Our Travel Specialists

Peter Grubb & Betsy Bowen

Founders

Having discovered whitewater raft guiding on the East Coast while attending college, Peter moved to Idaho in 1979 and founded ROW as a company focused on wilderness rafting trips.  His exposure to the earth's communities through travel, coupled with attendance at St. John's College in Annapolis, Maryland where he studied the "Great Books," mythology, and western civilization, led he and Betsy to Turkey in 1984 where they launched ROW's first international trip.  ROW has since branched out to over 25 countries throughout the world and Peter usually does the initial research and new tour development.  Peter has a passion for nature, travel, reading and learning and believes strongly in the positive power of travel and the ways it can improve the lives of everyone touched.  He speaks French, basic Spanish, plays the guitar and is still very involved in the company, wearing a number of hats and guiding in the field as time allows.  He has served on a number of Boards, including the Idaho Outfitters and Guides Association,  Idaho Rivers United, the Spokane Center for Justice, and the America Outdoors Association. 

Co-owner of ROW, Betsy Bowen was a professional ceramicist prior to her immersion in ROW, and has always been an anchor in the sometimes turbulent seas of business.  A favorite among guides, Betsy led many of ROW's early rafting trips as well as yachting tours to Greece, Croatia and Turkey.  Once her daughter Mariah and son Jonah were born in the early 1990's she transitioned to the challenging world of motherhood, imparting to her children her passions of skiing, art, creativity and giving to others. She has been sanctioned as the "Director of Other Stuff" because of her wide variety of talents including project management, plumbing, wiring and logistical expertise. Her artistic eye is evidenced throughout ROW as well.  Nowadays she is less involved in the day-to-day doings of ROW, but remains a vital part of our team.

Juggling the demands of the ROW Family of Companies (ROW Adventures, Adventure Unbound, Sea Kayak Adventures) keeps life vibrant and Betsy and Peter are both a wealth of knowledge, experience, and most importantly, care and support for the entire team.

Michelle Darnell

Director of Marketing

Michelle has found her home at ROW Adventures as our Director of Marketing.  Graduating from Whitworth University with a Bachelor’s in Secondary Education and Kinesiology, Michelle forewent her dreams of teaching in lieu of opportunities in the outdoor recreation industry.  For the past 16 years Michelle has focused her time and energy into roles that support outdoor recreation and travel.  As a proud mom of two, Michelle has a renewed passion for this work; hoping to inspire the next generation to love, nurture, enjoy, and beocme stewards of our natural resources and outdoor spaces. 

Michelle and her Family love new adventures, whether it’s exploring the beautiful Pacific Northwest or discovering a new International destination, they’re happy when the scenery is new and unexpected. A few favorites are Acadia National Park, Turks and Caicos Islands, and Quebec City.   Michelle is a doting mom, an avid sports fan, loves to cycle, and doesn’t take herself too seriously! If you run into her, she’s likely to have a smile on her face, a coffee in her hand and a few good books ready to go on her kindle app. 

Tom Scarborough

Area Manager

Guide since 2003: WA, OR, ID. Joined ROW in 2007. Tom has a unique skill set. He is able to recite Dr. Seuss’ poem “The Lorax” from memory, brew a mean pint of beer, drive a bus, milk a cow, cook a tasty Dutch oven lasagna, and write a Microsoft Access database. On top of all that, Tom is a great guide and a wealth of information about the Pacific Northwest and the Rocky Mountains. He currently manages ROW’s Rogue River operation where he sings guests to sleep with the smooth sounds of the 70s and his signature number “Waltzing with Bears”. Originally from New York, Tom has a B.S. in Natural Resource Management from Cornell University and an extensive work history ranging from a YMCA summer camp director, to transportation director for a Washington ski area, and finally a river guide. Tom also has a passion for all things bacon, tinkering and pop music.

Guiding Destinations: Rogue River, Owyhee River, Grande Ronde River

Candy Bening

USA & Rivers Sales Manager

Born in 1964, raised in Santa Cruz, California. WW Rafting guide since 1989: CA, ID, MT. Moved to Idaho in 1993; and joined ROW in 1994.

After spending 10 yrs in the high-tech industry, Candy made a life-altering change and became both a rafting guide and ski patroller. In her over 25 years with ROW, she has worked in the field guiding, evaluating, managing, and traveling with ROW thus gaining first-hand knowledge of all the ID, MT & OR rivers and many of the Int’l vacation experiences including the Galapagos Islands. 

Her friendly, outgoing personality, as well as her expertise, has made her succeed in the office overseeing sales, and assisting guests by offering suggestions and solutions to ensure each person/family has the best time ever! Candy, along with her husband and two girls, are avid white water rafting enthusiasts. Together they have joined ROW on rivers all over the West.

Destination Specialties: USA Rivers

Favorite Trip: "There is no better place than the river canyon you are in"

Connelly Brown

Area Manager

Guide since 1988: WV, CO, CA, MT, ID. Joined ROW in 2002. A native of the Nutmeg State, Connelly Brown (“CB” to most) now resides year round in the mountains of Northeastern Oregon with his wife and two kids. CB has been a guide since, wait for it, the late 1980s. For years he worked as a “migrant wave farmer,” living out of his truck as he followed the snowmelt and work from one river to the next throughout the year.  

In 2002 he joined the ROW team and has served as both a guide and manager. While guiding a ROW trip, he met the woman who would become the love of his life. They now make their home in northeastern Oregon, where CB runs a backcountry ski business. One of the quirkiest and most pleasant of people, CB is all about keeping it mellow and making memories on the river. Whether fishing for sturgeon, charging the big hits, telling stories or leading a hike, CB has a way to make your experience unique. He is also a Certified Interpretive Guide.

Guiding Destinations: Salmon River, Family Magic (Salmon River Canyons)

Chee Chin

Accountant

Chee Chin was born and raised in Malaysia. She was the Staff Accountant for a Timber Industry Company in Malaysia before she and her Family migrated to the Untied States in 2007, settling in Butte Montana. There Chee Chin joined Town Pump Inc. at their home office as a Property Management Accountant for 8 years. In 2016 Chee Chin moved with her family to Coeur d' Alene so she could stay close to her sister and other family members who live in the area. 

Chee Chin is excited to be part of ROW's Famliy as the Corporate Accountant. When Chee Chin is not working she enjoys cooking, gardening and traveling. 

Specialty: Numbers and smiles

Favorite Trip: Coming soon

Jen Klingensmith

River Guide

Originally from Ithaca, New York, Jen now calls Oregon “home” and loves how many amazing outdoor spaces the state has to explore. She first got into rafting after being invited onto a Rogue River trip in 2010 and said that she immediately purchased her own raft and started learning how to row. Since that day, she’s spent as many days on the river as possible and believes the trip was a catalyst for so many positive changes in her life. Eight years later, she quit her desk job and became a guide, running the same river where her rafting journey began. Jen holds a Bachelor of Science from Cornell University and studied law at the University of Oregon, and describes herself as an “excellent bread baker”. When not on the river, she’s at her small hobby farm where she has chickens and cattle (as well as the occasional sheep, goats, and pigs), as well as 600 dwarfing apple trees for making apple cider. Jen also has two dogs that love being on the river as much as she does!

Xander Burt

ROW Adventures Operations Manager

Xander was introduced to rivers by his uncle who used to guide on the Penobscot river in Maine. Originally from Evanston, Illinois, growing up he would visit the Northeast frequently. After getting his degree from Red Rocks Community College in Outdoor Leadership he went out to the rockies where he began guiding in Colorado and New Mexico.

Xander loves being able to connect and relate to people with unique and diverse experiences and backgrounds. The rafting community has given him the opportunity to connect many people of all walks of life. Outside of the river world Xander is a huge sports fan, and he doesn’t limit his excitement to just one sport. Although, one of the most amazing things he’s ever experienced was walking to Wrigley Field after the Cubs finals won the World Series. You can almost always find him watching sports, on the golf course, or exploring new trails.

New to Coeur D’Alene, he is looking forward to exploring the rivers and wilderness throughout the Pacific Northwest.

Devin Chattman

River Guide

Devin's hometown is Irondale, Alabama, a small town in the lowlands just south of the outer reaches of the Appalachians. He moved to Atlanta as a teenager and didn't leave the city until he reluctantly finished his economics degree. While in University, Devin rediscovered the joy of playing outside through his outdoor recreation program, Touch the Earth (TTE). Devin went on to lead trips for TTE all around the Southeast, including - canoeing through inky black swamp waters bespeckled with the yellow watching eyes of alligators, backpacking through Appalachia's tallest mountains during the peak fall colors season, and paddling through silver seas streaked with neon blue bioluminescence in the early morning darkness off the coast of the Gulf of Mexico plus many more foundational life-changing adventures. After graduating, Devin left Atlanta on his first-ever flight with an over-stuffed backpack and a one-way ticket to Seattle. The rest is history. Over the last ten years, Devin has been guiding folks through the wonders of America's most pristine landscapes. Whenever Devin is not receiving checks to run around, you can find him living life slowly - planting coffee trees in the Himalayas, singing off-key with a guitar in hand, or cooking with the ones he loves. 

Monica Sanchez

Baja Naturalist and Sea Kayak Guide

Now in her fifth season with ROW Sea Kayak Adventures in Baja, Monica loves the water, and everything surrounding it. She is especially passionate about whales and dolphins. Monica always dreamt of being a wilderness explorer like the journalists in National Geographer magazine. Due to her love for both the ocean and marine mammals, she decided to work at an aquarium in the Caribbean where she worked as a dolphin and sea lion trainer for a couple of years.

While she loved being so close to the animals, she realized she would rather see them in the wild, in their natural habitat. Monica discovered Sea Kayak Adventures was looking to hire a naturalist for their Baja whale watching tours, and applied. The day she was hired was "one of the best days of my life; my dream came true. I will be in the wilderness, observing whales and dolphins in their natural habitat."

Monica loves that every day as a guide is a new adventure, a new experience, and a surprise, where the unexpected is the norm. She loves sharing her excitement and passion for nature with guests, as well as hearing about their stories. She loves knowing that the time she shared with them in nature gave them something special that they will remember for the rest of their life.  When she's not guiding, Monica likes to hike, explore, and travel. She also loves reading about marine life and nature, and discovering new places where she can practice stand-up paddle boarding. In the off-season, Monica works as a reporter.

Matthew Phillipy

River Guide

With a Masters of Science Education under his belt, Spokane-born Matthew Phillipy a.k.a. “Professor” is a science teacher by trade but spends his summers river guiding. Growing up canoeing the moving waters of the Spokane and Pend Oreille Rivers he fell in love with water and nature. One of his favorite memories was winning the Poker Paddle canoe race on the Pend Oreille River with his dad when he was 12 years old. After many years of teaching science and spending his summers working as a Ranger at Mount Rainier and Olympic National Parks Matthew got hooked on rafting following a bachelor’s party on the Salmon River and considers it an honor and duty to share his love of nature, culture and stewardship with others. When he’s not leading middle schoolers into the wild on another one of his epic field trips or navigating the rivers of Washington, Oregon, and Idaho, Matthew can be found skiing, biking, hiking, camping, canoeing and rafting with his son Oliver and his puppy Willow. 

DJ Means

Ride Our World Bike Guide

Coming soon...

Sebastian Jurado

Galapagos Adventure Guide

After growing up in a small town in a valley of the Andes Mountains in Ecuador near the city of Quito, Sebastian decided to travel to Santiago de Chile to obtain a Bachelor’s Degree in Tourism Administration. His eagerness for travel took him on a backpacking adventure through Canada and United States for 9 months. Having perfected his English, he started guiding in Ecuador in 1998. 

As a young nature-lover interested in natural history and ecology, nature filming, photography, alternative energy, ecotourism development, and outdoor sports his career took an interesting path on the exciting soft-adventure world. In order guarantee travelers’ safety, Sebastian has been Wilderness Advanced First Aid certified for more than a decade. 

Emily Wray

Operations and Office Admin

Emily was born and raised in St. Louis, Missouri, but discovered her love of rafting and outdoors on the Middle Fork of the Salmon River. After that trip it became her passion to find out how to be on the river and outdoors as much as possible. This led her to be a summer camp counselor in the Ozarks of Southern Missouri on the Black River for three summers. Emily continued her rafting and outdoor education at the University of Idaho and their Outdoor Program. She graduated with a B.S. in Recreation Management and a Minor in Outdoor Recreation Leadership with the intention of helping others get outside no matter their experience level or ability. 

Emily loves to do anything outdoors with her husband and dog. Along with her love of outdoor pursuits, Emily loves crafting and gardening. You will usually find scratch pieces of paper lying around with sketches of her next ten projects. No matter where you find Emily, she’s bound to have a smile on her face.

Amelia Yach

River Guide

Coming soon...

Alejandra Mosquera

Galapagos Adventure Guide

Alejandra was born and raised in Quito. She believes that there is nothing better than opening her eyes and seeing the beauty of the marvelous Andes, their colors, wildlife, and scenery. Even though she never thought about becoming a guide, she realized this activity would be her future during her first trip in the university. She has been sharing her passion and love for Ecuador since 2006, and obtained her Wilderness Advanced First Aid certificate four years ago. In her free time, she likes to explore Ecuador with her four-year-old daughter, Manuela, who shares the same passion for Ecuador and the Galapagos Islands as her mother. She also enjoys outdoor sports including kayaking and stand-up paddling.

Malcolm Reed

River Guide

Born and raised in Washington, DC, Malcolm took his first rafting steps in West Virginia with his dad before going on to complete a Source to Sea expedition on the Mississippi River in 2015. One year later, he began his guiding journey on Australia’s Tully River and he has since traveled around the globe, venturing as far afield as Papua New Guinea, Morocco, Chile, and New Zealand. One of Malcolm’s highlights has been trekking through the rainforest with local tribesmen in Borneo while learning to hunt and forage for food. When it comes to rafting back home, he particularly loves Idaho as it boasts some of the most “remote and wild spaces in the lower 48”. Aside from being a keen surfer, Malcolm holds a Bachelor in Business Administration and Marine Biology from Loyola University New Orleans. 

Maria Rosa

Caribbean Program Manager

María Rosa was born and raised in Havana, Cuba and for many she is as Cuban as it gets. She started guiding as a part time job during her last year of college. After graduating, she worked as a teacher in the university of Havana and continued guiding part-time until eventually she decided to do it full time. She loves teaching and she found guiding equally rewarding. She met her husband while guiding on a kayak trip and from that moment on she joined our adventure family. She has worked for Row since 2016 from Cuba and now from Portland, Oregon where she has lived for the past 2 years with her husband and her 4 Cuban fur babies.

Brian Kohl

River Guide

Guide Since 1999: CA, CO, AZ, ID, MT. Joined ROW in 2014. A boater since high school, Brian has an impressive guiding skill-set and has benefitted from a two-decade whitewater career. While Brian’s impressive river resume makes him a valuable asset to the ROW team, folks most often remark about his steadfast enthusiasm and eclectic passions. An accomplished ceramic artist, Brian holds a Master of Fine Arts degree in Ceramics from California State University, Fullerton and teaches ceramics at the college and elementary school levels. For personal enjoyment, Brian competes in kickball for the World Adult Kickball Association and plays the American flute (a real highlight on river trips).   

Guiding Destinations: Middle Fork, Lochsa River

Jonah Grubb

VP/General Manager

Guide since 2011 MT, ID, WA, OR, China, joined ROW 2010. Jonah's first rafting trip was on the Salmon River at 9 months of age and it's fair to say he has grown up rafting. Since becoming a guide, he has become an avid kayaker and all around outdoorsman spending his free time climbing, backcountry skiing, mountain biking and hiking. He also loves projects and can be found helping friends upgrade their houses or building out their camper vans. After graduating from Pomona College with a Bachelor's Degree in Physics, Jonah found himself travelling the world, including spending a year in China raft guiding on the Salween and Daqu (upper Mekong) river and kayaking on days off, including a solo kayak first descent on the Kanas river in the far northern region of Xinjiang. Now back in Idaho, Jonah has taken on the role of ROW's Operations Manager with a hand in the logistics of all our trips across four states. 

Connor Young

River & Bike Guide

Originally from Taos, New Mexico, Connor Young is a Computer Science major who began river guiding in 2021. He has since worked on rivers throughout Idaho, Washington, and Montana, and says that he loves seeing clients fall in love with the “overlooked” recreational landscapes of Idaho’s panhandle. Connor first went down a river with his parents at just 18 months old but it wasn’t until he got involved in rafting in college that he saw how it could bring people together. Case in point: flipping on a race course in New Mexico and seeing how quickly people sprang into action as a team. When he’s not on the river, Connor can usually be found on a bike and says his special skill is putting 15 bikes in a trailer in 15 minutes. His experiences in the outdoors have ranged from flipping on a bucking horse at the age of 6 to sailing across the Atlantic Ocean on a 40-foot yacht and bike-packing the length of New Zealand’s South Island.

Diego Vega Romero

Baja & British Columbia Kayak Naturalist Guide

A native of La Paz, Baja Sur, Diego spent a school year in the US while in high school and thus has a great understanding of both English and American culture. In addition to being a talented sea kayaker, Diego loves to play basketball and is on a team when back home in La Paz. Other hobbies include drawing, travel and eating. He attended the University of Guadalajara to study Biology with an emphasis in Entomology and then the University of LaPaz where he went on to earn a Masters Degree in arid land ecology, most fitting for the Baja peninsula. Diego joined the Sea Kayak Adventures team in 2017 and is passionate about sharing the natural history of Baja, both in the water and on land, with our guests. In addition to guiding sea kayaking tours, Diego works in Cabo Pulmo National Park as a snorkeling guide, a skill he also enjoys sharing on our trips. As of 2023 Diego started guiding in British Columbia applying his sea kayaking skills and ecology knowledge to a new area up north. With a great sense of humor, friendly personality, and unmeasurable depth of knowledge in marine life and the natural world, Diego is a favorite among our guests.

Johnny Nelson

Area Manager

From the Silver Valley city of Kellogg, Johnny Nelson has been kayaking since he was a teenager and spent his summer vacations on family camping trips exploring the great outdoors. He says that one of his most treasured childhood memories is sitting on the docks in Harrison and watching the sky ignite with fireworks above. Johnny is currently completing his Associate of Arts in Outdoor Recreation while guiding clients through the wilds of Idaho and Washington. He says it was adventuring on Hawaii’s Molokini Island that sealed his fate to work in the outdoors and pursue a guiding career. When he’s not on the river, Johnny is out hiking with his wife and dogs, playing djembe drums, and cooking up a storm alfresco.

Alec Gordon

River Guide

Coming soon...

Amaranta Uribe

Baja Sea Kayaking Guide

Amaranta was born in Guadalajara and raised in the small city of Colima, close to the Pacific.  Growing up in a family with four siblings kept her parents busy and often outdoors.  Adventures to the seashore sparked an early love of the ocean and as a young girl, Amaranta developed a passion for the sea and the animals that make it home. This led her to university studies in biology, and then a move to Playa del Carmen to be on the sea.  All this was perfect preparation for becoming a guide and in 2016 she was introduced to Sea Kayak Adventures by some friends.  She soon was thriving as a guide, enthusiastic about the lifestyle and ability to share her knowledge.  Amaranta guides our kayak tours as well as serving as a naturalist guide at our whale camp in Magdalena Bay.  During the off season she spends time with her family, creates delicacies in her kitchen, practices yoga, climbing and gets out camping whenever she can.

Jason Kruger

Adventure Consultant

Born and raised in Coeur d' Alene Idaho, Jason has always had a great appreciation of getting outdoors.  He attended college at the University of Idaho earning a Bachelors's degree in physical education, health, and outdoor program leadership.  Jason is passionate about sharing nature with others and enjoys seeing their reactions to new experiences.

Jason enjoys the four seasons that the North-West has to offer and the changing scenery and outdoor opportunities presented with each of the seasons. When not in the office, your likely to find Jason; on the water, wilderness backpacking, hiking, biking, snow skiing, or riding on motorcycles and ATVs.  

As our resident comedian, you're likely to find Jason telling jokes to co-workers or fellow guests on a trip. If you're lucky enough to get on the river with him, you're sure to laugh a lot! 

Destination Specialties: USA Rivers

Favorite Trip: "That is like asking my favorite beer or ice cream!"

Michael (Mike) Mourar

River Guide

Philadelphia-born Mike Mourar has been hooked on rafting since he first flipped on the Lower Youghiogheny River at the age of 12. He’s since completed a BS in Outdoor Adventure Education and an AA in Outdoor Recreation Leadership and has guided trips throughout Oregon, Idaho, Utah, Colorado, and Costa Rica. He says that it’s the beauty of floating through remote wilderness areas that inspires him to be a guide, with a highlight of his career being NOT flipped on the Grand Canyon’s Crystal Rapid while running the river at 40,000 CFS. One of his most amazing life experiences? Climbing an active volcano in Chile during a full moon. In his free time, Mike likes to play his four-note harmonica or explore scenic backroads on his motorcycle. 

Bill Sedivy

River Guide

A river guide since 1990, Bill has worked part-time for ROW since 2004 and joined our full-time team in 2022. Born and raised in the Cleveland, Ohio area – near the headwaters of the Cuyahoga River, which infamously caught fire in 1969 – Bill has been rafting and canoeing rivers for more than four decades. A former journalist, Bill published in 1995 a collection of short stories about river running called River’s End: A Collection of Bedtime Stories for Paddlers. Over the years he’s also worked hard in various capacities to protect the rivers, fish and wild places he has grown to love. From 1996 to 1999, Bill served on the board of the national advocacy group, American Whitewater. He served six years as president of the non-profit Save Our Wild Salmon Coalition (2007-2013). From 1999 to 2015 Bill worked as executive director of Idaho’s only statewide river conservation group, Idaho Rivers United (IRU). During his tenure at IRU, Bill led efforts to protect the Owyhee, Bruneau and Jarbidge Rivers of Southwest Idaho as federally protected Wild & Scenic Rivers, and, guided the organization to several other important river conservation victories. In 2015, he was named a national “River Hero” by the nationwide association of river conservation groups, The River Network. Since his ‘retirement’ from IRU, Bill has worked mainly as a river ranger for the U.S. Forest Service and the Bureau of Land Management on various rivers. He spends his winters bird watching, attempting to learn Spanish and doing a little rafting — in Costa Rica.

Guiding Destinations: Snake River, Salmon River Canyons

Ante Batarelo

Croatia Guide

Born & raised in Sydney, Australia to Croatian parents, Ante went to Croatia in 1991 for a '1 year student exchange program' and ended up permanently settling in Split with his wife & 5 children. A History & English graduate, part time university lecturer and loads of other ventures are compiled into over 20 years of active tour guiding for Ante. He loves traveling and going to off the beaten track places and in his free time & hiking in Croatia & neighboring countries. He believes that finding the balance for each guest is one of the most important things in hosting a successful tour along with adding personal touches and incorporating good wining & dining for a truly unique experience.

Ryan Baier

River Guide

A blacksmith by trade, Ryan recently returned to the river to pursue his passion for guiding, which was first ignited in 2008 on the Colorado River. He’s always had a love for the outdoors, with his most vivid childhood memories involving cliff jumping at Westwater Canyon and chasing goats through Lodore Canyon. Ryan loves discovering new landscapes and new rivers, whether it’s in the United States or in one of the 30+ countries he’s visited. Highlights of his global wanderings include standing on the top of Mount Kilimanjaro in a snowstorm, walking the legendary Inca Trail, and watching a stampede of wildebeest on the Serengeti plains. He loves good food, good friends, and good stories, and tries to squeeze as much out of life as possible. Ryan's recent endeavors include finishing an Immersive Software Engineering Course and working as a Software Developer, along with Blacksmithing and running his home farm! When he’s not rafting, or working, Ryan’s busy shoeing horses, hiking with his dog “Rooster”, and pursuing his search for the world’s best ramen. (If you see Ryan on the river, please give him a cup of coffee!) :)