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Photo of Drew Barrere Drew Barrere Multiday River Guide

This will be my 7th summer as a raft guide. 3 summers in the Shoshone section of the Colorado, and this will be my fourth season out here on the Rogue.

 Originally it started out as a way to support my kayaking addiction. I started to really enjoy it not long after I started. You always have something to do and someone to talk to. These trips mean a lot to people and it is really cool to be a part of that.

 My last name is French for “Best Rafter on the River”

I’m a people person, so conversations are easy for me to have.

Photo of Abigail Breece Abigail Breece Multiday River Guide

I started guiding in Tennessee near the smoking mountains over nine years ago, and have spent many of those years working on as many rivers as I can throughout Idaho, Oregon, and Washington.

I chose to become a river guide so I could share my passion for the outdoors with others and so that I could spend every day on a rubber boat floating in the sun!

Something unique about me is that I am an artist in my spare time. I enjoy painting, drawing and photography when I am not on the river.

Photo of Karmen Britt Karmen Britt Multiday and Day River Guide

The Rogue River has always been my summer escape.  I started floating this river on commercial trips over 15 years ago!  I decided to take it up a notch and 3 years ago became an official Guide for Morrison’s.  I consider myself a “people” person and outdoor enthusiast. Sharing the excitement, beauty, and scenery of the Rogue is an epic adventure daily!  Laughter, whitewater fun, and lots of stories are sure to be had from the moment you climb on the raft!  When I’m not on the River you will find me in the classroom- molding young Middle School Minds!

Photo of Kevin Connolly Kevin Connolly Multiday River Guide

Hello! My name is Kevin Connolly and I began guiding in Jackson, Wyoming in the summer of 2017. After three years of working summers in Wyoming, I knew I wanted to improve my whitewater multi day rafting skills. I graduated from Oregon State, so the Rogue river was a no brainer for me.

Photo of Greg Contreras Greg Contreras Multiday River Guide

I began guiding in the early 90’s. I started working for Rogue Wilderness Adventures in 2000. I love being outdoors and facilitating a wonderful experience. I believe there is a high professional standard provided at Rogue River Raft Trips. I love that Morrison’s offers a unique experience on the Rogue River specifically. I grew up on the Rogue River and  I have never missed a summer on the river. I feel really blessed to be able to share my knowledge of the river. I am very comfortable being around people and I want to provide the best experience. Seeing the joy and smiles on the guests’ faces is a great testimony as to why I do what I do.

 

Photo of Freeman George Freeman George Multiday River Guide

I took my guide school through the Lake Tahoe Community College and then guided for three years with UC Davis Outdoor Adventures. I spent the last summer working a “real” job and it made me realize that guiding is far more fulfilling and fun and it’s the only job I want to be doing right now. I’ve worked as a gondolier, archaeologist, and bird catcher. I think that my soft skills are my biggest strength in guiding. I’ve been lucky enough to guide for many different outdoor activities and I think that it has given me a wide range of skills that allow me to work well with and guide a wide range of people.

I spent the last summer working a “real” job and it made me realize that guiding is far more fulfilling and fun and it’s the only job I want to be doing right now. 

I’ve worked as a gondolier, archaeologist, and bird catcher. 

I think that my soft skills are my biggest strength in guiding. I’ve been lucky enough to guide for many different outdoor activities and I think that it has given me a wide range of skills that allow me to work well with and guide a wide range of people.

Photo of Martin Guzman Martin Guzman Multiday River Guide

Hi, Martin here.  I was born and raised in Grants Pass and grew up spending time on the Rogue River. I started guiding 5 years ago and can’t imagine spending my summers any other way.  During the fall I guide steelhead fishing trips. 

I choose to work as a river guide because of my love for the outdoors and I enjoy being able to share my favorite place in the world with people from all over. 

Photo of Johnny Harper Johnny Harper Multiday River Guide

I have been guiding on the Rogue River for over ten years.

I choose to work as a river guide, because I enjoy spending time outdoors. I feel my skills and knowledge of the river can help our guests get the same enjoyment I do. 

I was born in the Rogue Valley. My first trip was down the Rogue River when I was 15 years old. 

attention to detail and safe

enthusiastic 

Optimistic 

Energetic 

Photo of Ted Helvoigt Ted Helvoigt Multiday River Guide

Ted began his rafting career on the New and Gauley rivers in West Virginia in the early 1990s. He moved west soon after. He’s been guiding for nearly 30 years, and 2019 will be his 27th year guiding on the Rogue River. In his regular life, Ted lives in Eugene and works as an economist. He is also the proud father of three beautiful girls.

Photo of Haley Hoback Haley Hoback Day River Guide

Haley started guiding day raft trips for us at the age of 16, eventually guiding in the canyon and serving as trip leader. She’s an outdoor adventurer with a heart of gold and loves meeting new people, learning about the world through their eyes. An avid world traveler, she recently spent two months exploring Europe and can’t wait to return. Haley can’t imagine a better life than spending time on the river with fascinating people and has a feeling she will never give it up.

Photo of Timothy Jones Timothy Jones Multiday River Guide

I have been a guide for a total of 4 seasons. I worked in Idaho on the Main Salmon, Lower Salmon, and Hell’s Canyon of the Snake River for 3 years. Last year, I worked on the Rogue River.

I explored numerous career paths prior to guiding but ultimately wanted to do something that I was passionate about and share my passions with others.

I love to travel and have been all over the world. I have circled the entire country of Vietnam on a motorcycle, explored countless Buddhist temples in Thailand, and surfed the beaches of Nicaragua.

I love meeting new people and exploring new places. I love to share my own experiences but also learn about others’ experiences. 

Photo of Christain King Christain King Multiday River Guide

I am an energetic and fun-loving guy that knows how to make the most of life. I can also be serious and get work done when needed. I have been a guide for the past 4 summers out in Colorado. Most of my guiding experience is on the oars.  I chose to be a river guide one summer, thinking that it would just be a cool job to have. After that first summer, though, I fell in love with being on the water and challenging myself with different more technical rapids. There is no place I would rather be during the summer.
One unique thing about me is that I have climbed the tallest points in 23 different states, and my goal is to reach all 50.

Photo of Rip Martin Rip Martin Multiday River Guide

I have been taking people downriver most of my life. I started young, bringing school friends with me, then graduated to taking more and more people. I’ve paddled most of the big stuff in North America; one of the benefits of living in Texas was not having a good “home” river to run, so it pushed us to run a wide variety of rivers. The largest white water had to be on the Futaleufú River in northern Patagonia. 

My professional career has been mostly technical work since I got my mechanical engineering degree. For the past 10 years, I worked on large 3D printers for companies like Lockheed Martin and NASA. This was extremely detailed work, almost always completed under a time crunch. I found myself unfulfilled at the end of the day, the work was routine and always an emergency. I thought of the times in my life when I was happiest, and it was on the river showing people the beauty of mother nature. To that end, I shifted gears and started researching ways to make money doing what I love on rivers I have paddled before, and luckily, I found Morrisons was looking for river guides.

Situational awareness is key to having a good time on the river. Staying safe is the primary concern and making sure you are keeping track of all the things going on around you can mean the difference between a good time and a bad time. To that end I have a sixth sense for what’s going on around me.  

I always get asked about my name and where it came from. I was named Rip after my father, who got the name from someone that saved my grandfather’s life during WWII. The funny part is I always use L. when asked my middle name because it’s even more ridiculous than my first name.

Photo of Eric Maynard Eric Maynard Multiday River Guide

Hi, my name is Eric Maynard. Most people on the river call me “Maynard.” 

I am an Oregon native. I was born right here in Merlin, Oregon! I have been guiding the Rogue River on and off for 20+ years now. I also guide on the Deschutes river from time to time. This is my 5th season with Morrison’s, and I feel blessed to be able to work with such a professional outfit. I love my job because I get to enjoy the beautiful “Wild and Scenic Rogue River” and I get a chance to connect with people, family, and friends on their vacation (no bad days on the river). I also get a chance to be a part of a life-changing experience for most people. What an amazing feeling I get every week! As an avid outdoorsman, I truly enjoy being outside. My hobbies include learning and practicing foraging skills, plant identification, and the medicinal uses of plants and mushrooms.  My favorite part about guiding Morrison’s is our amazing staff. I have been lucky enough to become great friends with my coworkers and build an unbreakable bond with them. On my off-season, I am a musician. I have been playing the drums for over 25 years. 

 I am excited to see you on the river soon!

Photo of Adam Mortensen Adam Mortensen Multiday River Guide

Born and raised in Eden Utah I started guiding on a whim as a way to beat the heat, but it rapidly became one of my favorite things. This will be my 6th season as a guide and my 2nd on the rouge. I am in my final year at Weber State University where I study mechanical engineering and work with their outdoor program. In the off season I enjoy adventuring in the mountains whether it is to climb, ski, hunt or fish, I feel most at home in the woods.

Photo of Todd O’leary Todd O’leary Day River Guide

This is my Second year as a commercial raft guide! I grew up kayaking along the Merced River and began rafting when I moved up to Ashland and began attending SOU in 2021. 

I have always enjoyed whitewater and want the opportunity to create memories in beautiful places for others.

Some other outdoor activities that I enjoy in my free time are rock climbing and slacklining. 

I have an enthusiastic attitude and strive to create an inclusive environment for all guests new and returning to MRWAL 

Photo of Dustin Overman Dustin Overman Multiday River Guide

Dustin was born and raised in the Rogue Valley and has always been an outdoor enthusiast. He started rafting when he was 13 years old, right here on the Rogue River. Dustin thrives on the water. Whether it’s kayaking, surfing, rafting, or fishing, water is his happy place. He has many river trips under his belt, including expeditions down the Colorado River through the Grand Canyon, as well as various river trips throughout Oregon, California, Washington, Idaho, and Colorado. This is Dustin’s fourth season at Morrison’s, and he is excited to share his extensive knowledge of the Rogue Valley with you. When he is not rafting or fishing, he is spending time outdoors with his wife, daughter, and Great Pyrenees. 

Photo of Soren Peterson Soren Peterson Multiday River Guide

I started guided commercially on the White Salmon river in Washington. It was a great opportunity to get more familiar with paddle rafting and highly technical white water, but even then, I knew that multi-day trips were my element. This will be my second season guiding on the Rogue for Morrisons, and I couldn’t be happier.

Growing up, water has always been part of my life. Swimming, sailing, kayaking, and rafting were all part of my childhood. Rafting, in particular, is something that my family continues to do yearly. Suffice it to say: I love rafting. Guiding, for me, is an extension of that love. Not only do I get to work on the river, but I also get to share my joy for the river with others.

I am quite skilled at a classic Hungarian card game called Ulti which almost no one in the country knows how to play.

I am definitely a morning person. Waking up has never been a challenge for me. This means I am always ready with hot water and coffee (the most important item on the trip) in the mornings.

Photo of Brent White Brent White River Manager and Multiday River Guide