Darin Greene
Afternoon Walks, Boarding, Group Hikes, Private Hikes & Training

Darin joined Hiking Hounds in December of 2019 and is super excited to be working with the pack!

He has worked in Real Estate as a Graphic Designer.  In 2014, after adopting his pitbull Smokey and learning everything he could about being a responsible owner of the breed--as well as watching almost every episode of Cesar Milan's "The Dog Whisperer"--Darin decided that his truest passion would be to work with dogs.

Since then, Darin  worked as a kennel technician in Las Vegas and worked his way up to being the kennel manager and veterinary technician at the same hospital.  He then went on to manage two different dog daycares and apprenticed as a dog trainer.

Darin is currently enrolled at Animal Behavior College and will soon be a certified Professional Dog Trainer.  He looks forward to working with you and your furry companion(s) to help give them the exercise, training, and care that they deserve!

Kelly Nelson
​Boarding & Group Hikes

Hiking with the pack since March 2019, Kelly brings great energy and humor to her groups!

Kelly has had a lifelong love affair with dogs and the outdoors.  An Arizona native, she worked her way through college in North Carolina as a veterinary technician where she was affectionately nicknamed "the dog whisperer" and where she relished the opportunity to learn about, work with and come to respect not only all breeds of dogs but dozens of other animal species as well.
 
After graduating from East Carolina University in 2007 where she studied psychology and neuroscience, Kelly began her career at the University of Utah in the bio-engineering department doing research and development on a neural prosthetic chip for a government funded bionic arm project, and a few years later moved to the University hospital's Moran Eye Center to study the biochemistry and biophysics of age related macular degeneration and other inherited ocular diseases.  After a very fulfilling twelve years at the University of Utah, Kelly is excited to make a career change that will enable her to spend more time with her husband of fifteen years, their six-year-old son, and their autism therapy dog: a five-year-old, eighty-pound labradoodle named Sawyer.
 
In addition to her love of hiking and dogs, Kelly is an avid skier, world traveler, musician, computer nerd and an adventurous spirit with an insatiable appetite for learning and trying anything new.  One of Kelly's life motto's is; "experiences are always better than things" and she is so excited to meet and have new experiences with the Hiking Hounds pack and have a great time doing it!

Chris Nelson
Group Hikes, Runs & Boarding

Michelle Geis
​Afternoon Walks, Boarding, Doggie Day Trips, Group Hikes, Private Hikes & Runs
Michelle started with Hiking Hounds in March 2020 - coming to us through a recommendation from one of our clients. 

She initially moved to Salt Lake to complete a 'one' year fellowship in health administration as part of her master's degree from South Carolina. She fell in love with the mountains and met her future husband, 'one' year grew into 20 (and counting)!

Michelle worked in healthcare for over 20 years and spent the last 10 years working primarily in Africa on various public health issues. She loves international travel and her job allowed her to have many adventures -  including climbing Kilimanjaro!
 
Like everyone at Hiking Hounds, Michelle is an animal lover. She has always had a special affinity for rescues, especially working dogs. In fact, it was due to her first Australian Shepherd and his insatiable energy that she started exploring the Wasatch.

Michelle is taking a break from the business world to spend time with her family including her Australian Shepherd and Border Collie. She is so excited for this new adventure with Hiking Hounds. 
Kaylee Walton
​Afternoon Walks, Boarding, Doggie Day Trips, Group Hikes, Private Hikes & Grooming
​Kaylee has had an ever-growing passion for dogs since she was a child. Her passion grew into an interest in dog behavior and how to have a well behaved dog, as well as being able to teach others. She then began her journey learning the ins and outs of dog training and behavior modification.

​She is certified as a KPA Training Professional and has been training for the last 4 years. She then took her knowledge of dog behavior and body language into a dog grooming business, which took off and she was able to show her love for dogs in the form of husbandry.

Kaylee has two dogs of her own: a Border Collie/ Lab mix, named Sunny, and a Standard Poodle, named Louie.She has always enjoyed taking them out hiking and enjoying what nature has to offer together. She is so excited to combine her passions for the outdoors and dogs with Hiking Hounds.

Rhyan Wadsworth
​Afternoon Walks, Boarding & Group Hikes


Rhyan joined the Hiking Hounds team in November of 2022 and is loving every second of it! She was born and raised in the amazing state of Utah, when she moved to Davis California to major in Biological Sciences with a mission to attend the School of Veterinary Medicine to specialize in Equine Medicine. While living in California, she met her soulmate who has the same love and passion for animals as she does! Shortly after moving back to Utah she joined the team!

She has been an avid dog lover her whole life and has owned several breeds of all varieties from Cane Corso, Belgian Malinois, Rottweilers all the way to Yorkshire Terriers. Having owned so many different breeds gives her an advantage of having experience with different traits each breed carries along with dispositions and personalities. 

In her spare time, she competes and rides horses, of which she owns three. She is currently working on Schutzhund training with her 9 month old Belgian Malinois puppy! She is beyond excited to explore the Wasatch Back with the Hiking Hounds pack and get to love each furry companion as her own! ​

Eliza Clarke
Remote Office Assistant & Boarding

Eliza started with Hiking Hounds in March 2021. She spent most of last year hiking and boarding dogs however, since accepting a job as a Horticulture Technician in Capitol Reef National Park she has been focusing on the administrative side of Hiking Hounds. 

Eliza grew up on a farm in upstate New York surrounded by all kinds of animals but has a special love for dogs. Her furry friends at home are two cats, Mowgli and Beep, and she hopes one day to have a dog of her own.

Eliza graduated from Westminster College with a BA in Environmental Civics and a minor in Fine Art. She hopes to start a career in environmental equity and food justice.

Most of her free time is spent with her partner exploring the desert, creating art, tending to houseplants, or backpacking. She cannot wait to move back to Salt Lake and reunite with all the dogs of the Hiking Hounds crew!

Rhys Wisner
​Office Assistant, Afternoon Walks, Boarding & Group Hikes

H Simmons
​Afternoon Walks, Boarding & Group Hikes

Wayra Arias
​Afternoon Walks, Boarding & Group Hikes

Aggie Ryan
​Afternoon Walks, Boarding & Group Hikes

Aggie is currently a fourth year student at the University of Utah, studying
Environmental and Sustainability Studies. She is passionate about the environment and all the creatures within! Her emphasis is in land and wildlife conservation, and she is currently involved in a research project studying wildlife in the Wasatch Mountains. Aggie has been a lover of all
animals for as long as she can remember, with her favorite companions being dogs.
​
Aggie has experience working at a doggy daycare, as well as been a trusted dog and house sitter for many families in Salt Lake City. Since her busy school schedule keeps her from having a dog of her own, she tries to find many other ways to enrich her life with our favorite furry friends! Her family dog is now 14 years old and one of her favorite reasons for traveling
back home to Boise, Idaho. In his youth he was a high energy pitbull mix who taught her the importance of discipline and compassion for dogs.

In her free time, Aggie loves hiking, skiing, camping, and hanging out with friends. She’s always up for an adventure and loves working with others to explore and grow as a person. She hopes with her degree she can help better the environment and protect the great outdoors!

Maddie Smith
​Afternoon Walks, Boarding & Group Hikes