Our History & Mission
Escape Creative Adventures was inspired by a program run by Marie Hoffmann, a well loved teacher in the Sierra Nevada foothills who introduced elementary and junior high aged students to the wilderness where they learned about the ecology and rugged beauty of the mountains. This program comprised a formative experience and helped hundreds of children gain self confidence and a respect for the nature.
In honor of Marie's legacy, her daughter Elisa has taken up the challenge of keeping the ESCAPE program running and has expanded upon the original program by catering to different age groups, locations, activities and themes with the goal of creating life affirming experiences that nurture cooperation, physical confidence, spiritual health, and environmental awareness.
Our Team Members
Elisa Stollmeyer (EJ) - Founder/Leader
Avid experience seeker, curious communicator, life-enrichment facilitator, lover of humans and wild places
Greetings, friends. I am the leader of ESCAPE Creative Adventures along with a team of well qualified, awesome humans. I am living my passion and carrying on my mother's legacy by sharing experiences with young people and adults. I grew up living much of my days outdoors exploring and soaking up the natural environment. I enjoy living and sharing my excitement for wild places, physical activity, emotional exploration, and life's challenges. My experience includes working as an event coordinator, life enrichment coach, and personal fitness trainer. Mostly, I love people.
Peter Minett - Leader
Wise guide and teacher. Young of heart, steady of mind, in awe of nature’s beauty.
I went to the woods as a child for play and exploration as well as solitude and peace. I still love going into the wilderness because I always come back feeling good - it's hard to be down out in the wild. Camping was a small part of my childhood; mostly I spent time in the miles of woods behind my house.
As an adult, I re-discovered backpacking over 25 years ago. Time spent in the mountains and other wilderness areas often counts as some of the best parts of any given year.
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I retired from teaching 5 years ago having spent over 30 years mostly with juniors - that is, junior or young children (Montessori preschool, and public school kindergarten), junior high (I'll be mentioning that to St. Peter at the Gates), and junior college.
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My wife is on our City Council and has her own small business. The kids are grown and living on their own.
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I work part time, volunteer a lot, and I am finally getting more time to play again and savor the outdoors. I am learning more about the Sierras, wild and cultivated flowers, and have more time for meditation and reading. Life is good, and usually even sweeter in the wild.
Courtney Hughes - Leader
Outdoor enthusiast, mountain biker extraordinaire
Hi I’m Courtney! I live in the mountains of Utah. Besides loving getting dirty on my local trails, I have had the absolute pleasure of coaching my daughter’s mountain bike team for the past 2 years. Most of my vacations involve mountain biking throughout the west, as I love the challenges and energy of the sport. I can’t help but smile when I think about my next bike trip with family and friends.
When I’m not fantasizing about the trails, I work for our local school district as a physical therapist with kids with special needs. My passion is to get more girls and ladies on bikes and watch them gain confidence in a life long sport.
Jesse Hoffmann - Leader
Wilderness guardian. Reliable, detail oriented with an impeccable sense of direction
I've attended the ESCAPE program as a camper and leader since I was 3 years old. I have almost 40 years of experience hiking in the Sierra Nevada mountain range, including having completed the 211 mile John Muir Trail on three separate occasions.
I absolutely love what ESCAPE represents. The program is just challenging enough to instill a sense of accomplishment while passing on values of personal responsibility towards preserving and protecting the environment. After all is said and done, the campers come away feeling stronger, having made new friends, and with a newfound respect for our precious natural resources.