Nate Ostis – Founder of Wilderness Rescue International and this industry leader’s opinion on the Far and Away Crew”.Wilderness Rescue International (WRI) specializes in professional training in swift water rescue and wilderness medicine. They run approximately 30 courses a year across the globe for agencies, outfitters, and private groups. Nate Ostis is the founder and director of WRI and holds a BS in Education and a K-12 teachers certificate. He is the author of the River Rescue Field Guide which won the National Outdoor Book Award for Best Instruction.
Cole Wells
Cole is another local, homegrown Wood River Valley native. Before becoming a stellar paddle guide, Cole has worked a variety of kitchens to bring in an array of experience cooking. Not only does he know a way around a kitchen, Cole is a musical personality you just can’t miss when he’s playing guitar around the campfire. A trip isn’t fully complete without riding on Cole’s boat.
Galen Barker
After joining us on a training trip and working some late-season trips, we couldn’t stand the idea of running the Middle Fork without Galen. After 3 seasons of running the Main Salmon and occasionally the Middle Fork, he was excited to make the transition to the Middle Fork full-time. A Wood River native, Galen grew up on Idaho’s rivers and has a passion for the outdoors. Galen is a recent graduate from the University of Idaho with a degree in Recreation trying into Outdoor Education. He minored in Business and wants to learn as much as possible about the outfitting world. He spent two years working for the University’s Outdoor Program where he helped instruct field courses and lead all different kinds of trips around the Northwest. During his free time, Galen can be found running rivers all over the West, kayaking, and backcountry skiing. We are excited to welcome this enthusiastic, fun-loving, hard worker-to our crew! Get excited to run the river with this hilarious guy.
Chris Lentz
Chris has had rafting and the Middle Fork of the Salmon in his blood since well before he was born; Chris is one of the lucky souls who was fortunate enough to be able to grow up on the Middle Fork. He rowed the river for the first time at 14, began working on the river at 16, and guiding the day he turned 18. In the winter, Chris is usually riding a chairlift in the morning. If not having fun, he’s helping with Far and Away off-season work like repairing the wooden drift boat fleet, making sure equipment is ready for the season, or helping get the word out on how amazing Far and Away trips can be. We’re excited to share his upbeat personality on the lounge sweep or around the campfire with you!
Ross Cooper
Ross grew up between Ketchum, ID, and Santa Barbara, CA; two wildly different climates and landscapes. But what is one thing that these two places have in common? Water! Ross grew up swimming in the ocean, rivers, lakes, you name it. As a result, he swims better than most fish. Ross first joined the Far and Away family in 2011, and over those years has become an incredible guide. Nobody can get a paddle boat paddling together better while corralling a group of duckies who are learning to surf and catch eddies better than Ross. While he isn’t playing on the river, he is enjoying everything that Mother Nature has to offer us, especially rock climbing, surfing, and snowboarding. Outside of play, Ross is a certified Massage Therapist and works in children’s outdoor adventure education. When you meet Ross, try to find a random topic that he isn’t well versed in!
Daniela Stokes
Daniela is another Idaho native, born and raised in the Wood River Valley. She first fell in love with the river in 2015 after an invitation from her brother to “drop off the face of the earth for a week” and come out on the Middle Fork with less than a day’s notice. It is doubtful that he expected her to not want to go back to life before the Middle Fork, but these two are proof that siblings make the best coworkers. Daniela will greet you on the river with a quick smile and an even quicker wit. Splashing and giggling are pretty much mandatory on her boat, and every boat for that matter. She’s no stranger to the outdoors and how best to keep the spirits high through everything Idaho can and will throw at you.
Illiah Pfau
Illiah has grown up in the Wood River Valley, learning to be outside every chance he gets. Before being on the Middle Fork, Illiah has been helping Chris with Far and Away work since he was 10 years old. In the winter, you can find Illiah touring in the backcountry trying to get the best views and deepest powder. From boating to biking to skiing, Illiah is always trying to stay active. His name might be hard to pronounce, but Illiah will be a character you will never forget. He’s a man whose smile never disappears or diminishes, and not to mention, he will keep you laughing 6 days straight.
Betsy Prescott
With a passion for adventure and a background in climate science and geology, Betsy brings a unique perspective to every river expedition. She joined our crew in 2024 after having come down the river with us as a guest. Her knowledge of rock formations, river history, and natural forces turns each trip into an educational adventure! When not on the river, you’ll find Betsy exploring the great outdoors with her dog, searching for cool rocks, or planning her next legendary costume debut.
Caroline Parker
Caroline first found her love for the Middle Fork as a guest at 10 years old. At 13, she came back, fell in love again, and wrote her first song about it. At 15, she knew that she couldn’t go another unknown length of time without being able to call the Middle Fork home. Caroline has a contagious love and energy about her. Her constant smiles and giggles are always a pleasure to be around, not to mention her songbird voice will draw you in from anywhere in camp. We look forward to watching Caroline continue to grow and watching her love and knowledge of our home flourish.
Cody Richmond
It doesn’t get much more Idahoan than Cody. He grew up in the Wood River Valley, officially making him a 7th generation Idahoan. That being said, Cody got to explore a new part of Idaho when he came out for his first summer on the Middle Fork. Cody joined us on the river in 2018 for a crash course in high-water rafting and was instantly hooked. He too was fast-tracked and quickly picked up the beautiful art of driving sweep and has excelled and thrived in one of his new favorite spots in Idaho. He’s doing a pretty good job of playing as much as possible both professionally and recreationally. In the winter he gets in as many days snowmobiling and skiing as possible, and if he can help it, he’ll make a career out of it. Fun fact: Cody is full of them! With a freakishly good memory, this guy has a fact about anything you can ask him about.
Claire Siderman
Claire joined us on the river in 2019 after having come down with us as a guest two years prior. Having grown up in Ketchum and attended Quest University in Squamish, British Columbia, Claire is no stranger to outdoor adventures. She came to us with a lot of experience running an Inflatable Kayak (IK or Ducky) which made learning the art of running oar and paddle boats a breeze. Claire is a true gem to have in our family; she’s kind-hearted, thoughtful, and is a top-notch conversationalist. It’s hard to walk away from an interaction with Claire without some great new insight or a smile on your face.
Alex Torquemada
Local artist and athlete, Alex (“Torque”) was born & raised in Northern California, but has called the mountains of Idaho home for over several years. She’s an avid boater, skier, hiker, trail runner & overall loves to spend her time adventuring outdoors. She’s passionate about dam removal projects, bar trivia, and perfecting the ultimate chocolate chip cookie recipe. She’s been a guide and private boater for over a decade. Most of her skills were honed on the Trinity and the Cal Salmon Rivers, which are main tributaries to the Klamath River. She’s the self-proclaimed party czar and costume queen of river trips.
Tia Martin
Tia is our first point of contact for our guests when they inquire about a trip. Tia is (literally) a member of the Far and Away family and, as such, has worked every possible position. Her knowledge of the workings of what we do is second only to Steve and Annie! These days, she will usually be your first point of contact when contacting Far and Away. She helps get every single one of our guests feeling confident and ready for their upcoming wilderness adventure. Once the season is underway, she is the master behind the curtain, keeping things running smoothly.
Walker Royston
Walker grew up in the Wood River Valley alongside most of our crew. After graduating from Chico State in California, Walker grew his guiding skills working all across the Pacific Northwest before coming back to his home waters of the Middle Fork of the Salmon River in 2018. He’s the man who will always have a good joke to go along with his knowledge of the river corridor. You can find Walker in every single one of our crafts, from leading a paddle boat to hosting you in his fishing raft or on the lounge sweep.