Raft Guide Training School 2024 | Mountain Whitewater
by Lindsey Modesitt, January 2024
Are you looking for a challenging, active, and rewarding career in the outdoors? If so, raft guide training school at Mountain Whitewater is perfect for you. Become a certified raft guide in the State of Colorado and earn the chance to be part of the Mountain Whitewater team by enrolling in our 2024 guide school.
Schedule & Materials
The course starts at 8:00 am on Monday, May 20th, 2024. The first week will consist of classroom sessions in the mornings. Classroom sessions will last until around noon, followed by on-river training in the afternoons (river level permitting). These classroom sessions will consist of a compilation of videos, slides, handouts, lectures, and quizzes. All dry-land instruction and classroom sessions take place on the grounds at Mountain Whitewater.
Trainees will receive a training packet containing materials related to the course. The packets include all the required materials from the State of Colorado and Mountain Whitewater. The packets will serve as a guide throughout the course. Professionally Guiding Whitewater and The Complete Whitewater Rafter will be used as the main texts for the course and will be loaned to you for the duration of the course. Other books, videos, and other rafting-related materials are available to trainees through the Mountain Whitewater library.
The classroom sessions that are required by the State of Colorado to obtain your guide license are listed below. They will help visualize what is happening on the river and to understand why the boat acts a certain way in rapids. Classes are held early in the training process so that the skills learned in the classroom can be applied to the river.
- Monday, May 20th – 8 am: Paperwork, Employee Handbook, Equipment & Gear, Rigging
- Tuesday, May 21st – 9 am: River Currents, River Features, Paddle Commands, rating scales
- Wednesday, May 22nd – 9 am: Running the Rapids, Safety, Safety Talk, River Hazards
- Thursday, May 23rd – 9 am: River Rescue, Emergency Procedures, Rope Rescue
- Friday, May 24th – 9 am: Miscellaneous, Outdoor Impacts, How to be a Better Guide
Requirements
All trainees are required to meet the following criteria to become a raft guide at Mountain Whitewater.
- Must be at least 18 years of age
- Must be able to attend all the above-listed class sessions
- Complete 100+ hours of on-river training required by Mountain Whitewater
- Must complete the Mountain Whitewater Rapid Check-off Sheet
- Must pass a basic First Aid and CPR class if not currently certified. Mountain Whitewater will host a class for staff and trainees sometime in the spring.
- Must complete the Mountain Whitewater Swiftwater Rescue class (included in training investment)
- Must pass a top to bottom check-out run with a trainer
- Treat the training course as if it were a very long job interview to show why you deserve to be part of the Mountain Whitewater team.
Instructors
There will be three main guide trainers; however, we will also have some of our returning guides help with training and instruction as well.
Brad Modesitt (Owner), 24rd-year guide, Canyons Inc. River Rescue Course, Emergency Medical Technician-Basic (trained), Outdoor Emergency Care Technician, Wilderness First Responder. Brad Modesitt is from Michigan but has lived in Colorado most of his life. Privately he has boated on four continents while pursuing his passion of traveling. He has over 24,901 river miles which is the circumference of the earth! His favorite trip so far has been canoeing to New Orleans and then bicycling to Chile.
Justin “Baby J” Romero- Justin grew up in Fort Collins where he explores the mountains. Justin Graduated from Colorado State University in December with a degree in Forestry and Rangeland Management. He enjoys spending time in a hammock in the mountains and listening to the wind whip through the trees. When not on the river, Justin can be found eating burritos and listening to rock ‘n roll. He likes fishing, hunting, hiking snowboarding and many other things. He is trained in SwiftWater Rescue Techniques. This is Justin’s 5th year guiding on the Cache La Poudre
Evandel “Vano” Crabtree- Vano is from Dayton, Ohio where he grew up playing football and running track. He graduated from Sinclair College in Dayton, Ohio. Vano’s next adventure was to follow his heart and chase his passion for rafting. That passion found him in Fort Collins, Colorado. Vano’s love for rafting came from rafting trips as a kid in West Virginia. After discovering that guides were like superheroes, he decided that would be a perfect fit for him, we agreed. Vano is a SwiftWater trained and this is his 4th year as a guide on the Poudre River.
Also assisting with Training for 2024
Matt Troyanek, Coe Stemple, Casey Batezel, Jack Reed, Melissa Matsunaka, Jacque “tiny” McVey, Casey Kramer
How to Apply
Training Investment: $395. Taking the class is not a guarantee of a job, but all new guides will be hired from the training class. If hired, half of the class fee is returned after the second full-time season working with Mountain Whitewater, the other half is returned after the third full-time season working with Mountain Whitewater. This cost covers the classroom sessions, dry-land sessions, equipment used during training (PFD, wetsuit, booties, splash jacket, and helmet), Swiftwater rescue class, and transportation to and from the Cache La Poudre River Canyon. Being a river guide is a multidimensional job requiring both physical skills and an outgoing personality. We are looking for people who can fulfill those needs. Ask around…we have the best-trained guides you will find.
If interested, contact us at contacts@raftmw.com or by calling 970-419-0917.
Swiftwater Rescue Training on the Cache La Poudre River
Mountain Whitewater conducts a swiftwater rescue training course each spring that is required for all company guides.
by Ben Costello, March 2016
Here at Mountain Whitewater we pride ourselves for having the most experienced and well trained whitewater rafting guides on the Cache La Poudre River. After all, our motto is “Our Guides Make the Difference.” To make the difference, safety must be the number one priority of a professional raft guide. Swiftwater rescue training is a minimum training requirement for each guide at Mountain Whitewater, in addition to CPR and First Aid required by the State. We also highly encourage all of our guides to pursue advanced medical training and to practice their medical and rescue training regularly.
Swiftwater Rescue Training is an intense two-day, 18-hour course that teaches swiftwater rescue techniques and river safety procedures. The class is designed for both rookie and veteran guides and is formatted to both teach new techniques and refresh standard safety procedures.
Day One
Day one of the class covers the many technical aspects of river rescue and the gives guides a chance to practice water based rescue scenarios in a controlled situation. The morning of day one takes place on the ground of Mountain Whitewater and the afternoon takes place on a local pond or lake.
During the morning of day one topics include:
- Safety equipment that should be carried by each guide
- Proper rope safety procedures and rope care
- Knots, hitches, anchors and rigging systems
- Throw rope training
- Mock boat rescues including Z-drags and Vector Pulls
- First Aid and CPR scenarios
During the afternoon of day one topics include:
- Raft flip drills
- Being underneath both an upside-down and rightist-up raft
- Climbing into a raft from the water
- Pulling someone into a raft
- Flatwater paddling drills and raft races
Day Two
Day two of the class takes the participants up to the Cache La Poudre River. Day two is a much more intense day that concentrates on real-life swiftwater practice. The drills immerse guide in river currents and give them a chance to play the role of both rescuer and swimmer.
During day two topics include:
- Swimming through class II, III and IV rapids
- Self-rescue in rapids
- Assisted rescue techniques
- Entering and exiting eddies as a swimmer
- Swimming across the river
- Panicked and assisted swimmer rescues
- Individual and group river crossings
- Tethered rescues
- Strainer swimming drills
- Backboard scenarios
- Foot entrapment drills
- Throw rope drills
Raft Guide Training with Mountain Whitewater
Whitewater raft guide training offers the chance to learn the skills needed to be a certified guide in the Sate of Coloradoand the chance to earn a job with the best rafting outfitter on the Cache La Poudre River.
by Ben Costello, January 2016
This year’s raft guide training will start on Monday, May 16, 2016. The first week of the course will consist of classroom style training at Mountain Whitewater in the mornings with on-river training in the afternoons. These classroom sessions will consist of a compilation of videos, slides, handouts and lecture.
The following weeks of the course consist of mostly on-river training. We will take two trips per day, seven days per week to complete the state mandated number of hours required to be a guide. There is a Swiftwater rescue training and a CPR and First Aid course during this period of guide training. We will be doing some intense training so that we can get you on the river as soon as possible.
Class Schedule for the 2016 Raft Guide Training Course
- Monday, May 16th – Paperwork, Employee Handbook, Equipment & Gear Rigging
- Tuesday, May 17th – River Currents, River Features, Paddle Commands, rating scales
- Wednesday, May 18th – Running the Rapids, Safety, Safety Talk, River Hazards, Poudre Bloopers Video, Slammin’ Salmon Video
- Thursday, May 19th – River Rescue, Emergency Procedures, Heads-Up Video, Rope Rescue
- Friday, May 20th – Miscellaneous, Outdoor Impacts, How to be a Better Guide
Other Requirements
- Colorado State law requires that guides have First Aid and CPR certifications. Classes are usually between $50 and $80.
- The Mountain Whitewater Swiftwater Rescue class will also be a required part of guide training. The cost of the Swiftwater Rescue course is included in the training investment.
- The State of Colorado requires that you have 50 hours on river time before you can guide commercially.
- Mountain Whitewater will require that you have 100+ hours.
- We will have a Poudre rapids check-off sheet that will require all trainees to run all of the rapids of the Poudre Plunge at least 5 times.
- Once complete, if deemed appropriate, there will be a check-off run, top to bottom, with customers and a trainer in the boat. If all goes well, you will now be part of the Mountain Whitewater team.
Training Investment
The cost for the course is $395 (half is returned after the second fulltime season working with Mountain Whitewater, half returned after the third fulltime season working with Mountain Whitewater).
This cost covers the classroom sessions, dry land sessions, equipment used during training (PFD, wetsuit, booties, splash jacket, and helmet), swiftwater rescue class and transportation to and from the Cache la Poudre River Canyon.
Being a river guide is a multidimensional job. It is physically and mentally demanding, days can be long with exposure to the elements. It is also very rewarding and tons of fun. We are looking for people who can fulfill those needs. Ask around…Mountain Whitewater has the best trained guides you will find. Call 970-419-0917 if interested or email contacts@raftmw.com.
Rafting the Colorado River: An Employee Trip
Mountain Whitewater employees celebrate another great season by participating in a multi-day trip rafting the Colorado River.
By Ben Costello, November 2015
It was another great rafting season on the Cache La Poudre River for Mountain Whitewater, one of the best ever in fact. There were great water levels throughout the season and entertaining music at the Paddler’s Pub. A fantastic crew of employees and all our wonderful guests contributed to making 2015 a rafting season to remember. The staff at Mountain Whitewater worked hard all season to ensure a great experience for everyone involved. After all of that hard work, it was time for a group of employees to celebrate the season by going on a multi-day rafting vacation.
In mid October, with permits secured, food packed and rafting and camping equipment secured in trucks, our group of twelve guides headed to Western Colorado for a trip rafting the Colorado River. The plan for the devoted band of river rats was to launch just west of Frutia, Colorado and head down river to spend five days running the Ruby-Horsethief and Westwater Canyons of the Colorado River.
Those who have never experienced an over-night rafting trip often assume the trips are strenuous and rough. Traveling with minimal gear while eating freeze dried food, like backpackers. That is not the case for most rafting trips. Rafts can accommodate lots of gear, a full kitchen, large, comfortable sleeping pads, camp chairs, fire pans, plenty of beer and lots of other creature comforts. Our trip rafting the Colorado River included meals like lasagna, eggs and bacon, steak shish-ka-bobs with artichoke dip, Reuben sandwiches, chicken fajitas and pineapple upside-down cake. Camps were comfortable, even luxurious by camping standards.
The first part of the journey traveled through the Ruby and Horsethief canyons. This particular stretch of the river contains mostly placid, class I and II water and beautiful desert landscape. Huge red rock walls, calm green water and aromatic desert shrubs are experienced along the way. Birds of prey ride the drafts off the canyon walls while fish jump, leaving ripples on the water surface. It’s a perfect setting for a relaxing row by the oarsmen (and women) captaining the seven rafts on the trip. Two of the guides paddled stand up paddleboards while others simply rode on the bow of a raft. Regardless of the mode of travel, each member of the group enjoyed being out in the desert away from the hustle and bustle of real life. Spending time on a desert river allows for the unmistakable feeling of freedom without worry. No electronic devices, no bills to pay, just the great outdoors with great friends.
The group spent the first couple days of our adventure on this part of the river. Popular activities included playing in the water, relaxing by the fire and playing Bocce Ball or Washers. On our layover day, most of the group hiked up Mee Canyon. I stayed back to wait for a couple of our other guides friends who would be meeting us at camp that day. It was nice to spend time soaking in the view. I watched river otters play and waved at other groups of rafters heading down river. We left camp the next day and spent time jumping off the rocks in the Blackrock area before moving on to the Westwater Canyon section of the Colorado River for some exhilarating class III and IV whitewater.
Westwater Canyon is one of the most popular overnight river trips in the Western Colorado/Eastern Utah area. It is the only place, other than the Grand Canyon where a whitewater traveler can see Precambrian rocks like Vishnu Schist and Zoroaster Granite. These rocks and the large, steep canyon walls give it a feel very similar the Grand Canyon. The short, but action packed section of whitewater within the Westwater Canyon area provide for a very wet and wild experience for river runners.
Rafting the Colorado River in Westwater Canyon did not disappoint for our employee trip. We saw mostly warm sunny weather, with just a little rain while running the rapids when you are wet anyway. Most all of the rapids were run successfully by the seasoned guides, smashing through large waves while smiling with joy. One raft, a smaller mini-me did flip in one of the larger rapids called Skull. The raft hit the main, large hydraulic in the rapid and was flipped instantly. But that was not unexpected because rowing a raft as small as the mini-me makes for a wild ride. All went well as the raft was easily righted once it was pulled into an eddy after the rapid. For our group, there is nothing more satisfying than traveling together on a river and running big rapids.
The trip ended with one final night at camp with rowdy campfire discussions about the day of running whitewater. Final rounds of washers and bocce ball were played to determine trip champions and the group enjoyed one last gourmet camp meal. It was another memorable addition to the river logs of the veteran guides and an unforgettable first multi-day experience for a few others. The trip fortified the already tight bond between coworkers. Can’t wait to do it again. A multi-day adventure rafting the Colorado River, or any other river for that matter, is an unbeatable experience. And for our group, it was a perfect way to unwind and celebrate another season doing what we love: guiding rafts on the Cache La Poudre River.
photos by Melissa Matsunaka
14th Annual Cache la Poudre River Cleanup
Down Town Cache la Poudre River Cleanup
Join Mountain Whitewater for their annual Cache la Poudre River Clean-up. With help from our co-sponsors Save the Poudre and the City of Fort Collins Natural Areas Program, we will clean all along the Poudre trail from Shields Street to Lemay Avenue, possibly further.
Clean-up meets Saturday, May 25, 2013 @ 9am and will last until noon. All you need is gloves, sunscreen & the desire to make a difference in our community. Meet @ Lee Martinez Park in the main parking lot. Any and all volunteers are welcome; please register at the check-in table prior to the cleanup.
New World Sports will provide bike trailers to haul the trash bags off the trail, and Gallegos Sanitation is donating trash & recycling bins for the event.
Please try to carpool or ride bikes to reduce parking congestion and to reduce the event’s carbon footprint. Also, make sure to dress for the weather. We will clean the river rain or shine!!
To say thanks to anyone who volunteers during the event, there will be a volunteer appreciation event held at Mountain Whitewater after the cleanup. The event is going to begin at 12:30pm and will last until around 5:00pm. There will be FREE beer provided by Odell Brewing Company and FREE food provided by Backcountry Delicatessen, Rio Grande Mexican Restaurant and LaPorte Pizza. Other refreshments will also be provided for those who are not of legal drinking age. This event is only open to those who volunteer, so make sure you register at the cleanup before you start.
Equally Challenged with Special Guests
Friday evening music series at Mountain Whitewater
Another great night of music at the Paddler’s Pub was had by all on Friday! The band Equally Challenged performed live with some help of some special guests from the Honey Gitters, Bourbon Toothpaste and the Holler!.
Concert goers enjoyed the music while playing volleyball, drinking local Colorado beers and enjoying the fantastic view of the foothills at Mountain Whitewater.
It was a great night for the members of the Fort Collins community to get together and create some happier moments during these tougher times.
Members of the community shared beers and stories about the High Park Fire. All firefighters enjoyed their first beer for free as a thank you! They are working extremely hard to protect the Poudre Canyon which many of us call home.
Thanks to all who came out to join us! We look forward to next Friday when The Seers will join us for another night of great music! (from 5-8pm)
Great Night with the Honey Gitters
Friday night music series at Mountain Whitewater
Friday, June 1st kicked off the first night of our Paddler’s Pub summer concert series with The Honey Gitters, a local Fort Collins progressive bluegrass band. The high energy of the music was truly infectious, along with the warm weather and incredibly vibrant sunset. It was a evening unlike any other.
Our neighbors popped in to see what the commotion was all about. They exclaimed how much fun they had, and said they can’t wait to tell their friends and will definitely be back next Friday! All of the attendees were ecstatic that we will be hosting shows all summer long.
Our five acre park provides an exceptional atmosphere with the majestic mountains in the background, a sand volleyball court, BBQ grill and picnic area, a play area for children, small outdoor amphitheater, nature trail and not to mention the only real outdoor Pub in Fort Collins! Feel free to bring your dog!
Next Friday June 8th, we will be continuing our summer concert series with Shaefer Welch, a folk artist originally from Nashville, Tennessee. Shaefer Welch has relocated to Fort Collins in order to further explore his music career in the duo, Rosewood Divine. Be sure to come check out his smooth folk acoustic style, kick back, meet new people and enjoy refreshingly cold beer!
There will be a show featured at the Paddler’s Pub every Friday until August from 5-8 pm. The complete lineup is available on our website and Facebook page with links to the artist’s reverbnation music page.
For more questions or comments visit our Facebook page, Mountain Whitewater give us a call at (970)-419-0917 or send an e-mail to ben@raftmw.com
The Honey Gitters open up the Paddler’s Pub Summer Music Lineup
Friday evening music series at Mountain Whitewater
On Friday, June 1 The Paddler’s Pub, at Mountain Whitewater, will be hosting the first band for their Summer Music Series. The Honey Gitters are a local Fort Collins band who will be playing progressive bluegrass music, incorporating new and old bluegrass sounds. This dynamic group is just returning from a southwest Colorado tour and will be kicking off at 5pm this Friday. It is a free event open to the public and we invite you to enjoy local Colorado beer, sand volleyball and some great music against the backdrop of the beautiful foothills.
Please check out their website at honeygitters.com and come help us kick off the 2012 Summer Music Series at Mountain Whitewater and the Paddler’s Pub. Located at 1329 N. US Hwy 287 Fort Collins, CO 80524
For any questions please call us at 970-419-0917
Downtown Poudre River Cleanup
Join us for this great volunteer event!
Join Mountain Whitewater for their annual Cache la Poudre River Clean-up. With help from our co-sponsors Save the Poudre and the City of Fort Collins Natural Areas Program, we will clean all along the Poudre trail from Shields Street to Lemay Avenue, possibly further.
Clean-up meets Saturday, May 26, 2012 @ 9am and will last until noon. All you need is gloves, sunscreen & the desire to make a difference in our community. Meet @ Lee Martinez Park in the main parking lot. Any and all volunteers are welcome; please register at the check-in table prior to the cleanup.
New World Sports will provide bike trailers to haul the trash bags off the trail, and Gallegos Sanitation is donating trash & recycling bins for the event.
Please try to carpool or ride bikes to reduce parking congestion and to reduce the event’s carbon footprint. Also, make sure to dress for the weather. We will clean the river rain or shine!!
To say thanks to anyone who volunteers during the event, there will be a volunteer appreciation event held at Mountain Whitewater after the cleanup. The event is going to begin at 12:30pm and will last until around 5:00pm. There will be FREE beer provided by Odell Brewing Company and FREE food provided by Backcountry Provision, Rio Grande Mexican Restaurant and LaPorte Pizza. Other refreshments will also be provided for those who are not of legal drinking age. This event is only open to those who volunteer, so make sure you register at the cleanup before you start.
National Get Outdoors Day 2011 with MWD
MWD Promotes Outdoor Water Activities.
National Get Outdoors Day is a new annual event to encourage healthy, active outdoor fun. The main goals for the day are to reach first-time visitors to public lands and to reconnect our youth to the great outdoors! Come join us this Saturday June 11, 2011 from noon-4pm at various locations around Spring Canyon Park in Fort Collins. Mountain Whitewater will be located on the north-west side of Dixon Reservoir. We will have kayaking, canoeing, paddle boarding, and kite boarding all for FREE from noon-4pm. Come GET OUTDOORS and enjoy the sun while learning new skills. See you Saturday!
