Recent Posts from Dick Linford
This is Audrey
When Audrey interviewed for a job with ECHO, the first half of the interview involved Audrey working to convince Zach and me that we should hire her. The second half involved Zach and me trying to convince Audrey she should work for us. We were sold. She seemed to have some doubts, but we quickly convinced her that working for ECHO would be fantastic. Audrey exudes exactly what we look for in guides. She is open, energetic, friendly, modest, enthusiastic, and very funny. Audrey’s personality can...
Halfway to Halfway
Halfway to Halfway and Other River Stories, co-written and complied by ECHO co-owner Dick Linford, won first prize for anthologies/compilations at the prestigious San Francisco Book Festival. The book is a collection of stories by and about river guides and outfitters. The tales are not so much about crashing whitewater and acts of great daring. They are more the offbeat, funny, poignant stories that capture the unique character of the lucky few who make their living running rivers. The book is available at Amazon, Northwest River...
Recognition
We are pleased to announce that National Geographic Traveler, National Geographic's magazine dedicated to travel, has selected Northwest Rafting Company's trip on the Chuya and Bashkaus Rivers in Siberia as one of its 50 Tours of a Lifetime awards for 2013. This award is given to the year's "most authentic, most innovative, most immersive, best guided, and most sustainable trips." We consider this a very high honor. Northwest Rafting Company is ECHO's sister organization. ECHO is owned by Dick Linford and Joe Daly, while NRWC is...
River Rafting Glossary
Ammo Box. A waterproof military surplus box with a hinged lid, most likely from World War II but still available and very popular. Serves, among other things, a guide's personal stuff. Beam. The width of a boat or raft Bitchin' Whitewater Dude. Derogatory term for a male guide who is too full of himself. Biner. "beaner". Short for carabiner. Boatman. Common term for river guide before women came into the field, creating the need for a gender-neutral term. Boil. Where the current comes up to the...
New Trip! Ancient Anatolia
We are very excited about our new tour in Turkey, Ancient Anatolia. On this trip we are venturing farther east, into what was once Anatolia, and further into this area's past. While we visit mainly Byzantine, Roman and Greek sites on our traditional tours, here we move into the realm of the Hittites, visit Abraham's birthplace, and finally stop at Gobekli Tepe, the recently discovered site that existed eleven thousand six hundred years ago, making it significantly older than the Fertile Crescent, Mesopotamia and ancient Egypt....
ECHO Guides Celebrate 40 Years!
We celebrated ECHO's 40th anniversary with a great two-day party on the South Fork of the American River last weekend. It was a grand affair. Around 130 people showed up. They ranged in age from six months to seventy years, and came from as far as Australia and Montana. Two of our first three guides were there, and every era was well represented. We have to admit that the younger guides tended to outlast the old timers, but the old timers did themselves proud. One of...
Congratulations and Thanks, Dewi!!
At this time we want congratulate Dewi Butler, and thank him for the incredible thirty years he has been working for ECHO. In this business most guide careers are about as long as NFL football careers. Not that river guides get hurt like football players, but guiding is a young person’s game. Sleeping on the ground for months, working 16-hour days, spending too much time in the sun and scrambling for winter work – it all takes its toll. No matter how much they love it,...
Sailing the Turquoise Coast of Turkey
Turkey is becoming a tourist Mecca for Europeans and Americans, and is now among the top ten tourist destinations in the world. Tourism has grown from around 8 million visitors in 2000 to an estimated 21.2 million in 2007. While Europeans have long recognized Turkey as a hospitable country, Americans have generally considered it to be a bit too exotic. That is changing. Turkey has a secular government, is a long-time American Ally, and welcomes Americans with open arms. It also has much to see and...
ECHO River Guides - Winter 2007 Update
Here's a glimpse into the lives of some of our river guides during the winter months. Over the years we've found that most guides travel, teach, ski patrol, or hole up in a shack in the San Juan Mountains during the Fall and Winter months. Shawn White decided against going back to her real job and instead has been preparing her sailboat for her eventual sailing trip around the world. She's planning to sail from San Francisco to Baja after the 2007 river season. Adam Farmer...
ECHO Offers Up Some R & R: Rapids and Relaxation
OREGON - For many, the phrase "call of the wild" brings with it a mental picture that consists of campfires, sleeping on the ground, fighting off mosquitoes, not-so-savory meals, and aching muscles. The team at ECHO River Trips realizes that while there are many people that love the idea of adventure, there are many who still prefer dinner at a table, a roof over their heads, showers, and a bed to sleep in. The new, three day Lodge Trips created by ECHO offer the best of...
