River Guides



  Sierra Mac Crew, 1972

Marty McDonnell, Dale Cunningham,
Bill Hannah, Chris Condon, Bob Perdue
Our guides are the best on the river—hands down. No company has more river miles and expertise on the T than the Sierra Mac crew. All are exceptional navigators and have advanced certifications in river rescue and wilderness first aid. Sharing their love for rivers and providing a thoroughly enjoyable experience is their number one priority.

Marty McDonnell, Outfitter

 
 

 Aaron Cavagnolo Chris Condon 
 Adam Crom Alitia Danciu 
 Ben Fadely Jeff Hall 
 Will Lundy Andrew McDonnell 
 Tom McDonnell Zoë McDonnell 
 Gil Phelps Danny Salazar 
 Olga Shevchenko Forrest Stanley 
 Clint Weakley   


  • Aaron Cavagnolo

  • Coach of champion women's water polo team at University of Michigan
  • River Expertise: professional guide since 1993
  • Guide Class: V+
  • Rivers Professionally Navigated: California—Cherry Creek, Main Tuolumne, Salmon; Elsewhere—Grand Canyon (Arizona), Middle Fork Salmon (Idaho), Rogue (Oregon). Colca (Peru), Futaleufu (Chile), several in New Zealand
  • Off-Season Employment: civil engineer, high school math teacher
  • Home Base: Los Gatos, California

  • Chris Condon

  • SMRT Operations Manager; has navigated Cherry Creek and the Main Tuolumne more than anyone
  • River Expertise: professional guide since 1967
  • Guide Class: V+
  • Rivers Professionally Navigated: California—Cherry Creek, Main Tuolumne, Yuba, Stanislaus, Merced, Salmon; Elsewhere—Grand Canyon (Arizona), Nenana (Alaska)
  • Off-Season Employment: builder/landscaper
  • Home Base: Columbia, California

  • Adam Crom

  • Revered by peers as being the best navigator in the business
  • River Expertise: professional guide since 1982
  • Guide Class: V+
  • Rivers Professionally Navigated: California—Cherry Creek, Tuolumne, Stanislaus, Merced; Elsewhere—Owyhee (Oregon)
  • Off-Season Employment: builder/contractor
  • Home Base: Modesto, California

  • Alitia Danciu

  • Only woman currently certified to guide on Cherry Creek
  • River Expertise: professional guide since 1997
  • Guide Class: V
  • Rivers Professionally Navigated: Cherry Creek, Main Tuolumne, Merced, Kings
  • Off-Season Employment: currently studying to be a Traditional Chinese Medicine practitioner
  • Home Base: Portland, Oregon

  • Ben Fadley

  • Has done several first descents and pioneered new rafting runs in Asia and the Eastern Himalaya
  • River Expertise: professional guide since 1988
  • Guide Class: V+
  • Rivers Professionally Navigated: California—Cherry Creek, Main Tuolumne, Merced; Elsewhere—Futaleufu (Chile), Nile (Ethiopia), Grand Canyon (Arizona), Yangtze and Mekong (China), Korah (Turkey)
  • Off-Season Employment: year-round guide
  • Home Base: Chico, California

  • Jeff Hall

  • River Expertise: professional guide since 1991
  • Guide Class: V
  • Rivers Professionally Navigated: California—Cherry Creek, Main Tuolumne, Stanislaus
  • Off-Season Employment: landscape contractor
  • Home Base: Modesto, California

  • Will Lundy

  • Scuba instructor, ballroom dance instructor, banjo player
  • River Expertise: professional guide since 1995
  • Guide Class: V
  • Rivers Professionally Navigated: California—Cherry Creek, Main Tuolumne, Scott, Trinity, Klamath; Oregon—Rogue
  • Off-Season Employment: disaster relief
  • Home Base: Chico, California

  • Andrew McDonnell

  • Sierra Mac's web master
  • River Expertise: family guide since 1998
  • Rivers Navigated: Tuolumne, Grand Canyon of the Colorado
  • Off-Season Employment: computer systems engineer
  • Home Base: Oakland, California

  • Tom McDonnell

  • 6'7" tall and can juggle 7 balls at once
  • River Expertise: professional guide since 2004
  • Guide Class: IV
  • Rivers Professionally Navigated: Tuolumne, Merced, Kings, Grand Canyon of the Colorado
  • Off-Season Employment: yoga Instructor, caretaker
  • Home Base: Sonora, CA

  • Zoë McDonnell

  • Extraordinary ballerina
  • River Expertise: professional guide since 2004
  • Guide Class: III
  • Rivers Professionally Navigated: Kings, Green, Yampa
  • Off-Season Employment: dance and art student
  • Home Base: Amherst, MA                                                                                                                        

  • Gil Phelps

  • Extraordinary wilderness chef, artist, utopian therapist
  • River Expertise: professional guide since 1978
  • Guide Class: V
  • Rivers Professionally Navigated: California—Cherry Creek, Main Tuolumne, Merced; Oregon—Klamath, Rogue, Umpqua, John Day
  • Off-Season Employment: year-round guide
  • Home Base: his pickup truck

  • Danny Salazar

  • Kayaks Cherry Creek every chance he gets
  • River Expertise: professional guide since 2002
  • Guide Class: IV
  • Rivers Professionally Navigated: Cherry Creek, Main Tuolumne
  • Off-Season Employment: environmental Consultant
  • Home Base: Fort Bragg, California                                                                                

  • Olga Schevchenko

  • Former member of national Soviet women's rafting team
  • River Expertise: professional guide since 1984
  • Guide Class: V
  • Rivers Professionally Navigated: numerous throughout former USSR, Asia, Europe, Central America and the United States
  • Off-Season Employment: civil engineer
  • Home Base: Santa Rosa, California

  • Forrest Stanley

  • Photographer
  • River Expertise: professional guide since 1988
  • Guide Class: V
  • Rivers Professionally Navigated: Cherry Creek, Main Tuolumne, Grand Canyon of the Colorado
  • Off-Season Employment: builder, photographer, sound mixer
  • Home Base: Columbia, California

  • Clint Weakley

  • Married Monica, the best-looking woman in Groveland
  • River Expertise: professional guide since 2003
  • Guide Class: IV
  • Rivers Professionally Navigated: Main Tuolumne, Merced
  • Off-Season Employment: builder/contractor
  • Home Base: Groveland, California                                                                                

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Sierra Mac River Rafting Trips
Marty McDonnell - Outfitter

P.O. Box 264 • Groveland, CA 95321
Reservations 800.457.2580
E-mail catalog@sierramac.com

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