Alaskan Facilitators & Guides

Oregon Facilitators & Guides

California Facilitators & Guides

The veteran guides on our Alaska, Oregon, and California river rafting trips are the backbone of our company. Having plied the waters of the Tatshenshini-Alsek, Noatak, Rogue, Klamath for many a season, they are a mature group of individuals dedicated to sharing their passion for rivers and their knowledge of the natural world. The effort that they make to assure that your journey is a safe and memorable one is the main reason why JHRJ has been so successful in bringing our clients back year after year. In addition to their finely-honed boating skills, they are gracious hosts, masterful chefs, and delightful traveling companions.

Our facilitators are a remarkable group of people: naturalists, anthropologists, linguists, poets, musicians, winemakers. Most importantly, they are outstanding travel companions. James Henry River Journeys has, more than any other river company, emphasizes the quality and dedication of these people. It is their passion and exuberance for sharing their environment and/or art form that will immeasureably enrich your travel experience.

After you read the biographies of these guides and facilitators you might want to connect back to the Special Trips and Departures that they will be on.

ALASKAN FACILITATORS & GUIDES
Jimmy Katz
Jimmy ("Jaime” on the rivers) director and owner of JHRJ followed the migration route Westward a year after graduating from the University of Michigan (class of '69). As an eight-year-old camper in Maine, he was introduced to canoeing on the Sylvan ponds and streams nearby and was instantly hooked. For many summers Jimmy attended Maine and Michigan camps gaining the requisite skills required to become the "canoe tripper" (the canoeing instructor and head guide). His college summers were spent teaching and guiding at a camp in northern Michigan (see Other Resources).

Shortly after moving West to California, he began guiding in the Grand Canyon, Oregon, and California. In 1973 realizing that there was no other life to be had outside of river running and nature photography, he began his company, James Henry River Journeys. Initially JHRJ operated on Hells Canyon of the Snake in Idaho but quickly expanded to the Motherlode Rivers in California, the Rogue and Umpqua in Oregon, and the Stikine, Tatshenshini and Noatak Rivers of Alaska. The rest is history. 35 years later, his family-run business of outfitting and guiding remains "a way of life" and a forum for sharing his love of rivers and expressing his love of wilderness as an image maker and teacher of landscape and close-up photography.

You'll find Jaime on the Rogue, Klamath, (June and July) Tatshenshini (July and August trips), and the late August-September Noatak departure. In the spring and fall you can join him on one of his Photo Workshops along the California coast, in the fall on the slickrock of the American Southwest, or on the Oregon and Alaska trips.

John Kipping, M.S.
John ("The Kipper") is a native Californian and an individual who has been a naturalist for more than 34 years. After receiving his Master’s Degree from S.F. State, John began his professional career as the Director of Education at the Strybing Arboretum Society in Golden Gate Park (S.F.) and later became the resident naturalist at the Audubon Canyon Ranch in Stinson Beach, CA. He has taught field biology courses in the Sierra Nevada, on California, Oregon, Idaho, and Alaskan Rivers, in Baja California, and New Zealand for the UC Extensions and for James Henry River Journeys since 1974.

Besides being one of the finest all-around naturalists we know, John is an outstanding whitewater guide, an ardent conservationist, an expert in native American basketry, a remarkable gardener, and tree shaper. He currently lives in Pollock Pines, CA in the foothills of the Sierras with his wife E.J. and daughter Zoe. John has a playful, spontaneous way of relating his knowledge of the natural world and will never cease to amaze you at the breadth of his knowledge. You'll find John on the Rogue in June and the Tatshenshini in July and August.

Danielle Katz
Born into a family that loves wilderness and exotic travel, Danielle comes to river running rather naturally. Her initiation to river touring began at six months of age when she took one of the last runs down the Stanislaus before it was dammed. In quick order she moved onto the Rogue, Main Eel, and Salmon Rivers. At 14, "she had it together" and Dad gave her a boat to take down the Rogue. She's been a regular ever since.

After graduating from UCLA in theater and taking a year of massage therapy classes in Santa Cruz, Danielle moved to Sun Valley, Idaho, to massage, act, dance and ski. After starring in a A Company of Fools' local production of “The Frozen”, she has returned to Los Angeles to further advance her acting career . With a passion for dancing the Tango and Salsa, you can count on her for dancing lessons on the Rogue and Klamath trips along with a few Shakesperean monologues tossed in for good measure.

Having floated rivers since she was 6 months old, you'll find her rowing a boat effortlessly through Blossom Bar on the Rogue River or through the “braids” on the Tatshenshini. For in-depth discussions on avant-garde theater, films, Shakespeare, Hollywood, and horses, you'll enjoy riding in her boat on Rogue and Klamath this summer and fall.

Kelley Kalafatich
Kelley was born and raised in the foothills of the Sierra Nevada mountains and became a river guide in 1979. Her keen sense of adventure and desire to live a year-round outdoor guiding life got her involved with river expeditions to Africa, Costa Rica, Brazil, Siberia, Fiji, Borneo, Equador, Chile, and of course Alaska where she rows a boat on our Tatshenshini trips. Her boating and expedition planning skills invariably got her hooked up with Hollywood where she had a role as Meryl Steep’s stunt double in "The River Wild.”  As an aspiring filmmaker in her own right, she produced and filmed “Three Women, Three Hundred Miles”— an award-winning feature documentary which has been honored in both the Durango and Nevada City Film Festivals. This documentary features Kelley and two other women running the entire length of the Grand Canyon of the Colorado on riverboards in the dead of winter.  It is a spell-binding piece and a triumph of the spirit. Beautifully filmed, it is gives a perspective of the canyon that is seldomly seen, let alone experienced at that time of year— the quietude and the grandeur. Now that Kelley has been adopted into our river family, we hope you’ll get to float with her on our Rogue trips as well.

Sylvan Cambier
Sylvan, like Danielle, comes from an outdoor-oriented family (ie. Sea Trek). Raised in the San Francisco Bay Area and Eugene, Oregon, Sylvan is an outstanding river guide who works our Oregon, California, and Alaskan trips. He graduated from UCSC in physics and is currently back in Eugene, Oregon doing some hands-on physics— building houses. He is planning to go to graduate school in alternative energy systems but in the meantime continues to surf, sea kayak and engineer sound systems for bands and festivals. In the summer, you can find him rowing and paddling down the Rogue, and Klamath Rivers.

Tom Thornton, Ph.D, is an associate professor of anthropology at Portland State University. Tom has lived in Southeast Alaska and worked with Tlingit, Haida, Athapaskan, and Inuit peoples for the past 18 years. He is the editor of Haa Aani, Our Land: Tlingit and Haida Land Rights and Use and Will the Time Ever Come: A Tlingit Sourcebook and has just completed a book entitled Being and Place among the Tlingit. He has also been an associate professor of anthropology at Trinity College and the University of Alaska Southeast and has been a Fulbright Lecturer in China. Tom is an avid outdoorsman and former canoeing guide and loves sharing his insights into the indigenous cultures of Alaska and the Yukon. Tom joined us on our 2007 Tatshenshini River departure and will be returniing for our 2009 adventures in the North.

Julie Cruikshank
Julie is a native of Ontario and moved West to British Columbia to do her doctoral work and later to become a professor of anthropology at the University of British Columbia in Vancouver.  In 1969, she had her first opportunity to do field work in the Yukon Territory and later in Alaska.  Trying to figure out how she could as an anthropologist make contributions to the area that she was living in, several women independently suggested that she might make a substantive contribution by working with Athabascan mothers or grandmothers recording life histories in a form that could be distributed to family members. This led ultimately to Life Lived Like a Story; Life Stories of Three Yukon Native Elders, a  book which has become a cornerstone in Native American studies and a fascinating account of three women who lived a life from the Klondike gold rush to the building of the Alaska Highway.

Julie has recently published another book entitled Do Glaciers Listen? Local Knowledge, Colonial Encounters, and Social Imagination (one of the themes of this year’s trip) on the Tatshenshini.  Julie is a delight to travel with and her enthusiasm for sharing and knowledge of indigenous stories, folklore, and the imagination will provide dramatic insights into this rugged landscape. Julie will be back on board for our 2008 July 27 Tatshenshini River departure. It will be a thrill to have her along.

Nora Dauenhauer
Nora, a native speaker of Tlingit was born in Juneau, Alaska, and in her earliest years spoke only Tlingit. Nora earned a BA in anthopology and is now internationally recognized for her field work, transcription, translation and explication of Tlingit oral literature. Nora's creative writing has been widely published and her Tlingit Raven plays performed at the Kennedy Center in Washington, D.C. Recipient of the 1989 Alaska Governor's Award, Nora served as principle researcher in languge and cultural studies at Sealaska Heritage foundation in Juneau until 1997. Together with her husband Richard Dauenhauer, Nora has co-authored and co-edited several editions of Tlingit language and folklore material. She currently lives in Juneau with Richard (see below) and is currently teaching and writing. Nora and Richard joined us our 2005 Tatshenshini River trip and we are hoping they will join us again in the future when their heavy academic and writing schedule lightens up.

Richard Dauenhauer, Ph.d.
Dick has lived in Alaska since 1969, and from 1981 to 1988 served as Alaska's seventh Poet Laureate. Recipient of the 1989 Alaska Governor's Award for the Arts and 1991 Columbus Foundation's American Book Award, he is widely recognized as a translator of poetry. Much of Richard's professional work as a teacher and administrator has focused on applied folklore and linguistics. Aside from his work in Tlingit culture, he has traveled under the auspices of the Smithsonian to some of the most remote areas of Siberia to study native folklore and culture. Dick has published several poetry books and written a great many haikus and poems of his, Nora's, the crews’ and participants’ exploits on the Tatshenshini since 1989. Dick and Nora joined us for their 10th journey down the Tatshenshini with the "furry float brothers" (Dicks's name for the crew) in 2005. For 2006 they will continue to be our logistical support team in Juneau and naturally, our Tlingit Oral Narrative and literary advisors.

Return to Top of Page

Peter Leh
Omnicompetent Peter is a true wonder kid. Raised in Mill Valley, CA, he quickly learned that the back country was "where it was happening." By the time he had graduated from high school, he was an accomplished practicioner of aikido, a river rafting guide and a Class IV kayaker. He joined the ranks of James Henry River Journeys in 1983 and quickly ascended the ranks to become a lead guide on Oregon, Idaho, and Alaskan Rivers. You'll find him on our Rogue, Klamath and Tatshenshini departures.

In the winters and early spring, he works as a wilderness backcountry skiing instructor and guide, and as a carpenter. He lives with his wife, Rene and two sons, Carson and Nolan, in Pt. Townsend, WA.

Ned Wheeler
Ned came to us by way of his wilderness-trooping Mom who had accompanied one of our Snake River trips in the mid-70's. Ned started guiding with us in 1980 on California, Oregon, Idaho, and in the late 80's, Alaskan rivers. Before settling down to raise a family in Hailey, Idaho and run a Nordic Center in Sun Valley, "Uncle Nedley" was quite the world traveler, river guiding in New Zealand, scuba diving throughtout French Polynesia, trekking extensively around the Himalayas, and doing some camel trading in Radjastan. Known for his quick wit, humorous accents, and gentle manner, it is always a great pleasure to have him join us on one of our Rogue trips each year.


Tom Meckfessel
Tom Meckfessel is another one of those great California kids who grew up with a tremendous appreciation for the wilderness. We discovered him when he was in high school, immediately saw his potential as a river guide, and made sure that he was given every opportunity to demonstrate his athletic abilities, people skills, and budding culinary talents. He began running rivers with us in 1982 during his summer vacations from UCSB where he was an Environmental Studies major. It was only a few years later that he began running Alaskan trips. Tom has been instrumental in sharing some of his most exotic dishes with us and they highlight our Alaskan dinner entrees (halibut stew, Brazilian black bean chile, and Teriyaki chicken and flank steak).

When we can pry him away from his lovely daughters and wife, Emma Isabelle and Elizabeth, you'll find Tom on one of our Alaskan exploratories or Rogue trips.

You can find out about Tom's river equipment business, Clavey River Equipment on our Other Resources page.

OREGON & CALIFORNIA FACILITATORS & GUIDES

Roger Luckenbach, Ph.D.
Roger has been a high school and university educator for 29 years and is known for his enthusiasm, resourcefulness, and inexhaustible knowledge of the natural world. Beside being a UCSC leturer, wildlife biologist, curator, ecological consultant and video producer, Roger has been an expedition leader for field workshops in Antarctica, Greenland, Hawaii, the Galapgaos, and in the Sierras. He has also been river guide with JHRJ since 1983 on Idaho, Oregon, and California rivers. His soft-spoken style, humor, contagious spirit, and remarkable anecdotes make him the ideal companion for the inquisitive traveler. When Roger is not leading groups around Mexico or in Greenland he likes to join us on our June Rogue departures trips.

Bill Easton
Bill and his son Ridge joined us for a Klamath trip several seasons back and we were so enamored of his wines, that we had him join us on the Rogue in 2007. This year we've asked him to share his artistry on the Klamath again and look forward to his intriquing wines. Bill and his wife Jane lived in Berkeley for quite awhile and owned and operated Le Bistro at Solano Cellars a restaurant/wine shop on the North side of town.  Concurrently Bill was making and selling his own wine. At a certain point in time, it was time to make the great leap into the wild and wooly world of winemaking as a full-time endeavor and to plant their roots in the Sierra foothills. Their winery became bonded in 1994 and has since produced some of the finest wines produced from that region.

Bill currently produces twenty different wines, many of which are very small production (under 600 cases). Each is unique and site-specific with a sense of place (terroir) all of their own. Bill strives to craft wines of nuance and complexity. His Terre Rouge and Easton wines are often compared to the most sylish European bottlings.  I'm sure you’ll agree with Robert Parker after tasting his Rhone wines, that you have experienced the “Finest Syrah Produced in the Sierra Foothills.” For more detailed information about Terre Rouge (red earth) go to his website: Terre Rouge and Easton Wines. For additional information: See Other Resources.

Sean Thackrey
Upon first meeting Sean, you have this strange feeling that you have been transported back into the Middle Ages and that you are speaking to a Celtic wizard who has just returned from stirring up his bubbling cauldrons.

Sean Thackrey has been profiled by many wine and literary magazines ever since this self-taught virtuoso came onto the wine scene in the 60's. Sean owned an operated an art gallery in San Francisco collecting 19th Century French photographers for twenty-five years. Thackrey moved to Bolinas, California in 1963 and after closing down his gallery has focused his artistic talents on crafting his elegant wines and his scholarly pursuits on the history of winemaking as revealed in rare 16th Century French books.

Thackrey makes about 500 cases of Orion, a single vineyard Syrah made from turn-of the century vines and 2,000 cases of a complex, Syrah-based, nonvintage blend called Pleiades. One of his most extraordinary efforts, a 1992 Sirius, (turn-of-the century Petite Syrah) was named by The Wine Enthusiast as the best red wine in the world for 1996. Sean is also crafting a stunning Pinot Noir and a robust Sangeovese. You'll enjoy sharing the Rogue with Sean on our June departure. Sean Thackrey's website is http://www.wine-maker.net. We're sure that you will find it quite entertaining. For additional information: see Other Resources.

Joel Peterson
Joel unwittingly embarked on his winemaking apprenticeship at the age of ten when he began tasting with the San Francisco Sampling Club, organized and operated by his father. After graduating from Oregon State University, he became a wine writer and consultant, and in the mid-1970's and learned the art of traditional winemaking (as practiced in Bordeaux and Burgundy). Along with being a professional research immunologist, Joel is renowned for his extraordinary palate. This combination of skills--in addition to his uncompromising nature and enthusiasm for all things flavorful--enables him to produce wines that consistently bear the distinctive Ravenswood stamp. Joel was chosen as one of the world's fifteen outstanding vintners by The Wine Advocate. Each fall on the Rogue, we provide some of Ravenswood’s fine varietals to match our robust cuisine. We’re hoping that Joel’s globe-trotting schedule will slow down a bit so that he can join us on his favorite coastal river.  

Founded in 1976, Ravenswood has grown tremendously but not altered the style of its wine throughout the years. The Zinfandels remain big and stylish. Almost three quarters of the production is Zinfandel, and the balance evenly split between Merlot, Cabernet Sauvignon, and a thousand cases of barrel-fermented Chardonnay. The Ravenswood website is: http://www.ravenswood-wine.com. For additional information: see Other Resources.

Bay Area writer, David Darlington, has profiled Joel Peterson and Paul Draper in a memorable book, Angel's Visits: An Inquiry into the Mystery of Zinfandel. Old-friend, wilderness compatriot, and guest writer on JHRJ trips, David introduced Jimmy Katz to Joel and the first wine-tasting gourmet river trips were inaugurated in the early 1990’s on Idaho’s Salmon River. A long alliance with Joel and Ravenswood continues to this day.

Michael Havens
We met Michael and his wife, Kathryn in 1994 and since then, have had the pleasure of their easy-going company on many jaunts down the Rogue and Salmon Rivers. Michael's inciteful raps (he was once an English professor) about his unique style of winemaking combined with the pleasure of tasting his Merlots, Syrahs, and Cabernet Francs will reveal how dedicated he and his co-workers are to cultivating elegance and finesse in California's preeminent appellations. Michael and his wines will be featured on our mid-June Rogue trip.

Havens Cellars Website is:http://www.havenswine.com For additional information, see Other Resources. Tom Stevenson of "The New Sotheby's Wine Encyclopedia" has remarked: "Since Michael Havens set up shop in the Napa Valley in 1984 he has attracted an enviable reputation for his supremely rich Merlot Reserve, a Syrah that is in a class of its own, and a masterly Bordeaux-style red wine blend called Bourriquot."

Steve Doerner comes to us through Oregon winemaker and ex-river guide Lynn Penner-Ash. We are hoping that Steve willbe abole to join us for our river gourmet food, wine, and baroque music trip of 2009. Tasting his handcrafted varietals will give us a complete understanding of why Cristom Vineyards has been placed prominently featured in Paul Lukacs’ new book entitled, "The Great Wines of America, The Top Forty Vintners, Vineyards and Vintages.”

Steve believes the winemaker's job is to "optimize what nature — the vineyard — provides." With that philosophy in mind, he utilizes Old World winemaking techniques - whole clusters, native yeast fermentation, and gentle and minimal handling. 

Working in tandem with owner Paul Gerrie, they are currently cultivating 65 acres of grapes planted in eight distinct vineyards. Nestled on the slopes of the Eola Hills with a view of Mt. Jefferson, the Willamette Valley provides a number of microclimates ideal for growing Pinot Noir, Chardonnay, Pinot Gris, Viognier and Syrah.

This is Steve’s 29th harvest of Pinot Noir and he’s learned to be patient and to trust his process. He is very much a non-interventionist winemaker but with the scientific knowledge that would allow him to do what’s necessary to produce sound wines. It is befitting that his wines will grace our table on the Rogue this season.

The Cristom Wines website may be found at http://cristomwines.com/
For additional information, see Other Resources.

Lynn Penner-Ash
Lynn has in past years, joined us on the River in Oregon and the Klamath in California and her wines and vivacious spirit were greatly appreciated by our guests. Her busy schedule has intervened this year so we’ll have to wait until 2008 for her and her family to join us again on the Klamath where we will be able to taste the wines of her current project, Penner-Ash Wine Cellars. Penner Ash Wine Cellars has been producing wines since 1998 and is currently producing premium Pinot Noirs and Syrahs. Lynn's website is http://www.pennerash.com.
For additional information, see Other Resources.

Lynn has had a fascination with science since childhood, thought that she would become a botanist, but in her senior year at UC Davis changed her major to viticulture and enology. Prior to moving to the Pacific Northwest, she worked as a river guide and in the California wine industry for Stag's Leap Wine Cellars, Domaine Chandon, Chateau St. Jean, Domaine de Napa, and Haven's Wine Cellars. Fascinated by the ever-changing demands of a winemaking season: crush, fermentation, aging, bottling, winemaking has provided a unique outlook for her love of science and her creative, intuitive and emotional sides.

Lynn is one of Oregon’s pioneering women winemakers and one of a handful of women winemakers nationwide. Her award-winning blends of Pinot Noir, Pinot Gris and Syrah are a testimony to her skills as a winemaker. During her 14-year career at Rex Hill Vineyards she won many awards, including the Humphrey Edward Jones award for the “World’s Best Pinot Noir”, Wine and Spirits Magazine’s “Winery of the Year” (twice in 10 years, “The Top Ten Pinot Noir on Restaurant Wine Lists” four times in ten years.

Shira Kammen
Shira is one of those rare gems whose whimsical, playful nature and quick wit make her the ideal traveling companion. On top of that, she's a virtuoso violinist whose versatility is unparalleled. From Early Music to Renaissance and from Baroque to Classical, or in the folk world from Irish to Klezmer to Gypsy, Shira can be traditional or improvisatory in style and play the appropriate stringed instrument of the hour (violin, viola, or vielle) with aplomb. Shira is responsible for putting our musical trips together on the Rogue and we are fortunate to share her mirthfulness and talents with us again. She is also becoming quite a big-water boater and tries to tackle the Grand Canyon through the Colorado each year.

Shira and a number of the musicians that she brings to the river have worked with the Oregon Shakespeare festival, Ensemble Alcatraz, Ensemble Project Arts Nova, the Benefit Street Chamber Players and Tafelmusik (baroque), Khadra International Folk Ballet, and George Coates Performance Works (contemporary and improvised music).

Cindy Albers
Cindy is an active musician in the San Francisco Bay Area. Specializing in historical instruments, she performs with the Philharmonia Baroque Orchestra and American Bach Soloists. Cindy has performed classical music for cultural tours along the Rhone River in France, and on the Danube and Rhine Rivers, traveling from Budapest to Amsterdam. In 2000, she led the Philharmonia quartet on a tour across mainland China. They played concerts on the Yangtze river and at national historic sites, including the Great Wall.

At home in Sonoma County she gardens, keeps bees and runs a thriving educational program for young violinists. Cindy has accompanied our Rogue and Klamath trips for the past seven years and will be a featured violinist on a Rogue or Klamath trip this summer. If you are interested in finding out more about Cindy's performances, educational programs, violins and bows contact her at: http://home.earthlink.net/~musenet

Rachel Streeter
Flutificating Rachel is a hoot to have on the river. Humorous and playful, she adds a great deal of balance to our musical duets and trios. Rachel has been accompanying our Rogue and Klamath trips for many seasonsyears and has been enjoying playing Early music with a baroque flute and harpsichord for the past 14 years. In addition to performing she teaches music and movement to elementary students. Rachel has performed extensively for granite walls, whispering pines and mountain lakes and will join us on the Rogue this summer. Two summer agos, Rachel migrated north to Oregon and is now living closer to the rivers, we run, playing music, and banging a few nails on the side.

Danny Carnahan
Danny Carnahan, originally trained as a classical cellist, has been performing playing octave mandolin, guitar, fiddle, singing and recording Celtic music for over 25 years. He's toured, played festivals and clubs in five countries and 30 states, recorded 11 CDs and won an occasional award. When not teaching music, writing about music in books and magazines, or flogging his novels, he can currently be found on stage with Wake the Dead, the world's only all-star Celtic Grateful Dead jam band. Always great company to travel with, you’ll find him this summer on one of our Rogue departures.

Return to Top of Page

James Henry River Journeys Home | Our Destinations | Special Trips | Schedule and Prices | Special Deals | About Us | FAQ's | Booking Info | How To Contact Us | Catalog Request | PhotoGallery | Literary Corner | Other Resources

1-800-786-1830 E-MAIL: jhrj@riverjourneys.com

415-868-1836 S.F. Bay Area FAX: 415-868-9033

©2002. All Rights Reserved.  Revised 2007.
James Henry River Journeys/Wilderness Journeys.