Former Denver Bronco opens outdoor guide company where people of color are welcomed and represented

Long before former NFL offensive tackle Bobby Massie was added to the Denver Broncos roster, he and wife, Angel, visited Colorado to enjoy the great outdoors. During football bye weeks, the couple often hired a guide to help them explore the state’s best and unsung fly-fishing waters.

While the scenery always wowed them, the guiding services did not. Sometimes it was little things, like lackluster bologna sandwiches provided as a catered lunch. Other times, the Massies felt ostracized because of their race. One guide, for example, seemed overtly shocked the couple was Black when they arrived for their excursion, Angel recalled. On another trip, their guide barely made conversation.

Those experiences inspired the Massies to start Wanderland Outdoors, an outfitter focused on creating culturally competent excursions where people of color feel welcomed and represented.

Initially, that wasn’t the mission: The Massies simply wanted to create a company that delivered exceptional customer service to pair with Colorado’s exceptional views. But they quickly realized there was a need to create space and job opportunities for folks typically underrepresented in the outdoors.

“The outdoors has no color ‘til the fall, when the leaves start changing and the grass starts turning brown. But the outdoors is for everyone,” said Bobby, an avid fisherman and hunter. “Some people try to make you feel left out when you shouldn’t.”

In its inaugural season, Wanderland Outdoors will offer four different excursions, from fly fishing in Rocky Mountain National Park to horseback riding at Brown Family Ranch in Longmont to guided hikes throughout the Front Range – all led by BIPOC men and women.

“That’s something we wanted to highlight because there’s a lot of great outdoorsmen and outdoorswomen in this community and a lot of them don’t get the attention that they should,” Bobby said.

“We wanted to uplift them in a way where not only can they participate in the outdoor industry, but they also are able to connect with our clients and guests who may not necessarily feel comfortable being in the outdoors because of the history of inequity when it comes to this particular subject,” Angel added.

The Massies say the key to creating memorable experiences is even more basic than the destination — it’s the company.

“One thing about fishing, you can’t make the fish bite and you can’t make the sun shine, so while you’re spending that block of time with these people, at least the conversation can be enjoyable,” Bobby said. “That was our mindset in choosing the guides.”

Depending on which excursion you book, the Massies may also be personally involved. Angel plans to lead mindful hikes along the Front Range featuring guided breathwork, meditation and journaling. Each one culminates with a tea ceremony by the fire.

During her time working as a journalist on the East Coast, Angel hosted similar events for groups of young, professional women. But it wasn’t until the pandemic that she integrated mindfulness techniques such as yoga and meditation into her daily life. In 2022, she achieved a Mindful Outdoor Guide certification from Kripalu Center for Yoga & Health, and now she aims to share the catharsis she feels from nature with others.

“We wanted people to have a taste of Colorado and add in the mindfulness piece,” Angel said. “That has become a big part of our lives and how we heal.”

Those looking for a literal taste of the outdoors can book a Food x Fire experience with Chef Bobby Massie at the helm. Bobby plans to infuse his heritage into the menu by cooking soul food with local ingredients over an open fire. In June, the menu will spotlight seafood with dishes such as smoked rainbow trout mezze, grilled snapper bites and tiger prawns, alongside items like smothered green beans, brown butter dirty rice and bourbon maple pears with brown sugar crumble. All the herbs will come from the Massies’ home garden in Larkspur.

Bobby loved cooking from a young age in part because of his grandma, who owned a restaurant. Making a meal over an open fire ignites the senses, he said.

“It adds an element of flavor to the food, from your visual senses seeing it prepared, you smelling the wood burning and feeling the heat of the smoke,” Bobby said.