Ben Costello – Director of Fun

Ian comes from Texas, Arizona and Spain. This is his 13th year as a professional guide on the Poudre, Arkansas, Colorado and North Platte rivers. While not on the river you can find him mountain biking or playing with his dog, Champ. Ian has also been acting semi-professionally for 22 years; you can sometimes catch him acting at the local Midtown Arts Center. Ian is also a trained massage therapist and part time bus driver at MWD. He is a Swiftwater Rescue Technician and an EMT.

“Ian, it’s our second time with you and looking forward to next year.” – The Ackermans

Ian Beutler

Melissa grew up in Loveland, CO. She has earned a degree in Natural Resource Management from Colorado State University and a Law Degree from University of Colorado. When she’s not working, she can be found outdoors hiking, walking her dog, skiing, golfing, or mountain biking. This will be her 14th year guiding rafts on the Poudre River. She is a Swiftwater Rescue Technician. She was named Guide of the Year in 2008.

“Our guide Melissa made the trip more than just a ride down the river! She made it extremely entertaining with her excellent sense of humor and her knowledge of the river.”. –Chris, Denver

Melissa Matsunaka

Matt comes from Duluth, MN. He now finds his home in Laramie, WY where he became addicted to rafting in 1995. His diverse passion for helping others to have fun in the outdoors includes training international mountaineering guides and mentoring youth in outdoor ministry. Safety training in Swiftwater Rescue and an EMT-B, compliment his Business degree from the University of Wyoming. This is Matt’s 14th year as whitewater guide on the Poudre and North Platte Rivers.

“Our guide, Matt, was fabulous. Everybody else treated us very professionally while still ensuring we had a great time.!” – Alex, MN

Matt Troyanek

Bryan was born in Texas and raised in Georgia & Missouri by his parents Bob & Linda. After his service in the US Army, Bryan moved to Crested Butte, CO where he first became a whitewater rafting guide. Bryan has been a professional guide on the Taylor and Cache la Poudre Rivers for 11 years. When not rafting, Bryan enjoys skiing, snowmobiling and cooking up great ribs and fish tacos. Bryan is swiftwater rescue trained and was named Guide of the Year in 2010.

“Very funny and interesting guide, and also professional. We all had a great time!” – Andy, Omaha

Bryan Holman

A native of Denver, Craig recently earned his Masters Degree in music from Colorado State University. In 2008 Craig graduated from Fort Lewis College in Durango, Colorado with a Bachelor of Arts degree. During his time in Durango, Craig worked as an EMT for the Purgatory Ski Patrol. This is Craig’s 12th season as a professional guide. During the winter, he enjoys backcountry Snowboarding and park riding. Craig is also trained in Swiftwater Rescue.

“Craig made us feel completely confident – we felt he really knew what he was doing and trusted his directions.” – Marcia, Omaha

Craig Blackard

A native of Washington State, Forest moved to Colorado in 1999 for graduate school. Forest’s “other job” is Professor of Double Bass and Music Theory at CSU in Fort Collins, where he has worked since 2005—not coincidentally, the same amount of time he has been a professional river guide and kayak instructor on both the Arkansas and Poudre rivers. When he isn’t guiding, kayaking, mountain biking, or enjoying the spectacular Colorado backcountry on his splitboard, Forest performs frequent classical and jazz shows around the state and country, and occasionally overseas.

“Your guides are professional, fun, and experienced. We’ll be back next year.” – James, KS

Forest Greenough

Josh is originally from Mobile, Alabama. In the off-season, he builds custom homes in the Red Feather Lakes area of Northern Colorado and enjoys spending time raising chickens. This will be Josh’s 6th year as a professional raft guide with Mountain Whitewater Descents and his third year as a safety boater. In his spare time, he enjoys snowboarding, traveling, watching live music, hiking and camping in the backcountry with his dog Casey. Josh is also trained in Swiftwater rescue.

“Thanks to Josh!” – Karen, Fort Collins

Josh Randall

Andrew is a native of Fort Collins, Colorado. This is his 6th year as a professional raft guide for for Mountain Whitewater Descents on the Cache la Poudre River. In the off-season he is a student at the University of Colorado where he studies Chinese language. In his spare time, Andrew enjoys playing videogames, watching movies, going rafting with friends and trying new outdoor sports. Andrew has been trained in Swiftwater Rescue.

“We have an awesome whitewater rafting experience! Andrew was our guide and he was great!” – Lori, IN

Andrew Deming

Ray is from Mahwah, New Jersey. In the off-season, Ray works as a ski instructor at Winter Park Resort and is also a professionally trained bicycle mechanic. This will be Ray’s 6th season guiding commercially on the Cache la Poudre River. When he is not at work you can find him riding his fixed gear bike, rock climbing, skiing and building bicycles. He is also a die-hard Foo Fighters. Ray has been trained in Swiftwater Rescue.

“Ray recognized that we’d been rafting before, and helped make the trip a bit more exciting by surfing waves and spinning the boat.” – James, Fort Collins

Ray Mees

Tracey is from Littleton, Colorado. Tracey went to school at Colorado State University where she received a Bachelor Degree in Sports Medicine and a Masters in Biomedical Sciences. In the off-season, she works as a Cardiovascular/Telemety Technician. This will be her 6th season guiding rafts on the Poudre River. When she is not rafting, Tracey enjoys backpacking, skiing, cycling, bird watching. Tracey is an Emergency Medical Technician and has been trained in Swiftwater Rescue.

“…really enjoyed Tracy. She did a good job getting to know everyone on the boat.” – Bill, Omaha

Tracey Lipfert

Kevin has lived most of his life in Denver and Grand Junction, Colorado. Kevin recently earned his B.S. in Mechanical Engineering and a certificate in Biomedical Engineering from Colorado State University and now works as an engineer for a local firm. When not rafting, Kevin can be seen racing his bikes, backpacking, camping, and climbing 14ers. This is Kevin’s 6th season as a guide for Mountain Whitewater Descents. Kevin is also trained in Swiftwater Rescue.

Kevin was a great guide. He let us do some surfing & did a great job getting us through the rapids. – Ted, Indiana

Kevin Gosselin

Casey is originally from San Antonio, TX but has lived in Colorado for most of his life. Casey is currently a Photo Journalism student at the University of Missouri. This is his 4th year as a river guide for Mountain Whitewater Descents. In his spare time, Casey also enjoys backpacking, climbing and distance cycling. His future plans include pursing a career in action photography. Casey is trained in Swiftwater rescue and Wilderness First Aid.

“Casey was very engaging throughout the trip and made the experience fun for all! – Josh, TX

Casey Batezel

Nate is originally from Annapolis, MD. This is his 4th season as a commercial guide for Mountain Whitewater Descents. In the off-season, Nate works as a bar tender in Old Town Fort Collins. In his spare time, he enjoys woodworking, making furniture and making custom wooden paddles. He is also an avid rugby player. Nate’s future plans include rafting all of the major rivers in the Western United States. Nate is a Swiftwater Rescue Technician and a Wilderness First Responder.

“Nate was very informative throughout the rafting about the different places on the river…we had a blast.” – Mendez Family, MO

Nate Bell

Jordan is another Fort Collins native working here at Mountain Whitewater Descents. Growing up in the area allowed Jordan to gain a great love for the Poudre River. She is currently a student at Michigan State University and is majoring in Business Hospitality with a minor in Spanish. This is Jordan’s 4th year as a commercial river guide for MWD. In her spare time, Jordan enjoys hiking, boating with friends and spending time in the outdoors. Jordan is Swiftwater rescue trained.

“Jordan did an excellent job of keeping us comfortable and safe!” – Mike, WY

Jordan Levine

Matty is form Lakewood, Colorado. He has earned a degree in Process Engineering from Red Rocks Community College. This is Matty’s fourth season as a river guide on the Cache la Poudre River and his second season as kayak instructor for Mountain Whitewater Descents. In the wintertime, Matty can be found working in the restaurant industry in Denver and snowboarding anywhere on the slopes of Colorado. Matty is also Swiftwater rescue trained.

“Mattie did a fantastic job and made it really easy and fun for us! And none of us went swimming!!!” – Danni, OK

Mattie Coughlin

Drew grew up near Yellowstone National Park in Cody, Wyoming. He has a degree in Business Management from the University of Wyoming. When not rafting, Drew can be found fly fishing, kayaking, stand-up paddle boarding, snowboarding or traveling. His favorite trip so far has been rafting in New Zealand. This is his 10th year as a commercial guide and fourth on the Cach la Poudre River. Drew is also trained in Swiftwater rescue.

“Drew was very knowledgeable about the river and the area. We felt completely confident with him!” – Rochelle, IL

Drew Mangus

Cass is originally form Fort Collins, CO. She is currently attending Colorado State University with a major in Global Tourism and a minor is Spanish. This is her 4th year as a commercial river guide on the Poudre River. When not working, she can be found riding her bike, hiking, snowboarding and enjoying music. Her future plans include traveling and volunteering with non-profit organizations. Cass is a Wilderness First Responder and is Swiftwater rescue trained.

“Our guide (Cass) was awesome, knowledgeable, and funny, and our time on the river was a blast.” -Anonymous, August 2011

Cass Eriksen

Kemper is a native of Fort Collins, Colorado. This will be Kemper’s fourth year with MWD, however, he has been guiding both commercially and privately for 13 years on the Cache la Poudre, North Platte and Colorado Rivers. In the off-season, Kemper can be found manufacturing bottling and canning lines for factories. He is an artist who enjoys traveling, SCUBA diving and caving. Kemper is also Swiftwater rescue trained.

“Kemper was an encouraging and knowledgeable guide.” – Jennifer, IL

Kemper Stephens

Forrest is a native of beautiful Fort Collins, Colorado. This is his fifth season as a raft guide for Mountain Whitewater Descents on the Cache la Poudre River. When not on the river, Forrest can be found spending time with his wife and two beautiful daughters. He also enjoys the Colorado Rocky Mountains through snowboarding, camping and hiking. He is also trained as a Swiftwater Rescue Technician and Emergency Medical Technician.

“Forrest was a great guide” -Anonymous, August 2012

Forrest Carr

Jeremy is from Atlanta, GA. He has a nursing degree from University of South Carolina and is currently working on a degree from Colorado State in Hydrogeology. This is his second season with Mountain Whitewater Descents and is seventh season as a commercial raft guide. When not rafting, Jeremy can be found playing guitar or snowboarding or learning to do both at once. Jeremy is also Swiftwater Rescue trained.

“The raft guides were just the best! Their personalities and sense of humor were incredible; I’d go back a hundred more times!” -Anonymous, August 2012

Jeremy Patterson

Donny was born in Fort Collins, Colorado but grew up in Pocatello, ID. Donny is a current student at Colorado State University, where he is studying Natural Resources Recreation and Tourism and plays on the Inline Hockey team. When not on the river you can find Donny cliff-jumping, snowboarding, fishing and enjoying live music. This is his second year with Mountain Whitewater Descents. Don is Swiftwater trained and was voted Rookie of the Year in 2012.

“Donny was a great guide, your whole team was fun and made it safe, and made me relax and not stress out since it was my first time.” -Anonymous, August 2012

Donny MacLaughlin

Walter is originally from Spring Grove, Illinois. When not working on the river you can find Walter enjoying rock climbing, snowboarding or any other outdoor sport. He is currently a senior at Colorado State University working towards a degree in Math Education. His future plans include working as a high school math teacher and as a baseball or soccer coach. This is his second year with Mountain Whitewater Descents. Walter is also Swiftwater Rescue trained.

“Our guide Wally was GREAT!.” -Anonymous, July 2012

Walter Polinski

Kevin is originally from Fort Collins, Colorado. Other than being a raft guide for Mountain Whitewater Descents, Kevin is also an avid skateboarder and enjoys riding bikes. He is fluent in Spanish and plans on using those skills in the future as he treks 500+ miles across Spain. This is his second season as a guide on the Poudre River. Kevin is trained as an Emergency Medical Tecnician and as a Wilderness First Responder.

“Kevin and staff were friendly and professional.” -Anonymous, July 2012

Kevin Cope

Mike is originally from Stratham, New Hampshire. He is currently attending Colorado State University where he studies construction management. This is his second season guiding the Cache la Poudre River with Mountain Whitewater Descents. When not on the river you can find Mike skiing, hiking or wake boarding. Mike is also preparing to take over the world, or at least travel it for now. He is also trained in Swiftwater Rescue.

“Our Guide, Mike, was great – it was my 50th Birthday experience from my family – and Mike helped a very scared of the water lady enjoy the trip!” -Anonymous, August 2012

Mike Garneau

Laura is originally from Lancaster, PA (…and KS, IN, CA, NJ). This is her 5th year as an office technician at Mountain Whitewater Descents. Laura has a bachelor’s degree in Exercise Physiology and is now enrolled in Graduate School at the University of Northern Colorado. When not in the office, you can find her riding her bike in town, running, taking road trips and planning her next adventure. Check out our blog to read about Laura’s bike trip from Wyoming up to the Pacific North West.

“The office staff were friendly and efficient!” -Anonymous, July 2011

Laura Loretz

Lindsey is from Fort Collins, CO. She received her bachelor’s degree from Colorado State University in Anatomy and Physiology. Lindsey fell in love with running rivers in the Marble Mountains of California in 1996. Lindsey is an EMT and has worked on several ambulances around Northern Colorado including Weld & Larimer Counties, Denver and Boulder. When not working she enjoys telemark skiing, surfing, kayaking, guitar, and the pitter-patter of little feet. She is a Swiftewater Rescue Technician.

“Our guide was super…we would definately recommend to others and be back ourselves.” – Amy, IA

Lindsey Modesitt

Ella is from Fort Collins, Colorado. She is a member of the Tadfish Rafting Team. She is also a member of the rookie guiding class of 2024. She is an avid skier and recently did her first blue run, Vagabond – Hmmmm. This year, she will be in first grade. When not at Mountain Whitewater she enjoys dancing, Elmo, river time, teaching her brother various life skills, skiing, goldfish and going “big.”

Ella Modesitt – The Big Boss

Chase is from Fort Collins, Colorado. He is the youngest member of the Mountain Whitewater Family. Chase is a member of the Guppy Rafting Team. When not working Chase enjoys balloons, bread, walking straight, cheerios, and being “so big.” If you come rafting in 2026, Chase could be your guide (or kayak instructor).

Chase Modesitt – The little Boss

Brad Modesitt is from Michigan but has lived in Colorado most of his life. This is his 18th year as a professional guide. Privately he has boated on four continents while pursuing his passion of traveling. He has over 22,000 river miles. He has been trained as an Emergency Medical Technician, Outdoor Emergency Care and Canyons River rescue Course. His favorite trip so far has been his canoeing to New Orleans and then bicycling to Chile.

“Brad made the trip educational and enjoyable.” – John, TX

Brad Modesitt – Chief Entertainment Officer