Meet our Guides and Staff
Our professional whitewater raft guides at Adirondac Rafting Company strive to provide the best possible experience for you and your family.
The New York State Department of Environmental Conservation maintains a program for the licensing of outdoor guides. From rock climbing to fishing, this program serves to ensure that outfitters provide their guests with talented and professional guides equipped with the skills necessary to provide a fun and safe wilderness experience. Adirondac Rafting Company guides are the best on the river with vast whitewater and wilderness experience.
Raft Guide Olympic Champions
The award-winning Adirondac Rafting Company guide team are the 2019 reigning champions of the Hudson River Raft Guide Olympics. We have won the event four times out of the five years it has been held. It’s a great event for the guides to exhibit their rope work, paddling ability, and whitewater safety skills. You can be sure that there are equal parts camaraderie and competition. We welcome the opportunity to show off our skills and show our support for local businesses and the Hudson River whitewater community. It’s all good family fun, but make no mistake: We come to win.
Brad
CEO, Guide
Brad is the son of Bob & Kerry, he was practically born in whitewater and when he is not busy guiding trips he is busy teaching Math, Physics, coaching, etc.
Bob
Guide / Founder
Bob started Adirondac Rafting Company back in 1997 and has been guiding trips through the Hudson Gorge since the mid 1980’s, yikes.
Kerry
Staff
Bob’s wife, is the nice gal you meet at the River base and most likely chatted with you on the phone. She has a fine collection of Adirondac Rafting items in the store.
Alissa
Guide
Alissa Rafferty, daughter of Bob & Kerry grew up with big brother Brad on the river, she is quite busy with The Adirondack Chapter of The Nature Conservacy.
Carrie
Guide
Carrie is a well-traveled Adirondack mountain woman with a very wide variety of interests and expertise. You’d be hard-pressed to find someone with a wider breadth of knowledge regarding the Adirondack region. She knows every wave in the Hudson Gorge.
TJ
Guide
Guide TJ is the King of whitewater surfing. TJ spends his winters on Ski Patrol at Whiteface Mountain.
Dan
Guide
Dan is our go to family Specialist River Guide and once in a while one of his own lucky kids jumps in a raft with Dad. He also does some great work on the digital end of things here at ARC. Don’t let Dan know I edited his info in.
Willoughby
Guide
Guide Willoughby is one of these guides who thought they had a real job, then realized that rafting was his real job. It’s fun to see former accountants, pharmaceutical reps and insurance agents put on the Tevas and leave their Oxfords behind forever. Now his office is in the back of the raft.
Sandy
Guide
Sandy is an Adirondack Renaissance woman! She works as an art teacher, coach, photographer, and raft guide. She‘s easily one of the most experienced guides on the river. When she’s not guiding in the back of a raft, you can usually find her floating alongside in a kayak providing safety and support for the trip.
Billy
Guide/ Exp outdoors owner
Big Wheels has achieved Celebrity Guide Emeritus status at ARC, returning periodically as a special guest star! After guiding with us for many years, Billy founded the Experience Outdoors zip lines and ropes course near Lake Placid. We encourage you to check it out!
Jeff
Guide
Jeff is the ultimate all-season back-country Adirondack guide. As comfortable behind the controls of his plane as he is with a paddle in his hand, Jeff runs the river with the best of them. Rafting the mighty Hudson with Guide Jeff is half party, half adventure, and 100% whitewater fun.
Melody
Guide
Adirondack Whitewater Rafting
Matt
Guide / O.G.
Adirondack Whitewater Rafting
Mo
Guide
Adirondack Whitewater Rafting
Len
Guide / O.G.
Len is one of the original guides from the beginning of recreational whitewater rafting on the Upper Hudson River. His experience literally traverses five decades. When Len was a rookie guide the glaciers were receding and there were still mammoths wandering about. He knows the botany of the Hudson River Gorge better than anybody due to his role as a Head Forester formerly managing the woods around the river.
Lucy
Guide
Adirondack Whitewater Rafting
Greg
Guide
Greg is a champion ski racer and works as a ski patroller nationally. His keen eye and attention for detail makes him a valued and integral member of the ARC family. His positive energy, tremendous river knowledge and enthusiasm for the sport of rafting is legendary. His guide spiel is a master class in whitewater paddling and river lore.
Nolan
Guide
Adirondack Whitewater Rafting
Jackson
Guide
Adirondack Whitewater Rafting
Ed
Guide
Adirondack Whitewater Rafting
Jack
Guide
Adirondack Whitewater Rafting
Emory
Guide
Adirondack Whitewater Rafting
Dennis
Transportation Specialist
Adirondack Whitewater Rafting
Laura
Front desk staff
They say that behind every great man is a great woman, and so it is the same for our great rafting company. While we’re out paddling the mighty Hudson, Laura stays behind and runs the show behind the scenes.
