Maine Whitewater Rafting Guide Sarah Gifford
Name: Sarah Gifford
Hometown: Raymond, ME
Age of First Rafting Trip: 21
Year you started guiding at Northern Outdoors: 2024
What type of guiding do you do? Whitewater Rafting
What do you enjoy most about working at Northern Outdoors? My favorite part of working at Northern Outdoors is living in such a beautiful part of Maine and getting to spend my time introducing the river/state to others.
What is your favorite river to guide, and your favorite rapid on that river?
I would say that my favorite river to guide on is the Dead River. There’s always excitement in the air during a Dead River release and one of my favorite moments on the river is splashing through the final wave at the end of Big Poplar rapid.
Where do you adventure when you are not working?
When I’m not working at Northern I spend most of my time adventuring in the White Mountains of New Hampshire. In the winters I try to spend as much time as I can downhill skiing and ski touring. In the summers, along with whitewater rafting, I also enjoy hiking, golfing, and backpacking.
What do you do in the off-season when you’re not guiding for Northern Outdoors?
During the winters I work at Loon Mountain (a ski resort in NH) as a ski technician and Sustainability Coordinator.
What rivers have you run outside of Maine?
In December of 2024 I was lucky enough to spend Christmas Day launching a trip through the Grand Canyon with a group of 15 people (including a handful of our Northern Outdoors guide staff). We spent 21 days on the river, and ringing in the new year in the process!
