Meet The Team

Helfrich River Outfitter Inc

MEET THE HELFRICH TEAM!

Ken Helfrich

OUTFITTER/OWNER

I was raised along the banks of the McKenzie River in Oregon.  As a kid I spent a lot of time exploring and fishing small streams.  My family had  Read More

Sherill Helfrich

OUTFITTER/OWNER

Hi, I am Sherill Helfrich, often referred to as the river mom, the glue or the rock of the Helfrich clan and crew.  Kenny and I have been married Read More

Kelsey Helfrich

OUTFITTER/OWNER

I feel so lucky to have been born into the Helfrich Family. As a fourth-generation guide in Idaho and fifth-generation in Oregon, the river is in my blood. As a partner Read More

Kidd Youren

OUTFITTER

I started guiding for Helfrich River Outfitters about a year after I met Kelsey, the love of my life and the mother of my beautiful daughter Fallon. I had never worked Read More

SADIE KING

OPERATIONS MANAGER/GUIDE

I was born and raised in Idaho and grew up with a passion for the state’s wild places. My education brought me to the Frank Church Wilderness in 2013 where I got to live, learn and work Read More

Kris Belozer

TRIP LEADER

Many of our clients know and love Kris Belozer; a great guide and amazing boatman that will always keep you smiling with his exceptional Read More

Andrew Greiner

TRIP LEADER

My name is Andrew Greiner.  I was born and raised in Oregon and went to school at the University of Montana.  After college I moved into my Read More

Tim Gunderson

GUIDE

I often say that I have the perfect life. I retired in 2020 after 30 years of teaching mathematics and geology to high school and junior Read More

KEVIN HAWKINS

TRIP LEADER

What started as a summer job in 2004 has turned into a great year-round profession.  As a full time guide for HRO, I run trips on the Helfrich Crew Read More

Garrett Helfrich

GUIDE

My very first river trip on the Upper McKenzie I believe I was 6 weeks old, from then on out running rivers with my mother Jonnie Read More

Mel Frogh

GUIDE

When I went on my first multi-day river trip at age 13, I was immediately addicted to the river way of life. There’s just nothing better than Read More

Wyatt Myers

GUIDE

I started my guiding career in 2000 on the Arkansas River in Colorado. I worked there for 9 years before I decided that I really Read More

Blake King

SWEEP DRIVER

The middle fork of the salmon river and the Franck church wilderness has been my place of passion, occupation, and recreation for most of my life. Read More

GALEN JARVIS

GUIDE

I am proud to have been born and raised here in Idaho! Born in Salmon, I’ve been fly fishing on the Middle Fork of the Salmon since the age of 10. Read More

Emerald Lafortune

GUIDE

I grew up in Northern Idaho with two parents who loved taking us on the river and getting us outside. I graduated from the University Read More

Catie Stukel

GUIDE

I grew up in Idaho fly fishing, camping, and boating with my family. Two summers ago I swamped my first Middle Fork trip, and Read More

Logan Warren

GUIDE/SWEEP DRIVER

I grew up in a river outfitting family in Salmon, ID, spending most of my summers floating the local rivers with my parents Dave and Thyra Read More

William Tooley

GUIDE

I was 4 years old when my parents tossed me and my two brothers into the family raft for our first river trip on the John Day River in Oregon. Since then, I have explored Read More

Mike Boyd

GUIDE

I knew I wanted to be a guide at an early age. I was fortunate to get a start when Rough Country Outfitters in Wyoming took a chance on a very Read More

Ryan Helfrich

GUIDE

I am a 4th generation Helfrich.  I’m lucky enough to have grown up into a family with a rich history of boating and fishing.  It is safe to say Read More

Taylor Wilcox

GUIDE

Taylor is a second generation river guide,  who grew up next to the Potomac River in Maryland.  He first rafted the Salmon when he was 5 and has been hooked ever since. “I’ve filled Read More

Ty Holloway

GUIDE

I grew up boating and fishing the McKenzie River with my family, and quickly developed a passion for rivers and fish. I went off to Read More

GARY WILLIAMS

GUIDE

Ever since I caught my first trout at the age of 5, I have loved fishing.  I was born and raised in Oregon and I have lived in Eugene all Read More

George Butts

GUIDE/SWEEP DRIVER

I was born and raised in Challis Idaho and was fortunate to grow up in a family that enjoys the outdoors. My parents started taking  Read More

John Morton

GUIDE

I grew up fly fishing and boating the high desert rivers of Central Oregon. From my hometown of Sisters, I spent my early years honing Read More

Jim Juza

GUIDE

The first time I made money in my drift boat I was 13 years old. That was August of 1965.  I don’t remember what I was paid, Read More

Charlie Steele

GUIDE

Hi, my name is Charlie. Just like many of the others, I fell in love with the river at a young age. The first time I rafted The Salmon River was at Read More

Saydee Brass

ADVERTISING INTERN

My name is Saydee and this is my second year working for Helfrich River Outfitters. I helped out around the Read More

John Payne

GUIDE

Hey, I’m Jon Payne, or better known as ‘JP’. I grew up in Olympia, Washington, and currently reside in Eugene, Oregon.  I learned Read More

Avery Hiron

GUIDE

I grew up in Salmon Idaho, and spent my childhood exploring the surrounding mountains and rivers. My first time down Read More

Cole Henson

GUIDE

I was born and raised in Macon, GA, started my river guiding career on the Nolichucky River Read More

CONOR DAVIS

GUIDE

Conor was born and raised in the Wood River Valley. He grew up ski racing in both Alpine and Nordic disciplines. Read More

DALLY RATCLIFF

GUIDE

I grew up in Cottonwood Idaho. Spending as much time as I could hunting, fishing, camping, and snowboarding. Read More

EARL WAGNER

GUIDE

Hello there, I’m Earl. I was born and raised in Wisconsin. Growing up I enjoyed the popular pastime of cheese. I found my true Read More

ERIC RICHINS

GUIDE

I’m lucky to say I’ve loved and respected Idaho’s great outdoors my whole life and there’s nothing I enjoy more Read More

LANIE GALLAND

GUIDE

Howdy! I was born and raised in north Georgia where my family encouraged (and joined) barefoot exploration of the outdoors, complete with as much dirt, water, and belly-laughing as possible. Read More

DUNCAN SWERSEY

GUIDE

I was raised in Salmon, Idaho to a family of outfitters on the Salmon River Corridor. After growing up from four years of age on river trips, swamping a trip and helping on the sweep boat for my first Middle Fork Salmon trip changed my life. Read More

ZOE GRUMBACH

GUIDE

I am originally from San Francisco, raised by two parents who love backpacking, camping, and all things mountains. We took a trip down the Middle Fork as a family in 2019, and I was instantly hooked Read More

 

AARON LIEBERMAN

GUIDE

I hail from rural Southwest Oregon, where the Rogue and Applegate Rivers meet, and grew up rafting and kayaking the Rogue, Deschutes, Klamath, and many other rivers of southwest Oregon and Northern California. Read More

Charlie Brown

GUIDE

Ahoy! My name is Charlie Brown. Yes, that is my legal name. I was fortunate enough to be adopted from Russia by two loving parents. From a young age, they shared with me the many ways to explore and enjoy the great outdoors. Read More

Drew Hasbrook

GUIDE

My name is Andrew Hasbrook and I have been a fly fishing guide for over a decade. I began my career guiding remote stretches of river in Alaska and Oregon. Through the love of both the sport and adventure Read More

Dylan McGregor

GUIDE

Howdy, I am a peace loving, earth loving, fish addict, who has chosen a lifestyle to provide an experience for anglers, while also filling my own fix. Been fishing my whole life. I reside in a town called White Bird, Idaho. During the off season Read More

Hanna Curran

GUIDE

Hanna grew up fly fishing with her father, a long time fly fishing guide. She loves to travel slow through the canyon, catching fish and deeply enjoying every moment because each bend and ripple is unique and not to be missed!!Read More

Hogan Hernandez

GUIDE

Born and raised in small-town Sisters, I found my passion for the outdoors in the mountains and on the rivers of Central Oregon. I was first introduced to river trips and guiding through my high school’s outdoor program and was blown away Read More

Austin Boswell

GUIDE

Austin, originally from Central Oregon, found a love for fly fishing and river running at an early age. Bend was the perfect place to find easy access to a plethora of famous trout fishing and white water streams. By age 18, he was working in a fly shop, Read More

Matt Alloway

GUIDE

Hello, my name is Matt! I’m an Idaho native. I was born and raised in the Wood River Valley, beneath the Sawtooth Mountain range. I grew up with the luxury of being surrounded by wilderness, because of this I grew a lifelong passion for the outdoors. Read More

Peter tooly

GUIDE

Born and raised on the rivers of the Pacific Northwest and ever since my freshman year of highschool, river guiding is the only job I have ever known. Although the majority of my time is spent on the Read More

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