Guide: Karoline Woodhead

Years spent guiding: 7

Favorite regional river: Salmon River

When you find something you love in the outdoors, it’s a joy to share it with others. Karoline Woodhead started her rafting career at age 17 which gave her a chance to share her love of rivers. “My favorite thing about guiding is introducing people to new, wild places that I care about and watching them fall in love with them,” she says.

Woodhead started out working as a “swamper” on the Middle Fork of the Salmon River, helping guides set up camp on multi-day raft trips. She progressed to leading half-day trips on the Payette River just outside of her hometown of Boise, Idaho. She was then drawn to ROW Adventures because of the many rivers that they run, and the relationships that they promote between the guests, guides, and the wilderness they recreate in. This will be her second season with ROW.

Last season, when the Covid-19 pandemic broke out, guiding brought Woodhead a small sense of normalcy and peace in a difficult year. “River guiding last season was different than normal years, especially knowing that we were coming in contact with guides and guests from all around the country,” she says. Guides adopted extra precautions like mask wearing, cleaning regimens, and social distancing both on and off the river, Woodhead explains. “Even with the changes, I never felt like the experiences or memories of the river were affected.”

This season, Woodhead looks forward to guiding new rivers, taking on new leadership positions, and continuing to hone her skill of gear packing.

Guide: Tom Scarborough

Years spent guiding: 19

Favorite regional river: The Rouge

For Tom Scarborough, whichever river he’s currently rafting is his favorite. This seems a suitable answer for a seasoned river rat.  Following his guide training in 2002, Scarborough has worked as a regular guide, a returning guide leading trips, the manager of the Middle Fork of the Salmon, and is in his 11^th season of managing ROW’s Rouge River outpost.

Scarborough’s favorite thing about guiding river trips is the simple clarity that comes from connecting with nature, both for himself and his guests. “[There’s] the feeling of living at the river’s pace, and being in the moment. I can forget the rest of the world for a little while,” he says. “What goes hand-in-hand with that is the disconnection from the now commonplace connection of email, phone, Internet, and the modern distractions that they create. On a river trip you get to slow down and interact with people the old-fashioned way, face to face.”

That face-to-face interaction was of course a bit different on the river in 2020. Last spring, when the pandemic broke out, Scarborough says everyone was quite nervous, not knowing if the things they were doing to contain the virus would be enough. With the introduction of vaccinations and an increased knowledge about the virus, he is feeling hopeful and better prepared for the 2021 season, though he says he knows it will be important to stay vigilant in the outdoor industry.

“People have seemed very appreciative to have a safer, outdoor vacation to participate in,” says Scarborough of the previous season amongst COVID. “We get to be part of making memories for our guests, and with the in-real-life experiences we take people on being harder to come by, we are helping to ground and connect people a bit more than they have been in a while.”

This season, Scarborough looks forward to building a new crew of river guides and working as a team to bring people those authentic experiences. His favorite part of being a ROW manager is that he gets to teach, mentor, and also participate on the crew trips.

Guide: Kim Cunningham

Years spent guiding: 5

Favorite regional river: St. Joe River

After hearing the story of Kim Cunningham’s first rafting trip, you might not assume she’d end up working as a guide. In November 2016 Cunningham embarked on the Yaak river in Northwest Montana with some friends. She wore mismatched and borrowed cold weather gear and didn’t exactly know what she was in for. As her friends approached a large rapid they planned to portage, they hit a bump and Cunningham flew out of the boat.

“I managed to have my first swim on my very first day of rafting above a big rapid in one of the coldest water temps I have rafted in less than optimal gear, and somehow I still loved it enough to decide to become a river guide,” she says.

Cunningham lives and teaches in Coeur d’Alene, Idaho, which puts her at convenient proximity to her favorite river, the St. Joe. She is starting her fifth season with ROW Adventures and has led guided trips all over Idaho. “I love getting to see people experience the river and push themselves to try new things,” she says. “The most challenging thing is managing groups with varying levels of river experience to make sure everyone has fun at their own level and pace.” Last season, there was the extra duty of managing the social dynamics of the trip while maintaining social distance. Kim continued to encourage guests to get to know one another and have fun.

In 2021 she looks forward to traveling more and is eager to grow as a boater and learn the technical rapids of the Middle Fork in her second season on the Salmon River.

Lisa Laughlin is a freelance writer living in Spokane. She enjoys paddleboarding, trail running, and backpacking. She wrote about hiking Beezley Hill in the Nov.-Dec. 2020 issue of Out There.

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For over four decades, ROW Adventures has been leading people on guided outdoor adventures here in the Inland Northwest and around the world. While the Coeur d’Alene-based company is most well-known locally for guided whitewater trips, ROW recently started offering fully-guided bike tours here in the Inland Northwest.

This new service includes several options for multi-day bike tours on trails like the Trail of the Coeur d’Alenes with the potential to link up to the Route of the Hiawatha and other North Idaho rail trail routes. These new tours will no-doubt be a hit with cyclists from around the world looking to explore the region’s truly world-class rail trail network, but they are also a great option for local cyclists who may not be comfortable with a self-supported multi-day bike tour.

Some of the biggest challenges for any DIY bike tour are the shuttle and having to haul all your own gear. ROW’s guided trips include meal stops, a sag wagon (van) providing support if riders need it, and comfortable hotel lodging each night. The tours also come with knowledgeable guides who can help you learn about the places you’re pedaling past, and is a great option for people who want to focus on the ride and get a good night’s rest each night.

Check out all of ROW’s bike tour options, including the Bitterroot Bonanza that includes biking, rafting, and kayaking in the same week, at Rowadventures.com/biking.

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Congratulations to Coeur d’Alene’s ROW Adventures. Here’s the details in a press release:

COEUR D’ALENE, Idaho- On March 30th, President Obama signed the Public Lands Omnibus Bill into law, protecting 517,000 acres and 315 miles of Wild and Scenic Rivers on the Owyhee River and canyons. With this news, Outside magazine has awarded ROW Adventures’ Owyhee Expeditionary Kayak Trip the 2009 “Trip of the Year: North America.”

Speaking of the signing of the bill, Rick Johnson, the director of the Idaho Conservation League explains, “…I was in the White House and watched President Barack Obama designate the first new wilderness for Idaho in 29 years. It was an extraordinary moment and an extraordinary culmination to years of work by many, many people.” This act will allow protection for Idaho wildlife such as: bighorn sheep, sage grouse, redband trout, river otters, mule deer, mountain lions and more. Now, one of the only ways to receive a guided experience of this area is with ROW Adventures and the 2009 Trip of the Year: North America on the Owyhee Expeditionary Kayak Trip.

ROW Adventure’s very first outfitted trip was conducted on the Owyhee River back in 1980. Founder Peter Grubb has been involved with the protection of the river since that time. Grubb states, “In 1988 we celebrated the passage of the Omnibus Oregon Wild and Scenic Rivers Act that designated protection for 40 Oregon Rivers including the Owyhee. But this left the upper reaches of the river in Idaho at continued risk. It is with great happiness that today we can also celebrate the protection of the Idaho section, along with several important tributaries and the Jarbidge and Bruneau rivers.”

The Owyhee River Expeditionary Kayak Trip consists of 7 days spreading across 50-80 miles of river. The put-in is on the headwaters of either the South or East Forks of the river, around 5000′ elevation in northern Nevada. Due to the numerous rapids and narrow, rocky courses, ROW Adventures uses a small 13′ raft to carry the community camp equipment, and each person paddles their own inflatable kayak called “duckies” along with their own personal gear.

Grubb states “Our mission of “Sharing Nature – Enriching Lives” remains our focus and it is gratifying to be recognized by Outside magazine as the 2009 Trip of the Year: North America. I’m partial but I think they (Outside) got it right. This kayak trip is perfect for the adventure traveler who is looking to experience an untouched world and learn of its beauty and history, while truly getting away from it all, and now that it’s the nation’s newest protected area, it only makes the trip that more special.”

To learn more about ROW Adventures and the 2009 Trip of the Year: North America, please visit online at: ROWadventures.com or call 800-451-6034 or e-mail info@rowadventures.com. For other media, press inquiries, or photos please contact Peter Grubb.

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More about ROW Adventures
Since 1979, ROW Adventures founder Peter Grubb, and partner Betsy Bowen have poured their heart and soul into creating travel experiences that enrich lives and exceed expectations. What began as a company with a focus on white water rafting in Idaho, Montana and Oregon, has grown into an adventure travel company that offers an eclectic collection of trips to top destinations around the world. The uniting thread is an intimate connection and passion for each destination. Every trip is personally researched and developed with an eye on connecting guests in a relevant and meaningful way with the local culture, people and places they visit. Every ROW Adventures’ departure is artfully crafted, meticulously organized and enthusiastically conducted. Woven into this purposeful tapestry is an inherent commitment to honor, respect and preserve the character of the cultures, lands and waters they visit, traveling responsibly and sensitively. A sample of international destinations include: Ecuador, Peru, Brazil, Jamaica, Turkey, Greece, Croatia, France, Algeria, and Egypt.

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