Meet The Staff

Moe Lemire is an experienced hiker and camper with experience hiking and camping throughout the eastern and southwestern United States, along with experience hiking a number of long distance hiking trails. He has worked part-time at Camp Catskill since November of 2022.

Moe is a Catskill 3500 Club member, having climbed all 35 peaks in the Catskills above 3,500 feet, both in the summer and in the winter. He is currently working on his Catskill Park All Trails Patch and the Catskills Grid.

In 2016 Moe thru-hiked the Appalachian Trail from Georgia to Maine. On his thru-hike of the entire trail, he spent 179 days traversing a total of 2189 miles. He has also hiked the 358 mile Long Path, the 170 mile Cohos Trail, and the 138 mile Northville Placid Trail.

Moe is the New York State Advocate for the Leave No Trace Center for Outdoor Ethics. His goal in this role is to spread knowledge about the seven Leave No Trace principles in New York.

Prior to guiding full time, Moe was the Executive Director of the Pine Hill Community Center. He remains actively engaged in the Catskills community, serving on the Board of Directors of the Central Catskills Chamber of Commerce. Moe also volunteers with the New York-New Jersey Trail Conference and the Appalachian Trail Conservancy, where he is the volunteer Chair of the Appalachian Trail for Orange and Rockland Counties in New York, and oversees a team of volunteer trail supervisors and maintainers.

Moe Lemire is a Licensed Guide by the State of New York (#7788) and is available for guided hikes through Hike On Guides.

 

Ryan Penny grew up in Long Island, NY, where he developed a love for the outdoors, spending much of his time camping and hiking with his family and the Boy Scouts. They traveled to the Catskills frequently for weekend getaways, sparking a lifelong connection to the region. After meeting his wife, Lydia, they continued this tradition, finding peace in nature away from the bustle of city life. In 2015, they became engaged on the summit of Peekamoose Mountain.

During the pandemic, Ryan and Lydia deepened their connection with the Catskills, leading them to relocate to the Great Northern Catskills full-time in 2021. This move also marked a turning point in Ryan's career. After two decades in the TV and Film industry, he decided to follow his passion for the outdoors and open Camp Catskill, a retail business dedicated to hiking and camping gear. Since opening its doors in Tannersville in 2022, Ryan has been committed to making Camp Catskill a valuable resource for both locals and visitors, sharing his love for the wilderness with the community.