Tomás grew up in Carmel and spent six years driving a delivery van along Highway 1, from Monterey to the last ranch before San Simeon. He learned the road by its gates and its turnouts, and the people by what they ordered.

He started guiding for Landfall in 2019. He drives the van himself, which means the stops are his: a bluff with no sign, a bakery that sells out by nine, a bend where condors ride the wind on a clear afternoon. He is a patient birder and a fast cook, and he sets the table for the beach dinner while the group walks down to the arch. He will not promise you a condor. He will tell you his count for the season.