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  Joe
Tonsmeire fell in love with rivers 40 years ago and
together
Joe and Fran started Wilderness River Outfitters in 1972
to offer folks a quality outdoor adventures with an
emphasis on the wilderness experience. 37 years later, WRO is still
providing the highest quality adventures into pristine
wilderness areas. Joe loved the outdoors and devoted his
life to sharing his love of the wilderness to all those
who joined him on the river or trail. Since Joe's death
in 2007, Fran, Amy, and Seth carry on this commitment to
all those who travel with them.
There are a number of ingredients we feel are very important to offering the best adventure vacation...relaxed atmosphere, seasoned guides, new and exciting challenges, diversified and flexible activities, and a commitment to safety.
Participation in every facet of the trip is encouraged
and welcomed, but is optional. If you want to sit back
and enjoy the scenery, or go for a hike while we cook,
that's great! Or if you've got a great recipe and want
to try your hand at cooking on an open fire, we'd love
to have you show us something new! We want everyone
to feel at home on a WRO trip. If you've felt a distance
between guest and guide on other trips, you'll be amazed
by how WRO trips feel like a bunch of old friends getting
together!
We feel most people enjoy a little physical challenge. Whether it's just the new experience of camping, or learning to paddle through a rapid, rappelling a rock face, or making it to the top of the ridge, there is a definite thrill in facing and meeting that challenge, and we enjoy providing the opportunity. We try to let the interests of the group decide the flow of activities. We are there to help you explore, appreciate and enjoy every aspect of the environment that surrounds us...the mountains, streams, birds, flowers, rocks, hiking, fishing, biking, backpacking etc.
WRO guides all share Joe's sense of fun and adventure and want to give you the best trip of your life. Our guides love their work and being in the outdoors with people who want to experience all aspects of a wilderness adventure. They are there not just as a guide, but as friend and educator in the ways of the wilderness. On our trips, at least one guide is always available to accompany guests on side excursions - whether it's a hike up to Castle Lake or fishing along Sabe Creek's clear, cold water or just to relax around the campfire and talk over the day's events. "Meet a few of them."
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Seth
Tonsmeire, WRO Operations Manager, has grown up in
the WRO business having first run the Main Salmon at age one. Going on close to
two hundred multi-day river trips, growing up in the
WRO tradition, have both prepared him for carrying
on the tradition of providing quality wilderness
adventure in years to come. Seth leads many of the
WRO trips and works in Idaho, Montana, Alaska, and
Canada. Growing up on the river has led to Seth
living a very outdoor based lifestyle, spending
most of his time rafting, kayaking, fishing,
snowboarding/skiing, hiking, camping, and even some
outdoor ranch work in the wintertime. Seth
Graduated from Montana State University in 2008 with
a degree in Geography and a minor in Native American
Studies. Maybe not that useful in the “real job
world,” but this degree goes along pretty well with
being a raft guide. Seth looks forward to joining
you on the river, and can be reached at
seth@wildernessriver.com
or (800) 252-6581. |
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Amy Tonsmeire did her first
river trip at age 3. Amy has logged many a river day
since then. She knows the ins and out of WRO, both on
the river and in the office. She is
a graduate in graphic design from Montana State
University. Naturally, she does all of our trip
information sheets and newsletters. She's on
the Board of Director with the Salmon Arts Council
and works with the Salmon Valley Stewardship part
time. Her passion is for snowboarding, kayaking and
most recently steelhead fishing.
She is enthusiastic and loves sharing a good time with
others. Amy guides in Idaho, Montana and Alaska. She
can be reached at
amy.tonsmeire@gmail.com
or 208 940-0532 |
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 Brent Leavell has been guiding
trips in the backcountry for us over 18 years so he
is very familiar with all aspects of WRO river trips.
He enjoys telemark skiing, hiking, biking, and traveling
the world but has a passion for Alaska. 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.
Kelly Rinck has been guiding
with WRO for the past three seasons, but many years
prior day guiding gives her lots of experience. Kelly
is currently attending the University of Montana where
she is finishing up a nursing degree. When Kelly is
not in the classroom or working there is no telling
where she may be, possibly traveling the world kayaking
with friends. Kelly is also a pleasure to be around.
 Joe Biby lives in Bigfork,
Montana and has explored the rivers and trails of Northwest
Montana for many years. His knowledge of river ecology
is outstanding, and he's great fun around the camp fire.
Joe's easy-going personality brings a relaxed feeling
to every trip he's on. Joe has been with WRO for 6 years
and guides on all of our trips in Idaho, Montana and
Alaska.
| 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.
Matt has been working with WRO for the past couple
of season and is a valued guide. 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 Hamilton, Montana with his girlfriend
Kristen. Matt also makes movies of skiing, kayaking,
and rafting in his spare time. He will be
skiing as much as possible at Lost Trail this
winter. |
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 Jessie Thiel
has been guiding with WRO for five seasons but she is a
raft-guiding veteran with more than sixty trips down the
Middle Fork of the Salmon. In the winter Jessie works
with the Idaho Fish and Game as a Wildlife Technician,
counting and tagging deer and elk.
Jessie is always good for a story of tackling wild
animals or searching for a fresh game kill. She is
a born leader and leads trips on the Main Salmon and
Middle Fork Salmon Rivers in Idaho. She also
guides on the South Fork and Middle Fork of the Flathead
Rivers in Montana.
John Griffith
has been guiding and rivers for well over 25 years.
He worked in Grand Canyon in the good old days.
He has good stories from when the Grand was
running a hundred thousand CFS, which never happens
anymore. The Griffith family have been long time
friends of the Tonsmeires. John has been involved
with many great adventures with WRO. John lives in
Ketchum Idaho with his wife Jini. John spends
much of his time playing hockey, skiing, working as
a handy man, looking at maps and playing on Google
Earth. John has a great dry sense of humor and his
rafting history makes him a great guide to spend
time with on the river. John guides some in Idaho,
but most of his WRO trips are in Alaska and Canada. |
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Henry Munter
is an Idaho Native and was definitely raised with an
outdoor influence. Henry first joined WRO in 2007,
but has been involved with whitewater most of his
life. Henry’s whitewater 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 will be guiding heli-skiing out of
Girdwood Alaska. Henry is always a pleasure to
spend time with and is a wealth of knowledge in many
subjects. |
Gary Power lives here in Salmon,
Idaho. In his prior life, he was a biologist for the
Idaho Fish and Game Commission. He is an expert on the
wolf and sheep population in the Central Idaho Wilderness.
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.
Bill Blackadar
was born and raised in Salmon, Idaho, a true local.
Bill is a grandson of the whitewater pioneer Walt
Blackadar, also of Salmon. Walt was the first to
run Turnback Canyon on the Upper Alsek and did it
alone. Walt played a major role in Joe Tonsmeire
exploring some of the rivers that WRO offers
commercially today. To have later generations of
Tonsmeires and Blackadars working together today is
destiny. While not on the river, Bill
attends Boise State University majoring in
Environmental Studies. Bill has worked on the
Middle Fork of the Salmon for many years as well as
having boated on many other rivers, bringing veteran experience
with him. He spends much
of his spare time kayaking, steelhead fishing,
playing hockey, snowboarding, welding, and working
on his family’s ranch. |
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Shane Moser is
an Idaho native from the Palouse region in Northern
Idaho. He has been guiding out of Salmon for 10
years now, much of it spent on the Middle Fork and
Main Salmon. He loves everything about outdoor
Idaho. 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. Now that Shane has the official degree
from University of Idaho in Engineering he is
excited to devote more time to outdoor
recreating. Shane guides for WRO in Idaho and
Montana, and looks forward to see you on the river. |
Mark O'Green has been
working with WRO for the
past four seasons. Mark
brings a fun and positive attitude to the bunch. With a
degree in hotel and restaurant management, he brings
some great cooking skills to the fire as well. In the
winter Mark lives near Salt Lake City where he is a ski
patroller at Solitude. When not working he is probably
out on the hill. He also enjoys hiking and kayaking in
the summer.&
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