Our Staff
We are lucky to attract talented staff to guide on our river trips, manage our office, maintain our gear and equipment, and design and book custom specialty trips. In the adventure travel industry, people are everything. Our company is no exception. We're pleased to introduce to you the staff who make Idaho Afloat a great outfitter to join on your vacation, and a great place to work.Our Guide Staff: Experience, Knowledge, Skills, and Pure Fun.
Kirk Barnum (Seeley Lake, MT)
Kirk was raised in Angels Camp, California and grew up running the Stanislaus river. He started his commercial guiding career on the Salmon river in Idaho in 1992. He loves the long trips and fishing and was fortunate enough to be on the Salmon for its century peak of 101,000 CFS. When he is not running rivers, Kirk can be found dog mushing, playing music, or antler hunting.
Jesse Stone (Grangeville, ID)
Jesse has been working for Idaho Afloat since he was 13 years old, he grew up learning how to raft on the Snake and Salmon rivers of Idaho. If there is anything to know about Jesse it is that he absolutely loves the outdoors and rafting. To pass the time he likes to read history about the rivers that he is rafting at the time, cook for anyone who will eat, or maybe just kick back and soak up some sun. During the school year, Jesse plays baseball for Columbia Basin College in the Tri-cities of Washington. He can’t wait to see you out on the water.
Natassia Carlson (Sandpoint, ID)
Natassia was raised in Idaho and Montana and got her first raft for her 6th birthday. She used to raft the creek into town to the swimming pool and hitch home. She has upgraded to larger rafts and larger Rivers, but has not lost her enthusiasm for the water. Natassia has been a guide for 6 years. She has a great love for rivers and enjoys sharing river experiences with others. This love has taken her to the mighty Futa in Patagonia Chile as well as Montana and many of Idaho’s wild rivers. Natassia is a wilderness first responder and has had swift water rescue training. Natassia has a degree in Elementary Education. She is a teacher during the school months and loves children.
Peter White-Hoppe (Portland, OR)
Born and raised in Southern Oregon, I spent a lot of time on the Rogue River. I graduated from the University of Montana in 2006 with a degree in Geography and am currently putting it to use with a Portland, OR company called Watershed Sciences. I was introduced to the wild rivers of Idaho by friends, residents, and guides. I have enjoyed guiding and exploring pristine rivers for the last 5 years, and look forward to many more great years on the Snake and Salmon Rivers. I hope to share some of the magic of the river with you here at Idaho Afloat.
Andrew Hogben (Seeley Lake, MT)
Andrew (a.k.a. Simple) was introduced to whitewater when he moved to Montana from Mississippi. While he began as a day trip paddle guide his real passion is for the multi-day trips. His river resume includes Desolation Canyon, Middle Fork of the Salmon, the Lochsa, and 30-day trips on the Grand Canyon, among others. Simple is a true river rat; if you look back and notice he is not in the boat check the water, he might just be cooling off or maybe floating a rapid for thrills. When he is not on the water he loves to hunt, snowboard, and ride his dirt bike.
John Feeser (Spokane, WA)
As a transplanted Easterner, John didn’t grow up on the river but has made up for it in his adult life. John started rafting after answering an ad in the newspaper in while serving in the Air Force in Spokane, WA. That first season on the Salmon inspired a love of rafting in general and the Salmon River in particular. John moved back east and over the next 15 years, fit guiding river trips in West Virginia, Pennsylvania, Colorado, and Montana, in between raising a family and getting his teaching certificate. John now lives in Spokane with his wife and two daughters, teaches in an alternative high school and looks forward to spending his summers sharing his favorite river with you. 
Emmet Lloyde (Missoula, MT)
Born and raised outside Missoula, Emmet has found a strong pull to the outdoors. Over the years he has spent time traveling, working in the back country of the Bob Marshall Wilderness , climbing the high rocky peaks of Glacier and the Grand Tetons, guiding on the Colorado River and living on the high seas of Alaska for two winter fishing seasons. Six years ago Emmet took up kayaking, while he found this a humbling experience it has greatly advanced his understanding of whitewater. When he is not on the river he attends National Fire Fighter Training classes and responds as a Fire Fighter/EMT with a local Fire Department.
Our "Behind the Scenes" Staff and Owners.
Dave Colbert, Sr. (Anaconda, MT)
Dave was featured in Cascade Outfitters 2006 Late Spring Catalog as aMan for All Rivers". Bitten by the river bug later in life, Dave has jumped in with both feet and total investment, as the leader of the family partnership that purchased Idaho Afloat in the fall of 2007.
The first whitewater trip I took was in 1994, with a group that had never done any whitewater rafting before. As luck would have it, we chose the Selway River - one of the most technical rivers in the US. Despite our inexperience, we made it down the river, in the process sharing a truly extraordinary experience. I enjoyed the rush of adrenaline while going through the rapids, and was moved by the scenic views. I knew I wanted more of this fun and excitement. After that trip, I bought two Maravia rafts so my family could also enjoy what I experienced on the Selway trip. Over the past 15 years, I have enjoyed taking my family and friends on the river. When my son Dave Jr., took over our electrical business, I went from running current through wires to running current in whitewater rivers (which by the way is much more fun). I have had the good fortune to run rivers such as the Grand Canyon four times, the Middle Fork of Salmon River about thirteen times, the Main Salmon, Lower Salmon, and other rivers from Alaska to Arizona many more times. In running these rivers, I found I enjoyed it the most when I was able to take friends and others down the rivers, and see this river world open up for them too. That is why I ultimately ended up buying this rafting company – what better way to introduce others to river trips in beautiful Idaho wilderness.
Dave Jr and Teri Colbert (Anaconda, MT)
Ty Tyvand (Missoula, MT)
Camping beside the river on your multi-day Idaho Afloat rafting vacation is simply exceptional.