About Us
The TrailBound Project, at its core, is our community.
The vision of TBP is to inspire and help those who wish to experience the wilderness safely by teaching them the necessary skills through our courses & challenges, resulting in a fun and memorable experience.
TrailBounders share a passion for the outdoors and a craving to experience all that comes with it. However, heading into the wilderness safely and efficiently is a skill that takes education, time, and dedication to accomplish. To that end, we created a school that provides the tools for novices and experts alike to rapidly improve their confidence and skills.
As you master each skill level on your journey, you’ll be awarded a patch to display on your backpack which represents your achievement. It’s a symbol that others respect and admire, knowing the dedication and work you’ve put into your learning. Many will seek your mentorship for guidance so they can achieve the same.
At the Trailbound Project outdoor school, you can learn everything you’ve ever wanted to know about navigation, first aid, self-rescue, animal encounters, and many other skills. We embrace a unique teaching philosophy that uses practical hands-on exercises as our primary method to ensure our students retain all that they learn.
We teach a skill, we practice that skill, and then we incorporate and build on that skill as we progress to more advanced skills, but we never neglect our fundamentals. We then take our new skills along with us on our hikes and on TrailBound Challenges, confident in our ability to help ourselves or others we may encounter along the way.
To help make our vision a reality, the idea of “Dirt Time” was born. Without cost, once a month Trailbounders and guests come together for the day to hang out by the fire, eat great food, share experiences, celebrate accomplishments, discuss failures, and offer words of encouragement to support each other. A community of outdoor enthusiasts who gather and connect to find compatible hiking partners, work on skills together, make friends, and create memories.
And finally, we recognize that we as TrailBounders have a responsibility to help others in the outdoors and be conscientious stewards of the earth. TrailBound Project donates a percentage of its profits to local Search and Rescue Teams and promotes the principles of Leave No Trace to ensure future generations can enjoy the outdoors.
TrailBound Project Founders
Joe Galvan
Joe is a lifelong hiker and in his element when sharing outdoor experiences, mentoring others, and connecting with the outdoor-minded in our community.
Joe is a search and rescue officer and instructor, MRA accredited mountain rescue unit lead, National Park Service Technical Rope Rescue instructor, Adirondack Winter Mountaineering School Instructor, Adirondack 46er, and an accomplished mountaineer with ascents across North America and Europe.
Scott Fitterman
Scott grew up hiking and camping in an outdoor-minded family and became a scout leader to give back when his 3 kids joined scouting.
Scott is a search and rescue officer and instructor, volunteer EMT, wilderness first responder and wilderness EMT instructor, public safety diver, National Park Services technical rope rescue graduate, Catskill 35er, and leads week-long treks in the backcountry for scouts in the northeast.
