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About Us |
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Your hosts – Gary & Barb Lane |
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Sometimes people hug trees. Other times trees hug people. In the end, Barb and I embrace all the teachings of the Sacred Tree. It represents the life cycles of all things and earth wisdom as first recognized by primal peoples throughout the world. Like the roots of that tree, our lives are grounded in the great outdoors.
Branching off from that tree, blossomed my professional career as a college trained wildlife biologist. But natural selection and evolution eventually turned me into a river guide. After several years of exploring rivers on my own, my passion exploded. Opportunity knocked, and I had a unique chance to begin a professional boating career with the legendary Martin Litton, and his highly esteemed Grand Canyon Dories.
After five seasons, I again branched out to become a commercial outfitter, where I began running river trips in Oregon and Alaska. Eventually, I moved to Riggins, Idaho, and added the dimension of the Salmon River's big water boating, to our offerings.
Living largely on the river and spending much time in the wilds on solo adventures, helped built my confidence and abilities to live comfortably in the outdoors, no matter the season or conditions. It has been a fulfilling, lifelong engagement with the natural world and exciting dance with the Great Mystery moving through it all.
It also inspired my appreciation for how native people view the world and has greatly influenced my river running style. Learning the language of nature is my most cherished experience and is what I enjoying sharing most, with others, in addition to tons of story making adventure.
Barb grew up in Louisiana, where she gained her southern style hospitality and down-home friendly demeanor. She moved to Boise, Idaho in 1970 and worked at HP for 18 years, before meeting Gary. With an offer, too good to refuse, she left the city and her job security. All for a temporary glamorous high paying guides position. Tehee! (It's a good thing wealth is not truly measured by money).
She used to help me guide, but hurt her back a few years ago. Now she handles office work, shuttles, and does a lot of behind the scene tasks. This is all very essential to make our business run smooth, and to keep me out of her hair by getting me out on the river all the time. It all allows her more time to attend her flowers, driftwood, and landscaping interest. Occasionally, she must address her other profession: therapeutic massage. This is a great service for guest coming off the river, when so inclined.
Both of us live close to nature (sleep in a tipi), lead a simplified lifestyle, and enjoy sharing the beauty and bounty of the natural world with other people. It seems inappropriate to call ourselves guides. We feel more like facilitators and teachers. Our desire is to connect people to nature and do our part to promote more caring for all earth communities.
An important part of our trips is offering guests many options besides just running great rapids. We often lead people on great side hikes. Many guests forget about rapids and whitewater, as other attractions wisp away their attention. From pictographs to hot springs, there is a lot to see and do, on our typical river trip agenda. Hopefully, you will absorb a bit of outdoor nature knowledge while enjoying your river experience.
We travel at your pace and tune-in to helping you quell any outdoor fears that might lurk deep inside. Our trips focus on fun, not the "fear factor." We favor comfort, not survival.
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Please give us a call: 800-488-9872 | 208 628-3523 (local)
"Hanging with you guys and getting on the river was a very meaningful thing for me. I can't say enough how fun it was to be in the water ...both in the boat and out. The whole experience was just the greatest. I think you guys have a great thing going and live in a really cool part of the world."
Jim McCullough - Baker, OR
... "I just wanted to let you know that I have never been so satisfied with a paid adventure of any sort! Barb you were so good to deal with and I found all of the recommendations that you made were just as you said they would be. That really makes the whole outing much more pleasant, when you know what to expect and can plan and prepare properly. And even though you had donated this trip, you still treated us with the same customer oriented attitude that set's you apart from the competition! Gary, it was just a riot! I really enjoyed hearing what you had to say, and attempting to see the river through the eyes of a man with 30+ years of experience. I feel like I would love to come back just to hear some more of the stories that you have! I envy someone who makes the commitment to live his life doing what he loves. I also noticed that you offered the trip to the ucf again this year. I know that the hard times in the economy must be affecting your operation quite a bit, and for what it is worth I think that this act of donation show's your level of commitment to your cause! And just for the record, I am speaking for myself here. I am only a member of the ucf, and they don't know that I am writing this to you.
"Once again I just wanted to tell you that I think you run an A-class operation, and I have been trying to spread the word so that others can have this experience. I have been on 15-20 guided outings and you have beat out all the rest in my mind 10-fold! Just wanted to thank you for the experience."
Josh Goodwin, UT
"I wanted you to know that I heard wonderful things about one of your day trips this past summer... One of my colleagues at the U of Idaho, Jack Sullivan, chose Gary to take his little kids, Connor (about five years old) and Terra (two or three), for their first raft trip on the Riggins stretch.
Of course, this was a perfect choice. Gary's consummate skill and kindness ensured that the kids were both safe and had the time of their lives. Jack himself told me that it was one of the most memorable experiences he had had to date as a dad. Good job."
Donna Holmes Park
Our Location:
Our Shop: We live on the banks of the Salmon River in North Central Idaho. Riggins is located half way between Lewiston and Boise, on highway 95 and is situated where the Little Salmon empties into the Lower Salmon River.
Front of our shop: with another satisfied guest. Oh, did we mention Governor Cecil Andrus recently came fishing with us and just happened to be randomly selected for this picture? Ok, we blatantly had to try and slip this in on purpose.
We did have a great day on the Salmon River with him recently, in part, as an appreciation for his many years of diplomatic service helping preserve many aspects of our natural heritage. Thanks to people like Cecil, many more guests, like you, can have the opportunity to take in some of the many natural splendors that still continue to inspire people today. Thanks Governor.
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