By JESSA PEASE / Staff Writer

PELHAM— Ryan Dye is not your average English teacher. While he might spend his days in the classroom, his evenings are filled with outdoor activities, such as mountain biking, hiking and more.

During the summer months, Dye can be found working with students and residents of all ages through the outdoor adventure company, Treeline Expeditions.

“Really we are just trying to get people active outdoors and unplugged,” Dye said. “To unwind, do it safely and do it in a way that is fun, really encourages folks to continue.”

Dye, who also serves as the coach of Pelham High School’s mountain biking team, has lead a few expeditions this summer, and some have even included his Pelham athletes.

On July 11, Dye left for Pisgah National Forest in North Carolina with a team of bikers. The team will bike more than 100 miles of varied tracks through Pisgah and Dupont State Forest.

He took the same trek to North Carolina the last week of June, and two of his bikers from Riverchase Middle School accompanied him.

“They did really well and we kind of taught them some trail skills and how to plan their own biking trip,” Dye said.

The Pelham students were joined by a few from the Mountain Brook area, and Dye said all the students seemed to relish in riding on the higher elevation trails in North Carolina.

The group also found some swimming holes in the national and state forest, which Dye said they probably enjoyed most of all.

Dye used to have his own outdoor company called Teach a Man to Fish. He and his wife partnered with Treeline Expeditions about six months ago. Everyone involved in the company is an educator, he said, so it’s mostly about teaching outdoor skills.

“I really enjoy it when young folks that we’ve taken on a trip, we see them taking trips on their own or becoming guides,” Dye said. “That to me says we did it right.”

Treeline Expeditions hosts several outdoor activities, such as mountain biking, yoga, hiking, kayaking trips and canoeing sessions. There are sessions for all age groups, including 101 adventures for younger students.

“We’re trying to base them off of what the best thing to do during the season,” Dye said. “We’re really just trying to stay active and get unplugged.”

For a list of activities or to register for an outdoor adventure, visit Treeline-expeditions.com.