Idaho Fly Fishing & Whitewater Rafting Guides

Charles Baker

Charles is a native of Salmon, Idaho, and has spent two summers with us working the sweep boat. He's currently finishing up his degree in K-12 Physical Education/Biology at the University of Montana Western. When he's not on the river or in class, Charles loves spending time on his family's ranch at Poison Creek. "You make a special bond with the river every time you run it," Charles said. "Every trip is different, and I am never bored or tired of looking at some of the most beautiful country Idaho has to offer."

Craig McCallum

Craig spent the summers and falls of his childhood in the Middle Fork basin, racing horses and fishing the high mountain lakes in the Sheepeater Range. After a few years in Alaska, Craig returned to Salmon, where he runs a bakery with his wife Jessica. He's run over 100 trips on the Middle Fork. "In my 30 years, I've been within a half a day's walk of every place in the Frank Church Wilderness," Craig said, "all in the guise of guiding. Guiding has been an education that never ends. The knowledge I've gained from my guests, the savvy I've gleaned from my outfitters and fellow guides who have spent a lifetime in the great outdoors have given me the ability and confidence to get on in the world outside."

Daniel (Dano) Hawley

Daniel's a 4th generation Idaho boy; his family came to Idaho as pioneer settlers­one great grandfather, James Hawley, was the federal territorial prosecutor and the other, Daniel Harrington, was a well known frontier guide and Indian fighter. He's been guiding since 1972, and has run many Idaho rivers in his days. In the winter, Daniel's a heli-ski guide in Sun Valley, and also does avalanche control work. "The best thing about guiding all these years are all the fantastic people I get to share the river," Daniel said. "I love seeing little kids grow up and come back with their own kids."

Mike Gehrman

Mike grew up along Oregon's McKenzie River, and built his first drift boat at age 11. "My father liked to brag that he wouldn't honor my high School diploma unless I could get him from Paradise to Leaburg Lake on the McKenzie without getting any water in the boat," Mike recalled. He began guiding on the McKenzie in 1967, and Rogue in 1969, and later set up WyEast Expeditions, which leads school field trips where the kids get to paddle and learn life sciences and history; he takes nearly 2000 kids out each year. He did his first Middle Fork float in 1977, and has been back ever since. During the Lewis and Clark Bicentennial, Craig conducted trips with a big canoe he built that followed the Lewis and Clark expedition route on the Lower Columbia River to Fort Clatsop.

Bill Blackadar

2011 will be Bill's 10th year working on the Middle Fork, though he's been on the river since the ripe age of 10, having grown up alongside the Salmon and Lemhi Rivers. His grandfather Walt was a celebrated whitewater kayaker - in fact, he helped create the sport! A graduate from Boise State University, Bill enjoys kayaking and rafting, steelhead fishing, playing ice hockey and snowboarding when he's not at the oars. In the winter, he works at the bakery in Salmon with Craig McCallum. I enjoy sharing these and other stories with fellow river comrades as well as hearing their stories. Cheers to the stories yet made.

Adam Grogan

Adam hails from Maine (which, he insists, grows the world's best potatoes) and started guiding raft trips in the Pine Tree State after finishing high school. He moved to Montana a few years later and split his time between guiding rafters on the Cataract Canyon of the Colorado River and anglers on the Upper Middle Fork of the Flathead River in the Great Bear/Bob Marshall Wilderness for west slope cutthroat fishing. He's been guiding fishermen on the Middle Fork since 2008. In the fall, Adam's a big game hunting guide in the Bob Marshall Wilderness; in the winter, he operates a snow cat for the Whitefish Mountain Resort. Adam enjoys downhill skiing and touring the back country, hunting mountain lions, elk, and deer, and taking river trips with his family, which includes two dogs, nine chickens, and one lovely girlfriend.

Roger Goth

Roger was born in Grants Pass, Oregon, near the Rogue River where he got his start in boating. "I learned to row from my dad on calmer sections of the river during our weekend fishing trips," Roger recalled. "I was fortunate to tag along with my dad on the Middle Fork when I was a teenager, and got a small taste of what guiding was like. I never looked back." This will be Roger's 21st summer as a river guide, on rivers ranging from the Grand Canyon to the North Umpqua to the Middle Fork. Roger received a BS in Environmental Studies from the University of Oregon and an MS in Deaf Education from Western Oregon University. In the off-season, he teaches Deaf and Hard of Hearing Students in Eugene.

Zeke Smith

Zeke was born and raised just a few miles from the continental divide near the Tower Creek Pyramids in Salmon, Idaho. He began fishing and rafting on the Salmon River in the early 1980's, mentored by Salmon River legend Jack Smith. After career adventures which included fire fighting and construction, Zeke is very pleased to call the Middle Fork his "office." During the winter months he is a free style ski coach at Lost Trail Ski Area and a subcontractor in Salmon. Zeke and his wife have two daughters, and the family enjoys kayaking, soaking in hot springs, hiking, skiing, camping, ice hockey, boating, and, of course, fishing.

Gary Power

Gary has dedicated his life to maintaining the wildlife resources of Idaho. He had 28 year career he worked as a conservation officer, wildlife biologist, and in upper level management the Idaho Fish and Game Department, and has served on the Idaho Fish and Game Commission since 2004. His time spent in the back country helped hone his skills as a boater and horseman, and he began guiding in 2001­though his first float on the Middle Fork was in 1973. "I have been extremely fortunate to have spent the majority of my life working with the fish and wildlife resources in Idaho, especially within the Frank Church River of No Return Wilderness," Gary said. "It is a great pleasure to introduce people from around the world to the Middle Fork, a place I consider as home."

Leslie Blank

Leslie grew up on the river--her Dad was a kayak racer. She began rafting as a guide in 1983 in Moab, Utah, and since that time has spent most of her summers on the river as a guide and/or safely kayaker. She's worked in Utah, Colorado, NY, West Virginia, and Idaho. During the winters she teaches skiing and snowboarding in Utah – and is an avid potter. "I am immensely fortunate that my life is about sharing my passions in the outdoors with others," she said. "I get to spend my working life with people who are all on their vacations!"

Tom Tremain

2011 will be Tom's 31st year of guiding on the Middle Fork and other whitewater rivers throughout the west. "I never thought I would end up doing it this long," Tom said. "I just never found anything I wanted to do instead." In the off-season, Tom works as a registered nurse in Salmon, Idaho, and enjoys hunting and fishing. He also likes to brew beer.

Daniela Wolters

Daniela returns to the Solitude family of guides after taking nine years off to start a family and pursue local business opportunities. Daniela fell in love with the river after her first trip with us in 1999 and hasn't missed a year on the Middle Fork since. Having spent time as a D1 basketball player, she still enjoys local pick-up games and occasionally plays in some just-for-fun tournaments. In the off-season, she keeps herself busy with a variety of engagements including property management, coaching and providing HR services for the Salmon School District. Most importantly she enjoys spending time with her two amazing children in the beautiful Salmon River Valley and surrounding area.

James Thomson

James planned on pursing a Masters degree in Land Use Planning after graduating from Southern Oregon University­but his love for the outdoors won out. Instead of working behind a desk, he's made a life of what he liked best already doing, boating, fishing, skiing and taking photos. He splits his time between Idaho (summer), Oregon (fall) and Jackson, Wyoming (winter). 2011 will mark his 30th season working on whitewater rivers in rafts, kayaks, drift boats, and sweep boats. River he works include the California Salmon, Upper Klamath, Rogue, and of course, the Middle Fork.