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Bearpaw River Guides are true River People. We are the type of people who
spend our free time at the river kayaking, paddling, swimming, or just
watching the water roll on by.
For us a day of "work" river guiding on the
Lochsa can be as much fun as a day out paddling with friends. We take our
river fun seriously! With a wide variety of interests and areas of
expertise, there are many ways that Bearpaw guides will engage you.
We love what we do and are excited about sharing this with you.
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Shannon Hilliard |
Shannon immersed herself in the world of river rats when her
dad introduced her to whitewater at age 8. She began her guiding
career in 1997 on the Salmon River and had her first commercial
flip in 2003 on the Lochsa River in Termination Rapid. It was
a great opportunity to put those mid-river recovery skills to
use and give her gung-ho clients the ride of a lifetime in the
process!
Shannon also enjoys telemark skiing, playing cards into the
wee hours of the morning, swing-dancing, and soaking in a hot
spring at the end of a long day. She has a B.S. in Recreation
Therapy and, like many college graduates, holds a day-job that
has little to do with her degree. She works full-time at the
Rocky Mountain Elk Foundation in Missoula, Montana pursuing
another of her passions...conservation.
When spring arrives, her spare time is devoted to whitewater.
Top three river trips: The Colorado River through the Grand
Canyon, The Lower Gorge of the Salmon River in July, and day-trips
on the Lochsa. |
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Mike "Whitewater" Walker |
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Justin Walsh |
I was born in Salt Lake City, Utah, in the winter of 1971 and
spent my childhood weekends enjoying the outdoors with my family.
It was not until I started river guiding in 1993, during the
summers of my college years, that I found that I have a great
love of rivers and enjoy sharing river experiences with others.
This love has taken me through the beautiful desert canyons
of Utah, up to the wild glacial rivers of Alaska, and down through
the abundant white-water of Idaho rivers.
When you come up to do a trip on the Lochsa, I recommend bringing
a festive "party shirt" to wear in camp and a snorkeling mask
so that you can go swimming and see what a river looks like
from the inside out! |
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William Malone |
 Howdy
folks William "road shark" Malone here! I was raised
by my mom in mid coast Maine, but have been calling western
Montana home since 1994. I am passionate about the outdoors
and love being able to share this with others! I also film river
trips so clients can have a video record of their experiences!
In addition to the awesome white water, we also like to give
our guests a memorable dining experience. I look forward to
bringing some new and exciting things to the "Bearpaw menu"
this season! |
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Steve Wassmuth |
Being raised in a family of nine children we often had to entertain
ourselves. I cannot remember ever going to the movies as a child
except for when the local Chamber of Commerce offered a free
one right before Christmas so the parents could do some last
minute shopping while their children were watching the movie.
Our entertainment consisted of sledding in the winter, bike
rides to the nearby mountains in the spring, inner tubing and
fishing in the local streams and rivers during the summer, and
then hiking and hunting in the fall. As I look at what I enjoy
to do now in my free time I realize that things have not changed
much except for the fact that I have missed the free matinees
the last couple of years.
Hi, my name is Steve Wassmuth and I was born and raised here
in North Central Idaho. I graduated from High School in 1972
and then attended a Vo-Tech program where I received a degree
in auto mechanics. I turned to wrenches for a number of years
and then had an assortment of jobs that included being a parts
man, a big game hunting guide, carpenter, managed a ski rental
shop, a volunteer ski patroller, and even was Mr. Mom for a
number of years. In 1990 I returned to college to acquire an
elementary teaching degree. After four years I graduated and
the first job in education I had was working for my wife in
the special education department. Since then, I have taught
second grade, fourth grade, and am currently teaching fifth
grade. Having the summers free from my real job enables me to
do what I enjoy very much, that being showing people "my backyard".
For the past twenty summers I have worked as a river guide on
the Snake, Salmon, and Lochsa rivers. I feel very fortunate
to live where I do and to be able to have such an enjoyable
summer job. I am able to meet interesting people from all over
the world and I don't even have to leave Idaho.
My wife Lynnel and I have three children, Brandi is in college,
Neal is in high school, and Austin is in Jr. High. We all enjoy
activities outdoors and we also did something this winter together
for the first time, we went to the movies as a family. |
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Keri Cummings |
Keri here! I was born and raised in Ohio and grew up as
one of the best bb-gun markswomen in the area. I could
shoot the center out of a penny at 50 yards! Later in
my life, I was in college going after my degrees in psychology
and sociology while working as a river guide on the Gauley
River of west Virginia (By Gowd!). A short time afterthat
I quit grad school and fell in love with the West, where
I have been ever since. I have been guiding in Montana,
Idaho, Washington, and Oregon.
Being a River-Rat and a Ski-Bum can be a hard life
to lead... It is only feasable if your life is not full
of greed. It is a life of being surrounded by nature
and a life fueled by pure-grade adrenaline. My dreams
continue to be discovered... In one year I will be a
Waldorf teacher. I will never forget for one second
just how quickly the river will teach and humble a person...
My advise: seperate yourself from the remote control
and DO MORE WHITEWATER! |
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Claire Yauck |
Hi! I work on the office side of Bearpaw, and I love both paddling and cheering from the shore on the rocks. I grew up exploring my ranch and taking in the landlocked Texas Panhandle, and never imagined I would be rafting the fantastic Lochsa River. While I love the excitement of the day trips, I prefer our two-day trips, because more time is spent enjoying our great camp at Riley Flats.
I am a recent graduate from Colorado State University with a degree in Communication and Public Affairs and would love to chat with you about the exhilarating Lochsa River rapids and wonderful Lochsa River canyon. |
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Mike Wassmuth |
 Mike
has been a licensed river guide since 1983. Spending as
much time on the rivers as possible is a goal for each
summer. Working full time for Agilent Technologies as
a Thermographer and Failure Analysis Technician puts some
restrictions on his river time, but he still gets out
around forty days a year. Making new friends and sharing
time on the water is what brings Mike back each year.
When not guiding on the rivers, Mike spends much of
his time fishing . His favorite trip is an October steelhead-fishing
trip down the lower stretch of the Salmon River. In
July you can find Mike fishing for small mouth bass
on the Grande Ronde River in Washington.
Growing up in Grangeville, Idaho exposed Mike to the
wonderful outdoors, which he still enjoys very much.
Some of Mike other hobbies include black powder hunting,
basketball and GeoCaching and spending time with his
family.
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| Adam Montgomery |
I grew up in New Hampshire then went to college in PA. I tried a "real job" after college but only made it about 6 months before I decided sitting at a desk all day was not for me. My roomate from college suggested I move to Maine to be a raft guide with him for the summer - I havent looked back. I rafted on the cold Kennebec and Dead Rivers in Maine. Then, I moved to Missoula in the spring of '06 to work for Bearpaw on the Lochsa and have been doing that ever since.
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