Meet the Southwest Outside Adventure Team
Mike Krajnak WFR
Mike was born and raised near Lake Michigan and moved to the Southwest in 1981 to explore the canyons of the Colorado Plateau. He has a bachelor’s degree in Business and has been guiding since 1990. He played 4 years of college basketball and is a former high school head coach. Mike is a certified Wilderness First Responder (WFR) from the National Outdoor Leadership School (NOLS) and practices Leave No Trace (LNT) ethics.
Experience
Mike has been exploring Sedona’s trails and cross-country routes for over 30 years, moving to Red Rock Country in 1985. He is an avid Canyoneer and has led trips to dozens of remote Southwestern Canyons.
Mike has written for Jet Settin’ the West Magazine and has been featured inSunset Magazine. He has extensive experience guiding in Southern Utah and has guided adventure trips for National Geographic and Off the Beaten Path. He worked for 13 years in Southwestern Native American Art and shares his knowledge of Native People on many of his adventures. In his spare time, you can find him atop one of Colorado’s “14ers” or in the bottom of Grand Canyon.
Marian Diamond RN,MS,FNP-C
Marian was raised in Illinois and moved to the Southwest in 1978 to pursue a career in nursing. She has hiked extensively on the Colorado Plateau for the last 25 years. Marian holds a Masters Degree (MS) in Nursing and is certified in Advanced Cardiac Life Support (ACLS). She is a Certified Family Nurse Practitioner (FNP-C). She was honored as Arizona’s “Nurse Practitioner of the Year” in 2005, by the American Academy of Nurse Practitioners.
Experience
Marian has lived in Sedona for over 30 years and has explored its backcountry extensively. In her spare time, she loves to run any of Sedona’s trails.
She has hiked many canyons on the Colorado Plateau with extensive experience “below the rim” in Grand Canyon. She loves to travel the Southwest and visit remote locations.
Max Koepke WFA
After many years living in the Rocky Mountains, Max has returned home to Sedona. He was born and raised in Red Rock Country and received his BA from the University of Arizona. He is an avid photographer of the Southwest and the mountains of Colorado. He is also a certified sommelier with a focus on Italian wine. While not in his hiking boots, Max will most likely be found on his mountain bike pedaling Sedona’s famous slickrock trails or playing with his Black Russian Terrier.
As a Sedona native, his childhood was spent exploring Sedona’s backcountry. After relocating to Colorado, he spent time climbing and snowboarding in the Rockies. His travels led him to the red rock canyons of Southern Utah and he has walked many miles “below the rim” in Grand Canyon.
He has guided multi-day trips for Southwest Outside and has now returned to base.
Welcome home Max!