Sascha Paris first discovered his passion for backpacking as a teenager on a 10-day Sierra Club backpack trip in Kings Canyon National Park. Since that first trip, he jumped into outdoor leadership, leading backpacking and sea kayaking trips for UC San Diego and mountaineering and sea kayaking trips for Outward Bound. Now based in the San Francisco Bay Area, Sascha works at the Sierra Club, teaches wilderness first aid courses for NOLS Wilderness Medicine Institute, and spends time with his family in the local scenic open spaces.