Riely grew up in the San Francisco Bay Area before high-tailing it off to the mountains for college. After a semester on board a tall ship sailboat, six months traveling and living in Africa, and many mountain adventures, Riely graduated from Colorado College with a degree in Environmental Science. He also manages a whitewater rafting program for Environmental Traveling Companions, a San Francisco-based nonprofit providing outdoor adventure trips for people with disabilities and youth from underserved communities. Teaching for NOLS Wilderness Medicine engages Riely’s passion for sharing knowledge while empowering students with the skills to recreate and lead in the outdoors. His favorite river is the one he was on most recently and when it comes to sea kayaking it’s hard to beat a paddle out the Golden Gate.