Maine Whitewater Rafting Guide Eileen Russell
Name: Eileen Russell
Hometown: Salisbury, CT
Age of First Rafting Trip: 16
Year you started guiding at Northern Outdoors: 2021
What type of guiding do you do?Whitewater Rafting
What do you enjoy most about working at Northern Outdoors? Living in guide city! I love living so close to other guides, cooking and eating together, and carpooling to the lodge for beers after work.
What is your favorite river to guide, and your favorite rapid on that river? Nothing beats the Kennebec's Alleyway for non-stop action!
What’s your classic Northern Outdoors memory?
Taking the "Staff Raft" out for a play run on the Kennebec on a high water day. There's a dime-sized hole in the floor, so we essentially took a bathtub down the river. I fell out at Whitewasher, only to realize that I had fallen IN to the boat!
Where do you adventure when you are not working?
You can usually find me swimming across Wyman Lake from the boat launch in Caratunk.
What do you do in the off-season when you’re not guiding for Northern Outdoors?
I teach at a gap year program for 18- to 21-year old students, planning and leading backpacking, canoeing, and orienteering expeditions.
Tell us about any certifications, special talents, guide awards.
Level II Whitewater Guide
Wilderness EMT
What rivers have you run outside of Maine?
Housatonic River, CT
Deerfield River, MA
Deschutes River, OR
Clackamas River, OR
Rio Baker, Chile
Which Kennebec River Brewery beer is your top choice after a day on the river?
Magic Hole IPA
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