Northern Outdoors pioneered rafting on all three of Maine’s rivers, which means there’s a LOT of history boxed up around these parts. Here are just a few of the stories and river guides that make up Northern Outdoors and Maine’s rich whitewater rafting history – from our first trips on the Kennebec River, to the river guides of the 70s, 80s, 90s and beyond.
Name: Stephanie Gallagher Hometown: York, ME Age of First Rafting Trip: 14 Years Old Year you started guiding at Northern Outdoors: 2017 What type of guiding do you do? Whitewater Rafting What do you enjoy most about working at Northern Outdoors? What I enjoy most about working at Northern Outdoors is the friendly environment. Our staff...
Name: Adam Ruger Hometown: York, ME Age of First Rafting Trip: 15 years old Year you started guiding at Northern Outdoors: 2016 What type of guiding do you do? Whitewater Rafting What do you enjoy most about working at Northern Outdoors? What I enjoy most about working at Northern Outdoors is the staff throughout each department...
Our first trips were very different from today’s Kennebec rafting trip. We put in at the East Outlet of Moosehead Lake, paddled and motored across Indian Pond, took off the motor, and carried around Harris Station dam (stopping for a traditional Maine guide lunch of grilled steak, boiled potatoes and...
“We were either going to discover one of the best rivers to raft in the country, or we were going to die.” This was the encouraging phone call to the Hockmeyers from West Virginia rafting friend Jon Dragan (founder of Wildwater Ltd. on the Gauley River in 1968), the night before...