Our Staff

 


Bob Klein has been guiding on the Poudre River for the past 30 seasons. He holds a degree in Natural Resources Commercial Recreation and Tourism from Colorado State University. Back in the day Bob enjoyed living the ski bum life and taught snowboarding at Steamboat Ski Resort and Jackson Hole. He is originally from the western slope town of Hotchkiss, Colorado. Bob 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, rafting on the Zambezi River in Africa and traveling to Costa Rica, Ecuador, New Zealand and Australia.

 


IMG_0483Derek Steffens will be joining our team for his 12th season of guiding on the Cache La Poudre River. He is the operations manager of the company. Derek is a certified Swiftwater Rescue Technician Instructor. A Fort Collins native, Derek loves the outdoors and can’t stand being inside all day. The past few winters Derek has been loving warm weather, and warm water, teaching Scuba Diving in Hawaii, guiding on the Pacuare River in Costa Rica, working with the humanitarian aid organization Aqua Aid International in rural Nicaragua and working as a canyoning guide in Queenstown, New Zealand. Derek enjoys many outdoor activities including river trips, kayaking, riding his motorcycle, camping, hiking, traveling, mountain biking, snowboarding, rock climbing and learning new things.

 


Paula Hodgson has guided on the Cache La Poudre River with the company for the past 29 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.

 


Lucas Stanley has been guiding for Wanderlust for the past 20 seasons. 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 Colorado State University and also earned a Masters Degree in Special Education. He currently is a Moderate Needs Teacher at a local Colorado high school. 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.

 


Peter Mosby started guiding back in 1986. From the years 1988 through 2023 Peter has 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 along with a Masters in Technology and a Masters in Education-Administration. 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 is currently a principal at Rock Ridge Elementary School. An avid outdoors-man, Peter has competed in the Field & Stream Total Outdoors-man Challenge for several years. He placed third in the Total Outdoors-man All star Edition in 2013. Peter loves fly fishing, hunting, snowboarding and rafting with his family and friends.

 


Dan Piper has been guiding rafts on the Cache La Poudre River for 18 seasons and is entering his 13th season with A Wanderlust Adventure. Dan is certified as a Swiftwater Rescue Technician. Dan was born and raised in Littleton, Colorado and moved to Fort Collins in order to attend Colorado State University, where he earned his degree in Technology Education and Training. Dan has been teaching 6th, 7th and 8th grade Industrial Technology at Eaton Middle School for the past eight years. He greatly enjoys both his “real job” and his “blissful job” taking people whitewater rafting. Dan enjoys most sporting activities and spends much of his free time rafting, golfing, frolphing, fishing, camping and traveling.

 


Brian Friday will be working his 12th season guiding for A Wanderlust Adventure, although he has many years of rafting experience. He is a certified Swiftwater Rescue Technician. His father was a guide many years ago and he taught Brian how to guide, canoe and kayak when he was just a youngster. Brian is originally from Maryland. He attended UCCS in Colorado Springs. Brian was also a Ships Signals Exploitation Equipment Operator in the U.S. Navy while stationed in Pensacola, Florida. He now has his own construction business. Brian is an avid outdoors-man who enjoys camping, hiking, biking, fishing, kayaking, canoeing and hunting.

 


George Hatch will be guiding for his 11th season on the Poudre River. He has his Wilderness First Responder certification from the Wilderness Medicine Institute. He earned degrees in Natural Resources Recreation and Tourism and Applied Computing Technology at Colorado State University. George grew up in a rafting family and has been kayaking and going on multi-day whitewater adventures for many years. George is passionate about the outdoors and loves to mountain bike and downhill ski.

 


Diego Hoyos will be returning for his 8th season of guiding on the Poudre River. He has also guided in Alaska. Diego graduated from Colorado State University with a Bachelor’s Degree in Journalism. Prior to studying at CSU Diego spent four years in the United States Marine Corps. He was stationed in Okinawa, Japan. Diego spent 10 years of his life growing up in Ecuador. He still visits there often and has family that lives there. Diego thoroughly enjoyed guiding up in Alaska where he guided both day and multi day trips. He also enjoys camping, hiking, traveling and rafting on multi day river trips.


Paul Kelly began guiding rafting trips in 1981. He guided professionally on Colorado rivers for the next 13 years. He decided to take a hiatus from professional guiding in 1994. He got a degree from Colorado State University in 1989, and for the next 25 years taught middle school P.E. and biology. Throughout his teaching career he never lost his passion for the river, he completed ten Grand Canyon trips and dozens of multi-day river trips during that time. He has returned to his passions – teaching and river rafting, as one of Wanderlust’s guides. OK, so he’s not our youngest, but he’s a wise one.

 


This is Dakota Squibb’s 4th season of guiding on the Poudre River. He’s a Colorado native and grew up in the mountains. Along with being a guide, he is also an EMT and Volunteer Firefighter! Dakota is a 4-H archery coach where he helps motivated youth achieve their goals that reach as high as being State and National level athletes. In 2018, he was an exchange student in Bjerkreim, Norway where he hiked and fished a lot. When he’s not outside doing something fun, you can find him indoors playing guitar, or sitting by the fire when it rains.

 


This is Taylor Beach’s 4th season guiding with us on the Cache la Poudre River! Her family is from California and she was born and raised in Colorado Springs, so her love for the mountains and the outdoors is in her blood. When she’s not on the river, she enjoys rock climbing, backpacking, gardening, and camping with her dog whenever possible! Taylor is also certified in CPR/AED and First Aid, and uses it for babysitting in her free time. During the winter months, Taylor goes to Colorado State University, working towards earning a degree in Fish and Wildlife Biology and minoring in the Role of Sustainability in Peace and Reconciliation.

 


Austin Smigelski is joining our team this season for his 4th year guiding on the Poudre! He’s originally from Michigan where he was a certified SCUBA diver (since 14!) and just moved to Colorado in 2018. Austin learned to love rafting on the New River in West Virginia, and spends most of his free time hiking or camping in the canyon, or exploring the live music scene!

 


Bobby Bloxom grew up in Shreveport, Louisiana. He attended Northwestern State University where he earned a Bachelors in Communication. In the off season Bobby can be found between Fort Collins and guiding snowmobiles in New Mexico. When not taking people down the river he enjoys seeing live music, multi day raft trips, cooking with friends, and eating shrimp with his dog Buddy. This will be his 9th year as a professional raft guide and 8th on the Poudre after spending a season on the Payette in Idaho. He’s also certified in Wilderness First Aid and Swiftwater Rescue.


Andee Dow has been a professional guide on the Poudre River for the past nine seasons. She has also guided on the Pacuare River in Costa Rica and the Gauley River in West Virginia. Andee also works for the company Backroads guiding trips in the US and internationally. She also spent a couple of winters in New Zealand as a canyoneering guide. Andee loves to kayak and go on multi day trips as much as possible. She recently did a three week trip rafting trip through the Grand Canyon. 


Nate Bell has been guiding commercially on the Cache La Poudre River for the past 13 seasons. Nate loves to row on multi day trips and recently rafted through the Grand Canyon this past spring. Most of the time you can find Nate enjoying the Poudre River paddling with friends. Nate is a professional Swiftwater Rescue Technician. 

 


Cameron “Murph” Murphy returns for his fourth year of guiding with our company on the Poudre River. Murph has over ten years of experience in emergency and combat medicine. He was with the 1st Battalion 6th Marine Regiment for 4 years where he received a Purple Heart. During the off season Murph attends Colorado State University where he is obtaining an engineering degree. He loves the outdoors and hunts as much as he can.  Murph has training in Swift Water Rescue and also is certified as an EMT. 


Trinity Robinson joins our company for her 4th season of guiding on the Cache La Poudre River. She is originally from Buffalo, New York. Trinity is studying to get her Emergency Medical Technician this fall and plans to guide on the Poudre River for many years. She absolutely loves rafting and most of the time you will find her paddling with friends in her free time. 


Brandon King has been a professional guide for four seasons. He cut his teeth guiding with the Nantahala Outdoor Center on the French Broad River in North Carolina before joining Wanderlust in the summer of 2020. During the fall he returns to guide on the French Broad River. Brandon is originally from Rockledge, Florida. He has Swift Water Rescue Training and loves to raft every chance he can get.  


Eric Winnie has 12 seasons of guiding experience on the Poudre River. He is certified as a Swift Water Rescue Technician. Eric guides part time for our company in the summer months and works full time for his business High Country Fine Furniture. He is also an instructor at Red Rocks Community College’s Department of Fine Woodworking. Eric and his wife Liz love to go on multi day rafting trips as much as possible. 


Colin Fanselow returns for his fourth season of guiding on the Poudre River with our company. Colin also guided one season on the French Broad River in North Carolina. He is originally from Cincinnati, Ohio. Colin received his degree from Colorado State University. He is a world traveler and looks forward to rowing a raft down the Grand Canyon this fall.

 


Abby Wall worked for 2 seasons on the French Broad River with River and Earth Adventures. She has now been guiding for Wanderlust for the past two seasons. Abby has also worked as a zip line guide and has Swift Water Training. She loves to kayak and hopes to raft through the Grand Canyon this fall. 

 


Maranda Wiese returns for her 5th season taking photos for our company. She is originally from Olney, Illinois. She obtained an Associate Degree of Science from Front Range Community College. Maranda loves living in Colorado and spends as much time as she can taking outdoor photos and playing in the mountains!


Jamie Jasinski has been a whitewater raft guide for over 14 years. He originally starting guiding on the Ocoee River in Tennessee before joining our company back in 2006. He guided full time for us for a few seasons and then moved up to Washington to guide on many of the rivers up there. He moved back to Colorado to attend Naropa University in Boulder and obtained a masters degree in counseling. For the past few seasons he has guided part time for us and thoroughly enjoys being back on the Poudre River!


 

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