Kayd Burton​

kayd@sticksandstonesadventures.com

founder, guide, wilderness first responder

Kayd has an insatiable love for exploring nature. This passion began in his childhood while roaming wild and free on his family's farm tucked into the foothills south of Jackson Hole, Wyoming. He discovered a deep love for southern Utah in 2007 while on a 30 day expedition exploring the remote backcountry from Escalante to Moab. This sparked a paradigm shift in his thoughts and visions for life where he began to value time over money and to live a more fulfilled life.  He believes sustainability on this planet is found in living simple lives, doing more with less, minimal consumption, and a smaller footprint. With a sustainable approach, Kayd feels freer to spend time doing what is most important to him. He spends 150+ days a year sleeping under the stars in the backcountry of Wyoming and Southern Utah. Kayd received a bachelor's degree in Outdoor Recreation Management and has studied biology, geology, natural and environmental science education. He is a natural educator and an advanced student of personality psychology and personal development. Kayd enjoys backpacking, backcountry skiing, mountain biking, and canyoneering. He has 15+ years experience in the backcountry adventure industry.  Kayd’s greatest joy is his three daughters and son who adventure with him regularly. His dream since he first discovered southern Utah and outdoor adventure has been to share this world with everyone he knows. So come and let him give you the tools to begin a life of nature exploration and personal growth & development.

Brent Mccormick

brent@sticksandstonesadventures.com

guide, certified by american canyoneering association and canyon guides

international, wilderness first repsonder

I love the outdoors and have been snow & water skiing for 30+ years. I began canyoneering without knowing it during many Lake Powell vacations exploring canyons, from the bottom up. In 2017 I decided to take Canyoneering Level I & II courses through University of Utah. Other courses I have taken include ACA Aspirant Training, Canyon Leader Training, Excursions of Escalante-Pothole course, Rich Carlson-Art of Ropework, CGI Pro Guide Course & Certification, ACA Pro Guide Course & Certification. I have a Wilderness First Responder certification. I have taught snow skiing for 20+ years at Alta & Snowbird. I’m a certified PISA L2 instructor, Park & Pipe L1, Accredited Child Educator-ACE L2 and Telemark L1 instructor certified. 

Jason Linder

jason@sticksandstonesadventures.com

assistant guide, business manager, wilderness first responder

I was introduced to southern Utah in the fall of 2008 on a trip to visit my parents in Teasdale. I borrowed my mother's car to go for a drive and two hours after turning onto Highway 12, I found myself on the Hogsback. From that day on I was fascinated with the ancient sandstone and returned every chance I got to explore further into the Escalante desert. By 2016 I was out of hiking options and began to take canyoneering courses to give me the skills to go even further on my explorations.  By 2017, I'd convinced (suckered) my wife Bonnie into taking some classes as well.  I met Kayd at a course in October 2017. He shared visions of starting his own adventure business and I've been riding his coattails ever since.  

A Word From the Owner

Nature speaks to my soul and calms my mind. It's the place I go to make sense of the world. I have discovered that nature has a way of reaching out and touching us in such a profound way that it can literally change who we are. This is what happened for me and I have met countless others that have had similar experiences. It's my belief that the more opportunities we have to spend prolonged periods in nature the deeper our connection with nature will become. Once on day twelve without showers and cell phones, I had a student say, “It’s like we have become one with nature, she is in us and we are in her.” This is a place of being very few people in the modern world ever get to experience. I describe connection as the point when we no longer fight against nature but melt into her. We accept the insects, dirt, grime, and rain as normal and even comfortable. We become dirt and suddenly see our own diminutiveness displayed in the grandeur of the universe and watch our personal story melt away in the perspective of geologic time, while simultaneously being filled with gratitude, peace, and self love.  I call this the “nature shift”. The shift happens when we become more fully aware of nature and we begin to hear the bees, feel the vibrations in the air from a bird's wings as it soars by, smell moisture on a changing breeze, observe the slightest change in color of plants across a landscape, and ultimately learn to hear nature's voice. We accept everything nature and life offers with gratitude, peace and love. Once experienced, this state of being changes us to the core and this peace is sought after for the rest of one’s life. This type of connection spontaneously creates natural land and life stewards. Stewards that understand that humanity is a part of this ecosystem and the need to create a harmonious balance between appropriate use and riotous plunder of nature for economic gains and human needs. “We see with bigger eyes and feel with bigger hands and hearts.”

Let us know how we can Help redefine your adventure.