Lars Haarr

Grand Canyon Regional Manager

Where did you grow up?

Kalispell, Montana

Where do you call home now?

Moab, Utah

Year started at OARS?

1999

What’s the best part of your job?

I love sharing the most beautiful spots on earth with our guests-folks who maybe wouldn’t have a chance to see them any other way.

Tell us about your favorite rapid, hike or camp and what makes it special

My favorite rapid is, hands down, Big Drop 2 in Cataract Canyon- especially at high water. What many consider to be the largest navigable whitewater in North America really has a way of making your stomach and your heart fight for position in your throat! I get this amazing feeling when coiling my bowline before pushing the boat out into the current, knowing that beast is roaring just below. A few deep breaths and then you’re in it, rowing as hard as you can, surrounded on all sides by waves larger than all the waves in the Grand Canyon combined. Think of all the most difficult rapids you’ve run, pile them all together end to end, and you’ve got Cat at high flows. Amazing!!

Do you have a lucky charm or special river tradition?

I always make it a point to coil my own bowline before a big rapid. Call it superstition, I guess.

What can you not live without on a trip?

I bring my collection of nail polish on most trips, and it’s amazing to see just who gathers around when it comes out. Sometimes it’s the person you think least likely of all to enjoy it (i.e. the high-powered lawyer) that has the most fun with it!