Our Expedition Guides
PROFESSIONAL RUNNERS, GUIDES & TRAVEL ENTHUSIAST
Introducing our Threshold Expeditions guide team! We are a group of passionate and dedicated runners/hikers/active travelers who share a profound love for community, spending time in nature, prioritizing safety, and imparting knowledge and fun to our clients. With us, you'll experience unforgettable trips tailored to all levels, including hiking.
Our team is fueled by a genuine enthusiasm for being active, and we wholeheartedly believe in the power of community. We strive to create an inclusive and supportive environment where every individual can thrive, regardless of their skill level or background. Safety is our utmost priority, and our guides are well-trained to ensure your well-being throughout the journey.
Nature holds a special place in our hearts, and we cherish the opportunity to explore its breathtaking landscapes together. We take pride in sharing our knowledge out on trail, enriching your experience with interesting insights and stories.
Let us guide you on an unforgettable journey of exploration, camaraderie, and personal growth. Pack your bags and let's breathe in the fresh air, and embark on a memorable active travel experience together!
Liza is a certified NOLS Wilderness Medicine instructor
Liza Howard - San Antonio, TX
I coach runners and teach wilderness medicine … the basic first aid for austere environments. I also run a non-profit, Band of Runners, that shares trail running with veterans and their surviving family members. One of my greatest joys is being mom to a 10-year-old and 15-year-old, which means I work part-time as a minivan driver and short-order cook!
I love being a coach so that I can share the benefits, lessons and experiences running has given me. Throughout my career, I’ve seen the tremendous life benefits that both travel and trail running bring to my clients.
I’d like folks to leave a Threshold Experience with a sense that they are capable of more than they thought they were, a renewed spirit, new friends and excited to set new goals for themselves.
As a professional athlete, Meghan is an ambassador for USWE Sports Hydration, Squirrels Nut Butter, and Injinji Socks
Meghan Canfield - Corvallis, Oregon
Running has given me a life unimagined. I came into the sport seeking an easy way to stay fit with all the other complications of life, such as work and motherhood. My passion for knowledge and understanding of the human body kept me on the path to where I am today – an accomplished ultra marathon runner and coach.
What I love about Threshold Expeditions is sharing my love of the sport and the great outdoors with like-minded folk, making new and lasting friendships with our clients, and creating stories that last a lifetime.
Outside of running, I am an avid gardener, animal lover, and musician.
Karen Thomas - Atlanta, Georgia
Days spent on trails with others are among the best that the year offers—the mystery of what the day will bring and how nature will wash over us is a gift I look forward to on every Threshold Expeditions trip. My background in public health gives me a continued curiosity about the many restorative benefits of nature contact and the way these days point toward a deep gratitude for life. The friendships and shared time around the dinner table after a great day out on trails is so very life giving-- and I am ever inspired by the wonderful people who join us.
I enjoy the pace of an active-travel trip much more than racing, so much of my experience is simply time out exploring beautiful places with friends and family.
As a professional athlete Stephanie is currently sponsored by Clif Bar & Company and The North Face
Stephanie Howe - San Francisco, CA
I'm usually a little timid to say that I run professionally, because the next question is always, "What's your best marathon time?" While most of my livelihood comes from being a runner, I also have a PhD in nutrition, and I own a nutrition business. I think that helps set me apart from the "I'm just an athlete" folk!
Training other runners provides so much satisfaction because I get to teach about nutrition and how to properly fuel your body. It's really fun to work with people of all different backgrounds and goals. I absolutely LOVE nutrition and love sharing time with others running in beautiful places.
My hope for our Threshold runners is that they walk away with several new best friends and memories of moving in the beautiful outdoors, laughing and good food.
Christian Hawley - Austin, Texas
Even as a parish priest, I still find the hollers of East TN, the heights of the Himalayas, and the canyons of the Rio Grande, to be the most sacred places of my faith. Running through those landscapes has always provided me with healing and clarity, but never more keenly than after my military service and with a group of spiritual friends.
Helping people connect their spiritual lives to the natural world brings me great joy, and has fueled such projects as Canoecharists, Wilderness Stations of the Cross, and church trekking groups. It’s only gotten better over the years as my wife, the Rev Madeline Shelton Hawley, our daughter Val, and our dog, MacGyver have joined me.
I hope Threshold runners discover new, life-giving ways to connect their minds, bodies, and spirits to the natural world, and enjoy a few communal surprises along this earthly pilgrimage.