire others to pursue all of the great adventures that life has to offer.

My qualifications:

• New York State Licensed Guide (rock climbing, ice climbing, hiking, camping, backcountry skiing)

• AMGA Rock Instructor Course

• AIARE Level 1 Certified

• Wilderness First Responder Certified

• Red Cross CPR Certified

• Certified Personal Trainer

• Certified Nutrition Specialist

• MS Mechanical Engineering, RIT (1996)

• Member of USA Triathlon

• Part-time mechanic and service advisor at a local bike shop.

• A life-long endurance athlete with decades of experience in cycling, mountain sports, and adventure travel.