Meet the Staff

Patrick grew up in Eagle, Idaho, but since graduating high school he has had the opportunity to live all around the country, including the White Mountains of New Hampshire and Yellowstone National Park. Patrick is a student at the University of Arizona in Tucson, AZ where he spends much of his time rock climbing and mountain biking. He also works as a trip guide for the Outdoor Recreation program leading trips for college students to the Grand Canyon, Zion National Park and many other awesome spots around the Southwest. Patrick first got into rafting by going down the Payette with family friends and guided trips. Since moving to Arizona, he has had the opportunity to take a few staff training trips down the Rio Grande and Salt River. This is Patrick’s first season working as a rafting guide, so he hopes to bring his energy and enthusiasm to Cascade Raft and Kayak!

Gary is a music loving outdoorsman. Specifically, he loves the river, and river songs. He grew up in a military family, not living in one place for long, though he considers Kentucky to be home. It’s where his Mama lives. Gary spent a long time in college playing rugby, worked in radio for an NPR-affiliate, and works now in wilderness therapy. His greatest accomplishment is probably having married up (in the 1-10 scale sense). His wife Siobian works in the cafe. It was she that suggested he join a training course for whitewater seven years ago, and he has loved the river ever since. He has guided in Tennessee, Utah and Nevada. This is his first year at Cascade. In the offseason, he and Siobian travel together, trying to see the world. There’s so much to see. “Oh, Eeyore, you are wet!” said Piglet, feeling him. Eeyore shook himself, and asked somebody to explain to Piglet what happened when you had been inside a river for quite a long time.” -A. A. Milne

Aidan’s hometown is Boston, MA. He loves to ski and hike in the offseason. He has been on the river for 5 years and it his first year with Cascade Raft & Kayak. He started kayaking at a summer camp in Maine. His favorite part about kayaking is the joy it gives him. Other than kayaking he loves to work on his van, and work in a metal shop making knives and sculptures. His future plans include studying outdoor education at the University of Sierra Nevada.

A third year guide, Collin is excited for his first year at Cascade and experiencing the Payette Rivers! Catching the whitewater bug after high school in Los Alamos, New Mexico, Collin fell in love with kayaking and then rafting. In between finishing his degree in Wildlife Biology at Texas Tech University he moved to Bozeman, Montana to guide his first two years. Recently graduated, Collin is hoping to be able to paddle all over the world and meet people from all over the globe and everything that makes the whitewater culture unique. When Collin isn’t kayaking or rafting he’s thinking about kayaking and where it can take him next.

Aron is from the small town of Kennebunk, Maine. She is a recent Idaho transplant and moved to the Gem State for the water after graduating with a B.S. in Community and International Development from the University of Vermont. Aron’s first multi-day canoe trip was at the age of two and she has been paddling whitewater for over 11 years with her family. She started guiding commercially in 2017 on the Kennebec River and this is her first season with Cascade Raft and Kayak. Her love of whitewater comes from the way the water moves under the boat and the serenity you find on the river. When she is not paddling you can find Aron teaching first grade, fishing, skiing, or running with her dog, Biden. A fun fact about Aron is that she had a paddle tattoo on her right leg!

Robert is from Louisville, Kentucky. In the off season he loves to snowshoe and ski whether it’s downhill or back country. This is Robert’s first season with Cascade. He fell in love with rafting the first time he went as a young kid and later became a raft guide. He loves rafting because of the beauty of the water and the enjoyment he gets from everyone he rafts with. When Robert’s not rafting he loves running around outside playing basketball, football, lacrosse, and frisbee. In the future Robert plans to sail everywhere and continue to be an avid supporter of The Pete Foundation changing the way society views mental health.

Sammi is west coast born and raised. From Portland, OR to Whistler, B.C., water has never been more than a bike ride away.  She is an avid geology nerd studying at Quest University Canada… because it Rocks! Constantly learning about the way the world interacts with and around her, Sammi is a passionate student in and outside of the classroom. She is starting her first season as a guide for Cascade and can’t wait to become fluid with the white water.  Powered by an epic force, gravity, Sammi is often high in the mountains of B.C. either mountain biking or snowboarding, sometimes both in the same day. She also enjoys opposing gravity as a rock climber and aerial artist. In the off season she will continue her schooling at Quest and hopes to one day become an organic farmer, giving back all that she takes from the land to help maintain a thriving ecosystem.

Adam was born and raised in Eden, Utah where his family owns and manages a local ski and bike shop. When not on the rivers he studies engineering at Weber State University while attempting to make time for his hobbies including, skiing swimming and rock climbing. Adam started guiding two summers ago as a fun job out of high school, but this will be his first season at Cascade. Adam’s inescapable love and respect for water drew him to be a guide, having spent thousands of hours in the pool, swimming and playing water polo, he couldn’t go without it. After college he aspires to be an aerospace/materials engineer while still spending as much time as possible in the rivers and outdoors.

Gabby comes from the land of Danville, California.  In the off season she can be found at the nearest mountain shredding the gnar or instructing ski lessons at Bogus.  When she isn’t at Bogus or Tamarack she is a full time student at Boise State, working on her major in marketing and minor in sustainability. This is her first year working at Cascade Raft and Kayak.  Her favorite part of her new job is getting to hang out with all the rad customers and capturing their reactions as they go through the gnarly rapids.  In her free time you can find her hanging out with friends, hiking, rollerblading the greenbelt, and doing pretty much doing anything outside.  Her accomplishments this year were passing all her college classes and skiing almost everyday this winter.  Gabby’s future consists of hopefully graduating college someday.

Cody is from Auburn, California a small town north of Sacramento. This is his first season with Cascade and is very excited about it. He has been on the river for his whole life but in the last few years has begun to kayak and raft. He started kayaking and rafting while attending Feather River College and had an immediate passion for both. He loves being on the river. There is something about the river that calms him and he loves seeing the smiles on people’s faces during and after the trip. He loves kayaking and rafting but in the offseason he loves to snow ski. Cody loves to travel and has been to four different countries. When he is not outside doing something he enjoys watching movies or hanging out with friends. He wants to become a firefighter in the future and hopes he can continue to be a raft guide.

Gus is from Winnemucca, Nevada though all his family now lives throughout Idaho. He is currently a graduate student at the University of Nevada, Las Vegas and upon graduation in the spring of 2019 aims to work in the hospitality industry. This is his first year with Cascade but he brings a lot of river experience from recreational trips he has taken in the past. Gus was introduced to rafting by his brother Shane, who is a fishing and raft guide for Cascade Raft & Kayak. Though he is new to guiding, Gus enjoys the outdoors and the insightful perspective that only outdoor recreation can offer. An alumnus of the University of Jamestown and former college football player, Gus enjoys various sports and exercise as well as student life.

Helen is an outdoor enthusiast from the headwaters of the Feather River in Northern California. During the off-season Helen enjoys backcountry skiing and rock climbing in her hometown, Quincy. At age five she found herself thrown into rapids on the American River with her family, and this led to a growing passion for whitewater. This is Helen’s first season as a guide with Cascade Raft & Kayak. She has been kayaking for two years and is eager to learn more. The river is a place of solitude and pure adventure to her, there is nothing quite like it in her eyes. Helen plans on graduating next year with her Associate’s degree in Outdoor Recreation and Leadership, using the skills she learns to continue running rivers around the world. When she is not on the water you can find her playing guitar, rock climbing or ready for the next adventure.

Hadley was born in Missoula, Montana but spent most of her childhood in the oceans, mountains, and deserts of San Diego, California. In the fall of 2017, she returned to her hometown to attend the University of Montana and further immerse herself in the things she loves, like camping, rivers, lakes, natural foods, music, hammocking, animals, and coffee! She is currently studying Parks, Tourism, and Recreation Management and hopes to pursue a career in conservation. Hadley is looking forward to summer on the river, doing some gardening at her parent’s house in Boise, experimenting in cooking with new recipes, and spending time with her family/friends and her dogs Poppy and Olive. She is excited to be joining the Cascade team and gain rafting experience!

Sophia is from a small town called Portola, California. When she is not on the river she is attending Feather River College pursuing her passion in Outdoor Recreation Leadership. She will graduate in one year, and after graduation she plans on traveling for a year or so and eventually going to a University. The program at FRC introduced her to a variety of recreation activities, including rafting, and she is honored to have the opportunity to work at Cascade Raft & Kayak for her first year raft guiding! The river, rafting, and kayaking all have a special place in her heart for countless reasons, but one of her favorites, besides the thrill and excitement, would have to be the view and surroundings you are fortunate enough to see when you are on the river. In her free time you could catch her rock climbing, hiking, riding her bike, or playing her guitar.

Originally from Southern California, Shane’s love for the river came about after joining the Outdoor Recreation Leadership program at Feather River College in 2016. This is Shane’s first year guiding with Cascade and his first summer outside of California! Other than riding wave trains, Shane’s favorite part of rafting is meeting new people and sharing an amazing experience with them. When he is not rafting or kayaking, Shane can be found rock climbing, mountain biking, riding moto, or skiing. In the fall, Shane is transferring to Fort Lewis College in Durango, Colorado to pursue a Bachelor’s degree in English and work for the school’s Outdoor Pursuits program.