Why We do What We Do

Mandy Dixon is never too far away from Tutka Bay Lodge. She was raised in an Alaska lodge and hospitality is in her DNA. Mandy loves to cook, write cookbooks, collect recipes, and she loves all things lodge-life-related from gardening to appetizer hour to remodeling guest cabins. Mandy also oversees the La Baleine Cafe in Homer.

Neil is Mandy’s husband and he is responsible for the inner workings of the lodge behind the scenes, from gathering fresh, cool water in the springtime from our natural spring to shutting down the last cabin in the fall. Neil built the boardwalk that spans between the main lodge deck and the Widgeon. Neil loves sports of all kinds, particularly baseball. Neil works year-round for Within the Wild, cutting firewood and shoveling snow at Winterlake Lodge in the winter months. Neil has helped Carl build most cabins and out-buildings at Winterlake.

Elijah “Eli” High, first joined us in 2016 and was our lead guide/naturalist at Winterlake Lodge.  With 10 years of experience working in outdoor education and wilderness expeditions, Eli brings a deep passion for the outdoors and teaching others.  The importance Eli sees in exposing people to wild places has led him on a path to becoming a professional wilderness guide.  With his experience trekking across glaciers, fly-fishing remote rivers, rafting hidden canyons, and sea kayaking the majestic fjords of southcentral/coastal Alaska, Eli brings positive energy and approach to his life and our Earth.

Wes is our Lodge and Guide Manager at Winterlake Lodge. Originally from Florida, Wes has made his way to the last frontier with extended stops in Colorado and Montana. An avid fly fisher, rafter, and skier Wes spends his time seeking adventure in the mountains and the rivers that run through them. Recently, Wes completed his helicopter pilot training. He is quite the musician, so find some time to join him down at the evening bonfire.

Taylor is our General Manager at Winterlake Lodge. She is originally from Portland, Oregon but lived some time in Montana catching brown trout and hiking through the Bitterroot Mountains. Taylor has a passion for the outdoors including fly fishing, camping, backpacking, kayaking, and mountain biking. Alaska was calling and she hasn’t looked back. Taylor can set the table, light the candles, put on jazzy music, go out and chase a bear, hop in the helicopter, and climb a mountain all without getting her outfit ruffled. In other words, she is a true Alaskan.

Lindsay has a long history of working for Alaska tourism companies. She knows her way around a complicated schedule and she can work wonders with logistics. If you want to add polar bear viewing or walrus watching to your itinerary, no problem. Lindsay is on it. She works tirelessly to secure, coordinate  and curate perfect guest experiences from the admin side of things. Lindsay loves dogs and hiking – and, essentially all things out of doors in Alaska.

Rohnen is our resident “kid”, present at both Tutka Bay Lodge and Winterlake Lodge throughout the summer months. He always has his naturalist guide backpack ready for any “kid” guiding assignment. In the winter, Rohnen, ten years old, lives in Anchorage with his mother Carly Dixon and his step-dad Tim.