Meet Your Guides
Laura Tirman, She/Her
Hiking Guide & Owner of Alpenglow Adventures Sitka
Laura is an avid hiker and outdoor enthusiast who fell in love with the outdoors at a young age. After completing her Master's in Public Health in 2016, she decided to make her passion for travel and being active into her career. Laura has since worked as a hiking and biking guide in countries such as Iceland, Scotland, Norway, Slovenia and France. She moved to Sitka in 2020 to work as a wilderness therapy guide taking teenagers on backpacking and kayaking trips in this beautiful area. Laura strongly believes in the power of the outdoors in fostering a healthier, happier life.
Feeling most at home in the mountains of northern latitudes, Laura can't wait to take you on her favorite hikes in Sitka while sharing her passion for Alaska! Laura is a trained Wilderness First Responder and completed a course in Alpine Mountaineering and Technical Leadership with American Alpine Institute in April 2023.
Graci Pittman, She/Her
Hiking Guide
Originally from Western North Carolina, Graci grew up hiking and snowboarding in the Appalachian mountains. After finishing her trade in Health and Wellness, she continued her studies completing her Wilderness First Responder (WFR), Swift Water Rescue, and becoming CPR/First Aid certified. Using her qualifications, she has guided caving tours and white water rafting on the Nolichucky and Watauga rivers in Eastern Tennessee. Graci travels to Sitka in the summers to photograph wildlife for local tour companies, volunteer with our trail team at Sitka Trail Works, and guide hikes with Alpenglow! Returning for her second season, Graci is excited to hike, fish, and photograph the Tongass National Forest.
Emily Pound, She/They
Hiking Guide
From hiking and snowboarding on the traditional lands of the Abenaki in the green mountains of Vermont to trail running and split boarding in the Southeast Alaskan alpine with her two huskies, Emily has learned to cultivate joy and community through outdoor recreation. While studying prelaw and sociology at American University in Washington, D.C., Emily would scamper home northeast during the summers to work as a guide at Stowe Mountain Resort. In 2018, she moved to Sitka through JVC NW Americorps to volunteer as a children’s advocate at the local domestic violence shelter: Sitkans Against Family Violence. After finishing her service year, she transitioned to Sitka Conservation Society where she worked as a catalyst connecting youth with their environment and community while finishing her masters in Environmental Justice and Policy from Vermont Law School.
She has since moved on to be a hiking guide with Alpenglow Adventures Sitka, and Program Manager at Sitka Trail Works, learning from the lands and waters of the Tongass National Forest on Lingít Aani. You can find her fishing and foraging during this season of bounty!
Emily has a Wilderness First Responder certification.
Brenna Haakinson, She/Her
Hiking Guide
Brenna Haakinson (she/her) grew up on her parent’s apple orchard in Milton, Wisconsin where she discovered her love for the outdoors and local food systems. She graduated with a degree in Biology from the University of Madison - Wisconsin, and has been seeking nature based experiences since! She has been living in Sitka for two years now working as a fish hatchery apprentice, baker, and a high school science teacher. When not at work, you will most likely find Brenna hiking, foraging, or starting a new craft/hobby. She is very excited to guide you through the amazing trail system that Sitka has to offer. Brenna is CPR/AED/First Aid certified.
Chase Colman, He/Him
Hiking Guide
Originally from Wisconsin, Chase has always had an affinity for the outdoors—from hiking and waterskiing to pulling weeds in his community garden plot. After finishing his degree in marketing and years of exploring all the Midwest had to offer, he moved to Sitka with his partner in search of new adventures. Chase now spends his free time in the Tongass National Rainforest. You can typically find him foraging for berries and mushrooms, fishing for trout, or with his camera capturing photos of birds. (Ask him anything about birds and you’ll be his best friend). Chase is CPR/AED/First Aid certified.
Why Alpenglow?
The name Alpenglow Adventures was inspired by the magic of the pink and orange glow on the mountains at sunrise and sunset - my favorite times of the day! These moments are best when shared with others. We hope you're lucky enough to catch a glimpse of the glow with us!
Alpenglow Adventures Sitka acknowledges that tourism as an industry has a large carbon footprint. We are committed to operating as sustainably and regeneratively as possible. We encourage you to leave your single use plastics at home, as we provide reusable water bottles for your hike. We purchase as much as we can locally, and support other small local businesses whenever possible.
Commitment to Sustainability
Supporting Sitka Trails
We are so grateful to have such an incredible network of trails here in Sitka. Thanks to the hard work of residents and local organizations, we are able to recreate on and learn from this land. Alpenglow Adventures Sitka encourages you to support the maintenance of our trails.
_edited.png)
We love our logo and we hope you do too! Check out our Alpenglow Apparel store where you can purchase t-shirts, hoodies and goodies to ensure you're hiking in style.
