Jerry & Carole at Cook Creek Camp on the 1978 National Geographic Society Hells Canyon trip featured in America’s Majestic Canyons (1979).
Jerry & Carole
Jerry Hughes is a native Idahoan who made his first rafting trip in 1963. He began his guiding career in 1967. Jerry played football for the University of Idaho Vandals and also earned a Bachelor Degree in Business and a Juris Doctorate in Law from the University of Idaho. Past member of the Idaho State Bar.
Carole Finley was raised in northern Idaho. Carole is an experienced river guide. Jerry and Carole worked together on river crews beginning in 1973 before launching Hughes River Expeditions in 1976. Carole holds degrees in History and Economics from the University of Idaho. Master heavy duty seamstress fabricating gear in the company’s Lolo boat shop.
Colin Hughes
Grew up on the rivers. Started “officially” working with HRE at age 14, and through the years has taken on more responsibilities. Colin is Vice President, Designated Agent and Operations Manager of HRE. A proud University of Idaho graduate in Conservation Social Sciences with an emphasis on Recreation, Resources and Tourism & Public Land Management.
Hobbies include snowboarding, upland bird hunting, and fly fishing. Colin Lives in Lolo, MT with his wife, Megan, and son Woodrow.
Megan Hughes
Colin's wife. As the HRE Office Manager/Treasurer she manages payroll, books, and more. Lewis-Clark State College and Montana State University – Billings graduate in Dental Hygiene and Health Care Administration.
Tony Herold
Broken hand in the batter’s box ended what should have been college baseball opportunity, turned him to river guiding. Bachelors Degree in Outdoor Recreation from University Idaho. Top notch fishing guide, gear boatman, plus rowing & paddling. “Glue guy” during the summer Middle Fork season. Tony lives in Stanley, ID. He is an EMT, Volunteer Fireman, and works in the local construction industry. Tony is world-class on a snowmobile.
Chuck "Moose" McDonell
Veteran guide on all Idaho rivers in addition to Montana’s Flathead, and Eastern Oregon streams. Owns C&T Used Car Sales, Moscow, ID. Has worked on the Hughes Crew since mid-80’s.
Jason “Bucky” Farr
Grew up in the Deep Southern Idaho some now call Utah. Great skill set including boating, welding, construction and more. Phenomenal guitar player with the voice of an angel. Avid snowboarder. Versatile member of the Hughes Crew. Loves river time!
Nate "Mad Dawg" Hutchison
Grew up in Kamiah, ID. Excellent baker/cook. Started guiding on the Lochsa. Veteran guide on all the rivers we offer. Expert maintenance man in the river warehouse. Versatile member of the Hughes Crew.
Noah Carr
Grew up rafting all over the state of Idaho. A veteran whitewater ace, Noah began running Class IV+ whitewater with his family as a teenager. Ace on the water and in the warehouse. Seasonally guides on the Futelefu in South America.
Natty Role
Natty is a long tenured guide on nearly all river stretches in the State of Idaho. He is a Whitworth University graduate who works the off season doing ecological field research. Natty enjoys running a paddle raft as much as he does rowing a fishing boat. He lives in the North Idaho Panhandle with his family.
Max Lewis
Excellent boater on all craft. Max has deep Idaho roots going back to some of the first boaters running the Salmon River. His great grandfather, Ted Anderson, was a Middle Fork boatman for the family business growing up. Ted then worked many years as an employee of the Salmon-Challis National Forest helping manage the Middle Fork of the Salmon.
Ashley Hughes
General Studies and Master’s Degrees from University of Idaho. Attended Culinary School, Seattle Art Institute. Won National Outdoor Recreation Award for FFA. Rowed Crew for Washington State University. Grew up on the rivers. Runs the best river kitchen in the business. Ashley is a Mental Health Counselor in McCall, ID and works with The Redside Foundation supporting the health and strength of professional outdoor guides. She also creates incredible self-care products (bath bombs, lotion bars, shower steamers and more) with her business Bertie Beauty (named after her beloved aunt Bertie). You can find her products on instagram @bertiebeauty. During summer, she splits time between HRE, Bertie Beauty and her counselor duties.
PJ Markow
The consummate whitewater enthusiast, PJ enjoys a life of travel working on some of the most famous rivers in the world. PJ has worked professionally on rivers in both hemispheres and has spent time on the likes of the Futelefu, Colorado, Selway, Middle Fork, Salmon, and Lochsa Rivers.
Marcus Hawkinson
Marcus is a life long boating enthusiast. He began his guiding career on
The Salmon. Marcus lives in Boise, Idaho, and spends his summers on
the Middle Fork and Salmon Rivers. Marcus is a “detail guy” on the trips.
He loves river time in the amazing Frank Church Wilderness.
Andrew Edson
Andrew was raised in an Idaho boating family. He has an incredible river resume. Andrew is a veteran whitewater ace. Good on all craft, and often runs our Middle Fork sweep boat. During winters Andrew is a Pro Ski Patrolman at Sun Valley Ski Area and also works with the backcountry heli ski program.
Marcelino Arenz
“Lino” grew up in southern Idaho, and is a stout hardshell kayaker. He does safety kayaking duty when he isn’t running a boat. Lino has guided for years all over Idaho. An Idaho EMT. Off the rivers, he enjoys traveling and substitute teaching. Another proud Idaho Vandal Alum.
Kennedy Shiner
Kennedy has worked on the Salmon River for multiple seasons with various outfits and we are lucky to have her on more of our trips. She attends college in the great white north at The University of Victoria.
Jack Ganley
Jack has been guiding on the Salmon River for some years and knows it well. He has traveled the world and boated a huge variety of places. He loves showing people the amazing history and scenery of the wild places in Idaho. A great person to be on the river with, great boater, wealth of knowledge, interesting and engaging. We are excited to have Jack on the Hughes Crew.
Tobin DuBois
Originally from Reno, NV, Tobin is a long time hardshell kayaker and river guide. Excited to have him on the Salmon River crew. He cut his teeth on the Payette River kayaking and rafting before his 18th birthday. Tobin is thrilled to share river time with you.
Shane Moser
Shane has guided on almost every stretch of river in the State of Idaho. That says a lot because Idaho has more whitewater river miles than any other state. He puts together a spring through fall river season with a variety of outfitters. You will find him on the desert rivers in spring, the Selway, Middle Fork, and Salmon rivers in summer, and steelhead fishing during the fall.
Martin Moore
Colorado State University alum. Retired Contracts Manager for Scientech, an engineering consulting business. Idaho resident since 1988. River guide since 1979. Started with Hatch River Expeditions on the Green, Yampa, Colorado and Middle Fork. Guiding with Hughes River Expeditions for 30+ years.
Carter Mills
Carter is a long time Grand Canyon guide, and desert native. We met
Carter in the depths of the Owyhee Canyonlands in 2014. He guides with
us on the Middle Fork, Salmon, and Selway rivers. Carter Enjoys “river time”. He is currently President of the Grand Canyon River Guides, a
non-profit organization.
Kate Middleton
Hi! My name is Kate and this will be my fourth full season guiding on the Middle Fork of the Salmon. I grew up in Big Sky Montana and spend my winter on professional ski patrol at Big Sky Resort. I take so much pride in my work in the outdoor industry; as a guide I have the opportunity to be a steward in a river corridor that has so much human history, ecological and environmental protection, and preserved wilderness. I guide on rivers across Idaho- including the Middle Fork, the Main Salmon and the Selway. These rivers offer an incomparable way of seeing and being immersed in wild spaces, and spending my summer on them is a privilege I feel so lucky to share.When I’m not working, I love to write, work on a knitting project, and spend time with my family, who are all based in Montana.
Ben Fadeley
Ben has been chasing river and ocean waves the majority of his life. His love for rivers, wilderness, and adventure has brought him to many corners of the world. When he’s not guiding he teaches outdoor education at the college level.
Zeke Smith
Zeke is an experienced boatman, guide, and river traveler. He has a wonderful time on the river and truly loves being in Idaho’s magnificent backcountry. Zeke’s twenty plus years of experience and river knowledge are great additions to your trip. Salmon, Idaho, native.
Ben Demarest
Ben is a remodel/renovation contractor in McCall and Boise, Idaho. He has worked throughout the Northwest in the construction trade the past decade. Ben is in our neck of the woods now, and we are excited to have him back on the river when he can fit trips into his schedule. Proud University of Idaho Vandal.
Guest Experiences
“The Hughes Cavalry”
– Alumni who we call on to save the day.
Bob “Buzz” Brunzell
BS Physical Education and Masters in Sports Science. Coached an 8 man football State Championship team at Cambridge High in 1982. Also was an Assistant Coach at the 2015 McDonalds All American Girl’s Basketball game. On the Hughes Crew since 1978.
John Campbell
John like his father is a tenured guide in the State of Idaho. He runs a home appraisal business, and fits in time to be a Jr. High Wrestling Coach. Add that to also working as a School Para-educator, and John is staying busy. A native of Wenatchee, WA, John has worked with HRE since his time at University of Idaho. Played on the University of Idaho rugby team.
Joey Filmanowicz
Working with HRE since 2017. Bachelor Degree from University of Colorado in Environmental Science. He works full time for Bedrock Sandals. Enjoys creating pottery and tie die, rock climbing, fly fishing, rafting, hiking and other outdoor activities. Guide on all sections of the Salmon and Selway. Joey is an amazing resource for exciting new recipes and custom menus to accommodate dietary needs/requests.
Adam Hahn
Grew up fly fishing in South East Idaho on the upper Snake and Henrys Fork. Developed a love for the river at a young age. Graduated with a degree in Recreation from University of Idaho in 2018. Expert fly fishing guide, and on all HRE river craft. Frequent gear boatman. Grew up ski racing. Loves to play guitar.
Dagny Duetchman
Dagny Deutchman has been boating in the Frank Church Wilderness over a decade. Since the age of fifteen Dagny has spent every summer of her life out on the water. There is no other place she would rather be. Although Dagny has mainly guided on the Main Salmon river and the Middle Fork of the Salmon river, she has also boated in Montana, Utah, Arizona, and Colorado. In the off season you can find Dagny pursing a PhD in Sleep and Mindfulness. She loves a good story, handwritten snail mail and cooking for friends and family on the weekends and dancing the night away. She looks forward to taking you and your loved ones on a magical Idaho river trip.
Jacob Smith
Experienced guide. Jacob has worked on the Salmon River for over a decade and grew up right on the shores of the headwaters in Stanley, ID. Jacob lives in Boise, ID and is a Boise State University Grad. We forgive him for that and love having him on the crew!
Carson Addison
Carson grew up in Nevada before coming to Idaho for college. He has guided exclusively on the Salmon River and loves his time on the Middle Fork and the Main Salmon. He is back in school now and working toward a career in the medical field. He is a soft spoken guy you will enjoy spending time on the river with.
Mike Wassmuth
Grangeville, Idaho native who has guided for over 30 years. Great to have Mike on the Crew. He is welcome when he can fit in trips each summer.
Matt Yost
Yost has been guiding in Idaho for 30 plus years. He loves river time with fellow guides and folks from all over the world. He has worked in many trades including timber sales and is a proud founding member of the Redside Foundation. Matt is another Vandal Alum on the Hughes Crew. He lives in McCall, Idaho, with his family.
Mark Tabor
Living in Cambridge, ID. Retired after managing the Selway Lodge for over a decade. Always welcome on the Hughes Crew. Veteran boatman on all sections of the Salmon river.
Kevin Trainor
Veteran guide on Middle Fork and Lower Salmon. Retired attorney, and graduate of University of Idaho Law School. In an earlier life he was a Marine Corp F-4 Phantom photo recon pilot. Now a private pilot and motorcycle man. Lives in Twin Falls, Idaho.
Mike Woodman
Retired teacher, basketball & football coach in the states of Idaho & Montana. Mike has worked with HRE for over 25 years. He is an avid hiker, fisherman, and outdoorsman in general. He is a graduate of Great Falls College Montana State University. His basketball number is retired and hanging in the Great Falls Gym. Mike has coached State Championship basketball teams – both boys and girls – in Montana and Idaho.
Brian Chaffin
Brian has guided in Idaho Wilderness Areas for 20+ years on a variety of rivers. He graduated from the University of Idaho where he was a rugby player as well as doing a brief stint as the Idaho mascot, Joe Vandal. Brian worked as a professor at the University of Montana within the College of Forestry. He is currently the Executive Director of the Clark Fork Foundation Watershed Fund, a Non-Profit based in Missoula, MT. As a co-founder of the Redside Foundation, and a co-owner of an Alaskan Outfitting Operation Brian has plenty to do. He is always welcome on HRE trips when they fit into his busy life.
Racheal Herskowitz
Middle Fork Salmon ace. She has guided on MFS for many years. You will enjoy her company on the river. Rachel works as a Traveling Nurse when she isn’t in the Frank Church Wilderness. We feel lucky to have her on trips when her nursing schedule allows.
Mark Macedo
Worked with HRE from age 15 to present. Experienced guide on all three sections of the Salmon. Graduate of University Idaho, Conservation Sciences with an emphasis on Hydrology. Mark finds time to fit in trips around his career as an electrician in McCall, Idaho.
Mira Warner
An Idaho native who spent her summers as a kid playing on the Clearwater river. Mira’s love and appreciation for water has only grown over the years. Mira loves learning new things and excels in the kitchen. She enjoys working on a team and HRE has become a secondary family to her.
Ryan McNamara
University of Montana, Bachelor Degree in Ecological Management and Restoration. Guide on all sections of the Salmon. Avid skier & outdoorsman. Regular off-season repair and maintenance expert in the HRE shop.
Jon Totten
You will enjoy Jon. Jon has fun, works hard, and loves backcountry and rivers. Worked at North Idaho College teaching Outdoor Recreation. Guided with HRE for several summers, while he split time with an ownership role on a Caribbean Sailing business. Jon recently started his own business, Dogsmile Adventures, a nonprofit in northern Idaho that focuses on therapeutic sailing.
Hunt Paddison
Experienced boatman on Selway and Salmon Rivers. Excellent, enthusiastic fly fishing guide. Another University of Idaho alumn to add to the HRE roster. We are excited to have Hunt on the HRE crew for the Selway.
Chris Guarino
Chris has landed the high tech job of his dreams. He is a graduate of the University of Idaho. Chris is a fabulous basketball player and enjoys rafting, hiking and traveling internationally. We hope to have him work the occasional trip when it works out for him. Chris is a proud University of Idaho Alum.
David Weston
Dave is CPA in the Portland, OR Metro but still finds time here and there to sneak away to guide trips. We love when it works out and his endlessly chipper attitude adds a lot of fun to any trip he is able to join on! Dave is Chris G's partner in crime in Basketball and the two have been teammates on multiple winning 3 on 3 tournaments over the years. Another proud University of Idaho Alum.
Bob Madrazo
Retired teacher/ special education director/ alternative schools principal. Bob, throughout his career, worked closely with emotionally disturbed and “at risk” students. Holds numerous educational degrees and credentials. Played college football. Split time between sailing and his home on the banks of the Rogue River in Oregon. 35+ years guiding with Hughes River Expeditions. Ace fishing guide.
Doug Rigby
Grew up in Challis, ID. BA in Philosophy at Boise State University. Veteran guide on all Idaho rivers since 1986. Married and living in Boise with wife Mary, a family physician and graduate of Cambridge High School. Plumbing contractor. Doug is always welcome when he is available.
Bob Sevy
Veteran Idaho river guide/outfitter, and lifetime friend. River historian and fantastic fly fishing guide.
Ryan Honsinger
Mechanical Enginnering U. Idaho. Hughes Crew MacGyver for 8 years, we all wondered if anything would work after he left. Using his degree in SLC. We miss you Ryan, come back for a trip here and there.
Ryan Diehl
Bachelor Degree in Outdoor Recreation from University of Idaho. Played football for Idaho Vandals. Masters Degree in Outdoor Recreation from Utah State University. Director of the Outdoor Recreation Program, Montana State University, Bozeman. Ryan and Rebecca and their children live in Waitsfield, VT, where they own and operate Wilder Farm Inn.
Hughes Crew Remembrance
Traves Olson
Offensive lineman for Idaho State Bengals. Finance Degree, Idaho State University, and MBA, Boise State. 18 years on Hughes Crew. Married to Julie Robertson, and Dad to wonderful twin daughters – Brooke and Sarah. Worked winters in Chile as a fly fishing guide for 5 years. Travis was a terrific river guide, and a much loved friend of the Hughes Family. He passed due to brain cancer. Traves will always be part of the Hughes Crew Hughes Family and fondly remembered by countless river guests and friends. We miss the “Big Guy”.
John “JC” Cole
World Traveler and received a BS from U. Vermont. High school biology, chemistry, ecology, and geology teacher for 27 years. Coached high school football, girls basketball, swimming & track. Developed Sun Valley Community School outdoor program, and was academic director for Sun Valley Ski Education Association. Idaho river guide for 40+ years. Died at his mountain home outside Council, ID. Amazing and well lived outdoor life.
Steve Wassmuth
Steve was a retired educator who guided every summer for many years. In the early fall of 2025, Steve died unexpectedly at home outside Grangeville, ID. The Hughes Crew and guests will miss Steve along with his incredible selection of jokes, gags, and costumes. During the river season, if Steve wasn’t guiding, he would be on a private river trip, or shuttling vehicles for other boating parties. The Idaho rivers won’t be the same without him. Steve loved everything about “river time”.
Seda Whitten
Seda was a remarkable river guide who came to Idaho via Turkey where she rowed crew on the national team. We were fortunate to work with Seda for nearly three decades. She was also a versatile international guide with experience across the globe. Seda was especially fond of her years in Nepal and Tibet. She owned a fly fishing business in South America – Seda Expeditions. On the Middle Fork of the Salmon in Idaho, Seda was a first class fly fishing guide, sweep boatwoman, chef, and crew member.
Tom Tremain
Tom was a guide from 1981 right up until his final summer. He was an amazing oarsman, fantastic guide and wonderful friend to all in the guide community. We were lucky to have him on many HRE river trips over the years and will always look back fondly on the times we got with him. A Nebraska native, Tom came to Idaho and began guiding in 1981. In a successful effort to continue guiding the rest of his life he worked as a nurse in the off-seasons and made a home in the mountain community of Salmon, ID.
We’re here to answer any and all of your questions!