Wilderness River Outfitters

Our Guides

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  Seth Tonsmeire, WRO Operations Manager

  Seth has grown up in the WRO business spending all his summers logging many river days on the Salmon River. Now, going on two hundred multi-day river trips and 12 years of guiding, he has dedicated himself to carrying on the WRO tradition of providing quality wilderness adventure in years to come. Seth spends most of his time rafting, kayaking, fishing, snowboarding/skiing, hiking, camping, and working on Hayden Creek Ranch in the winter. Seth graduated from Montana State University in 2008 with a degree in Geography and a minor in Native American Studies. Seth leads many of the WRO trips and works in Idaho, Montana, Alaska, and Canada. Seth looks forward to joining you on the river, and can be reached at seth@wildernessriver.com or 406.579.8677.

• 
  Amy Tonsmeire

  Amy spent all her summers growing up on the Salmon as well. Hooked at the age of 15, she has been guiding for WRO for 12 years and still can’t get enough. She knows the ins and outs of WRO, both on the river and in the office. She is a graduate from Montana State University in graphic design and business. In the off season she does freelance design, works with variety of non-profit organizations, is on the Board of Directors with the Salmon Arts Council, and is studying to obtain her HERS Energy Rater Certification. Her passions are for snowboarding, kayaking and most recently Stand Up Paddle Boarding. She is enthusiastic and loves sharing a good time with others. Amy guides in Idaho, Montana, Alaska and Canada. She can be reached at amy.tonsmeire@gmail.com or 208 940-0320.

• 
  Joe Biby

  Joe hales from Kalispell, Montana where he lives with his amazing wife, Anne. Joe has been a lead guide with WRO for almost 15 years and has the stories to prove it. His knowledge of river ecology is outstanding, as he was a professor of Biology at Montana State University. Western Montana has been his backyard since he was a kid and he knows the Bob Marshal Wilderness complex and Glacier National Park like the back of his hand. Joe posesses a love and fascination for remote river canyons and adventure that you can’t help but catch. He has explored the rivers and trails of Montana his entire life, but he has a special place in his heart for the wilds of Alaska. Joe guides trips in Idaho, Montana, Alaska and Canada.

• 
  Henry Munter

  Henry is an Idaho native growing up in Ketchum, ID and kayaking and rafting at an early age. Henry joined WRO in 2007, but has been hooked on whitewater most of his life. Henry’s kayaking adventures have led him to many different places around the world: Madagascar, Peru, Nepal, Mexico, Ecuador, Bhutan, and not too mention many US rivers. Henry is now living in Alaska and guiding both heli-skiing out of Girdwood Alaska and mountaineering climbs up Mt. McKinnely. Henry has a BA in English Literature. He is always a pleasure to spend time with and is a wealth of knowledge in many subjects you’d never guess.

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  Matt Westfall

  Matt Westfall is a Salmon River local, growing up skiing and kayaking in the Salmon River Basin all of his life. Matt has a biology degree from University of Idaho, is a great photographer, and is skilled in video producing and editing. Matt has been working with WRO for several years and is a solid boater on all of technical stretches we offer. He is a hard worker, great boatman, good cook, a pleasure to be with, and can brew a mean cup of coffee. Matt now lives in Missoula, Montana with his girlfriend Kristen. If you are trying to catch him this winter, you can find him at Lost Trail carving up the powder.

• 
  Ryan Casey

  Ryan Casey is no stranger to Idaho whitewater and river trips! Ryan grew up in the Wood River Valley of Idaho near Sun Valley, and then moved to Colorado to attend Rocky Mountain High School. He attended University of Vermont on a Nordic Skiing scholarship, where he received a degree in Food Science with a focus in Sports Nutrition. Ryan has been an avid kayaker most of his life chasing rivers around the globe. His kayaking adventures have led him to places like Madagascar, Russia, Canada, Norway, Peru, Ecuador, Mexico, France, and not to mention many rivers across the US. Ryan spent 10 years raft guiding on the Salmon River near Stanley, Idaho. Ryan also teaches swiftwater rescue courses with Rapid Action Rescue. With over 20 years of playing and working on the river, he has un-paralleled whitewater experience! Ryan spends his winters ski patrolling at Sun Valley Ski Resort in Idaho, with this other job comes high levels of Outdoor Emergency Care. It’s easy to pick out who Ryan is because he probably the only person around that is nearly 7 feet tall!

   

• 
  Shane Moser

  Shane is from the Palouse region in Northern Idaho. He has been guiding in Idaho for 12 years and has run rafts on some of the most challenging technical runs in Idaho and Montana. Shane is one of the nicest guys you have ever met and makes a great addition to our team. Shane has an engineering degree from Idaho State University. Some of his preferred hobbies include powder skiing, steelheading, whitetail and turkey hunting and just good old-fashioned exploration. His favorite is enjoying Idaho’s great spring whitewater. Shane guides for WRO in Idaho and Montana.

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  John Griffith

  John has been guiding on rivers throughout the Northwest for well over 25 years. He worked in Grand Canyon Colorado in the good ole days and has great stories from when the Grand was running a hundred thousand CFS, which never happens anymore. The Griffith family has been long time friends of the Tonsmeires and John has been involved with many great adventures with WRO over the years. John lives in Ketchum, Idaho with his wife Jini.  He spends much of his time playing hockey, skiing, managing property, looking at maps and becoming a Google Earth genius. His great dry sense of humor and his rich rafting career makes him a great guide to spend time with on the river. John guides in Idaho, Alaska and Canada.

• 
  Brent Leavell

  Brent has been guiding WRO trips in the backcountry for over 20 years and has been a lead guide on every river we offer. Brent is a kid at heart and brings a fun-loving carefree aspect to our crew. Brent has also owned his own import business and currently is part owner of a retail shop in Bali, where he has spent many years enjoying the rich cultural setting and landscape. He enjoys telemark skiing, hiking, biking, and traveling the world. Brent is a pleasure to be with on a trip – he is easy going and fun loving with a smile that never quits. Brent guides in Idaho, Montana, and Alaska.

• 
  Gary Power

  Gary lives here in Salmon, Idaho. In his prior life, he was a biologist for the Idaho Fish and Game and now serves on the IF&G Commisioners Board. He is an expert on the wolf and sheep population in the Central Idaho Wilderness and knows the history of these canyons better than anyone else. In his spare time he enjoys horsepacking into the backcountry with his wife, Tam. Gary is a lead guide on both the Middle Fork and Main Salmon Rivers.