Meet the Staff

Currently a resident of Horseshoe Bend, Idaho, Kenneth joined Cascade Raft & Kayak in 1994.  As the company expanded, he took over the day-to-day management from the founder, Steve Jones.  In addition to his rafting experience, Kenneth has been a member of the US National Canoe Slalom Team and competed in the World Championships (1997, 1999, 2015) in the double canoe class with his brother Chad. In the winter months, Kenneth travels to Chile to teach Cascade Kayak School’s adventure travel kayaking trips. Now retired from whitewater slalom racing, he applies his competitive spirit to horseback riding (English show jumping).  In 2013 he earned a team and individual gold medal in the Western Regional Championships, but his most satisfying accomplishments are the few times he manages to stay ahead of even one of his three daughters. Fun fact about Kenneth: he had the singular honor of teaching Chris Farley and Matthew Perry how to canoe for the movie Almost Heroes, and stunt-doubled for Ty Pennington of Extreme Makeover: Home Edition.

Anne joined Cascade Raft & Kayak in 1995 when she drove across the country from New Hampshire to teach kayaking.  She grew up racing whitewater slalom kayaks and represented the US in the Jr. World Championships in 1992 and 1994.  After spending a summer in Idaho, she transferred to the College of Idaho where she earned a degree in Business Administration.  Currently, she enjoys helping people find the best rafting trip and arranging all the details to make it a perfect event.  In the winter months, she travels to Chile to teach kayaking for Cascade Kayak School’s adventure travel trips, follows her family to horseback riding events, and homeschools her three daughters. She dislikes sleeping outside on the ground (camping), carrying heavy things through the woods (backpacking), and has decided that a career as a long-haul trucker is not in her future. If she had any spare time, she would like to spend it quilting and writing.  

This is Krista’s 15^th season with Cascade Raft & Kayak (yes, she is in it for life!). Born in Boise, her family moved to Alpharetta, Georgia, when she was three, but returned to Boise after 5 years. Krista was a competitive swimmer in high school and attended Gonzaga University and then BSU with a K-12 teaching degree in Kinesiology and Health. Growing up rafting the rivers of Idaho with her family, it was a match made in heaven when she met her husband Chad while lifeguarding at the local YMCA where he taught kayaking. They have 3 adventuresome kids who can be spotted on the river most days. In the off-season you can find her somewhere warm with fun surf and sandy beaches. During January and February, Krista travels to Chile to work with Cascade Kayak School’s adventure travel kayaking trips. 

Chad LOVES kayaking! He loves kayaking so much he has been doing it since he was six years old. He has competed in all types of disciplines, most recently in whitewater slalom canoeing with his brother, Kenneth. The pair was the top US finisher in the 2015 World Championships in London. Chad also races extreme downriver races and participated in the North Fork Championships and Adidas Sick Line race in Austria. He “retired” from BSU to take on the full time management of Cascade Kayak School with summer in Idaho and winters in Chile. Chad loves to help others advance their skills, and really enjoys introducing kids to the challenging, healthy and wholesome outdoor sport of whitewater kayaking. Fun facts about Chad: he is a metal artist and pretty accurate on the skeet range.

A resident of Eagle, Idaho, Tren has been working at Cascade Raft & Kayak since 1995 when he headed up the safety-kayaking department. As the company grew, he took over the photography and IT departments.  An accomplished freestyle, slalom, and extreme kayaker, Tren has represented the US as a member of the national slalom team in single canoe (2000, 2001, 2015, 2016).  Tren won a silver medal in the slalom-cross event at the 2016 World Cup event in Prague, Czech Republic. He is also a black belt in Brazilian Jui-Jitsu and crushed the competition in his one and only MMA bout. In the off-season, you’ll find Tren driving great distances for slalom training, lifting heavy things, and teaching kayaking in Chile. The thing Tren loves most about rafting is introducing people to Idaho’s outdoors.  Fun fact: Tren and his family average 75,000 miles of travel per year!

Linzie grew up in Boise and entered the “real” workplace as a graphic design manager before meeting Tren and joining the Long family.  Since then she has been in the whirlwind and has taken the helm of the photography department and is in charge of “River School” were all the Longlings; 9 kids in total, spend their days until they are old enough to join the workforce.  She is a gift painter, loves to travel, and is a pillar of patience and determination.  Fun fact about Linzie – she LOVES to swim with sharks.  So far she has swam with them in Australia and South Africa and really wants to swim with a great white!

Will is originally from Gastonia, NC.  He has 10 years of river experience and has brought that asset to Cascade Raft & Kayak for two years.  He started kayaking when his dad came home with a whitewater kayak one day. It looked like fun, so Will gave it a try and says he started swimming on class III later that week! He loves seeing new rivers, learning new tricks, and challenging himself in the kayak, but the river community is what keeps him engaged and coming back to the river. In the off-season he is pursuing an M.S Degree at Boise State in Hydrology.  He also enjoys skiing and surfing.  Kayaking has taken him to rivers across the US, Canada, Peru, and Norway.  His future plans include getting a PhD in Hydrology.  Will can’t let the rivers get too far away from his career or recreation!

William is from Palo Cedro, CA. When he is not river guiding on the Payette, he is living in Quincy, CA and studying Outdoor Recreational Leadership at Feather River College. He has been a river rat for 15 years, and this his first year with Cascade Raft & Kayak. Every summer growing up, his family would go on a river trip somewhere in the western states. He started kayaking at a class at Feather River College in the spring and hasn’t stopped since. William loves everything about river rafting, but he especially loves the smile that it puts on people’s faces. He also got the exciting opportunity to be a firefighter last summer with the US Forest Service. In a couple years, William hopes to become a Grand Canyon Guide and a being working as a naturalist at an outdoor school. A little fun fact about William is he loves playing his guitar and singing campfire songs.

Tanner hails from West Weber, Utah. A first-year guide for Cascade Raft & Kayak, he brings 4 years of previous river experience.  His uncle used to be a guide and always involved Tanner in his fly-fishing trips when he would go float the river. Another uncle is a rafter and included him in his river runs. Tanner loves working as a guide because it gives him an excuse to get outside and be on the water. He is a country boy at heart and enjoys welding and building things, hunting, fishing, biking, surfing, motorcycles and skiing.  In fact, Tanner went to the national championships three times in freestyle skiing. But he’s a studious fellow as well—graduating with honors and student body officer.  He is planning on attending college and to keep on looking for new and exciting outdoor adventures. One other thing to know about Tanner: he loves diesel trucks!

A self-proclaimed wanderer and adventurer, Tango grew up in Atlanta, Georgia, but packed a bag at 20 years old and decided to explore the world.  She started rafting and kayaking in pursuit of an Outdoor Recreation Leadership degree at Feather River College. This season will be her second guiding on the Payette River with Cascade Raft & Kayak. She finds that rivers have a power, beauty, and unpredictability that is irresistible. It also forces you to focus on the present moment in a way that not many other things can. Plus, river people are incredible! For the last couple years, she has spent the off-season working at ski resorts. Besides whitewater, climbing and snowboarding are at the top of her hobby list. This fall she will return to school to pursue a degree in Conservation and Restoration Ecology, with a minor in Physics.  She wants to cultivate the relationship between man and our planet in a way that is beneficial for both.

Steven grew up in Coloma, CA and has been boating for 10 years. He got a job at the local kayak shop and made friends with the people that taught him how to boat. He first joined Cascade Raft & Kayak in 2015 to spend a summer getting lost on the Payette – best career move he has ever made – and ended up staying! He just graduated from UC Davis with a Linguistics and Chinese degree that he is planning to use in a Foreign Language Teaching career, ideally working in Taiwan for a few years as a language tutor. As he has moved through High School and then College, kayaking has been close to his heart and he incorporates it into his lifestyle as much as he can. Steven worked several years for UC Davis’s outdoor program teaching whitewater kayaking and roll classes. Fun fact about Steven – he has never in his life made an offside combat roll!

Sierra grew up chasing her parents along the ski slopes of Mt. Shasta and on the trails of Castle Crags. Raised in Redding, California, she and her family often go out rock climbing or mountain biking. She began raft guiding a year ago through Feather River College’s kayaking and rafting weekend classes. Sierra loves the unique people she’s met through rafting and the thrill that comes from flying down the river through gnarly rapids. Her recent accomplishments include becoming certified in Swiftwater Rescue, Wilderness First Responder and completing Intermediate Raft Guide School. She has also just graduated from the Outdoor Recreation Leadership program and will be continuing her studies at Southern Oregon University in the fall. Later on she hopes to become an Emergency Medical Technician and eventually paramedic. When Sierra is not in school you can find her biking, digging for quartz crystals, taking photos or plunking her ukulele.

Shane is a resident of Horseshoe Bend, although his river career began in Northern California.  He graduated from Feather River College with a degree in Outdoor Recreation and has been guiding on the Payette for the past 8 seasons.  Shane loves rafting! Shane loves the Payette River! And Shane loves sharing his passion for rafting with others.  In the winter months, he travels to South America where he works as a fly fishing guide for a backcountry lodge in Northern Patagonia.  When he is not rafting, he rafts and fishes for fun.  Spring and Fall seasons find him working as head fishing guide for Cascade Anglers.  Shane’s enthusiasm makes him a favorite of guests and co-workers.  For the near future, his plans include rafting as much as possible.  Shane hopes to have many more years of guiding the Payette River with Cascade Raft & Kayak.

Seth is from Eagle, ID and has been spending summers with Cascade Raft & Kayak for the last seven years. His dad is a passionate and adept kayaker and he brought his love for the sport to his two sons. Seth began kayaking at the age of 13 and has found himself incessantly on the river ever since. In the off-season Seth attends college while trying to squeeze in international kayaking trips where he can. He plans to begin a career as a nurse once he is done with school, but will continue to kayak as much as possible. Seth enjoys rafting because it allows him to be in his favorite environment – the river. His other hobbies include skiing and fly-fishing. Seth’s personal accomplishments entail paddling two vertical miles in a day on the NF Payette and paddling the Stikine River in Northern BC. Seth’s spirit animal is a koala bear.

Local boy, Sean, is from Boise! With his father he attended a weekend kayaking class with Cascade Raft & Kayak for his 17th birthday. Two days on the river got him hooked and the next year he joined the staff. That was 11 years ago.  During his tenure, Sean has enjoyed the places rafting and kayaking have taken him and the people he has met along the way especially his wife, Erin, whom he married in 2016.  He graduated from the University of San Diego in 2011 with a degree in Biology and is planning to start physical therapy school in the fall. He hopes to specialize in rehab and prevention of sports-related injuries. Sean’s other interests include skiing, backpacking, climbing, soccer, and traveling. If you think Sean looks familiar, it might be because he is in the photo featured on the case of Payette Brewing’s High Side American Wheat Ale.

Scott grew up exploring the prairies and ravines of his grandfather’s land in rural Oklahoma. Most of his time was spent outdoors running wild or working on the neighbors ranch. He first experienced the bliss of river life on a canoe/camping trip on the peaceful Arkansas River with his grandpa. This helped to fuel an already urgent pursuit of adventure and passion for nature. A fantasy of traveling the world and pushing his physical limits led Scott to join the Army after high school as an Infantryman. His training combined with Scott’s attention to detail and his ability as a natural leader proved useful when his unit was deployed for a combat tour in Iraq. Since then the adventure hasn’t stopped for Scott. Last year he climbed Pikes Peak and this year he plans to head north to Alaska on a solo motorcycle camping adventure. This will be Scott’s first season as a river guide and what better place to start than Cascade Raft and Kayak!

Reed grew up just outside of Washington DC in Chevy Chase, Maryland and currently lives in Golden, Colorado.  He has been white water kayaking for the past four years. He was originally introduced to kayaking by a friend in High School and fell in love with the sport. Interestingly, that same friend has worked with Cascade Raft & Kayak in the past, however, this is Reed’s first year with Cascade. During the winter months, he is an avid skier as well as a student at the Colorado School of Mines in Golden, Colorado. There he is studying to become a geological engineer. After school he hopes to work in the hydrology field and study groundwater. This past fall Reed was fortunate enough to be able to study in New Zealand for a semester and was able to kayak throughout the country.

Olivia is from Caldwell, Idaho.  She has been taking photos for 4 years and this is the second season that she will be applying her skills at Cascade Raft & Kayak.  In the off-season, she has been attending college, but she just graduated this spring! She is also a filmmaker when she is not on the banks of the river.  She admits that she has always had an interest in photography, but as she started working in film it made sense to pick it up as a hobby to get a better eye for framing. As she gained experience in still photography, she realized that she loves preserving moments that are otherwise gone instantly. In sports, things happen in the blink of an eye, and capturing the most epics moments is a fun challenge with rewarding payoff. She reads and writes a lot, but she is also an outdoor girl who loves backpacking. Like many recent grads, she is going to enjoy the freedom of summer one last time before joining the “real world.”

Mike is from Thousand Oaks in a far away land called California. He is a student at Southern Oregon University and Ashland, OR and will finish up his studies this fall with a degree in Outdoor Adventure Leadership. In the off-season he is either in college or working at a ski resort. This will be his 5^th season of commercial guiding and his second with Cascade Raft & Kayak. He started rafting and kayaking when he was 19 because it sounded fun and he thought, “Hey, I’ll give that a try!” As they say, the rest is history! What he loves most about rafting is the excitement of being in the middle of a rapid–the rush, the focus, the action. His other main hobby is rock climbing and he hopes that his future plans include kayaking and climbing internationally as he chases the summer. A fun fact about Mike is that he’s mostly Bolivian.

Megan grew up in a small town just outside of San Diego. A few years ago she moved to Northern California and fell in love with the river the first time she went rafting. She has been guiding and kayaking for almost 2 years and is excited for her first summer with Cascade Raft & Kayak. Every time she gets in a raft she hopes to put a smile on everyone’s face and show them just how incredible the river can be. When she is not in a raft, she is either kayaking, drinking coffee, skiing, or climbing. Down the road she plans on being a wilderness guide to combine all these passions and spread her knowledge and love for the outdoors to kids and teens in the Pacific North West. Megan had the opportunity to spend the better part of 2016 living and studying in New Zealand, exploring the forests and whitewater on the other side of the world!

Matt was born and raised in small-town Wendell, ID on a family dairy farm. Matt is a full-time student finishing his degree in Biology at BSU and will graduate in the fall of 2017. He has been working as a raft guide since 2008, with all but one season spent on the Payette with Cascade Raft & Kayak. Before coming to work at Cascade Raft, Matt hadn’t had any experience with whitewater. He thought it sounded like a cool summer job, so he jumped at the opportunity. He picked up kayaking in his tenure at Cascade Raft & Kayak and even spent one season as a whitewater photographer.  Matt notes, “The best part of rafting is all the new characters I get to meet on the river.” Matt is an avid skier (when he isn’t in class), enjoys long walks to the fridge, and life-styling in the Banks parking lot.  He hopes to parlay his Biology degree into a position as a professional yogurt taster.

Mahalie grew up running and biking the trails around Boise, Idaho, and skiing at Bogus and Brundage. This is her first year working for Cascade, but she has spent time on the Payette since she was four years old, playing in kayaks and rafts while her sister competed in kayak slalom races. From spending so much time on the river at a young age she has come to savor her time there, and harbors a deep appreciation for the strength and beauty of the river. It’s where she feels most at peace and at home. While not on the river she loves backpacking and hiking, slacklining and playing frisbee. During 11th grade she spent five and a half weeks in Chile. Next year Mahalie will be a freshman at CU Boulder—a college kid and exploring Colorado mountains and rivers. Fun fact: she refuses to wear matching socks unless they’re black.

Don’t let the freckles fool you, Lauren harkens from the dusty, desert of Tucson, Arizona. She grew up riding horses, but six years ago she took her first kayaking lesson with Cascade Raft and Kayak. Lauren traded in the saddle for a kayak, and now when she’s not on the river, driving to the river, or eating a burrito next to the river, she’s “studying” geology (rocks) at Stanford University. In her non-river time, Lauren paints (on everything), reads (not always about the river), and collects minerals. If you have a geology question, ask Lauren. One of her favorite parts of a rafting trip is sharing tidbits about the area. This summer of safety kayaking, teaching and guiding will be Lauren’s fourth with Cascade Raft & Kayak.  She is identifiable by the inordinate number of bracelets on her wrists. 

Kenzie was born and raised in Boise, Idaho.  She and her brothers learned how to whitewater kayak at Cascade Raft and Kayak as kids, and Kenzie started spending summers doing odd jobs around the raft company and training to become a whitewater kayak instructor.  This will be her 8th season working at Cascade and she can’t imagine a better way to spend the summer!  Kenzie loves swapping stories with her fellow rafters/kayakers while on the water. When she isn’t floating down the Payette River she is in California studying at Stanford University and driving to the nearest whitewater on weekends.  Kenzie also spent a year living in Morocco and can speak Arabic, loves looking at and making art (and is often covered in paint), is intellectually (as well as recreationally) interested in freshwater, and is doing research on watersheds in Crested Butte, CO. 

Kelsey was born in Boise, ID has always been an outdoors kind of girl. She is more of a summer person so most of the camping is done during the summer with her family, however most of the off-season is spent snowmobiling. Kelsey also enjoys backpacking, hiking, and ATV riding. Kelsey’s dad is the main reason she started kayaking but once she was on the river she was hooked! Her favorite part is the thrill it brings her and the scenery. Kelsey is currently learning how to play guitar and hopes to master it soon.  A fun fact about Kelsey is that she is an aspiring writer and hopes to have a book published one day.

Keely’s hometown is Boise, Idaho, and in the off-season she loves hiking, skiing, and any other outdoor activities in the snow.  This is her first year with Cascade Raft & Kayak, but her past experience rafting with Cascade and her interaction with an enthusiastic staff as well as other outdoor work experience lead her to join the team! She enjoys playing volleyball, camping, and backpacking with friends and family.  She has had many academic accomplishments in high school, and plans to begin college in 2018. Continuing the student life will leave summers free to become a river guide for years to come! Keely loves to travel and has been out of the country 17 times. She hopes to continue her travels in the years ahead.

Kayla is from small-town Emmett, ID. During the off-season, she likes to study diligently in school. This is her first year on the river as a guide, but she enjoys being able to jump on trips whenever possible. She has been with Cascade Raft and Kayak for one year as a “café girl” and loved it. Her favorite part of rafting is the camaraderie and fun of being on the river. She loves being able to brighten someone’s day with a positive attitude and superb cup of coffee. Her hobbies include reading classics, playing the piano, dabbling in art, all things camping, and running. Her future plans currently include earning a business degree from the College of Western Idaho and possibly going on to become a CPA. She was homeschooled for most of her elementary and all her years in high school, and is the oldest of ten siblings.

Karoline is from Boise, Idaho and in the off-season is studying Environmental Studies at Lehigh University in Pennsylvania.  She has spent the last 9 summers on the river kayaking and rafting, and this is her first year as a commercial guide with Cascade Raft & Kayak.  Karoline began kayaking with Cascade when she was 11, and loves the adventure of rafting and kayaking.  When Karoline isn’t on the river, she likes to spend her time hiking and backpacking in the Sawtooths.  A fun fact about Karoline is even though she’s from Idaho, she’s a huge New England sports fan!

Jordan hails from Chino Hills, California and has been guiding for the past 9 years.  This will be his second season with Cascade Raft & Kayak. When he is not on the water, Jordan attends Boise State University where he is working on completing a Masters in Science Education. Otherwise you will find him skiing!  The thing that Jordan loves most about the river is that it is different everyday and he gets the chance to meet new people and share his love for the river with them—and especially seeing the transformation of people from being scared and timid at the first rapid to laughing and having a blast at the last rapid.  He has guided and taught kayaking in five different states and by far Idaho has some of the best whitewater around. Fun Fact: Jordan’s dogs, a St Bernard (Momo) and Lab (Thor), have been on over 450 miles of river!

Jess grew up in Auburn, CA, a town right on the rim of the American River Canyon in the foothills of the Northern Sierra Nevada mountain range. Jess was introduced to whitewater at Feather River College in Quincy, CA where she studied Outdoor Recreation Leadership. This season will be her 6th at Cascade Raft & Kayak and she is stoked to be returning! In the off season she works as an instructor for Sierra Rescue/ Rescue3 teaching wilderness medical and river rescue courses. She has also spent 3 seasons in Chile, the most recent one on the Rio Fuy working for Conecta Patagonia. She finds that the best thing about rafting is that you get another perspective of the world–a view that not everyone gets to see, and that access is really special. When she is not rafting she enjoys doing a number of other outdoor activities as well as art, music and building projects.

A native of Johnson City, TN, Jeremy has been enjoying the river since he was 14 years old, the age at which he first took a kids paddling adventure camp with Cascade Raft & Kayak.  This is his 7^th season guiding rafts and teaching kayaking on the Payette River.  In the off-season he attends Boise State University and will graduate next year with a fine arts degree.  You’ll find some of his art on the T-shirts in the Cascade gift shop, but drawing and sculpting are his preferred media. When he is not at school he tries to ski as many days as possible.  He holds the self-proclaimed (unofficial) world record for unwrapping and eating 6 chocolate truffles in under a minute. Jeremy loves the camaraderie that comes with the river community and the way the river brings people together.

Jasmine is a second-year guide from Julian, CA.  She was introduced to rafting in Costa Rica when she took a trip there in 2011.  She recently graduated from the University of California, Santa Barbara with a degree in Psychology. One thing she loves about rafting is how it gets people, especially young adventurers, out of their comfort zone.  When she can help guests overcome their apprehension and enjoy the whitewater experience, it’s an awesome feeling. Along with whitewater rafting, Jasmine enjoys traveling and fishing.  She is particularly proud of a second place finish in her middle school talent show (a Chinese yo-yo act), and soundly defeating all comers in a BBQ wing-eating contest. (She ate 84). For the near future, her plans include traveling and rafting around the world to take advantage of the opportunity to enjoy the whitewater and cultures of many lands.

Gordon first started guiding rafts in 2006 in The Forks, Maine. He went through one of the most demanding guide training programs in the Northeast allowing him to guide rafts on the Kennebec, Dead, and Penobscot rivers. Too many Maine winters drove Gordon to escape. The high desert climate of Idaho answered with world class whitewater for all levels of paddling experience. Gordon enjoys kayaking, fishing, biking with his dog, Lark, and outdoor cooking. Seeing people have great trips they’ll remember for years and his love for the outdoors keeps Gordon coming back to the rivers most summers. This will be his second year at Cascade.

Georgie is from a small town in Eastern Idaho where she grew up riding a Shetland pony named Sunny and reading too many adventure books. Which led to adventures of her own. After high school she drew a loopy line through Asia from Vietnam to Bali with a sandy backpack and permanent sunburn. A spur of the moment decision took her to Melbourne, Australia where she spent a year working in hospitality, getting the chance to meet people and hone a proper Aussie accent. After that it was Alaska and a summer living in a van and working in the trees. And then Hawaii. When she is not on white-knuckle bus rides or hiking random mountains, she is trying to perfect bread-making, learn the mandolin without smashing it and planting little gardens where she can. Her current adventure is working here at Cascade in the cafe, brushing up on her barista skills while living in a tent on the river. Happy to be living in the moment (and in a tent) her future plans consist of yoga teacher training in the fall.

Bold. Refined. Earthy. Subtle tannins. That’s not a description of a fine wine, but Cascade Raft & Kayak guide Gary. A Boise native, Gary is guiding for his third season with Cascade. He was introduced to rafting through a friend from college and that is how he’s spent his summer every year since. This culminated in one of his favorite accomplishments, a 2016 trip to Nepal that included a 10-day rafting trip on the Karnali River and swimming in Tilicho Lake, one of the highest lakes in the world. Rafting is a great activity because it brings together outdoor adventures and teamwork. However, it doesn’t always lend itself to long-term off-season employment, so between seasons Gary has worked in a movie theater, tutored, laid concrete foundations, painted, and done demo work. He enjoys running and reading in his free time. In the future, Gary hopes to raft the Zambezi River. Fun fact: Gary grew up in a house with a lot of random pets, including a goat, tortoise, and parrot. He has mixed feelings about this.

From McCall, Idaho, Erin grew up rafting with her family and since then has logged about 20 years of experience.  This will be her sixth season with Cascade Raft & Kayak. She loves the soulfulness of the river: It’s beautiful, powerful, and rewarding. It keeps ego in check and is ever evolving. There is no feeling quite like the one you get on the river. A recent graduate of Boise State University with a degree in Art History, Erin loves to paint, snowboard and travel. In the offseason, she works at a custom artisan jewelry gallery. She also plays a tough game of rugby with the Lady Nemesis!  Just married last summer, Erin is enjoying life with her husband, Sean, and black lab, Igor. When she is not on the river, you can find her pursuing other outdoor activities or watching her favorite movie, Young Frankenstein.

Eric is from Winston-Salem, North Carolina.  A second-year Anthropology major, Eric spends his off-season attending Reed College in Portland, OR.  Having enjoyed 7 years on the river Eric is now in his third season with Cascade Raft & Kayak.  His mother first attracted him to kayaking when signing up for a roll session in the winter.  Having recently received an Xbox for Christmas, he was reluctant to accompany his mother to the local YMCA for kayak rolling lessons.  Yet little was he aware that summers and weekends would be consumed with magnificent and fulfilling river trips. Eric finds many parallels between rafting and other sports. Working as a climbing wall attendant at Reed College, there is a shared joy in introducing a newcomer to any given outdoor sport. Upon completing college, Eric hopes to pursue further research in the field of Anthropology, ideally traveling to South America and kayaking along with this pursuit. Eric has been a classic cellist for the last 11 years of his life.

Emese is originally from Redding, CA. For the past few years she has been the General Manager of a run specialty store in Meridian, ID, but this upcoming season she is planning on floating free and skiing a lot!  Emese has been a river guide for 9 years, most of which were spent in California; this will be her first season working for Cascade Raft & Kayak.  Her favorite thing about rafting is the euphoric, free feeling that the water brings as you navigate a river’s many dips and turns.  In addition to rafting, she enjoys backpacking, rock climbing, running, road biking, painting, and playing with her two giant dogs, Momo and Thor.  Some fun facts about Emese: she has visited 5 of the 7 continents, is fluent in Hungarian, and has a Masters in Business Administration.

Ellis is a Moraga, California native who’s been boating for 2 years. When he’s not paddling he’s either climbing alpine mountains or cooking up a storm. Ellis learned to kayak with Outdoor Adventures at UC Davis where he went to school and worked as a climbing guide. This is his first year with Cascade, but he’s looking forward to sharing his love of rafting with everyone he meets. For Ellis, the river is the perfect combination of adventure and serenity with a healthy dose of shenanigans mixed in for good measure. In the next few years Ellis hopes to work in Search and Rescue organizations before going to grad school for Genomics or Bioinformatics. While Ellis loves the outdoors, he has also worked in professional restaurants from San Francisco to Chicago. If you want some peculiar tales from this guide, ask him about the numerous balls he’s been to in Sweden or his solo trips in California and Utah.

Elbia lives in Emmett, Idaho. She is a high school student, so spends her time in school in the off season. This is her first year working for Cascade Raft and Kayak, but she has enjoyed joining rafting trips whenever possible in years past. Her favorite part about rafting is the big waves and “falling” out of the raft. When she is not working or studying, she can be found reading, playing cards, or occasionally running. Her accomplishments include five years on the piano, two year in track, and reading approximately six million books. Her future plans at this point include finishing high school and attending college for a degree in education. A fun fact about Elbia is that she dislikes classical music, but loves country music.

Connor hails from Davis, California and first got into whitewater at Feather River College in the Sierra Nevada Mountains. Since then he has been guiding and working in the recreation industry for the last 7 years. Along with 5 summers on the Cascade crew, he has worked as a guide in California and Chile, an oarsman on the Grand Canyon, a ski patroller, photographer, and even a baggage handler at the Jackson Hole airport (which allowed a great skiing schedule!). He explains that the greatest thing about rafting and kayaking is that they are vessels that grant us access to some of the most beautiful places in the world that very few have access to. After work you’ll find him around the town of Banks, kayaking the North Fork of the Payette or playing guitar around the campfire–and there’s no place he’d rather be.

Ciara is from Horseshoe Bend, Idaho. This is her second year with Cascade Raft & Kayak.  A true local, she attends Horseshoe Bend High School in the off-season. Her hobbies include playing sports for her high school, reading, and hanging out with her friends! Ciara has only been rafting a handful of times, but is hoping to change that this summer! Her smiling face and youthful enthusiasm delight guests and coworkers alike. Ciara plans on graduating High School in the spring of 2018 and attending the University of Idaho in the fall of 2018. 

Chase is from San Jose, CA in the Silicon Valley and is returning for his second year with Cascade Raft & Kayak. A student at Feather River College’s Outdoor Recreation Leadership program, he shows in his enthusiasm for the river and all things recreation. His favorite things about rafting are the people and places that it has brought into his life as well as getting completely soaked dropping into a big hole! His recent accomplishments are winning the prestigious award of Going Big on the Main in 2016, Feather River College’s Outstanding Student and Academic Award, and being his grandma’s favorite grandchild! Chase plans on pursuing education as well as traveling where the rivers take him. Fun fact: Chase loves to sing and do voices, but he isn’t very good at either.

Casey was born and raised in Missoula, Montana. This is her first year with Cascade Raft and Kayak and she is so excited about it. She is a Boise State University student majoring in social work. She has spent a lot of time at the lake, going on hikes, and being outdoors. She connected with Cascade Raft and Kayak through a college employment website and decided to take a chance on a fun summer.  She looks forward to expanding her knowledge about rafting and kayaking. In her free time she enjoys hanging out with friends, listening to music, and of course being outdoors. Her accomplishments of freshman year were passing all her classes, making friends, and having fun, but not too much fun :). Her future plans include continuing her degree in social work and trying to make an impact on the community of Boise. A fun fact about Cases is that she has broken her arm five times!

Casey is home grown from Boise, Idaho. He holds down a regular job during the off-season, but he believes that there’s nothing better than living and working on the river. This will be Casey’s 7th season as a river guide and his second season working for Cascade. He grew up watching kayakers run the South Fork of the Payette River and knew that’s what he wanted to do. Casey loves getting to help people experience nature from a perspective that they might not otherwise get to. When he’s not on the water, Casey loves mountain biking in the Boise Foothills and taking advantage of the great rock climbing throughout the region. Casey’s a graduate from Boise State University with his business degree, but he plans to continue live and work on the river as long as he can get away with it. 

Brittany is a second year photographer with Cascade Raft & Kayak and is from Boise, ID. When she’s not snapping photos on the river banks she enjoys hiking with her dog, rollerblading and playing the clarinet. Her interest in photography and cameras began when she was young and has been a hobby ever since. This local girl recently finished her undergrad at Boise State with a Communication- Media Production degree. Her future plans include pursuing production work for a nonprofit and traveling as much as possible. Fun fact about Brittany-she spent 5 seasons in the Blue Thunder marching band during her college years.

Brittany’s (aka Britt) hometown is Piney Point, Maryland; and both her parents were active duty Navy. She received a Bachelors or Art in Environmental Studies from Boise State University. In the off-season, Brittany works for Kohls as a Jewelry Associate. She has been on the river and with Cascade for one year, but started kayaking a few years ago when her father purchased two kayaks for him and his wife to use. He takes his children out on trips when they aren’t using them. Rafting is a recently found interest that started by going on a trip for Dad’s high school reunion and then trips with her church; she wanted to do more and now works for Cascade Raft & Kayak. What she loves most about rafting is the power Mother Nature has over the water, and capturing people’s reaction while going through rapids. Some other hobbies are going to movies and reading books. Her future consists of starting a family with her new husband soon.

Brian grew up in the beach town of Cardiff by the Sea north of San Diego, California. His full time job is working with Special Education students at Eagle High School. He also helps out with the Nordic Ski Team at Bogus Basin during the winter months. His hobbies include Triathlon and working on classic muscle cars. He completed an Ironman Triathlon event in 2006. This will be his second year working at Cascade Raft & Kayak as whitewater photographer. While he is relatively new to the Payette River system, he spent summers on the Rogue River in Southern Oregon on his mother’s ranch. He loves taking pictures of the rafting trips and seeing all the guests enjoy the river to the fullest. Capturing memories for everyone is a priceless adventure!

Ashley is originally from Twin Falls, but considers her hometown to be Boise as she’s been living there for the past ten years. At 11 years old, she took her first rafting trip on the Snake River, and fell in love with rafting. You never step in the same river twice and rafting provides the opportunity to enjoy the amazing water and beauty that is Idaho. Last summer she took a kayak lesson with Cascade Raft & Kayak and really got hooked on the river. Some of her other hobbies include SCUBA diving, hiking, camping, rock climbing, and anything else that is adventure. She is currently in nursing school at NNU and will graduate and be a big kid May 2018! She plans to work as an Intensive Care travel nurse within United States and then travel to underdeveloped countries to provide health education to women and children. Ashley feels “the glass is always half full” and she loves to make really good snacks.

Amanda fell in love with whitewater when she was 12 years old and on vacation from her hometown of Alliance, NE. She rafted the Canyon stretch of the South Fork and had such an amazing guide she told her mom she was going to be a guide when she grew up! She joined Cascade Raft and Kayak when she was 17 and is coming back for her eleventh season this year! Amanda has filled just about every job description—gift shop and café, catering, reservations, and guiding. In the off-season she spends her time as a private instructor. She is looking to continue in the field of education by studying international and comparative education abroad. In her eleven year tenure she still believes that the take out is the hardest skill to master, and if she clicked her heels together and wished for home she is sure she would end up at Cascade Raft & Kayak

Alec is a returning guide from Boise, Idaho.  Currently, he spends the school year as a nursing student at St. Olaf College, located in Northfield, Minnesota.  He will be returning to Cascade for his second year on the water, and is excited to spread the love of whitewater this summer.  While this is only his second season with Cascade, it will be his fifth summer spent on the water.  He started whitewater kayaking when he was 15 after being introduced to the sport by family friends, and now spends most of his time after work kayaking with friends on the Payettes.  Besides raft guiding and kayaking, Alec also runs Cross Country and Track for St. Olaf and specializes in the 1500m event.  In the future, Alec plans to work as a RN somewhere in the west, and eventually go back to school to become a nurse practitioner.  A fun fact about Alec is that turned down guiding in Mongolia this summer so he could come back to Cascade!