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ABOUT US
Fred "Three Bellies" Eisenman and Susan "Goldilocks" Tschirhart are long time outdoor enthusiasts. Both have served the Boy Scouts of America for more than 20 years leading dozens of youth and adults into the backcountry.
Several summers ago, we were on a backpacking adventure without the youth (they were all working at summer camp) and retirement ideas were playfully being bandied about. We kept discarding ideas and finally asked: What do we both love to do? Answer: share our love of the outdoors with others. Boom! The idea for a hiking company was born.
"Next Bend" Adventures? Well, as leaders, our favorite response to questions posed by our scouts as to "are we there yet" or "where's the campsite" or "where's the next scenic view" is "...it's just around the next bend..." as is every adventure and every new life experience... join us on our #mynextbend adventure and discover your Next Bend Adventure too!
SUSAN "GOLDILOCKS" TSCHIRHART
Outdoor Experience Facilitator
Co-owner, life-long hiker, camper and self-described “nature-nerd”. During her life she has traveled coast to coast twice by car and hiked in 46 different national parks, national monuments and historical sites. So far, she has hiked on the AT in 7 of the 14 states. She is active in her community serving as chair of the Front Royal-Warren County Appalachian Trail Community Committee (designated in 2012) and on the Leadership Committee of Reaching Out Now, a local organization that serves under-resourced youth. She is the founder and leader of The Trail Tribe, a local women’s hiking and backpacking group. Susan is a certified Leave No Trace Trainer, Wilderness First Aid, First Aid and Adult and Pediatric CPR. Susan has supported her nature "habit" working as a paralegal for more than 35 years. She earned a bachelor's degree in Political Science from Rutgers, The State University of New Jersey. Her favorite pastime is spending time with her three young adult sons. They played a role in how she earned her trail name “Goldilocks” and the “Three Bears”.
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FRED "THREE BELLIES" EISENMAN
Outdoor Experience Facilitator
Co-owner, lead guide, backpacking and hunting instructor. Fred has a lifetime of experience in the outdoors whether it be hiking, backpacking, paddling on rivers and open waters, camping, hunting, fishing, and gardening. He has served as an adult leader for 20 years (and counting) with the Boy Scouts of America, currently advising a high-adventure Venturing Crew based in Front Royal, Va which specializes in backpacking. He has completed the highest level of leadership training offered to adult scouters. Professionally he has worked as an network engineer for 40 years after earning a bachelor’s degree in Computer Science from Pennsylvania State University. Fred is trained and experienced in First Aid/CPR and Wilderness First Aid and has taught stream biology courses to certify citizen stream monitors for the Virginia Save Our Streams program run by the Izaak Walton League. Fred lives with his wife, Diane, in Front Royal, Va. His son is an Eagle Scout and geologist. His daughter is a neuroscientist and completed a thru hike of the Appalachian Trail in 2017.
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