Sol Journeys was founded with a focus on providing adventure travel and retreat experiences that support you in your everyday life.  We love traveling and making real connections with those on the journey and with those we meet.  If you ask most people about their travels, what you will hear most are stories about the people they’ve met, and then of course, about the beauty of the place!  We connect you to local people and to the beauty of the place. We endeaver to offer adventure travel with a focus on how we can live richer and fuller lives. 

All of our journeys will run with a professional guide with experience guiding groups in various modes of outdoor travel/adventure.  Your safety, comfort and positive experience is number one.  Our guides hold a minimum of wilderness first aid certification, CPR, and have had some yoga teacher training.  Our traveling massage therapists hold licenses and certifications in multi-modalities.  On some Yoga Journeys we bring our own yoga teacher who has a significant background in teaching and facilitating yoga. 

We recognize that the guides for any journey can be the determining element in whether an experience is fabulous and memorable or just plain good.  We want all of our journeys to be fabulous.  Our guides possess a great deal of people/customer service skills and are committed to facilitating a safe, fun, and expansive journey.   

Meet our guides:

Jill Hewins is the founder and Lead Guide for Sol Journeys. Jill has been guiding wilderness backpacking, biking, hiking and travel journeys since 1986. In the outdoor adventure industry, she has worked as a Program Director, Trip Planner, Guide and Staff Trainer. She has a Masters Degree in Higher Education and certifications in Wilderness First Responder and Advanced First Aid. Jill loves bringing together groups of individuals for self-growth, play, laughter and adventure.  She has been working at being a good yoga student and vipassana (Insight) meditator for over ten years.  In her free time, she is a big cyclist, hiker and student of life.

Mary Grace Naughton is the yoga instructor for our Hawaiian adventure. She is a certified hatha yoga instructor and has additional training in Anusara Yoga. Her yoga teaching embodies the practices of self-compassion. She has participated in 12 mindfulness/silent mediation retreats and has received training in the facilitation of meditation. Mary Grace has a private shiatsu and heart-centered communication practice in Tucson, Arizona and is a happy mother of two teenage daughters.

May Hnin brings over 20 years of experience in the field of massage therapy. She has advanced training in neuromuscular therapy and orthopedic massage. May’s practice is a unique combination of anatomical expertise and compassionate presence. When not traveling with Sol Journeys, she is employed at Canyon Ranch Spa where her specialties are Thai, Ashiatsu and Reiki.  May’s passion is tennis and dreams of one day teaching yoga.

Maggie Carter is an organization and personal life coach living in Fort Collins, CO.  Maggie has worked as educator, a director of staff development, and a director of human resources. Maggie is 100% committed to The Work and is devoted to helping people find peace in themselves.  She has a BA in Elementary Education, a MA in Reading and Linguistics, and a Ph.D. in Staff Development, Adult Learning, and Leadership.  Yoga and meditation are part of her daily routine; she hikes, bikes, skies and travels whenever and wherever possible.   You can view Maggie’s homepage here, www.maggiecarter.com.         Joan Allen brings over 25 years of experience in the field of massage therapy - Joan is a deep tissue expert, she is also a Reiki Master, with advanced training in neuromuscular therapy, ayurvedic massage and lomi lomi.  Joan works in the roles of massage therapist and guide for Sol Journeys and is currently a highly requested therapist at Canyon Ranch Spa.  She loves backpacking, hiking, and the natural world.  Joan brings a unique combination of laughter and heart to all her adventures.

Mary Plummer took a semester trip with NOLS in 1998 (National Outdoor Leadership School) and has been hooked on backpacking ever since. Mary has attended the 9-day School with Byron Katie as both participant and staff and continues in her commitment to the movement of The Work.  Mary is a dedicated yogi and has a regular yoga practice.  She credits her yoga passion from studying Japa Yoga and Anusara with Chris Coniaris in Tucson, AZ.  Mary also has training in bodywork from The Providence Institute. 

Signe Hartmann is both a yoga teacher and a student of Iyengar Yoga.  She brings warmth, athleticism and encouragement to her students.  Sig has worked as an Instructor for The Colorado and North Carolina Outward Bound Schools and with Longacre Expeditions.  She skiis, snowboards, runs, and works hard at being a mom to two young boys.  Sig has a Masters Degree in Women’s Studies and has been teaching in either the outdoor setting or in a classroom for her career.  Sig currently teaches and runs outdoor programs in the private school setting in Denver, Colorado. 

Mark Flint is joining Sol Journeys as a Mountain Bike Guide for our Mountain Bike School.  Mark brings over 20 years of mountain biking experience to his role as instructor.  Mark leads an annual mountain biking tour of the Oregon Cascades, guides local rides for the Sonoran Desert Mountain Bikers, and has guided mountain bikers for a week-long Team in Training event for the Leukemia Lymphoma Society.  Mark is the consumate trail advocate - he has initiated trail advocacy programs and been a Board Member for many trail organizations.  Outside of biking Mark practices Tai Chi, works as a professional writer and editor, and as a trail designer/trail builder.     

Emily Mann is one of our Mountain Bike Instructors.   Rudi Nadler another Mountain Bike Instructor.   Matt Nelson another Mountain Bike Instructor and guide for Sol Journeys.  Matt is the most active adventure guide we know! 

Peter Lund our Yoga Instructor for the Mountain Bike clinics and local Tucson area yoga teacher.