Kate and Danielle Nolan were always going on outdoor adventures. Then people began asking if they could start bringing others along with them for the ride.
Fast forward five years, and the couple has created a business to do just that. DNK Presents was started to get more people outside and empower them through experiencing the wonder of the outdoors.
Being outdoors instilled in the couple a good sense of mental and physical health and wellness, they said.
Now they want that for others from across the country.
[sc:text-divider text-divider-title=”Story continues below gallery” ]“A lot of people want to get outside and try out new things, they just don’t know where to start, and DNK is a great way to get you started or help you reach that next level,” Kate said.
“We’re an empowering outdoor adventure company.”
The couple were married in Brown County before building a home and moving here late 2018. They’re expecting their first child in March.
The Nolans are professional mountain bikers and backpackers with multiple certifications in biking instruction, Leave No Trace, wilderness first aid/CPR, yoga, Reiki and massage.
Kate said DNK Presents has been rewarding for them, especially when they hear stories from people who have gone on trips with them.
One participant was battling cancer and had two chemotherapy treatments left when she decided she wanted to go on a 16-mile backpacking trip with her friends and DNK Presents.
“I lost my mom to cancer, and I know how taxing chemo can be on your body. We told her (she could go) as long she was honest with us about how she was feeling and would let us know when she was tired so we could stop the group,” Kate said.
“She did it. She ended up going on to Colorado and climbing a 14,000-foot peak with her husband after she finished her treatment.”
Another woman said going on trips with DNK Presents allowed her to teach her husband and son about being outdoors.
“She’s like, ‘When I’m out here, I’m filtering my own water and making a fire, carrying everything I need on my back. I feel so strong. It’s great for me to be able to share that with my family,’” Kate said.
Each month, DNK Presents hosts free hikes and bike rides. Every first Tuesday of the month, Kate partnered with Brown County State Park to host a free bike ride there. The free hikes vary in location, so the couple suggests monitoring their Facebook page for those locations.
They also do longer overnight backpacking trips. Some of the trips happen in Indiana and in Brown County, like on the Tecumseh Trail. But they’ve also ventured as far as the Grand Canyon.
DNK Presents organizes trips for men and women, but over the years Danielle said their niche has turned into specializing in women-specific events.
“A lot of women like to be in groups with other women, learning by other women,” she said.
DNK Presents does a coed clinic every year on Hobbs Hollow Flow Trail for mountain bikers. “We max out the sessions at 15, but those are men and women. This year we had 65 people participate in those,” Kate said.
A lot of the mountain bike camp and clinics DNK Presents host take place in Brown County State Park.
Before moving to Brown County, the Nolans lived in Indianapolis. “(We) just moved down to Brown County because we were finding we were here so much,” Danielle said.
Mountain biking brought them here. Kate helped build mountain biking trails in the state park and at Yellowwood State Forest. She is on the Hoosier Mountain Bike Association board.
Kate works for Central Restaurant Products doing commercial kitchen and dining room designs and layout. In that role, she has been working with Brown County’s Big Woods restaurants since they started, she said.
She was also one of 54 women in the world to be selected as a Trek Bicycle Women’s Advocate. This means she leads a lot of bike rides for women, with some of the rides taking place in Brown County.
Danielle said Indiana is one of the best places in the country for backpacking and mountain biking. “A lot of people I don’t think realize we have two backcountry trails in Indiana, the Knobstone Trail and the Tecumseh Trail,” she said.
Every year, DNK Presents gives away a free, four-day adventure to four women. That trip has been to Brown County in the past.
“It’s full of surprises,” Kate said. Trek Bicycle sends in bike kits and helmets for the women after they get fitted. Women also get a pair of hiking boots they can keep after the trip.
“Our trips, we try to make them accessible to everyone, so we have a fleet of backpack gear. We have backpacks, sleeping pads, sleeping bags, stoves, everything that people would need,” Kate said.
“There’s a lot of people who sign up who have their own stuff, but there’s also a lot of people out there who want to do it, but they don’t want to invest that much money into it because they’ve never done it before. We make sure that the equipment is there for them.”
DNK Presents also hosts a bike camp in Brown County, called Campsite Session, every September. The Bicycle Station in Columbus brought in rental bikes last time and set the women up with them at a discounted rate, then picked them up at the end of the weekend, Kate said. Women from West Virginia to Georgia participated in last year’s session.
DNK Presents has a wide variety of coaches and guides for their trips.
“People really are getting world-class coaching and they are able to get it right here in Indiana,” Kate said.
“I think that’s why people are willing to travel for it.”
Danielle said winter is one of the best times to get out for an adventure.
“There are fewer crowds, because a lot of people don’t want to get out, and you can see some really beautiful places, find solitude. There’s no bugs. You don’t have to worry about that,” she said.
“I think it’s beautiful. If it’s going to be cold, it might as well snow. We’ve gotten some nice snow and picturesque, I think, moments because of the snow we’ve had. You can find the stillness.”
Kate said winter also allows people to see nature in a different way. Recently, she did a mountain bike snow ride in Brown County.
“It was a bunch of people and only two had ever ridden their bikes in the snow before. It was just fun to get out and explore,” she said.
“I feel like you get to see new and different kind of wildlife, too, when the trees are bare,” Danielle added.
“It’s definitely more of a workout, because your body is working harder to keep warm.”
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Do you know a woman who needs some adventure in her life? Nominate her for a free backcountry adventure weekend with DNK Presents.
Nominations for the 2019 Women’s Adventure Giveaway are happening now until Feb. 28. Only women who have been nominated are eligible to win. Nominate a woman and find out more about the giveaway at DNKPresents.com.
This trip will take place in the Chattanooga, Tennessee area. DNK Presents will select four women to win the free, four-day adventure. DNK Presents owners Danielle and Kate Nolan will guide the trip that is scheduled to take place May 16-19.
Those selected will disconnect from technology while participating in a variety of activities. Each winner also will receive a prize package of outdoor gear from national and local sponsors.
ABOUT THE COMPANY
DNK Presents works to get people in nature and to step out of their comfort zones. Most trips are aimed at empowering women in the outdoors, but DNK Presents also does coed events. Many are in Brown County State Park.
Check their Facebook page, DNK Presents, to see when and where their next hiking or biking trip will begin. DNK Presents is also on Instagram and Twitter. Check out upcoming events under the “Adventures” tab on their website.
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