Every company on the Poudre River says they have the most experienced guides. For proof that we actually have the most experienced guides please read this form - Colorado State Parks Outfitter Records Inspection Form.

Pat Legel, the owner and founder of A Wanderlust Adventure, started the company back in 1982. The company was a lot smaller back then and consisted of one Datson pickup, one non bailing raft and Pat. Since then the company has grown into one of the largest outfitters on the Poudre River. Pat still likes to guide on the river when he isn't on a Wanderlust journey in another part of the country. He enjoys going on private multi-day trips like the Grand Canyon, Cataract Canyon, Dolores River, Tatshenshini, Snake, Salmon and you name it! Most of the time you can find Pat hiking or biking around the foothills of Fort Collins with his faithful golden retriever, Rio.

Bob Klein, the manager of the company, has been guiding on the Poudre River for the past twenty seasons. He holds a degree in Natural Resources Commercial Recreation and Tourism from Colorado State University. Before he started managing the company full time he enjoyed living the ski bum life and taught snowboarding at Steamboat Ski Resort and Jackson Hole. Bob is originally from the western slope town of Hotchkiss, Colorado. He enjoys rowing his raft on multi-day river trips, mountain biking, snowboarding, hunting and traveling. Some of his favorite experiences include rafting through the Grand Canyon, & traveling to Costa Rica, Ecuador, New Zealand and Australia.

Paula Hodgson has guided on the Cache La Poudre River with Wanderlust for the past twenty-one seasons. She attended college at Colorado State University where she earned her degree and discovered her love for the outdoors and rafting. During the off season Paula has worked with youth at risk, taught environmental interpretation at youth camps and instructed skiing at Steamboat and Jackson Hole. She earned her Masters in Counseling in 2007. Paula has a passion for traveling, especially in Central and South America. Some of her favorite experiences include kayaking on the Futalafu River in Chile, kayaking thru the Grand Canyon, trekking on the Inca trail in Peru and thru the Himalayas of Nepal.


Brandy Hodgson has been a guide with Wanderlust for seventeen seasons, has worked a season on the Gauley River and has rafted several other rivers nationally and internationally. In the off season Brandy is a challenge course facilitator, has worked as a junior high science and health teacher and currently graduated from CSU earning her PHD in Interdisciplinary Wellness Counseling and Experiential Education. Favorite experiences include trekking in Nepal, hitchhiking through New Zealand and rafting the Grand Canyon, though a love for her home state and family keeps her coming back to Colorado. Brandy loves working with people and providing fun experiences and learning opportunities for people who want to improve the quality of their lives. Brandy is a certified Swiftwater Rescue Technician.

Aaron Crawford has been a guide with Wanderlust for thirteen seasons. He is a certified Swiftwater Rescue Technician. Originally from Illinois, Aaron moved to Fort Collins to attend Colorado State University where he earned a degree in Exercise Sport Science and his teaching certificate for Physical Education. During the off season he teaches P.E. at Bacon Elementary School in Fort Collins. Aaron loves teaching and enjoys many outdoor activities like road and mountain bicycling, snowboarding and climbing many of the 14 foot peaks of Colorado's mountains. During the summer of 2003 Aaron participated in the annual Ride the Rockies Cycling event touring the state for more than two weeks on the saddle of his bicycle.

Robin Conley has been guiding rafts on the Poudre River for fifteen seasons. She is certified as a Wilderness First Responder and Swiftwater Rescue Technician. Robin also worked one season guiding for North American River Runners on the Gauley River in West Virginia. She moved to Colorado to attend CSU and earned her degree in Natural Resources Commercial Recreation & Tourism/ Eco-tourism. She is currently working as a RN at Poudre Valley Hospital here in Fort Collins. Robin has a passion for the outdoors and loves to kayak and snowboard. She and her husband Jeff, enjoy traveling, snowboarding, hiking and going on multi-day river trips with friends and family.

Kate Wallace has been guiding on the Cache La Poudre River for the past eighteen seasons. She has been with A Wanderlust Adventure for the past five summers. Kate is an Emergency Medical Technician and is also certified in Swiftwater Rescue. She completed her undergraduate degree at Tufts University in Classical Studies and obtained her teaching certificate for Secondary Social Studies from the University of Colorado. Kate loves to work with children and has a passion for teaching and reading. She currently teaches in Poudre School District here in Fort Collins. Being a world traveler, Kate lived abroad for most of her life before her parents moved to Florida. She still loves to travel and enjoys scuba diving, kayaking, hiking and going on multi-day raft trips.


Michael Kirkpatrick started working for Wanderlust back in 2002 and has been guiding commercially for the past thirteen years. He is a certified Swiftwater Rescue Technician. He earned a degree in Music from Washington State University where he started guiding on many of the rivers in that area. Graduate School brought him to Greeley where he studied Music at the University of Northern Colorado. After earning his Masters, Michael had an opportunity to sing for the Santa Fe Opera which he did for one summer. His love for rafting and Fort Collins brought him back to Colorado, where he frequently plays music for several bands in the area.

Lucas Stanley will be entering his tenth summer guiding for our company. He also spent one winter guiding on the Pacuare River in Costa Rica. Lucas is certified as a Swiftwater Rescue Technician. He is originally from Colorado Springs and moved to Fort Collins to study at Colorado State University. Lucas earned a degree in History from CSU. During the winter months Lucas lives in Gillette, Wyoming with his wife Emily. He is back in school earning a degree in Special Education. Lucas loves to fly fish and spends much of his free time enjoying this sport in the Poudre Canyon. Lucas also enjoys rowing his raft down the Poudre River and other rivers in Colorado and Utah. He looks forward to rafting down the Grand Canyon during the summer of 2012.


Sarah Sammons will be entering her ninth season as one of our staff photographers. Many of the pictures on our web site were taken by Sarah. A Fort Collins native, Sarah has lived in the Front Range of Colorado for most of her life. She developed a passion for photography at an early age and enjoys taking scenic photos as much as the action shots that many of our guests purchase. Sarah is also a certified professional massage therapist and works for Poudre School District in the off season. Sarah enjoys crafts, camping, biking, snowboarding and hiking with her two dogs.

Luetta Starks will be returning for her eighth season of driving with our company. During the winter months Luetta drives a school bus for handicapped children at Thompson School District. Luetta loves driving for our company and commutes from the town of Loveland, a forty minute drive away. Everyone in our company loves having Luetta drive for us because of her great sense of humor and positive attitude. Luetta and her husband Randy enjoy horseback riding and own a small farm on the outskirts of Loveland, Colorado.

Noelle Liska will be returning for her sixth season working for A Wanderlust Adventure. Noelle enjoys multiple tasks at our company and has worked as our staff photographer, receptionist and as our hostess. Noelle attends Colorado State University where she is currently studying biomedical sciences. Next year Noelle plans to study abroad in Australia. She has a passion for traveling and she can't wait to spend some time down under. She recently learned to kayak on the Poudre River and loves to do this with her Mom who also works for our company. Noelle has a passion for dancing and enjoys salsa and other forms of dance.


Gregg Thomas will return for his eleventh season guiding for us on the Poudre River. He is a certified Swiftwater Rescue Technician. Gregg graduated with a degree in Marketing from Penn State. He is originally from Lancaster, Pennsylvania and moved to Colorado in the winter of 1996 to work for Steamboat Ski Resort. For five years Gregg led guests all over the world working as a professional guide for the company Back Roads. He organized and guided trips all over the United States, Africa, Asia and Australia. Gregg loves the outdoors and most of the time you can find him mountain biking, road cycling, snowboarding, rock climbing and trail running every chance he can get.

Jenn Berg will be guiding for her seventh season on the Cache La Poudre River. This is her second season working for our company. Jenn is trained in Swiftwater Rescue. Jenn achieved her Bachelor of Arts in Political Science from Colorado State University. She also obtained her minor in English. After graduating from CSU Jenn taught skiing at Steamboat Ski Resort during the winter of 2007. Last year Jenn graduated with a law degree from Denver University.She loves to travel and spent time experiencing Central and South America. Jenn also guided in Ecuador while traveling in South America.


Kevin Jacobi was born and raised in Fort Collins and graduated from Colorado State University. This will be his sixth season guiding on the Poudre River. Kevin is certified in swiftwater rescue and also as a kayak instructor. During the winter months Kevin is a 7th grade social studies teacher at Riverside Middle School in New Castle, Colorado. During the summer of 2009 Kevin toured across Colorado on his bicycle running Class V rapids in his kayak to raise money for cancer. His goal was to run 50 Class V sections of whitewater while cycling across the state. Kevin has a passion for kayaking and paddles every chance that he can get.

Raised on a lake in Michigan, Mary realized she had a passion for water as a child; sailing, catching turtles, and swimming were her passions. In 2005, Mary began guiding on the Poudre River and for the past six seasons she has progressed to guiding many more rivers in the state and abroad. Also since 2005, Mary has been traveling down to Futaleufú, Chile for the winter months to continue rafting and fishing in a circuit she calls “the ever-summer”. She loves to row fly fishing boats and get people on big fish, she has also been known to catch a few herself. Mary is Swift Water Rescue Certified and pays much attention to safety on the river. A proud CSU graduate with a degree in Global Tourism and a minor in Spanish, Mary has used her degree well, both in Colorado as she and her husband                                founded TroutTamers.com and manage a resort in Chile during the winter months.

Dan Fleishman will be entering his tenth season as a raft guide on the Poudre. He has also guided on the Colorado, North Platte, Arkansas and Clear Creek. Dan is certified as a Swiftwater Rescue Technician. His greatest passion is running private multi-day raft trips around the West with his friends. He recently completed his third 21-day trip on the Colorado River through Grand Canyon. A native New Yorker, Dan earned a B.A. in English from Guilford College in Greensboro, N.C., and an M.A. in journalism from the University of Colorado in Boulder. He wrote his Master's thesis on Colorado's hotly contested dispute over the "right to float" on rivers that traverse private land. His other hobbies include reading, golf, Scrabble and the New York Jets.

Jackson will be guiding for his third season at Wanderlust, and his fifth in a row on the Poudre. He is certified as an EMT basic and whitewater rescue technician. In 2009, he was stricken with a ferocious case of wanderlust, which led him to Mexico and Central America, where he snorkeled with a manatee, looked after an orphaned anteater, surfed, and rafted some world class water. He spends the off season in pursuit of a biology degree and the elusive Wapiti, and enjoys camping, cooking, and playing stringed instruments, especially on overnight rafting trips.

Jay Brekke will be entering his fourth season of rafting on the Cache La Poudre River. Jay was born and raised in Canon City, Colorado where he played high school football while hunting, rafting, fishing and water skiing in his spare time. Jay is currently in veterinary school at Colorado State University and will graduate in 2013. After graduation he plans on staying in Colorado, hoping to someday operate his own veterinarian practice. He has a passion for sports and outdoor activities and enjoys playing ice hockey and softball. He is an avid water skier and spends as much time as he can in the fall hunting waterfowl and upland birds with his yellow lab.

Paul Kelly will be guiding for his seventh season on the Cache La Poudre River. He is a certified kayak instructor, and he graduated from Colorado State University with a degree in Marketing and Entrepreneurship. After graduation, Paul took a nomadic winter of kayaking the mossy rivers of the northwest and participating in as many outdoor activities as possible. More recently, Paul spent off season working at a ski shop in Steamboat Springs to play on water in the frozen form. When not traveling the country, you can find Paul hanging out in his favorite spot, by the river in the Poudre Canyon.

Peter Mosby started guiding back in 1986. From the years 1988 through 1999 Peter guided for our company on the Poudre River. He is back again to guide for us part time this summer. Peter is a certified Swiftwater Rescue Technician. Graduating from Colorado State University with a teaching degree, Peter has taught high school math and other subjects for many years. He has also worked as a Principal at several high schools in the Denver area. He currently teaches mathematics at PREP Academy in Denver. An avid outdoorsman, Peter has competed in the Field & Stream Total Outdoorsman Challenge for several years. He placed third in the competition in 2008. Peter loves fly fishing, hunting, snowboarding and rafting with his family and friends.

Dan Piper has guided on the Poudre River for the past ten years. This will be his second season guiding for our company. Dan is a certified Swiftwater Rescue Technician. During the off season Dan teaches industrial technology at Eaton Middle School. He also enjoys coaching basketball for the Middle School. In his free time Dan loves rowing his raft on multi day river trips and taking friends rafting on the Poudre River. He also enjoys fly fishing and many other outdoor activities.

Nelson Greenlee will be returning for his eleventh season of guiding on the Poudre River. This will be his second season working for our company. Nelson is an Emergency Medical Technician and a certified Swiftwater Rescue Technician. He graduated from Colorado State University with degrees in Economics and Political Science. During the winter months Nelson works as a manager and driver at Greenride Colorado Shuttle Service in Fort Collins. Nelson loves the outdoors and has enjoyed rafting many multi day river trips like the Grand Canyon, Cataract Canyon and Westwater Canyon to name a few. Nelson also enjoys rafting Class V sections of whitewater and he has competed in the Gore Canyon Whitewater Race for several seasons.

Amanda Tyler will be returning for her second season working as one of our staff photographers. This will be her fifth season working as a photographer on the Poudre River. Amanda graduated from Colorado State University with a Bachelor of Arts in English concentrating in English Literature. She is currently working on a second Bachelor in Applied Human Sciences and Health and Exercise Science. While she is in school Amanda also works for the Rocky Mountain Collegian at Colorado State. Amanda loves the outdoors and enjoys rock climbing, outdoor photography and hiking and camping with her dog Bentley.

Rachel Vernon will be returning for her second season guiding for our company. This will be her seventh season of guiding on the Cache La Poudre River. Rachel grew up in the Poudre Canyon near Fort Collins. As a youngster she watched rafts float by her house with hopes of some day being a guide herself. Rachel graduated from Stanford University in 2008. She is now working on her Masters in Ethnic Studies at Colorado State University. Rachel enjoys participating in many outdoor activities like kayaking, hiking, rafting and camping.

Rio is the official company mascot for A Wanderlust Adventure and has been with the company since 1998. She has a passion for going on walks, chasing small animals and chewing on things. Although she has been on many multi day river trips she does not like to get splashed by water. Most of the time you can find Rio hanging out in our office, helping our staff book reservations and protecting them from the UPS man.

Pepper will be returning for his ninth season of working for our company. A border collie mix, Pepper loves to heard the guides to the boat barn to prepare the trips for the day. He earns his biscuits by making sure there are no slackers at this company. Pepper loves to raft and like his friend Rio, he does not like to get splashed by waves in the river. He has only rafted on Class III sections on the Poudre River. He hopes to raft some Class IV next year if his daddy will let him. Pepper's dream is to develop the first whitewater canine helmet. He hates to travel in a car unless that car is going to the park or a favorite trail. Pepper loves to go on hikes, chase mountain bikes, dig holes, go sledding, play soccer, fetch sticks and is an amazing frisbee dog.

Qwiggly will be returning for his fourth year of herding guests around at our meeting area. He is a half australian shepherd and half border collie mix. As you can imagine, Qwiggly has a lot of energy and loves to play. This past fall he went on a road trip with Pepper to the Big Sur Coast in California. He loved playing frisbee on the beach in Carmel by the Sea. He also enjoyed viewing the elephant seals and camping in the redwood forest. Qwiggly loves to go on hikes and like his brother Pepper, he is an amazing frisbee dog. He also loves to fetch any kind of toy and he definitely has got some hops. This summer he hopes to go rafting again on the Poudre River.

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A WANDERLUST ADVENTURE Meeting Area at Vern's Restaurant: 4120 W County Rd. 54 G Laporte, CO 80535 1-800-745-7238 or Local (970) 482-1995 E-mail: info@awanderlustadventure.com

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