About the Guide
Ella Spillane, Founder, Wilderness Guide, Yoga Instructor
Ella Spillane is a dedicated outdoor wilderness guide and certified yoga instructor with over a decade of experience guiding individuals into the wild. She realized that the two most healing aspects of her life—wilderness and yoga—belonged together. This clarity fueled her passion to create accessible outdoor experiences where people can reconnect with nature and themselves.
Her Wilderness Story
Ella’s connection to the wilderness runs deep in her family history, where nature was a source of adventure, subsistence, and a place of peace and revitalization.
Her wilderness experience draws from a vast and diverse background, having spent the past 20 years exploring remote corners of the wild with her family. With a father from Alaska and a mother from Montana, she was immersed in their traditions of hunting, hiking, fishing, and off-grid adventuring in Washington, Oregon, Alaska, Montana, and now California. They instilled in her a philosophy of environmental stewardship and deep respect for unspoiled, fragile environments.
Growing up in Washington State , Ella explored the Cascades, Olympics, North Cascades, and Coastal Mountains. With her Montana family, she spent her childhood summers and holidays immersed in the rugged mountains of northwestern Montana including the Danaher, Bob Marshall, and Glacier wilderness areas. Her grandmother co-founded an all-women hiking club, leading annual backpacking trips across the West, and was featured on the cover of the Spokesman-Review in 1994, celebrating the rarity of a decades-long women-only hiking group.
With her Alaska family, she has journeyed through the remote Alaska interior, the Chugach and Kenai Peninsula, and the secluded islands of the Inside Passage, fishing, foraging, and bushwhacking—carrying on a tradition of subsistence living and off-the-grid appreciation.
Ella continues her passion for adventure by guiding and introducing both new and experienced individuals to wilderness experiences. She combines expert planning and backcountry skills with the centering and restorative benefits of yoga, creating immersive journeys in some of the world’s most breathtaking landscapes.
In her early twenties, a move to California introduced her to new landscapes, from the Sierra Nevadas to coastal trails. During this time, she faced a personal crossroads and discovered the profound healing power of yoga. This experience sparked her desire to share these transformative lessons with others.
Trailbound Yoga was Born
She founded Trailbound Yoga to fill a unique gap she saw in the industry. While yoga’s transformative practices naturally complement the principles of backpacking and wilderness exploration, many yoga retreats tend to focus on resort-style stays. Backcountry yoga presents the opportunity to deepen participants' connection to nature, promote environmental stewardship, and ensure accessibility. At the same time, she recognized a growing number of people eager to embrace backpacking and outdoor adventure, yet unsure where to begin. This inspired her to create something distinct—an experience that blends yoga with nature, while also equipping participants with essential wilderness skills. These skills serve as powerful tools for navigating both the inner and outer landscapes, promoting healing, growth, and self-reliance.
Her Experience
In addition to being experienced in backpacking, trail running, hiking, skiing, biking, Ella also has formal education and training in wilderness medicine, yoga teaching and movement. She holds a B.A. in Business Administration from Washington State University.
Outdoor Skills and Experience
Highlight Expeditions
Pacific Crest Trail (Section J), WA – 75 miles
Trans-Catalina Trail, CA – 38.5 miles
High Sierra Trail (Crescent Meadows to Hamilton Lakes), Sequoia National Park, CA – 34 miles
Hermit’s Rest to Monument Creek to Bright Angel via the Tonto, Grand Canyon, AZ – 30 miles
Meadow Creek and Windy Pass Trails, Scapegoat Wilderness, MT – 25 miles
Big Pine Lakes to Palisades Glacier, Big Pine, CA – 15 miles
The Enchantments, Leavenworth, WA – 19.25 miles
Half Dome, Yosemite, CA – 14 miles
Onion Valley to Kearsarge Lakes, Independence, CA – 13 miles
Highline Loop & Garden Wall Trail, Glacier National Park, MT – 13 miles
Prisoner Cove to Scorpion Cove, Channel Islands, CA – 12 miles
Wells Gray Park, British Columbia – Murtle Lake Backcountry Canoe (largest canoe-only lake in North America) – 46 miles canoed
Acatenango Volcano (13,041 feet) & Fuego Volcano (12,346 feet), Guatemala
Regions/Areas:
Experienced in all disciplines of hiking and backpacking, with hundreds of trips across North America and globally.
Washington – North Cascades (Hwy 2 to the Canadian Border), Olympics (7 main drainage basins), Central Cascades, North Central Cascades, Washington Lowlands
California – Sierra Nevada, Northern California, Central Coast, Southern California
Montana – Scapegoat Wilderness, Danaher Valley, Bob Marshall Wilderness, Glacier National Park
Arizona & Utah – Zion National Park, Grand Canyon, Monument Valley
Alaska & Remote Wilderness – Remote Islands and Bushwhacking (Prince of Wales, Wadleigh Island, Petersburg to Sumner Strait, Kenai to Naknek)
Canada – Banff, Alberta, Vancouver Island, British Columbia, Wells Gray Park, British Columbia
International – Path of the Gods, Amalfi Coast, Italy; Monteverde, Costa Rica; Montserrat, Spain; Grindelwald, Gimmelwald, Zermatt, Switzerland
Certifications and Specialized Training
Wilderness First Responder, BLS – Wilderness Medical Associates (2024 - Present)
200-Hour Yoga Teacher Training – Trilogy Sanctuary, La Jolla, CA (2024 )
CPR Certified – American Heart Association (2024 - Present)
Leave No Trace Level 1 Instructor (March 2025- Present)
MESI Certificate – Mindful, Emotional, Social, Intelligence Certification (2020)
Level I Avalanche Training (pending 2025)