When I think about my river guiding career up to this point and how it has impacted my life, I see a lot of change. Those who knew me eight years ago in college would see a different person now. There are a lot of lessons I learned from river guiding that I try to implement in every day life. Here are ten takeaways I would like to share with you. 1. Nature soothes the soul I am more relaxed after spending time outside. Whether it… Read More
Kalmiopsised [Cal-mee-opp-sis-ed] –adj. 1. being cold, wet, exhausted, and happy in Oregon’s Kalmiopsis Wilderness. 2. in pain and despair in a rugged, harsh place with a big smile your brain is trying to relay to your face muscles. What is the Kalmiopsis? First of all, it is a tongue twister of a word to pronounce. But more importantly, it is the name of a 180,095 acre wilderness area in southwestern Oregon. “The area is characterized by deep, rough canyons, sharp rock ridges and clear, rushing mountain… Read More
We are a little spoiled in the Northwest, and sometimes it is easy to forget that whitewater and the paddling communities surrounding it exist outside of our corner of the country. For example, do you know very much about whitewater in the Midwest? Most people don’t, and maybe in an effort to change that, Minnesota has sent one of its friendliest ambassadors, Lori Turbes, into our midst to help spread news of the northern gnar. Lori’s own introduction to whitewater had her hooked faster than a… Read More
One of the first things you will learn about Kaela is that she has spent most of her life traveling rivers. If you are ever lucky enough to be on the water with her, you will soon find that all that experience leads to more than just clean lines through the rapids. Kaela, with the benefit of a childhood spent on some of the West’s finest rivers, knows more about swimming holes and secret creeks than any guidebook could hope to cover. Since first arriving on… Read More
J.R. was the first guide I met, the summer I started working for Northwest Rafting Company. The first time I saw him he was standing on the biggest boat in our fleet (Dozer), wearing a giant sombrero and grinning from ear to ear. I knew at that moment, it was going to be a really fun summer. If you can picture him looking like that, you practically already know J.R. If I could choose J.R’s spirit animal, It would have to be a river otter. He… Read More
The first thing you will notice about Chrissy is her smile, or more specifically, that she always has one. I should add too, that it’s contagious. Whether you are around her on the water, sitting around camp at night, or just life in general, you’ll have a hard time not smiling too. That’s because of something else you will notice about Chrissy. She is good at fun, and makes sure everyone around her is having it too. Born in Oak Harbor, Washington, Chrissy has gone on… Read More
Every year at Northwest Rafting Company we dedicate the summer to a special subject we want to focus on. Past summers have seen the “Summer of Sanitation”, and the “Summer of Bags.” This year is the “Summer of Guides.” For those of you who have experienced the magic of river trips, you know that great guides can really make a trip special. Luckily for me, and for our river guests, NWRC has an amazing group of top rated guides who I have the pleasure of working… Read More