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If you have a soft spot in your heart for rivers, then chances are Martin Litton is on your list of heroes. He first floated the Colorado River through the Grand Canyon in 1955—the 185th known person to follow in explorer John Wesley Powell’s footsteps. Not long after, he founded Grand Canyon Dories and has since led scores of trips on the Colorado. In 2004 he broke his own record becoming the oldest person to row the entire Grand Canyon at the age of 87.

Written by Lauren de Remer

O.A.R.S.' Marketing Communications Coordinator & Waterblogged Editor

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Stephen Kenney is one of our top river guides on the forks of the Salmon River, the Snake River through Hells Canyon and on the Colorado River (both in Cataract Canyon & the Grand Canyon). Considering his diverse boating capabilities, Kenney gets to enjoy a multitude of watersheds – the best the West has to offer in terms of alpine scenery and wild landscapes! He also has a big sense of humor, wide range of educational experience, and can occasionally be found dressed in women's apparel while cooking on the river. Get to know this well-educated, Kentucky native in our ninth episode of guide interviews!

Written by Lauren de Remer

O.A.R.S.' Marketing Communications Coordinator & Waterblogged Editor

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Natali Zollinger is one of our top river guides in Utah & Colorado. Working primarily in Dinosaur National Monument, she gets to enjoy the Yampa River, Green River through the Gates of Lodore, Split Mountain 1-day trips and many more! Zollinger has a spunky personality, mountains of geological knowledge, and sheer flower power on the river. Get to know this easy going Utah native in our eighth episode of guide interviews!

Written by Lauren de Remer

O.A.R.S.' Marketing Communications Coordinator & Waterblogged Editor

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There is perhaps no better way to experience the breathtaking scenery, abundant wildlife and geothermal wonders of Yellowstone and Grand Teton national parks than from the cockpit of a one- or two-person sea kayak. Even with no prior experience, this low-impact, non-technical, self-propelled craft requires only mild exertion and is perfectly suitable for first-time paddlers. The techniques are relatively simple and easy to learn and the sea kayak offers a welcome reprieve for hikers with weary knees. Sea kayaks also allow visitors to reach areas that would be otherwise inaccessible and serves as an excellent and unobtrusive platform for wildlife viewing.

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Written by Lauren de Remer

O.A.R.S.' Marketing Communications Coordinator & Waterblogged Editor

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A Lesson in Dutch Oven Cooking (#2)

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Vegetarian Lasagna

Written by Lauren de Remer

O.A.R.S.' Marketing Communications Coordinator & Waterblogged Editor

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It was a foggy night on the Tuolumne River, with average evening temperatures settling in the low 50s. We had decided to set up camp at Indian, just under a mile downriver from Powerhouse. My fellow rafting mates were finally asleep after a long night of sharing jokes by the campfire and enjoying a brewski (or three). I decided to hit the hay a bit earlier than them, along with my excuse to relax with a good book and the sounds of the river—too ashamed to admit how my angina occasionally controls my social decision-making.

I had been avoiding a trip to the groover for almost 15 minutes now, so slipped on my flip-flops and stumbled half asleep towards the eastern side of the beach. It had been a while since the others had gone to bed. The fire was lifeless and the wood had already turned to ash—or so I thought. As I was approaching it, I tripped on a huge pinecone and before I knew it, had seared my left forearm well and through. I let out a scream that sounded more like a shriek and our river guides came rushing out of their sleeping bags, headlamps glaring me in the face.

Written by Lauren de Remer

O.A.R.S.' Marketing Communications Coordinator & Waterblogged Editor

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Have you heard the one aboot the Canadian who migrated to California for the summer? That’s right, our California & Oregon regional manager has come down to foster the camaraderie of a tight California rafting guide crew and wow everyone with his off-the-charts Karaoke renditions of Sinatra. Avoiding the bitter cold each winter, James Rodger escapes to Patagonia to raft the wild Class V whitewater of the Futaleufu River. Having started river guiding in 1996, Rodger has worked for O.A.R.S. now for seven years. He loves to cook a variety of local, organic dishes and enjoys casting a fly rod into a river or stream on his days off. He is known for his friendly personality, can crack a joke in any crowd setting and takes pride in his Canadian heritage – still watching the Canadian news at night. Rodger has the confidence you want on a river trip; he is always happy to share his knowledge about a given area, and goes out of his way to make sure that our guests have a trip of a lifetime.

Written by Lauren de Remer

O.A.R.S.' Marketing Communications Coordinator & Waterblogged Editor

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After a career as a middle school match teacher, George Wendt, left Los Angeles, California with his wife Pam and found a home in Angels Camp. He wanted to focus more intimately on the whitewater rafting business he started in 1969, which was intended to be a weekend-only business but soon became a full time gig. As the founder and president of O.A.R.S. and recent recipient of the Adventure Travel Trade Association’s Lifetime Achievement Award, George is a true pioneer in the adventure travel industry.  His passion for running rivers was born in the 60s before the inception of his company, when he became one of the first 1,100 people to descend the seldom-traveled Colorado River through the Grand Canyon.  In the decades since, O.A.R.S. has set the industry standard for first-class rafting as well as environmentally and culturally responsible travel on over 35 rivers and coastlines worldwide. To date they’ve positively affected the lives of over 500,000 travelers and in 2008 and 2009 the company was recognized by National Geographic Adventure as “The Best River & Sea Outfitter on Earth” based on education, sustainability, quality of service, spirit of adventure and references.

Written by Lauren de Remer

O.A.R.S.' Marketing Communications Coordinator & Waterblogged Editor

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After a year of around-the-world travel, Tyra McCart-Swanson returned to California and found a home at the O.A.R.S. headquarters in Angels Camp. She's worked here for over five years now, and currently resides as the adventure consultant for Utah & Wyoming. Her favorite snack is chips & salsa, and she listens to a solid amount of bluegrass amongst many other genres in her collection. She is known for her boisterous energy and a loud, infectious laugh. She adores the people in this industry – including her fellow staff members and other O.A.R.S. guests. Throughout the week, Tyra can be found moonlighting as a bartender at the Murphy's Hotel. She likes to spend her free time outside the office donning outrageous costumes, climbing, skiing, refinishing furniture, thrift store shopping and cooking for her friends.

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Written by Lauren de Remer

O.A.R.S.' Marketing Communications Coordinator & Waterblogged Editor

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As I sit here at my desk preparing for a few days out of the office, thoughts of what I'm thankful for begin to flow into my head. "What does it mean to give thanks?" I ask myself. Is it a selfless, tangible deed that must be performed in order to merit appreciation? Is it gratitude or acknowledgement for another person that must be vocalized to bear value? I believe the best form of thanks is when it comes unsolicited, sometimes even unrecognized. Of  course I'm thankful for all the classic appreciations like good family, good health and good friends, but I've come to realize I'm thankful for more than that. I'm thankful for all the little joys of life, even ones that go unshared–because without them, life would be annoyingly predictable.

This time last year I managed to escape to Mexico for the holidays. As soon as my plane landed in Cabo San Lucas I made my way to La Paz and was enjoying grilled fish tacos and mojitos infused with cheap, watered-down liquor. After shaking hands with our local guides, I found myself — snorkel in mouth and mask on face — on a spontaneous 1-day tour of Isla Espiritu Santo. The skiff ride across the channel was bumpy to say the least, due to high winds and a storm heading our direction. It started to rain and soon I was left with a sore tailbone and soaked from head to toe. I was immediately regretting my seat choice when our guide suddenly proclaimed, "Mira!" It was a small pod of bottle-nosed dolphins. They rode our bow waves for the next 15 minutes while the captain allowed me to sit up front. Seeing the dolphins shifted my mood instantly, and I became a giddy five year-old on Christmas morning.

This year, it's those special moments I'm thankful for; those short-lived minutes of sheer happiness in between the grunt work, paying bills and routine errands. Such joyous experiences happen when you lose yourself for just a second or two. We try so hard  to have fun, and the reality is "they" come when we least expect it. We barely have time to acknowledge the fact that we are happy when, before we know it, it's gone.

Written by Lauren de Remer

O.A.R.S.' Marketing Communications Coordinator & Waterblogged Editor

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