Hiking Buddy Is Taking Cody Outdoors, One Hike at a Time

One of the advantages of the Cody area is the ease with which we can enjoy the outdoors. Driving for a short time in any direction can take us to the mountains, the high desert, or to rivers and lakes. It’s easy to find yourself the only one for miles, but that’s not always a comforting thought when living in grizzly country.

Sometimes it’s helpful to have someone to guide you and show you the ropes of hiking and how to be safe in the wilderness. Meet Dave Leo – The Hiking Buddy. Dave’s easy-going nature is apparent the first time you meet him, and his confidence in his ability to help you stay safe while hiking to some of the Cody area’s most stunning views is clear.

Gaining Hiking Expertise

Dave spent many years in Colorado, hiking the local trails with friends, and conquering many of the fourteeners (mountains with an elevation of over 14,000 feet). His first fourteener was Mt. Bierstadt, and he’s since summitted 30 of the over 50 fourteeners in Colorado at least once. He has summited these stunning mountains 70 times. Hiking became a passion of his.

Having visited the Cody area, he had his eye on it as a possible new home, and moved here in 2020. Living in Wapiti with the National Forest and BLM land as his backyard, he began to explore. However, the grizzlies were a challenge for him as well, adding an extra element to learn about. Over time, he gained confidence in this grizzly-filled environment.

From there, he decided to help others find a way to feel comfortable getting outside more through hiking. Starting Hiking Buddy was a natural addition to his other revenue streams. His main job is as a salesman for audiovisual equipment, specializing in high-end digital signage. This job allows him to work from home with travel involved. Hiking Buddy is his second job, which can work around his first, and he also works as a local Uber driver. Plus, he’s also the drummer for the local band, Rhino Skin.

Hiking Buddy Gets People Outdoors

Most of his hikes are done privately with groups of up to 8 people. Solo hikers in their 50s and 60s make up half of his business, with more women interested in learning hiking skills than men. However, he also sees many new residents to the area who also want to learn from an expert.

For two years, he also partnered with Exclusive Tours, part of the Buffalo Bill Center of the West. The educational tours included up to 15 people and took a slower pace to soak in the area’s history and information. There will be two more hikes he’ll lead this year.

Most Hiking Buddy hikes take place on BLM land outside of Cody. That means hiking to the top of Rattlesnake Mountain, Sheep Mountain, and up to Buffalo Bill’s Gravesite, among other hikes you can find on his Facebook Page. Some of the reasons people hire Hiking Buddy range from simply learning skills to getting to know the area better, to celebrating a milestone birthday.

Some people he’s taken have never stood at the top of the world by summiting a mountain. It’s definitely an experience everyone should have at some point in their life.

Find out More

Contact Dave if you’re ready to get out there more this summer. If you’re not in Cody but interested in starting a Hiking Buddy business in your area, he’s happy to talk with you.

As he has said, “Adventure is better when you make it back to tell the story.”

Hiking Buddy Facebook Page
Sign up for a hike with Dave today.
(307) 578-7962
[email protected]

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