Experienced Guides

Our experienced 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. The Sierra Mac Team of 21 guides collectively have a total of 442 years of navigating whitewater expertise an average of 19 years.  You won’t find a crew with more years on the water and better credentials than Sierra Mac. 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.

Staff Biographies

AARON CAVAGNOLO
Coach, Champion Women’s Water Polo team at Univ. of Michigan
Professional guide since 1993 • Guide Class: V+
Rivers Navigated: California—Cherry Creek, Main Tuolumne, Salmon; Elsewhere—Grand Canyon (Arizona), Middle Fork Salmon (Idaho), Rogue (Oregon), Colca (Peru), Futaleufú (Chile), New Zealand
Off-Season Employment: Rivers and Oceans
Home Base: Hawaii

JENNIFER COOK 
Team Captain U.C. Santa Barbara Intercollegiate Swimming
Women’s US Rafting Nationals Paddle Competition, First Place 2013, Competed in New Zealand, Brazil and Japan.
Professional guide since 2006  • Guide Class: V+
Rivers Navigated: California—Cherry Creek, Main Tuolumne, Kern; Elsewhere—Salt, Grand Canyon (Arizona); Arkansas (Colorado)
Off-Season Employment: Lifeguard
Home Base: Prescott, Arizona

CHRIS CONDON
SMRT River Sage Consultant; has navigated Cherry Creek and the Main Tuolumne more than anyone.
Professional guide since 1967 • Guide Class: V+
Rivers 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
SMRT class V trip leader, revered by peers as being the best navigator in the business
Professional guide since 1982 • Guide Class: V+
Rivers Navigated: California—Cherry Creek, Tuolumne, Stanislaus, Merced; Elsewhere—Owyhee (Oregon)
Off-Season Employment: instrument maker / student
Home Base: Modesto, California

ALITIA DANCIU
Traditional Chinese Medicine practitioner
Professional guide since 1997 • Guide Class: V
Rivers Navigated: California—Cherry Creek, Main Tuolumne, Merced, Kings
Off-Season Employment: Massage Therapist & Traditional Chinese Medicine practitioner
Home Base: Murphys, California

BEN FADELY
Has done several first descents and pioneered new rafting runs in Asia and the Eastern Himalaya.
Professional guide since 1988 • Guide Class: V+
Rivers 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

GLEN FINCH
Lead Guide, Outdoor Enthusiast
Professional guide since 2011 • Guide Class: V+
Rivers Professionally Navigated:USA – Klamath, Owyee,
M.F. Salmon, Grande Ronde, Merced, Tuolumne, Scott
Austrailia: Goulbourn, Mitchell, Mitta Mitta, Thompson, Snowy, and Big. New Zealand: Rangitikie, Shotover, and Kawaru.
Other Rivers of Note: Napal: Kali Gandaki, Upper/Lower Bhoti Kosi, Balephi Khola, And Tamur
Austrailia: Fraklin, Shoalhaven, and Nymbodia. USA:Smith, Illinois, N.F. Cal Salmon, Forks of the Kern.
Off-Season Employment: THERE IS NO OFF SEASON!
Home Base: Planet Earth – Where the Heart is.

JEFF HALL
Professional guide since 1991, SMRT class V trip leader • Guide Class: V+
Rivers Navigated: California—Cherry Creek, Main Tuolumne, Middle Feather, Stanislaus Off-Season
Employment: Landscape contractor
Home Base: Knights Ferry, California

MAARTEN HARRIS
Physical Therapy Student
Professional guide since 2002 •  Guide Class: V+
Rivers Navigated: California — Cherry Creek, Main Tuolumne, Upper and Lower Forks of Kern, Kaweah, Merced, Kings; Oregon – Rogue, White Salmon
Off-Season Employment: Contractor for FEMA, Snowboard Instructor
Home Base: Mammoth Lakes, California

DANIEL JENKINS
Whitewater Teacher of Beginner to Advanced Raft Guides. Rafting Magazine Team Paddler.
Professional Raft Guide since 2001 • Guide Class V+
Hobbies: Rafting Expeditions, Running, Canyoning, Hiking,
Aerial Tissue, Yoga, Burning Man Chef/Camp Designer.
Rivers Professionally Navigated: S., M., and N.F. American,
N. Yuba, N. Mokelumne, Tuolumne, Cherry Creek, N.+ M.F. Kern, Kaweah.
Outside CA: Rogue, New, Gauley, Middle Fork Salmon.
Tully in Australia, Chico in Philippines.
Self Navigated River: 50+ Rivers around California alone;
Plus Rivers in: Oregon, Idaho, Nevada, Colorado, Montana,
West Virginia, Pennsylvania, Virginia, Tennessee, Kentucky,
North Carolina and Georgia. Plus Canada, Philippines, Costa Rica and New Zealand.
Off-Season Employment: Senior Class V Guide on Shooter and Kawarau – Mother Earth Wanderer
Home Base: Sierra-Nevada Mountains of California. On Some river 150+ days a year.

STEPHEN CRANK
Mayor of Splashdown,
Professional guide since 2013
Guide Class: V
Rivers Navigated: California — Cherry Creek, Main Tuolumne, Scott, Trinity, Klamath; Oregon — Rogue, West Virginia – Gauley
Off-Season Employment: Snowmobile Tours
Home Base:  Oklahoma

ANDREW McDONNELL
Family guide since 1998
Rivers Navigated: California—Tuolumne; Elsewhere–Grand Canyon of the Colorado (Arizona)
Off-Season Employment: Information Security
Home Base: Oakland, California

TOM McDONNELL
Operations Manager – Lead Guide, Ultimate Frisbee, Skiing, Surfing, Social Media, Gamer
Professional guide since 2004 • Guide Class: V+
Rivers Professionally  Navigated: California – Cherry Creek, Tuolumne, Merced, Kings; Elsewhere – Rio Azul, Futaleufú (Chile); Pecuare, Sevengre, Coto Brus (Costa Rica); Grand Canyon of the Colorado (Arizona), Zambezi (Zambia)
Off-Season Employment: Sierra Mac R=D
Home Base: Colfax Spring, CA

ZOE McDONNELL
Master of Production
Professional guide since 2004 • Guide Class: III
Rivers Navigated: California–Kings; Elsewhere–Green, Yampa (Utah)
Off-Season Employment: Oatley Sales (Wow, Wow, no cow)
Home Base: Brooklyn, NY

GIL PHELPS
Extraordinary wilderness chef, artist, utopian therapist
Professional guide since 1978 • Guide Class: V
Rivers Navigated: California—Cherry Creek, Main Tuolumne, Merced; Oregon—Klamath, Rogue, Umpqua, John Day
Off-Season Employment: Year-round guide
Home Base: His pickup truck

ALY ROGERS
Owns a construction business in Kenya
Professional guide since 2004 • Guide Class: V
Rivers Navigated: California—Main Tuolumne, South and Middle Forks of the American, Merced, Truckee (California); Green, Yampa, Colorado through Cataract Canyon (Utah);  Main Salmon (Idaho), White Nile (Uganda)
Off-Season Employment: Instructor, ski patrol, violinist
Home Base: Truckee, California

DANNY SALAZAR
Kayaks Cherry Creek every chance he gets
Professional guide since 2002 • Guide Class: IV
Rivers Navigated: California—Cherry Creek, Main Tuolumne
Off-Season Employment: Environmental Consultant
Home Base: Fort Bragg, California

OLGA SCHEVCHENKO
Former member of the National Soviet women’s rafting team
Professional guide since 1984 • Guide Class: V
Rivers Navigated: Numerous throughout former USSR, Asia, Europe, Central America and the United States
Off-Season Employment: Civil engineer
Home Base: Santa Rosa, California

SCOTT SCHOETTGEN
Former Professional Football Player in the Arena Football League and NCAA two-sport athlete
Professional guide since 2007 • Guide Class: V
Rivers Navigated: California-Main Tuolumne, Merced, South Fork American, Middle Fork American, Stanislaus (Camp 9), Stanislaus (Goodwin Canyon), Rogue, Illinois, Futaleufú (Chile) Zambezi
Off-Season Employment: Year-round river guide
Home Base: Columbia, California

JORDAN STONE
Mechanic, Surfer, Snowboarder, World traveler
Professional guide since 2004 • Guide Class: V
Rivers Navigated: Cherry Creek, Main Tuolumne, Merced, Kings, S.F American, M.F American, N.F. American, N.F. Yuba, S.F. Yuba, N.F Feather, Klamath, Trinity, Truckee, E.F. Carson, Grand Canyon of the Colorado, Deschutes, S.F. Eel, Main Fork Eel
Off-Season Employment: Ski patrol, Construction, Mechanics
Home Base: Grass Valley, CA

ALEK VEY
Loves kayaking, hiking, fly fishing, cycling, snowboarding, & climbing
Professional guide since 2007 • Guide Class: V Rivers Navigated: California—Main Tuolumne; Elsewhere—Upper and Lower Gauley (West Virginia), Futaleufú (Chile), Ocoee (Tennessee), Chattooga (South Carolina), Cheoah (North Carolina)
Off-Season Employment: Intern for the RNC
Home Base: West Dover Vermont

CLINT WEAKLEY
Professional guide since 2003 • Guide Class: IV
Rivers Navigated: Main Tuolumne, Merced
Off-Season Employment: Builder/contractor
Home Base: Groveland, California

TRISH WHITE
Lead Guide, Former D1 Soccer, Climber, Kayaker, and Runner
Professional guide since 2014 • Guide Class: IV/V
Rivers Professionally Navigated: Tuolumne, Merced, Rogue, Arkansas, Colorado, and Eagle.
New Zealand: Shotover, Kawarau
Off-Season Employment: Guide in Quesstown
Hometown: Overland, Kansas USA.
Homebase: Queenstown, New Zealand

JESSE WILFLEY
Owns a construction business in Kenya
Professional guide since 1999 • Guide Class: V+
Rivers Navigated: California—North, South, and Middle Forks of the American, Main Tuolumne, Merced, Truckee; Idaho—Middle and Main Salmon, South Fork Payette; Utah—Green, Colorado through Cataract Canyon; West Virginia—Gauley, New; Elsewhere—Grand Canyon of the Colorado (Arizona), White Nile (Uganda)
Off-Season Employment: Ski resort manager, Environmental consultant
Home Base: Truckee, California