What prompted you to leave your lawyer life behind and become a river guide?

I was living in Flagstaff and I had a friend who worked as a guide for another company. She was determined to get me on a rafting trip. She did eventually convince me. As soon as I was there, I was gone. It was just one of those magical moments when the angels sing, and bells ring, and I knew where I was supposed to be.

Rafting is a demanding job. What drives you day in and day out?

It has been such a powerful thing for me—a healing—mentally and physically. I think it’s the way we’re supposed to be. We need to be outdoors. We need to be connected to these things, and in our day-to-day lives, we’re just not. So I really just appreciate bringing people out here and giving them that experience.

It seems like there are a lot of lady guides on the rivers now. Why do you think that is?

Well, it’s definitely a new experience for me. The last couple of years, particularly in Idaho, we’ve been getting a lot more women into the business. This year we actually are more women than men, and that’s a first. The men entertain and the ladies do the work, so it’s nice to have four ladies to do the work (laughter).

What do you think is attracting more women to guiding?

I think a lot of us find a home here. It’s good to be surrounded by other strong women. I think that’s a big part of it. We’re surrounded by other women who are like us.

What makes a strong woman?

You need a strong sense of self. To do this job, you have to have a lot of self-confidence. You have to be able to make your own decisions. In the middle of a rapid, you’re in charge of the people on your boat and you need to be able to take care of those people. So I think it takes a certain amount of strength to do that.

What’s the best moment you’ve had on the river?

I had a friend that I brought on a river trip. We visited a place that had turquoise blue waters. There was a spot where you could make a pretty good size jump into some really deep pools. He was just so excited about it. You could just see that sparkle in his eyes—that glint that he was truly alive. It let me re-experience my own revelation of what the outdoors can bring to you.

What does the outdoors bring to you?

Harmony. Balance. A sense of rightness. That feeling that this is what I was made to do. That I’m exactly where I’m supposed to be.

Watch the full interview with Erika below…

Related Articles:

Guide Talk: Why Idaho Rafting is Better Than Anywhere Else

Ask A River God: Thoughts on Packing

Grand Canyon River Rituals

The post Guide Talk: Women in the Outdoors appeared first on River Currents.

Of course, women like me want to know what people mean when they refer to “a woman like me.” I know what I see and think when I look in the mirror. But other people’s perceptions are often a mixed bag. And his response was no exception.

“You know,” he said, “middle aged (gee, thanks), successful (not sure about that one), single (a fact) and attractive (wow, thanks!).”

His remarks immediately reminded me of the answer to his original question. There’s a reason why vacations are called “getaways.” We want to get away from reality—not just the chores and responsibilities of everyday life, but from the person that people expect us to be (for good or for bad)… including the person we expect ourselves to be.

Personally, I jump at every opportunity to leave my day-to-day persona behind. On a river trip, I leave it ALL behind: my trusty but ever-present iPhone, the inane Facebook posts I addictively check several times a day, workplace stress and a social life that sometimes has a drama of its own.

On the river I’m uncharacteristically low key, low maintenance, a bit unkempt and most importantly sans make-up. I don’t give a hoot about what I look like, how many days I’ve been wearing the same sweatshirt, the last time I used a razor or how many nails I’ve chipped. I’m so anti-Tricia, I’m not even sure if my coworkers would recognize me. (Thank you O.A.R.S. for not providing mirrors on the trip. So many other amenities, but not mirrors. But, I do have one confession: that “ChapStick” I keep in my duffle bag is really an $18 tube of Buxom Lip Plumper. A girl can only give up so much.)

So when friends ask to see pictures of my river trips, I usually say something casual like, “I wouldn’t want to bore you.” When I’m actually thinking, “There’s no way in hell will I let you see me like that.”

But that’s the beauty of the outdoors! I don’t go on a rafting vacation for the photos. I go for the complete and utter change of scenery, lifestyle, state of mind and the ever-elusive opportunity to not have to make decisions. I don’t have to think about what to wear, what’s for dinner, or who will be insulted if…

A woman like me spends a week on a river because, frankly, it’s hard to be me sometimes. And for a few days I get to trade in my mirror for the beauty of some magnificent outdoor setting, let the amazing river guides take care of me, and immerse myself in the bliss of carefree anonymity. And as I sit back and reflect on life, I try very hard to ignore the reflection smiling back at me on the water.

Related Articles:

Staying Afloat in Single Parenthood

Put a Cork In It

5 Things You Probably Don’t Know About a Rafting Trip

The post Leaving Behind the (Wo)Man in the Mirror appeared first on River Currents.

It’s a bit ironic, actually: Sometimes women are hesitant to go on a whitewater rafting trip, for a variety of reasons, when in fact, they’re exactly who river guides want filling up their boat.

As far as I’m concerned, give me a group of gals any day. I prefer that to the football team, the biker gang, or the Boy Scouts, hands down.

You’re darn right I’m sexist.

But, this has nothing to do with my attraction for women. It’s all about getting downstream and enjoying it while we do.

Why would I say such things? Let me explain:

1. Women work together. In a paddle boat, your experience is superlative when the crew paddles in perfect unison. You don’t have to paddle as much. You don’t have to paddle as hard. And, you can move that raft around the river like a ninja driving a Ferrari. Guys in the raft will either try to overpower each other or overpower the guide. You’ll see these boats limping herky-jerky across the river, getting stuck on rocks and paddling way more than they have to, just to keep the boat straight. 

2. Women paddle longer. This borrows a bit from my next point, but the ladies listen when you explain proper paddling technique. Experienced rafters know you don’t paddle with your arms; you use your whole body. If you don’t, your arms and your back are spent after the first few miles. The ladies know they’re not going to overpower the river with their biceps, and they’ll almost always pick up on good paddling technique. That way, they’ve still got the same amount of power in the final rapids that they started with.

3. Women listen. There isn’t a river trip invented that doesn’t have a college education’s worth of history, geology, literature, philosophy and ecology. I believe that when you compart just the right amount of this information, at just the right time, it adds to the soul-stirring beauty we see along the banks. Certain paddlers aren’t as open to this information, like, say, when they’re stuck on rocks. (See item No. 1 above.)

4. Women trust. Building on those last 3 points, wonderful things start to happen in a paddle boat. See, sometimes the boat needs to be a little sideways going into a rapid. Sometimes, it’s more important that we don’t paddle and we let the river work for us. Part of the thrill of these river trips is going outside your comfort zone, and you have to trust your guide about when and where it’s safe to do that. Once that crew of ladies realizes their guide is on the up-and-up, they invest into their river experience wholeheartedly. I don’t think there’s a bank that pays bigger dividends.

Now, gentlemen, I know it might smart a bit to have to hear these words. And, I’m not saying that there aren’t some great male paddle crews out there. I know it’s dangerous to generalize.

I’m just saying that, the next time we hit the river, let’s all aspire to remember these preceding points. 

I know at least half of us will.

The post 4 Reasons Women Make Better Paddlers Than Men appeared first on River Currents.