We had the good fortune of connecting with Allen Frantz and we’ve shared our conversation below.

Hi Allen, as a parent, what do you feel is the most meaningful thing you’ve done for them?
I want my children to never doubt their ability to do hard things. As a parent, I think I work very hard to create a foundation based upon unconditional love from which they can challenge themselves and have the confidence to fail forward. In my house growing up we didn’t say “I love you” much. I don’t let a day go by without telling them- in words and deeds- that I love them.

Whether I’m parenting or guiding, I’m asking young people to embrace novel and sometimes quite challenging experiences. I want my son to push himself academically if things feel easy. I want my daughter to take on that leadership role even if she is weighed down by imposter syndrome. If they know that I am in their corner, and that I show up for them no matter what, I believe they are more likely to take those chances and find those successes that they otherwise might have avoided. I have found that in business and in my personal life, the most challenging times also led to the most growth. We can’t remain comfortable with who we are and become who we want to be.

What should our readers know about your business?
Crooked Trail Adventures is a labor of love, for sure. My wife, Emily, and I partner to provide appropriately challenging outdoor experiences for teens and families. Our summers consist of 7, 10, and 12- day trips with teens through some of the most beautiful landscapes in the U.S. We’ve run programs in Arizona, Utah, Colorado, Missouri, Maine, Tennessee, and North Carolina. A typical program will include rock climbing, backpacking, kayaking or canoeing, biking, a ropes course, and whitewater rafting.

We are a bit different from the standard travel camp in that we design, plan, promote, and guide all programs ourselves. While this can be a challenge, it means that the person you speak with on the phone is the person who will be with you in the field. We have a combined 35 years guiding and educating youth in the outdoors, which is not something most programs can say of their trip leaders. Lastly, we keep things small. All of our teen adventures are limited to 8 or fewer participants to ensure program quality but also allowing us to get permits for areas that larger groups just can’t go to.

We’ve recently put more focus into our custom programs like Emily’s “Women in the Wilderness” trips, and our “Arizona Yoga Retreat” collaboration with Element Yoga and Ayurvedic Wellness. We are frequently asked by parents of our summer participants, “Can we come, too?” These programs are our response to those folks who want to get out, but are maybe a bit more protective of their free time. We also consult on and/or build custom trips as our calendar allows.

Something folks should know about us? Our name is inspired by the Ed Abby quote:

“May your trails be crooked, winding, lonesome, dangerous, leading to the most amazing view. May your mountains rise into and above the clouds. May your rivers flow without end, meandering through pastoral valleys tinkling with bells, past temples and castles and poets towers into a dark primeval forest where tigers belch and monkeys howl, through miasmal and mysterious swamps and down into a desert of red rock, blue mesas, domes and pinnacles and grottos of endless stone, and down again into a deep vast ancient unknown chasm where bars of sunlight blaze on profiled cliffs, where deer walk across the white sand beaches, where storms come and go as lightning clangs upon the high crags, where something strange and more beautiful and more full of wonder than your deepest dreams waits for you — beyond that next turning of the canyon walls.”

Let’s say your best friend was visiting the area and you wanted to show them the best time ever. Where would you take them? Give us a little itinerary – say it was a week long trip, where would you eat, drink, visit, hang out, etc.
Oooh, Prescott is home away from home. It just has that small town homey feel. I love to stay at Saint Mike’s (St. Michael’s Hotel) when I’m visiting so I can walk just about anywhere.

Before we head out, I’d grab breakfast at The Local. I’m vegetarian, and they have some killer options for fueling up for a long day out.

Then, I’d definitely spend a day hiking in the mountains off of Senator Highway. There is just so much history in those mountains. I once did a backpacking trip from Potato Patch all the way to Crown King and was amazed how quickly we could leave “civilization” behind. Along the way we came across old mining camps and abandoned machinery. It’s amazing to me that they could get that stuff all the way up there! For our purposes, a quick trip up Spruce Mountain would probably do in place of a full on backpacking trip. From the top you can see forever in every direction.

After a day in the mountains, nothing beats the Park Plaza Liquor and Deli. Grab a craft beer and wood fired pizza or a sandwich with their always fantastic mac-n-cheese!

It’s tough to go to Prescott and not do some climbing. There is so much variety, from the short climbs at Watson Lake to multi-pitch classics on Granite Mountain. If you’re not into climbing, you can hike up to Granite Mountain or Thumb Butte and maybe spot a climber (or Peregrine) or two while you’re there.

If you’re a shopper, of course you have to hit the square. If the many shops there aren’t enough, head over Mingus Mountain on Highway 89A to Jerome. People love Sedona, but Jerome is an artist colony that still has some old school charm left.

Something I’ve noticed in my recent travels back to Prescott: the dining scene has really evolved. There is no way to sample it all in a week.

The Shoutout series is all about recognizing that our success and where we are in life is at least somewhat thanks to the efforts, support, mentorship, love and encouragement of others. So is there someone that you want to dedicate your shoutout to?
My time at Prescott College inspired me to believe that no adventure was too big and that following a prescribed path often meant following someone else’s path. I learned to take chances- real, life-changing, messy chances- that skinned my knees but propelled me forward into new lives I never imagined were available to me. I get to explore new ideas daily as a Montessori teacher, and in the summers I travel the country providing the opportunity to make lifetime memories for young people.

I look around at my life most days and can’t believe it’s real. Nobody has it as good as I do!

Website: www.crookedtrailadventures.com

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Image Credits
All photos via Crooked Trail Adventures, LLC

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