Mark has logged more Parallel miles than any other facilitator on our team, and we’re grateful for his expertise and friendly, capable leadership. He sees it differently: “I’m lucky to get to take people to these special parts of the world, access places I might never have seen otherwise, and experience cultures that are completely different from where I’m from.”

Hailing from Michigan, where he grew up camping and living an outdoorsy life with his family, Mark makes his home base in Salt Lake City. When he’s not leading trips for Parallel, he bartends at a Utah ski resort in the winter and guides Apogee trips in the summer.

Favorite trip. Spain’s Costa Brava. “Hiking along the Mediterranean Sea is just gorgeous. You make your way down the coast, staying in five beautiful towns, each different from the last, and you don’t have to get in a car from Monday morning to Friday afternoon.”

Go solo or hike with a group? Most guests like a balance of the two, Mark says. “The trail is a great place to have a long conversation about your life experience. Some days, it’s nice to be by yourself, to think about your own life and let your brain rest.”

Don’t miss . . .  The ocean dips. If Mark has downtime, he’s likely scouting a new spot for a swim in the crystal clear waters of the Mediterranean. “There are great swim spots on almost every trip, and places to scramble along the coast and jump off the rocks.”

Go-to lunch. Mark favors a sandwich made with fresh bread, cheese, and sausage or some other meat from the local market. “In Portugal, I enjoyed making sandwiches with canned sardines.” Dessert is fresh fruit. “I like to grab something I’ve never heard of.”

Best job perk. Authentic meals with new friends. Guest or facilitator, this is one of the best part of a Parallel trip, says Mark. One of his favorite meals is a Sardinia farm-to-table experience. “Everything is made from the farm. You have tons of breads and cheeses to start, bottomless pitchers of red wine, a delicious pasta course, and a main—last time it was wild boar from the region—topped off with a delicious dessert and espresso.”

Parting advice: Don’t worry about difficulty. “I call ours adventurous hiking, and I think everyone craves a little adventure,” he says. “Depending on the location, it may be a little more hilly or rugged than you expect, but the challenge is part of what makes Parallel trips so cool. And nothing feels better than rewarding yourself with a delicious meal, good company, and good conversation at the end of the day.”